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Wed 10 Oct, 2012 12:02 am
I believe what especially matters in effective teaching and learning of English grammar is how clearly and easily understandable all grammar rules are explained and whether adequate supportive exercises with real life content are practised to master that material. It would take foreign learners much less time to learn grammar rules that are explained to learners than to figure out grammar rules on their own intuitively from texts because grammar rules may have exceptions and other peculiarities. A foreign learner of English can’t rely on real life communication or on reading texts alone to be proficient in using grammatically correct English. Learning English grammar from books, audio and video aids is equally indispensable to substantially accelerate mastering of English grammar.
Grammar books with explanations and exercises have been published by knowledgeable language specialists to make learning grammar easier so that learners don’t have to discover grammar rules anew the hard long way. In my view English communicative integrated skills courses that practise listening, speaking, reading and writing alongside pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary are the most effective and the most comprehensive courses.
In my view teaching foreign learners English grammar in the following sequence ensures firm solid thorough knowledge of English grammar:
1. Give learners a short clear easily understandable explanation of a grammar rule.
2. Provide several practical usage examples (sentences) illustrating that particular grammar rule. Let learners pronounce the examples understanding their content.
3. Learners do several exercises for that rule with communicative content (with sentences that most likely can be used in real life situations).
Grammar exercises that contain dialogues, interrogative and statement (or narrative) sentences on everyday topics, thematic texts and narrative stories are especially effective for mastering grammatical structures. Grammar practice should also include exercises in listening comprehension and speaking, not just in reading and writing. Grammar exercises must help learners not only form correct sentences, but also use them correctly in context in real life situations. Contrastive and contextualised exercises give practice in form, meaning and use.
I prefer English courses that include (integrate) grammar material in thematic conversation and vocabulary practice activities (exercises) in each lesson.
I believe not all kinds of grammatical exercises are equally productive for learners of English. I prefer English grammar exercises with helpful useful communicative real life content for potential practical use (with sentences that most likely can be used in real life situations). Dialogues, interrogative and statement (or narrative) sentences on everyday topics, thematic texts and narrative stories are especially effective for mastering grammatical structures. At your own discretion you can choose the most important sentences as to content from English communicative grammar practice books to prepare your own more useful grammar materials. In addition you can make up your own sentences for each grammatical point (rule).
If learners feel that the content of sentences in grammatical exercises is conversational (based on real life situations), interesting, rich, creative, practical for them, they will be more interested in grammar study considered to be hard and boring.
In my opinion, in order to make a grammar point easier understandable an adequate number (not just one or two) of daily life usage examples (sentences) with potential types of occurring patterns could be provided in listening, reading, speaking and writing practice. For example when learning English verb tenses, different types of sentences (especially declarative and interrogative with and without question words) with affirmative and negative verb forms, and all personal pronouns (I, you, she. he, it, we, they) and other kinds of potential subjects (as doers or agents of actions) can be included as examples to show all types of potentially occurring patterns of use which must be dealt with sooner or later anyway.
Learners of English for example should be encouraged to make up their own sentences on each grammar point taking into consideration their personal daily life activities (thus using English grammar for their potential relevant needs in realistic situations). Imagination and creativity play a major role in this practice as learners prepare for potential use of English grammar for their needs.
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