How to teach Grammar

Principles and Practices for Teaching English

as a Foreign Language
Ms. Maritza García
 What is Grammar

Grammar is the system of rules governing

the conventional arrangement and
relationship of words in a sentence

Grammar tells us how to construct a

sentence (Word order, verb, noun system,
modifiers, phrases, clauses, etc)
 HOW TO TEACH GRAMMAR
Should grammatical explanations and technical terminology be used
in a CLT class?
 Keep explanations briefly and simple.

 Use charts and visuals to graphically depict grammatical relationships

 Illustrate with real life examples.

 Consider students’ different learning styles

 GRAMMAR AND METHODS
Methods related when teaching Grammar

• Grammar Translation – Deductive approach

• Direct Method - Inductive
• Audilingualism
• Natural Approach
• Communicative Language Teaching
 Deductive
• Rules and explanations Approach
• Using a rule explanation to teach question formation
• Translate structures into the native language

DEDUCTIVE APPROACH

Rule-driven

Starts with the presentation of a

rule and is followed by examples
in which the rule is applied
Grammar
translation
 The teacher starts showing students pictures of people doing certain actions.

The teacher models each sentence. LISTEN! Point to the photo/flashcard He is fixing the roof

HE IS FIXING THE ROOF The student repeats the sentence

 Inductive Approach

• Examples, conversations to work out the rules.

Starts with some examples

INDUCTIVE APPROACH from which a rule is Discovery learning
inferred.
How to teach Grammar- Inductively. College
level.
 SOCIAL LANGUAGE
COLLOCATIONS, CHUNCKS OF LANGUAGE
Advantages of teaching inductively

Rules are learnt by learnes. They are meaningful, memorable.

Students are actively envolved. Not passive recipients.

Motivated.

Autonomous learners. Work rules out.

Disadvantages of teaching inductively

Time spent in finding out rules, might make students think the
objectives are the rules, but not the language. .

Teacher spends time in organizing CLT syllabus

Method frustrates some students who are used to learn grammar

deductively.
 Learning Grammar Inductively –
Elementary level
• Imperatives through TPR.
Action verbs: Stand up, sit down,
point, walk, touch
Classroom objects (book, wall,
chair, door)
Going farther with negatives: Go
to the door, Don´t go to the
door.
The teacher writes the structures
on the board. Students read
outloud, after the teacher. Then,
they write the sentences in a
notebook.
 8th Grade book
from MagisterIO