GROUP 1

RULES
of Teaching Grammar
CHAPTER
THREE
Scott Thornbury’s

SIX RULES
of Teaching Grammar
 RULE 1
RULE OF CONTEXT
 RULE 1
RULE OF CONTEXT
Teaching grammar "in context" means
teaching grammar as part of real-life
situations instead of just focusing on rules
and diagramming sentences.
 RULE 1
RULE OF CONTEXT
WHY?
• Language knowledge does not necessarily guarantee language
skills.

• Context provides avenue not just to learn grammar rules but

for meaning-making.

• Every individual is creative and has rich experiences, thus

should be given opportunity to utilize these through real-world
type situations in which context is a major consideration.
 RULE 1
RULE OF CONTEXT
WHY?
“Thinking of grammar in terms of concepts, that is:
what is the purpose of using a specific form, what is
the meaning expressed through that form will broaden
learners understanding, and use of the target
language." – ACTFL Language Connects
 RULE 1
RULE OF CONTEXT
WHAT?
• Grammar teaching should consider all three: form,
meaning, and use.

• Grammar instruction should integrate aspects of both

language and literature—and not as distinct "field" of
English.
 RULE 1
RULE OF CONTEXT
WHAT?
"Teaching grammar in context involves making
connections between grammatical patterns and the
meaning of texts; wider contextual aspects such as
genre, audience, subject and purpose; a reader's
feelings and responses to a text; potential authorial
motivations for making decisions about language
choices." – (Aarts, et al, 2018)
 RULE 1
RULE OF CONTEXT
WHAT?
"Teach grammar in context. If you must take an
item out of context to focus on it,
recontextualize it as soon as possible. Always
associate grammar form with the meaning of
the speaker or author." — (Thornbury, 2004)
 RULE 1
RULE OF CONTEXT
HOW?
• Give real world scenarios and examples where
grammar is used.
• Encourage interaction rather than spending more time
answering written exercises and worksheets.
• Alda, et. al (2020) purported the use of authentic
materials in providing for concrete samples of
language use in the community.
 RULE 1
RULE OF CONTEXT
HOW?
• Use literary pieces as a springboard in teaching
grammatical concepts.
• A contextualized grammar teaching may start with the
development of ideas and concepts, rather than the
grammar itself. Inductive method of teaching grammar
may be used in this case.
 RULE 2
RULE OF USE
 RULE 2
RULE OF USE
Teach grammar in order to facilitate the
learners' comprehension and production of
real language, rather than as an end in itself.
 RULE 2
RULE OF USE
WHY?
• Students are able to appreciate what they are
learning if they see how language works and is used in
real context.

• Students should be able to see the relationship of

grammar points to how the target language is actually
used.
 RULE 2
RULE OF USE
WHAT?
“Teach grammar in order to facilitate the
learners’ comprehension and production of
real language, rather than as an end in itself.
Always provide opportunities for learners to
put the grammar to some communicative
use.” — Thornbury (2004)
 RULE 2
RULE OF USE
WHAT?
• Students understand the concepts (grammar rules)
better if they are able to use and apply it in real
communicative tasks.

• Learning English is more than just learning

vocabulary and grammar rules, students need to
actually use the language and listen to how others use
it as well.
 RULE 2
RULE OF USE
WHAT?
• Grammar teaching should incorporate spoken interactions or
communicative production tasks.

• A key component of grammar teaching is the integration of

communicative work.

• To teach grammar effectively, teacher should enable students to

control grammar to express increasingly complex ideas.
 RULE 2
RULE OF USEHOW?
• Provide for authentic samples of language use anchoring
on students' context.

• Encourage students to identify usage patterns on how the

target language is actually used.

• Use varied activities like letting students listen to audio

samples of native and non-native speakers of the language.
 RULE 3
RULE OF ECONOMY
 RULE 3
RULE OF ECONOMY
To provide time for language use, teachers
should be economical. By economical, it
means that teachers provide manageable
and comprehensible input and allocate
enough time for language use and practice.
 RULE 3
RULE OF ECONOMY
WHY?
• Language is primarily a skill, thus, should be
practiced and used.

• Just studying grammar will not in itself enable you to

use it. Students' language success may be limited if
what they have learned will merely stay as rules to
understand.
 RULE 3
RULE OF ECONOMY WHY?
• Providing for more and more input may still not be sufficient,
for input should be "comprehensible". Thus, a content-
jampacked syllabus do not necessarily guarantee language
acquisition.

• Students who are at intermediate level and beyond may need

more opportunities for practice rather than presentation of
rules.
 RULE 3
RULE OF ECONOMY WHAT?
• Economize on presentation time in order to provide maximum
practice time. With grammar, a little can go a long way.” – Thornbury
(2024)

• “Comprehensible input is language input that can be understood by

listeners despite them not understanding all the words and structures
in it. It is described as one level above that of the learners if it can
only just be understood.” – Krashen (2003)
 RULE 3
RULE OF ECONOMY
WHAT?
• Teachers should be able to strategize how to present
grammar rules efficiently and effectively, then provide more
time for students to apply these rules in communicative tasks.

• Basically, practice makes perfect.

 RULE 3
RULE OF ECONOMY
HOW?
• Plan your grammar lessons well. Sometimes, the ones stipulated in
the curriculum may be too much or too little, depending on the
students’ level. Start where your students are.

• Be clear with your goal. What is your goal in teaching a certain

grammar point? For students to gain a deeper understanding of the
concept? For them to use these points to complete a task? Both?
 RULE 3
RULE OF ECONOMY
HOW?
• Instructional materials such as visual
aids can be used like: charts, concept
maps, infographics, and so on. These
materials help a student convert and
compress a lot of seemingly disjoined
information into a structured, simple to
read, graphic display.
 RULE 4
RULE OF RELEVANCE
 RULE 4
RULE OF RELEVANCE
In this context, we define relevance as the “learning
experiences that are either directly applicable to the
personal aspirations, interests, or cultural experiences of
students (personal relevance) or that are connected in some
way to real-world issues, problems, and contexts (life
relevance)” (The Glossary of Education Reform, 2013).
 RULE 4
RULE OF RELEVANCE
WHY?
• “Relevant, meaningful activities that both engage students emotionally
and connect with what they already know are what help build neural
connections and long-term memory storage.”-Briggs (2014)
 RULE 4
RULE OF RELEVANCE
WHY?
• Students become more interested to learn if they see the importance
and connection of the concepts taught in the classroom to their real-
life encounters.

• Students may become disinterested in the things they already know;

thus, teachers should start where they are.
 RULE 4
RULE OF RELEVANCE
WHAT?
• The rule of relevance prompts the language teachers to make
learning become more personal to the students.

Thombury, 2004
“Teach only the grammar that students have problems with. This
means starts off by finding out what they already know. And don’t
assume that the grammar of English is wholly different system from
the learner’s mother’s tongue. Exploit the common ground.”
 RULE 4
RULE OF RELEVANCE
Two Kinds of Relevance
a. Personal Relevance
Personal Relevance occurs when learning is connected to an
individual student’s interests, aspirations, and life experiences.

b. Life Relevance
Life relevance occurs when learning is connected in some way to
real world issues, problems, and contexts outside of school.
 RULE 4
RULE OF RELEVANCE
HOW?
• Provide examples that are grounded on how concepts learned are
used in the real world.

• Let the students experience authentic use of the language. Let them
accomplish tasks using the target language. You may also invite native
speakers of the target language or non-native speakers having good
command of the target language.
 RULE 4
RULE OF RELEVANCE HOW?
• Provide opportunities for multi-layered projects like those that involved research,
community involvement and language immersion.

• Create activities to showcase student’s communicative abilities like oration,

declamation, broadcasting, mock job interview, debate, extemporaneous speaking,
poem reading and spoken word poetry.

• Anchor your lessons on real world problems where students are able to see the
importance of learning the target language, the danger of miscommunication, why
headline writing is important.
 RULE 4
RULE OF RELEVANCE
HOW?
• Let the students publish their poems, stories and narratives.
Displaying or publishing student work is a great way to get them
involved and motivated.

• Encourage the students to build and create connections to what has

been taught and to what is happening in the real world.
 RULE 5
RULE OF NURTURE
 RULE 5
RULE OF NURTURE
The things teachers say and do in the classroom may
positively or negatively affect the student's competence and
confidence. The teacher needs to be strategic in cultivating
positive and healthy environment for the students.
 RULE 5
RULE OF NURTURE
WHY?
• Nurturing environment is a learning-rich environment.

• Students need to feel that the classroom is a place for trial and error
and learning from mistakes. They need to feel safe and supported,
cared for in the classroom.
 RULE 5
RULE OF NURTURE
WHY?
• Teachers should be able to provide a conductive learning environment
free from fear and humiliation.

• Students tend to withdraw and lose interest in learning if the

classroom doesn't reinforce self-esteem. Reinforcing self-esteem in
the classroom is associated with increased motivation and learning.
 RULE 5
RULE OF NURTURE
WHAT?
“Teaching doesn’t necessarily cause learning not in any direct way. Instead of
teaching grammar, therefore, try to provide the right conditions for grammar
learning.” - Thornbury (2004)

“A teacher who builds positive relationships with students decreases the affective
filter, or level of discomfort in the classroom and students perform better.
Teachers who make connections between old and new knowledge and tie both into
the real world also have students who perform better.” – Adams (2015)
 RULE 5
RULE OF NURTURE
WHAT?
“One obstacle that manifests itself during language acquisition is the
affective filter; that is a ‘screen’ that is influenced by emotional
variables that can prevent learning. This hypothetical filter does not
impact acquisition directly but rather prevents input from reaching the
language acquisition part of the brain.” – Krashen (2004)
 RULE 5
RULE OF NURTURE
WHAT?
• Teachers need to lower or decrease the “filter” or the barriers
(anxiety, self-confidence, motivation and stress) as these may affect
students’ overall language experience.

• Teachers need to see to it that grammar concepts and the way they
are taught will motivate students to internalize the input, produce
optimal output, and take into account feedback.
 RULE 5
RULE OF NURTURE
HOW?
• Get to know your students and allow them to know you as well.
• Create a sense of order through clear behavioral and academic
expectations.
• Utilize communal games and activities, relevant instructional
materials, and engaging classroom discussions.
• Provide constructive feedback and allow students to learn from their
mistake
• Don't judge.
 RULE 5
RULE OF NURTURE
HOW?
• Celebrate success and class achievements.
• Choose appropriate teaching methods to cultivate students motivation and
creativity.
• Teachers may use the teaching method named Suggestopedia/ Desuggestopedia
by Georgi Lozanov on imploring different relaxing elements like music, drama and
art in creating a more comfortable learning environment. This is also supported by
Krashen's Affective Filter in eliminating the "filters" or "barriers that may hinder
language learning.”
 RULE 6
RULE OF APPROPRIACY
 RULE 6
RULE OF APPROPRIACY
It is a given fact that no two students are alike. This rule,
according to Thornbury, suggests that teachers should be
able to apply these rules of teaching grammar according to
the aforementioned differences.
 RULE 6
RULE OF APPROPRIACY
WHY?
• People are more different than they are alike. Teachers have to
respond to the diversity of learners.

• These individual differences in a language classroom can make for

success or failure in attaining the goal of acquiring the target language.

• Regardless of how diverse the classroom is, students should be given

equal opportunity to learn and achieve their goals.
 RULE 6
RULE OF APPROPRIACY
WHY?
• Teachers need to evaluate what students really
need and design classroom activities suited to their
needs.

• The teaching-learning process should be student-

centered.
 RULE 6
RULE OF APPROPRIACY
WHAT?
• Teacher should design classroom activities not
just according to efficiency, but also appropriacy.

• Grammar practice and communicative tasks

should suit the "context" of each learner.
 RULE 6
RULE OF APPROPRIACY
WHAT?
• The rule prompts teachers to consider their students in the
context of being language learners

- What do they already know? What do they need to know immediately?

- What do they need to know in the future?

These questions can help teachers evaluate if what they are doing
in the classroom is somehow appropriate to their students.
 RULE 6
RULE OF APPROPRIACY
WHAT?
• Teachers should consider the individual
differences of students and use this plan an
effective and productive teaching-learning process.
 RULE 6
RULE OF APPROPRIACY
HOW?
• Teachers may conduct needs assessment analysis or diagnostic
test to gain necessary data on students’ proficiency level and
needs.

• Talk to your students and let them share their language learning
challenges and how they want to be supported.
 RULE 6
RULE OF APPROPRIACY
HOW?
• Determine your students’ learning styles, previous
learning experiences and present expectations.

• Take into consideration all other rules of teaching

grammar.

• Start where your students are.