Teaching Grammar and VocabularyTYL Spring 2013

Agenda

• Quiz– When you finish, work on pagewith hearts!

• Cloze Activity: Big Ideas

• Practical Ideas for Grammar and Vocabulary

Agree or Disagree?

• I’ll read a statement.

• You move either to the Agree side or the Disagree side.

Statement 1:

• Grammar is the most important part of learning a language.

Statement 2:

• Students shouldn’t speak English unless it’s error-free.

Statement 3:

• Teachers should always correct students’ grammar.

Statement 4:

• Learning chunks (e.g., How are you?) is learning grammar.

Statement 5:

• For kids, grammar and vocabulary should be taught together.

CLOZE ACTIVITY: GRAMMAR

Directions:

1) Work with a partner to compare answers. • You have 2 minutes!

2) Finally, ask more people if you need more

help.

Answers

1) Acquiring , Learning2) Explicit3) Implicitly4) Chunks5) Fun, meaningful, themes, narratives6) Meaning7) Error correction, accuracy

Now, answer the questions independently.

When you finish, share your answers with a partner.

LET’S DISCUSS THESE ISSUES!

#1

1) The instruction of young learners should be natural. Like a first language learner, they should be acquiring—not learning—English.

• The difference?

#2

• In general, with very young learners, explicit, or direct, grammar instruction doesn’t work.

• Why not?

#3

• Grammar should mostly be taught implicitly.

• Ways to do this?– Pattern Books (Brown Bear, etc.)– Songs (Mr. Monkey)– TPR– Classroom commands – Games

#4

• There should be a lexical, or vocabulary, focus. Grammar should be learned through chunks, which can later be broken apart and used in creative ways.

• What does this mean?

• Weinhart: Grammar is “the evolution from chunks to creativity”

Grammar: “Evolution of Chunks to Creativity”

• Example 1: – “Could you please pass me the salt?”– You could add many nouns there: ketchup, my phone, the menu, etc.

• Example 2: – “If I were you, I would get a new car.”– You could add many verbs/predicates there: get a divorce, quit my

job, etc.

• These grammar rules are difficult, but a learner can MEMORIZE the chunks and get creative with them.

#5

• All instruction—in grammar, vocabulary, or any of the four skills—needs to be fun and meaningful. It should be based on themes and on narratives and should have a social focus.

Older Young Learners #6

• You can start to deliver some mini-lessons on grammar, but the focus should still be on meaning. These mini-lessons should be short, interactive, and highly visual.

• Remember FonF?

#7

• Some grammar instruction can come through error correction. When judging whether to correct errors, consider the aim of the activity: Are you practicing fluency and the communication of meaning, or are you working on accuracy?

• Also, ask yourself: Do I need to correct on the spot, or can I do it in a whole-group format after the activity?

Fluency or accuracy?

• Too much correction!

Delayed Feedback: Step 1

Delayed Feedback: Step 2

• Mini-lesson– Look at your anecdotal notes– Write common sentences on board– Maybe: Change some nouns– Have students analyze in pairs– Show corrections on board

On-the-Spot Error Correction

• Research: Mackey and Oliver (2002)– On-the-spot correction = not for kids under 7

• Research is contradictory – However, one form of correction that has the lowest

rate of uptake = recasting– Recasting = Correcting what the student said with no

explanation• Child: “I eated dinner last night.”• Teacher: “You ate dinner last night.”

Error Correction Strategies that Work

• Clarification Request– Student: “He walk to the store yesterday.”– Teacher: “Sorry--I didn’t understand.”– Studies: Somewhat effective

• Metalinguistic Feedback– Student: “He walk to the store every day.”– Teacher: “He is 3rd person singular and needs an –s at the

end.”– Studies: Somewhat effective

Error Correction Strategies that Work

• Repetition– Student: “He eated.”– Teacher: “He eated?” (with rising intonation)– Among the most successful strategies

• Elicitation– Student: “Last night, he eated.”– Teacher: a. “Last night, he . . .” OR b. “How do we talk

about the past in English?” OR “Please say that again correctly in English.”

A FEW GRAMMAR ACTIVITIES

Battleship

1) Look at the top table.

2) Choose 1 box in each row. Draw a “battleship” in the box. (There should be 7.)

3) Find a friend to play with you, but don’t look at your friend’s paper!– Decide: Who’s Partner 1? Who’s Partner 2?

My Battleships:

Battleship (cont.)4) Fold you paper under the first box.

5) Partner 1 will look only at the top of the page. • Partner 2 will look only at the bottom.

5) Partner 2 will ask 2 questions for each row. – (Do you have __ on __?)

6) Partner 1 answers• “Yes, I do” = Partner 2 marks an X• “No, I don’t” = Partner 2 marks a dot

7) Switch roles when you finish the last row!

8) The winner is the person who “sunk” the most battleships!

Also . . .

• Surveys, Questionnaires, Interviews

Board Games

Board Games

• Make your own, OR

• Get CandyLand!

The girl/ not cook

Other Games

Mad Libs

Step 1: Fold your paper

• Fold above the hearts!

Step 2: Make a chart with the students (whole group)

Adjectives Nouns Verbs

Plural nouns = add –s or –ies

Step 3: Choose which words you want to use.

• Write them in the top right box.

• Just do numbers 1 – 5 (to get the idea)

Step 4: Copy your words

• Write the words from the top right box in the paragraph

• ONLY 1-5!

Step 5: Read your story

• Share your story with a partner!

Movie Segments to Assess Grammar Goals

• Blog

VOCABULARY

For beginners . . .

• It’s all about filling the refrigerator.

• Vocabulary instruction should be thematic.

• It should be taught with appropriate sentence frames, too.

For example . . .

• Family Vocabulary– Frame: I have a ____ / 1 have 2/3 ___s.

• Weather Vocabulary – It is ______. / It is ____ in the _____. – When it is _____, I like to ______.

Beginners

• Re-use and recycle vocabulary hundreds of times!

• Games, games, games!

• Meaningful activities: Songs, books, projects, etc.

VOCABULARY: RECYCLING ACTIVITIES FOR BEGINNERS

Posters

• Practice writing: Groups write on them with whiteboard markers

• “Teacher, Student”: Students quiz each other using the answerson the back

• Sticky Ball or Fly Swatters

Realia

• Buy at a teacher supply store or toy store• Bring in real stuff!

Guessing Games

• Is it a/an _____? (vocab word) • Do you ____ with it? (verb)• Is it ______? (adjective)• Do you do it _____? (at the park? At school?)

• Formats: – Magic Bag (whole class)– Hot Seat with cards (whole class or small groups)– Cards (pairs)

I have ____, Who Has ____?

When the refrigerator is filling up . . .

• Do more intensive word work!

• What does it mean to “own” a word? You know . . – Definition– The part of speech– Some common collocations– Synonyms/Antonyms– Spelling– Pronunciation – Count/non-count?

Robert Marzano

Some helpful organizers . . .

Organizers . . .

Practice!

Practice!