MODULE 7: Planning a language component lesson

MODULE OUTCOMES
By the end of this module, students will be able to:
 Explain two different approaches to teaching grammar
 Sequence a grammar lesson appropriately following different approaches
 Review some techniques and activities of teaching vocabulary
 Explain different views in teaching pronunciation
 Apply the communicative framework in designing a pronunciation lesson.

I. PLANNING A GRAMMAR LESSON

1. Approaches to teaching grammar

Deductive Approach Inductive Approach

• general concepts to specific • specific concepts to general
• T explains rules, patterns, principles • T gives Ss input of how a grammar works
about the grammar points first (often through reading/ listening) & then ask
(basically in learners mother tongue) them to figure out the rules based on the
then gives examples. examples they have seen.
• The most favourable method: Grammar • Favourable methods: the Direct Method and
Translation Method the Natural Approach.
• A deductive approach often fits into a • Teaching grammar inductively often involves
lesson structure known as PPP in the use of texts for both reading and
(Presentation, Practice, Production). listening (skills-integrated grammar lesson)

2. OPTIONS IN TEACHING GRAMMAR

• Presentation – Practice – Production (PPP) or
• Clarification – Restricted output – Authentic output (ARC as called by Scrivener)
• Test – Teach – Test (TTT) or Deep-end approach
• Task-based Teaching and Learning (TBTL)
 2.1. PPP / Scrivener’s ARC (A linear progression)
- Warmer/ lead-in
- Language presentation / Clarification
(done mostly by T in clear context: text, dialogue, etc.)
- Controlled practice/ Restricted output
Pair-work, drills, gap-fill, match, etc. (Accuracy emphasized, done by Ss & T)
- Freer practice/ Authentic output
Role-play, discussion, games, problem-solving, letter writing, etc. (fluency focused,
done mostly by Ss)
2.2. Test – Teach – Test (TTT)
- Warmer/ lead-in
- Authentic task (or a diagnostic test)
- Language clarification (meaning, use, form, pronunciation)
- Controlled practice (focusing on accurate use of the target language)
- Free practice (focusing on using the target language fluently)
2.3. Task-based Teaching and Learning
- Pre-task:
T introduces the task, gives instructions, recalls known knowledge/ provides model
(texts, recordings)
- While-task:
Ss work in pairs or groups; T facilitates
+ Planning: Ss prepare oral/written report, practise in groups; T facilitates
+ Report: Ss report; T& Ss give quick feedback
- Post-task:
+ Analysis/ Language Focus: T highlights target items from texts/ recordings/ Ss’
reports
+ Practice: T selects which to practise based on Ss’ needs; Ss practise

3. Teaching grammar from rules (Deductive)

Steps:
1. Cueing (naming the target language structure, for example: the past perfect)
2. Rule of form
3. Example 1
4. Check 1
5. Rule of use
6. Example 2
7. Check 2
8. Illustration

4. Teaching grammar from examples (inductively)

Remember:
- Learners study examples and derive an understanding of the rule.
- Examples should be in real/ meaningful context.
- It is the “natural” way of learning.
Example: Be V-ing (Grammar point)
+ Miming: I’m walking / I’m drinking water.
+ Picture: ‘The detective is investigating a murder case’. ‘He is looking for the
murderer.’ ‘The criminal is hiding in an old house.’

5. Teaching grammar from text (inductively)

 5.1. Consideration in choosing a text to teach grammar:

- Written text: a short article, an email, a poem, etc.

- Audio text: a song, a speech, a dialogue, etc.
- The situations/ contexts in which the grammar you want to teach occurs normally.
E.g.: You want to teach the passive voice => choose news reports or newspaper articles.
- The text should contain at least a few different examples of the target language (in different
forms)
- The length of the text: usually short
- The language: simple & familiar vocabulary

5.2. Stages in a text-based grammar lesson:

- Lead in
- Exposure to Target Language (Comprehension work)
- Analysis of examples from the text
- Clarification
- Controlled practice
- Free practice

6. BALANCING ACTIVITIES IN A LANGUAGE LESSON (grammar, vocabulary,

pronunciation)
Nation, P. (2007) The Four Strands:
Each activity in a language course can be classified into one of the four strands:
– Meaning-focused input
– Language-focused learning
– Meaning-focused output
– Fluency development.
There should be an even balance of these strands with roughly equal amounts of time given to
each strand
(http://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/about/staff/publications/paul-nation/2007-Four-strands.pdf)

II. Planning a vocabulary lesson:

1. Principles:
- Stages: PPP (most common)
- Activities designed in a balance of the four strands (Nation, 2007)
 - Different techniques of presenting, practicing, and producing new words should be
used.
- Teach/ present vocab. in meaningful contexts and recycle/ practice them in new
contexts.
- Limit the number of new words to be taught in a lesson

2. Four strands in teaching vocabulary:

 Meaning-focused input: Unknown words can be learned through guessing from
context (R/L texts)
 Deliberate learning/ language-focused/ form-focused: Learning from being taught,
vocabulary in isolation can be practiced.
 Meaning-focused output: learning by producing language in Sp. & Wr. Learners
focus on more aspects of vocab. knowledge (usu. unattended when they listen or
read. E.g.: drink or take medicine?)
 Fluency development: learning to use the already known words, becoming quick
and confident at all skills.

3. Techniques of teaching/ Presenting vocabulary

- Illustration (object, picture): arm, ears, elbow => visually
- Demonstration (acting, mime): cough, dance => visually
- Substitution (synonym): When your room is messy, it is untidy
- Substitution (antonyms): busy vs quiet
- Definition: She is the daughter of the King. She is the………. (princess) => context
- Context: When you visit Hue, you should attend a royal court music show.
- Others (Translation, Combined techniques)

4. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES for practicing and checking vocabulary

- Ordering - Guess the Picture
- Rub out & Remember - Matching
- Networks - Noughts & Crosses
- Bingo - What & Where
- Word-storm - Word-square
- Slap the Board - Jumbled Words…

III. PLANNING A PRONUNCIATION LESSON

1. VIEWS ON TEACHING PRONUNCIATION
1.1. Narrow view:
pronunciation = the production of the right sounds in the right order
=> teach individual vowels & consonants.
2.2. Broader view:
pronunciation = important part of communicative competence
=> teach vowels, consonants & suprasegmental features like word stress, sentence stress &
intonation
2. The stages of the pronunciation lesson / Teaching Pronunciation Framework

1. Description and Analysis

T might present the pronunciation feature inductively or deductively, showing when
and how it occurs
2. Listening Discrimination
Listening activities include contextualized minimal pair discrimination exercises (e.g.:
pen-pan or boat – vote) to focus on the feature which Ss might not be recognizing
3. Controlled practice
Focus only on form, e.g.: choral reading of poems, rhymes, dialogues, dramatic
monologues…
4. Guided practice
Focus on meaning, grammar, communicative intent, and pronunciation
5. Communicative practice
Balance between form & meaning and more communicative E.g.: role plays, debates,
interviews, simulations, drama scenes…

3. Teaching pronunciation in context

Sounds can be presented in contexts, e.g.:
- Stories (usu. short) - Dramas
- Songs - Cartoons/ drawings
- Chants / Rhymes - Jokes
- Poems - Tongue twisters…
- Dialogues (usu. short)

4. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES for practicing sounds, stress, intonation

- Minimal pairs - Information gap
- Categorizing - Bingo
- Chain stories - Pictures
- Dialogues - Phonemic Chart
- Spelling equivalencies - Tongue twisters
- Reference words - Back-chaining
- Games - Matching intonation patterns
- Chants with sentence types
- Identification - …
- Word/sentence stresses
 References
• AE webinars: Effective Grammar Teaching: Balancing Input and Output
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFJw_lQZpUM&t=470s
• CELTA - Lesson planning II - the procedure page
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPrWXT7u3F0
• Cotter T. Planning a Grammar Lesson. Retrieved at
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/planning-a-grammar-lesson
• CUP ELT, Teaching grammar communicatively, retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNaG1uN40gI
• Gilakjani A. P. (2017). English Pronunciation Instruction: Views and Recommendations.
Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 8 (6), 1249-1255.
• Goodwin, J. (1991). Teaching pronunciation. In M. Celce-Murcia (Ed), Teaching English as a
second or foreign language (pp. 117-137). New York: Cambridge University Press.
• How to Teach Grammar from Texts. TEFL horizons. Retrieved at
https://teflhorizons.com/blog/2019/7/20/how-to-teach-grammar-text-based
• Lesson plans, Retrieved at
https://www.englishcurrent.com/pronunciation/pronunciation-lesson-plan-activity-esl/, and
https://esl-lesson-plans.ontesol.com/lesson-plan-ontesol-reviews-teach-pronunciation/
• Scrivener, J. (2011). Learning teaching: The Essential Guide for English Language Teaching
(3rd Ed.) Macmillan Publishers Limited
• Teaching Grammar from texts. ESOL Teaching Task book. Retrieved at
https://www.languages.ac.nz/wp-
content/uploads/2012/08/Unit_4e_Teaching_Grammar_2_Grammar_from_texts.pdf
• Thornbury S. (2002). How to teach grammar. Longman