Beyond Grammar Drills:

Integrating Grammar with

Other Language Skills, Part 1
Dr. Latricia Trites
Fulbright Yilan Project
Academic Advisor 2008-2009
Importance of Grammar
Grammar gives students the structure with
which to communicate effectively in a
language.
How should we teach grammar?
Inductively or deductively?


Celce-Murcia & Larsen-Freeman Model
MEANING
What does it mean?
(Meaningfulness)
USE
When/Why is it used?
(Appropriateness)
FORM
How it is formed?
(Accuracy)
(Celce-Murcia & Larsen-Freeman, 1999)
Communicative Competence
Grammatical Competence: sounds,
words, rules
Discourse Competence:
cohesion/coherence
Sociolinguistic Competence: social
appropriateness
Strategic Competence: when and how to
use, what to do when language fails
(Canale & Swain 1980)
Tips for Going Beyond the Drills
Bring in AUTHENTIC texts that illustrate
the grammatical point being used.
Create REALISTIC situations that would
create meaningful use of the grammatical
point.

Describe the Picture

Compare the Pictures
Picture 1
Picture 2
Common Lesson Suggestions
Describe a picture using adjectives,
comparatives/superlatives, adverbs, action verbs
Summarize a story in their own words
sequencing events, past tense
Read horoscopes and then write their own Future
tense
Create shopping lists quantifiers
Answering an email, invitation, etc. verb tenses
(conditionals)
Interviews/Polls comparatives/superlatives
Time tables present tense, past tense, future
tense
20 Questions Yes/No Questions and answers
Proverbs student research for a particular tense
Take a Chance
Taking a page from the textbook, think of
at least one way of extending the grammar
exercise to make it meaningful to the
students. Focus primarily on reading and
writing activities.
Share with the group.
Next Time
Bring your own textbook, well brainstorm
for more ideas specifically focusing on
listening and speaking activities.
References
Canale, M., & Swain, M. (1980). Theoretical bases
of communicative approaches to second
language teaching and testing. Applied
Linguistics, 1, 1-47.
Celce-Murcia, M., & Larsen-Freeman, D. (1999).
The grammar book: An ESL/EFL teachers
course (2
nd
ed.). USA: Heinle & Heinle.
Ur, P. (1988). Grammar practice activities: A
practical guide for teachers. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.