Humanising Decontextualised Grammar

Daniel Martín del Otero, Spain

Daniel Martín del Otero is an English teacher based in Spain, teacher trainer and author of the book “Activities for Interactive Whiteboards”, Helbling Languages.
E-mail: danielmartin67@yahoo.com

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Introduction
Activities
Six final considerations

Introduction

The following article tries to shed some light on effective grammar teaching practices by suggesting three activities that both humanise and contextualise three otherwise dehumanised and decontextualised English coursebook products.

To exemplify how we can instil creativity and a more holistic approach to traditional grammar drills or grammar explanations to be found in current coursebooks, I picked up from a shelf in my study three ESL books that I have been using with my students over the last couple of years. These books are meant for elementary, intermediate and advanced level. They seem to be popular coursebooks amongst ESL teachers. The first activity, aimed at elementary students, is a fill in the gaps activity where students are asked to use the appropriate form of an irregular past tense. The second activity, aimed at intermediate level, asks students to fill in gaps with gerund or infinitive and it is accompanied by grammar explanations on the use of gerund and infinitive. The third activity is, once again, a fill in the gaps where advanced students are to choose given forms of compound modal verbs to be placed in gapped sentences.

The suggested follow-up activities to these grammar drills challenge the students to reshape the target grammar as part of a larger language product within a specific social context. The difficulty level and expected outcome of each of the three activities increases as the language level addressed moves a notch up.

Activities

Match me if you can (Irregular past tense)

Exercise taken from Mark Foley and Diane Hall, Total English Elementary Workbook, Longman, page 48. The dotted gaps have been filled in with the appropriate answers.

Exercise 4b. Rewrite the sentences, using the Past Simple form of verbs from the table.

Thieves often break into the nightclub. Thieves broke into the nightclub again last night.

1. We catch the bus to work every morning. We caught the bus to work yesterday morning.
2. Don and Eva see their grandchildren once a week. Don and Eva saw their grandchildren last Sunday.
3. Mum makes fantastic chocolate biscuits. Mum made fantastic chocolate biscuits for the party last weekend.
4. Xavier takes hundreds of photos on every holiday. Xavier took hundreds of photos on his last holiday.
5. I can swim 500 metres in twenty minutes. I could swim 500 metres in twenty minutes when I was a child.
6. Alicia puts a lot of sugar in her coffee. Alicia put a lot of sugar in her coffee yesterday!
7. They aren’t very happy about the weather. They weren’t very happy about the weather on holiday!
8. The train usually arrives on time. The train arrived late yesterday morning.

You may decide to set this exercise as homework and quickly check answers and understanding in class. After that, set up pairs in your class. If you have an uneven number of students, sit next to a student and also be involved. The students, in pairs, choose one of the eight sentences and build up a short dialogue –or minimal dialogue- based on the sentence, which will be later performed to the class. The dialogue must give the listeners at least one hint so that an association with the chosen sentence can be established. However, this short dialogue must not include the sentence in question. It is up to the other students to, once they have heard the dialogue, decide which sentence could match it. Allow enough time for your students to work on their dialogues. If you are not sitting with a student, circulate to provide help, feedback or corrections. Early finishers may produce a second dialogue choosing a different sentence. When everyone is ready, make some room in the front of the classroom for your students to act out their dialogues. As they are short dialogues, ask them to memorize them. These are just made up examples for the first and second sentences above. The wording used is probably what is expected to be generated by elementary students of English.

Dialogue 1

- It was raining a lot yesterday.
- Yes, we couldn’t walk. Too much rain.
- But I think the weather will be better tomorrow.
- Good. We can walk here again.
- Yes, I like walking. It’s good exercise.

Dialogue 2

- They are really nice.
- Yes, they can say “Mummy” and “Daddy” now.
- I love them.

These minimal dialogues force the students to both create and recreate a context. First, they have to create a context while they are trying to write the dialogue up. They need to size up each of the sentences (and as a result they get exposure to the irregular past forms presented) in order to devise a feasible scenario. Then they put the language to practice (notice the use of other past tenses in the first dialogue, thus your students are actively studying the conventions of the language). They practice writing while they put pen to paper and then speaking (the dialogues are so short that they can be internalized and then retrieved). While they are listening to others, they are obviously putting their listening skills to practice. And, last but not least, they have to intertwine reading (a second dose of exposure) and listening, as –when they hear the stories- they try to figure out what the matching sentence might be. While they are listening to their peers, they need to recreate the scenario, just like in real life we eavesdrop on someone’s conversation at a bus or when someone is on the phone and we try to contextualize the spoken discourse. The first dialogue may generate sentence number 7 as the matching sentence. However, a closer scrutiny (“we can walk here again”) rules this option out. Critical thinking is, well, critical to form a solid judgment here. Expect cases of ambiguity. Be glad for them. It will force students to reason out their choices and to closer scrutinize their formed opinions (and as a result, a third dose of reading exposure will be prompted).

Personally predicting (Infinitive and gerund)

Exercise taken from Clive Oxenden and Christina Latham-Koenig, New English File Intermediate Student’s Book, Oxford University Press, pages 138-139. The grammar bank section of this book contains grammar notes that are accompanied by grammar drills. Among various aspects, the grammar explanation on page 138 focuses on how gerund tends to be favoured after most prepositions and infinitive is generally used after adjectives. A list or common verbs that are typically followed by either gerund or infinitive or both is also provided. The following page presents two exercises: fill in the gapped sentences with gerund or infinitive of the given verbs and complete the sentences with work, to work, or working. We will focus our attention this time on the grammar explanation. Write the following language frames on your board in no particular order.

- I think ‘X’ is very good at…
- I think ‘X’ doesn’t mind…
- I think ‘X’ is afraid of…
- I think ‘X’ enjoys…
- I think ‘X’ hates…
- I think ‘X’ likes…
- I think ‘X’ would like to…
- I think ‘X’ finds it easy to…
- I think ‘X’ finds it difficult to…
- I think ‘X’ always tries to…
- I think ‘X’ needs to…
- I think it’s important for ‘X’ to…

Then ask your students to look at the information given on the grammar notes in their textbooks and decide which of those frames are followed by infinitive or gerund (the first six are typically followed by gerund, whereas the bottom six are followed by infinitive). Review answers. Ask a student to come up to the board, erase what’s on it and rewrite the frames into two separate sets (gerund and infinitive). He or she may get help from others. Next, ask your students to think about someone they know well and use the frames to make predictions about that person. “X” must be replaced by the name of the person they thought of and an appropriate form of gerund or infinitive has to be used to construct a complete sentence. They may be doing so in pairs. Elicit a few answers. Next, ask them to hazard conjectures on the teacher. Confirm or refute.

Finally, the icing on the cake. Cut lots of strips of scrap paper for your students so they can write sentences on them (at least 10 strips per student). An A4 size piece of paper can easily make 10 to 15 strips. You may give each student a piece of paper and ask them to make 10 to 15 strips out of it. Ask them to use one strip of paper to write their name down on it. Tell them to leave this strip on their desk face up. Collect the remaining blank strips of papers and place them strategically and evenly distributed on four corners in the classroom. Ask everyone to stand up and help themselves on the strips of paper provided. They are to write down sentences on them (one sentence per strip) using the frames reviewed. An infinitive or gerund –as required- must always follow the last word of each frame. Their task is to make predictions on other students in the classroom –and thus, replacing ‘X’ by a student’s name-. Once they write a prediction, they place it –face down- on the student’s desk whose name they just wrote on the paper. Encourage them to use a different structure each time for varied practice. Encourage them to “visit” as many desks as possible. Invite them to focus on positive areas of others. Mingle with the students and place your predictions on the desks as well. Provide more paper if necessary. After ten minutes or so, ask your students to go back to their seats and turn the strips of paper over so they can read the sentences placed on their desks. Elicit answers and request confirmation on refusal. Ask for the most bizarre prediction, the most original, what is true of themselves or not, etc. Think of possible further relevant questions. For instance, if someone generated the sentence “I think Rosa is very good at remembering English words”, you could ask questions such as “What advice would you give anyone to remember English words, Rosa?” or to “I think Rosa would like to be somewhere else now” (assuming this is true) you could ask “Why?”, or “Where then?”

This activity requires movement in the classroom, which many students may appreciate. It strengthens interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences, and it also exposes your students to the grammar content actively, not passively. Notice all four language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking practice) are addressed. It contributes to building rapport amongst the students. It is highly motivational because it serves a practical purpose and your students will be highly curious to find out what has been written about them and how they are perceived by others. In many instances students have asked me if they can keep the strips of paper (mostly when what is written on them is a manifestation of appraisal). When that is the case, I consider my job done: those students will be leaving the classroom “keeping” the grammar with them –literally!

Pair! Don’t despair! (Compound forms of modal verbs)

Exercise taken from Virginia Evans and Lynda Edwards, Upstream Advanced Student’s Book, Express Publishing. Page 156. Modal verbs.

Students have to fill in the gapped sentences with the disjointed answers placed above the sentences. The correct answers have been provided in the underlined parts.

must have should have might have could have can’t have shouldn’t have might not have needn’t have

1. That can’t have been John you saw at the match –he’s out of the country at the moment.
2. You needn’t have brought sandwiches –there’s a perfectly good cafeteria.
3. What a mess you’ve made! You should have been more careful.
4. I don’t know why she didn’t ask me how to do it –I could have easily helped her.
5. She must have thought you were too busy –I can’t think of any other reason.
6. Martin really shouldn’t have borrowed my tennis racket without asking first.
7. I don’t know why Fiona’s so late; do you think she might have got lost coming here?
8. She might not have managed to find the time to come –you know how busy she is.

Once the answers have been reviewed and your students are relatively familiar with these compound forms of modal verbs, tell them to get into pairs. If you have an uneven number of students, pair off with one of them. An alternative option is to choose one of your stronger students –academically, that is- to circulate with you to provide help. Tell your students that, in pairs, they are going to have a close look at the sentences above and they are going to construct a short logical dialogue where they need to intersperse two of those sentences. As an example, here is one possible short dialogue that includes the first two sentences.

- Guess who I saw at the match the other day.
- Uhmm… No idea. Go ahead.
- John of all people.
- That can’t have been John! He’s out of the country at the moment.
- Well, he looked just like him. Anyway, fancy a sandwich?
- Oh, you brought lunch! You needn’t have brought sandwiches –there’s a perfectly good cafeteria.
- Never mind. Just have one.

Supervise their work and help out when needed. Finally, ask your students to read out their dialogues. With large class sizes, it is a good idea to, once the paired students have written their dialogue, set up larger groups of 3, 4 or 5 pairs of students. Then each pair of students within each large group can read out their dialogue to the other students in their large group. The students may then vote for their favourite dialogue (remind them they cannot vote for their own). It doesn’t necessarily have to be the best dialogue in terms of linguistic competence; they may also take into consideration originality, hilarity or good enunciation. The most voted dialogues within each large group will finally be read out loud in class.

If you want an added element of sophistication, you can try this. After all the groups have read out their dialogues, you can ask your students to scrutinize the sentences that were not used in their dialogues and then assume that those sentences were also part of the conversation or dialogue. What might have prompted the speakers in the conversation to have uttered those sentences? Give them ample time to speculate on it. The paired students within the large groups will be sharing their impressions. Finally, you can prompt a few answers from your students. Answers will vary depending on the content of each dialogue. As an example, these are my personal conjectures for the conversation above.

Sentence number 3. One of the two speakers dropped the sandwich.

Sentence number 4. One of the two speakers tried to help a friend replace a punctured tyre.

Sentence number 5. Referring again to the fact that the friend did not ask for help to get the tyre replaced.

Sentence number 6. One of the speakers is trying to arrange a tennis game with the other speaker but the latter can’t make it because he or she has no tennis racket at the moment.

Sentence number 7. The two speakers are expecting a third friend.

Sentence number 8. When the speakers are almost ready to say goodbye they refer one more time to the friend that did not show up.

Once again, it is worth considering various fundamental aspects. The twofold set up of groups (paired students who then join large groups) creates a positive environment conducive to learning. All four language skills are addressed. Contexts have to be created and recreated and the students are actively engaged in the study of the language conventions. They may not be using compound modal verbs per se much in the written -then spoken- dialogues. However, they need to closely examine the grammar practice sentences and understand all possible nuances to successfully complete their task. The students have to “think” in the target language. Grammar here is looked at and studied to serve a practical purpose.

Six final considerations

Six final considerations regarding the suggested activities – or the teaching and learning of grammar in general- worth pondering over.

1. The suggested activities make the students focus on the target grammar components. However, the activities do not exclusively serve this purpose. This is a preliminary step towards a task completion.
2. An emotional tag -highly prominent in the second activity- is attached, and, as a result, the target grammar components will be easier to retrieve in future use. Experiences, emotions and connections are an integral part of this abstract entity: language. Things cannot be learned in isolation. Perhaps, and to be more accurate, grammar, vocabulary or language chunks may be learned in isolation but, in all likelihood, will become dormant. If we really want to activate them and be able to retrieve them in our use of the language, opportunities need to be created to instill emotion and provide contexts in our teaching practices.
3. These are student-centered activities. The students generate their own language products. The students will more likely remember and retrieve language that is reshaped by them than language that is generated as a result of providing a correct answer for a gapped sentence.
4. There is not simply just one approach to grammar – or language for that matter. Linguistic intelligence is paramount to language acquisition but other ways should also be tried.
5. Emphasize that personal study time is expected. You can organize a football match, so to speak, but you cannot train for your players. The myriad of resources online is countless. In addition, most coursebooks provide CD Roms with activities for extra personal practice.
6. The activities presented provide substantial repetition, which is extremely important in language acquisition and language production.

Please check the Making the Most of a Coursebook course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the Methodology for Teaching Spoken Grammar and English course at Pilgrims website.