grammar jim italy: teaching tips

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GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTYwith grammar

GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTYwith grammar

Demand High

Am I really challenging the full learning potential of my students?

The aim: to raise the quality and quantity of learning in my classes

We’re going to look at one way

of being more demand high

by looking at one common stage in many lessons

When students have done an exercise (individually or in pairs) and the teacher leads a feedback stage to check answers.

Beyond “Correct” and “Wrong”

1 Make a class of 5 ish.

2 Do the exercise as students (individually)

3 In your groups of 5 ish – appoint one teacher.

4 Teacher: Go through the students’ answers and check them (in any way you want to. You have about 2 minutes)

5 Thought experiment …

“If I wanted to extend this stage (going through students’ answers) to last 60 minutes … what are some of the things I could do?”

oooo

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oooooo o

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ooooo

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Often interpreted as:“The students should do it all by themselves”

Teacher: “Stand back, don’t say too much, don’t interfere” “The learning will happen by itself”

The current standard view?learner-centredlearner autonomy

The Tweak"Received Contemporary" Demand-High

Materials-centred Learning-centred

Finish the activity Go where the learning is

Teacher as hub Everyone interacts

Questions test right answers Question uncover learning

Fun is added on Engagement is integral

Little language upgrade Lots of language upgrade

Language work done by book Hands-on language work

Class taught as a unit Class taught as individuals

Try to communicate >> praise Playful exploration >> upgrade

Examples are

Input

Playing with

examplesis

Practice

Read it

Make it sound real

Substitute

Personalise

Use

Try it!

Upgrade Steps

I have no idea

I can say the sentence

approximately

I can say the words

with good sounds

I can make the words with

the right forms / endings

I can say the

sentence with

good stress

I can

approximate

intonation

I can say the

sentence with

meaningful

intonation

I can make simple

substitutions to the

sentence to change the

message

I can integrate the new language with everything I

already know and use it when needed

I can use the grammar

to convey the message

I want to

I can put the words

in the right order

I can spell the

forms accuratey

I can do all this

increasingly fluently

I have an initial idea of

the form

I can fine-tune

my meanings

I can write the sentence

approximately I have an initial idea of

the meaning & use

The DH alternative: Upgrade everything…

To St A: Check the no of words,

To B Say it faster,

C Slower and more clearly,

D Where is the stress?

E Join the words together,

F You need another word,

G Take a word out

H Say it with interest

I Whisper it,

J Make it a question,

K Change it!

L Change one word

M Look at your pronunciation

N That’s correct, but now In English!

O All of you…find another way to say the same thing…

not “drilling”

“ … this weird foreign language”.

( just a small step )

not “drilling”

Not just once …

Rubbish >>>>>>>>>> Competent Language Use

Give an imperative or instruction (e.g. “Say it faster”)

Not everything at once …… a small reachable, achievable step

IndividualsOpen PairsClosed PairsSmall GroupsLarge GroupsClass sectionsWhole ClassMingle

Focus1to1

i.e. 1-to-1 within the class

Focus1to1

Focus1to1

Focus1to1

Focus1to1

Focus1to1

Focus1to1

Focus1to1

Q(b)? Good. (c)? Perfect(d)? Well done etc etc

Instead of just checking the answers … and then moving on …

… can we find a way to go back in, mining the material for more value?

Three Times Practice

One: Do it. Then we check it.

Two: Cover the words. Can you remember the sentences? Say them to your partner. (Check whenever you need to)

Three: Practise saying them more naturally. (NB Also think about facial expressions, gestures etc)

Well it’s …One for the money Two for the showThree to get ready

Now, go cat, go …

Well it’s …One for the exercise Two for the learningThree “in English”

Now, go cat, go …

Well it’s …One for the exercise Two for the learningThree “in English”

Now, go cat, go …

Helping every individual student in the class to improve …

Instead of praising weak production …

Instead of drilling …

Instead of doing an exercise and moving on …

Instead of teaching the whole class as if it’s one level …

Instead of explaining as a key teacher grammar input …

Upgrade Steps

“Upgrade Feedback”

PROUF

3XP

1to1Focus

Examples are Input

Thanks to

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