HCMC University of Education - Department of English ELT Methodology - Module 2

I. INTRODUCTION
1. Grammar refers to ……….......................................... that indicate relationships among words in
sentences.

2. Teacher’s responsibility: know …………………………….

II. STRUCTURES & EXAMPLES

Structure: .....................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................................

Good examples should be: ..........................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................................

III. POSSIBLE WAYS OF TEACHING GRAM.

 Explicit teaching: stating directly, usually at the beginning of a particular activity, what the

grammar is

 Implicit teaching: the learners are ‘led’ to discover the grammar for themselves through a series of

guided steps

 Deductive approach: teaching grammar from rules

 Inductive approach: teaching grammar from examples

IV. HOW TO TEACH A STRUCTURE / TEACHING STEPS

A PPP LESSON

* Presentation (10-15’)

* Practice (15-20’)

 mechanical drills
 application of rules
 meaningful practice (by giving prompts / situations )
 communicative practice

Lecturer: Bui Tri Vu Nam (MA) 1

HCMC University of Education - Department of English ELT Methodology - Module 2

A. PRESENTATION

1. LEAD-IN

- introducing the structure in contexts (dialogues, readings)

- using pictures/situations

2. PRESENTING MEANING

2.1 Showing meaning visually (Textbook)

2.2 Showing meaning through a situation

2.3. Showing form and meaning

3. PRESENTING FORM
examples: varied (Sub./ objects, tenses, etc.)
Notes / Exceptions

PROCEDURE: (inductively)

I. 1 Lead-in

I. 2 Presenting Meaning & Form or Form & Meaning (T should use concept
checking Q to check the meaning rather than telling the Ss immediately)

1.3 Give other ex.

1.4 Ask class to copy down lesson

B. PRACTICE
Purpose: To get students to use the structure accurately and fluently

Process:

controlled practice (MECHANICAL)  less controlled practice (MEANINGFUL)

1) Controlled/ mechanical practice

- A drill where there is complete control of response, where there is only one correct way of
responding. Ss produce the correct FORM, not using the structure to express Meaning.
- MD should be drilled at a rapid space with books closed. The purpose is to memorize the pattern.
 Repetition
 Substitution
 Single word prompt
 Picture prompt

Lecturer: Bui Tri Vu Nam (MA) 2

HCMC University of Education - Department of English ELT Methodology - Module 2

2) Meaningful practice

There is still control of response although it may be correctly expressed in more than one way and less
suitable for choral drilling. There are several right answers and Ss cannot complete these drills
without fully understanding structurally and semantically what is being said.

– By getting students to say ……………………… about themselves

– By giving situations which ………………………… the structure, but leave the students to
decide exactly what to say
– By letting them …………………….. their own

Some other commonly used activities:

 Information gap exercise
 Interview
 Find someone who (is the tallest/is the youngest?/has visited …?)

 INTERVIEW

 Go around the class and ask 5 classmates about what their family members are doing now. Then
report back to the class:

1- father
2- mother
3- elder / younger brother
4- elder/ younger sister

 FIND SOMEONE WHO

has visited Ha Long Bay.

has had a picnic in Dam Sen Park, …

Then report back to your class.

 INFORMATION GAP EXERCISE

Ask your partner to find out the missing information, then report back to your class. Remember
to use the past tense correctly.

Lecturer: Bui Tri Vu Nam (MA) 3

HCMC University of Education - Department of English ELT Methodology - Module 2

Student A
Prince Albert was German, and they married in London in
1840.
Soon after they married, they visited the French king, Louis
Philippe. They visited him in 1843.
Unfortunately, Prince Albert died in 1861 when he was only
42.
Student B
Prince Albert was German, and they married in
___________ (Where?) in 1840.
Soon after they married, they visited the French
king, Louis Philippe. They visited him in (When?).
Unfortunately, Prince Albert died in 1861when he
was only_____________ (How old?)

Queen Victoria was terribly unhappy, and she never
lived in London again. She lived in Windsor and
Scotland. She loved Scotland because __________
(Why?).
She died in 1901. She was _________ (How old?).
Queen Victoria was terribly unhappy, and she never lived in
London again. She lived in Windsor and Scotland. She loved
Scotland because she often went there on holiday with her
family.
She died in 1901. She was 81.

For your reference

=> Teaching point: “CAN” (to express ability)

1. Controlled practice:

 repetition I can swim

 substitution I can swim // cook,...

 picture prompts
Choose the correct verbs to complete the sentences.

type, ride horses, cook

• She can _____.
• He can ____ very fast.
• They can _____.
• …

 picture prompts (less controlled & more meaningful)

Make sentences to describe the pictures, using CAN.

Lecturer: Bui Tri Vu Nam (MA) 4

HCMC University of Education - Department of English ELT Methodology - Module 2

2. Meaningful practice: (communicative)

FIND SOMEONE WHO…

Go around the classroom and find someone who …

Find someone who … Name

… can swim
… can sing
… can dance
… can drive a bike
… can cook

The first student to fill in all the names will be the winner.

QUESTIONS

1. Identify the structure in each of the following sentences and give 3 other examples for each
one:

a. If you have any doubts about taking up cycling for health reason, talk to your doctor and
ask him or her for advice.
b. The teacher advised us to review our lesson more often.
c. Heavy rain would not only wash away the soil but would cause serious floods as well.
d. Although chicken always appeal to me, I still feel skeptical about monkey.
e. Argentina has a strong economy based on its rich agricultural and mineral resources and
in thriving service industry.

2. Describe how you would present the structure in this sentence: “Mrs. Brown, because she loves us so
much, has offered to give her special doll to us.”

3. Work out a meaningful exercise for this structure.

FURTHER ISSUE:
In most textbooks, new language is often presented in texts, either listening or reading. So the approach above
may seem a little outdated. Below are suggested steps to teach grammar using the text-based approach, which
may be applicable in a majority of foreign language centers in Vietnam.
1. Learners read (or listen to) a text.
2. Learners answer comprehension questions about information in the text. *
3. The teacher sets a task that allows learners to discover one or two examples of the target language
in the text, without necessarily saying what the grammar point is. The teacher writes an example on
the board.
4. The teacher checks the meaning by asking concept checking questions. **
5. The teacher highlights the form of the target language.
6. The learners do a controlled practice task to check their understanding of the form and meaning.
(*) It is important to remember that the texts should only be used as the base for presenting grammar NOT for
teaching reading or listening comprehension.
(**) Concept checking questions are also useful for situational presentation of grammar mentioned earlier.

Lecturer: Bui Tri Vu Nam (MA) 5

HCMC University of Education - Department of English ELT Methodology - Module 2

Lecturer: Bui Tri Vu Nam (MA) 6

HCMC University of Education - Department of English ELT Methodology - Module 2

I. Match the concept questions to the example structures (3 for each structure).
Then, put the questions in the best order.

Grammar structures
1. I’ve had this car for about 3 years now.
2. We’re going to meet up with them after dinner.
3. I was waiting at the bus stop when he drove by.
4. You should really see a doctor.
5. It looks like it might rain tomorrow.

Concept questions
a. Did you decide to do this before speaking or when you were speaking? (before)
b. Is it only a possibility? (yes)
c. Do you want the other person to do this? (yes)
d. When did you buy it? (3 years ago)
e. Did the action happen in the past? (yes)
f. Is the speaker talking about now or the future? (now)
g. Did you own it all that time? (yes)
h. Is the action in the present or the future? (future)
i. Did it begin before or after the second action? (before)
j. Will it definitely happen? (no)
k. Do you think this is a good idea? (yes)
l. Do you still have it? (yes)
m. Did it continue after the second action? (yes)
n. Is the speaker sure about the action? (yes)
o. Do you feel very strongly that the other person do this? (no)

Below are 5 sentences with underlined grammar structures. Write concept questions and their answers for
each structure. Write a maximum of three questions for each structure.

Sentences
a. I’m sorry but I’ve lost my student card. Can I get another one?
b. When I was a child, I used to play the piano.
c. He’s working part-time at the moment and won’t be here until later.
d. I wish I had an iPod.
e. It can't be John at the door - he’s gone overseas.

Lecturer: Bui Tri Vu Nam (MA) 7

HCMC University of Education - Department of English ELT Methodology - Module 2

Read the passage used to teach post-elementary learners and answer the questions below.

Argentina has a strong economy based on its rich agricultural and mineral resources and in thriving service
industry. Agriculture accounted for 6% of the country’s total income last year. Much of this was exported,
and earned the country $3.6 billion for fruit and vegetable products, $2.6 billion for processed food and $2.1
billion for livestock. The country also exported $2.2 billion worth of minerals. Total export earnings were $21
billion. Industry accounted for 31% of total earnings last year, and services accounted for 63%. Brazil was the
biggest export destination, with over 25% of all goods going there. In contrast, the United States was the
major supplier of imports, accounting for 21% of imports last year.

QUESTIONS

1. a. Describe how you may help your Ss to correctly pronounce the problem sound in the word thriving/ fruit/
supply/ strong.
b. Suggest two activities to help your students distinguish between the problem sound in the word worth with
another similar sound.
c. Discuss the situations in which pron. is taught in English classes in Vietnam.
d. Discuss the use of minimal pairs/ aural drills in teaching pronunciation.

2. Show what you should do to help the Ss to read aloud this sentence accurately:
- The United States was the major supplier of imports.
- In contrast, the United States was the major supplier of imports, accounting for 21% of imports last year.

3. a. Decide whether these items are passive or active vocabulary: Argentina, thriving, agriculture, processed
food.
b. Decide whether these items are abstract or concrete vocabulary: economy, industry, mineral resources, fruit.
c. List all the possible visual aids that can be used to show the meaning of processed food, destination.
d. Why is it necessary to decide whether a vocabulary item is a concrete or an abstract one / an active or a passive
one?
e. What is the biggest difference between concept check questions and questions to help Ss use the word?

4. a. How would you teach the item / show the form and meaning of the item: account for
b. Specifically outline the techniques you may employ to show the meaning of the item: export

5. Think of 1 question you can ask so that Ss can use this as an active vocabulary item: destination, account for.

6. For each of the following sentences, identify the structures in these sentences, give 2 more examples for each
structure, and suggest a meaningful activity for the structure in this sentence:
- Much of this was exported.
- Argentina has a strong economy based on its rich agricultural and mineral resources and in thriving service
industry.

7. a. What can a teacher do to make grammar practice more meaningful?

b. State the differences between meaningful practice and mechanical practice in teaching grammar.

GOOD LUCK

Lecturer: Bui Tri Vu Nam (MA) 8