Grammar Presentation and its challenges

I have reflected a lot on challenges that I might encounter. I don’t think I have any or ever had. Sorry for bragging, but that’s truth. I could conclude now that my teachers’ grammar translation method didn’t work well. I always call it ‘learning from mistakes of my English teachers at school or university”. Having graduated from the university, I’d mastered so many grammar items in theory, but I couldn’t incorporate them into speech! A-ha! Something was wrong there!

First of all, I never taught the grammar book, but students! I made up situations, designed games, task-based activities that would show that Grammar is dynamic and alive. I have to mention here that Russian teachers are grammar ‘freaks’ or grammar mistakes hunters, we are called like that by ALL natives speakers. But in my case, I concentrate on meaning and use mainly, the form comes the last or ‘I don’t tell the whole truth…” (Andy Noonan, What makes an Effective Grammar Presentation Video). I am exploiting the formula of the flipped PPP – we produce first, then practice, then presentation. By applying this principle, I could see that learners are engaged and speak in language and not speak about the language or learn about the language. Students use it as a communication tool. I try to incorporate so many various activities into the lesson - realia, bingo, ladder games, board games, dialogues, what nots, the whole arsenal comes in handy! – so that students comprehend the form/meaning/use so easily that there’s no need to explain the obvious, I mean the rules. As Andy Noonan states: “They [Ss] are doing the work, not me, because if they are doing the work, there will be a cognitively deeper experience for them” (Andy Noonan, What makes an Effective Grammar Presentation Video). In the end, I always summarize the rule using the visual aids.

Also, we have to keep in mind the proficiency level and the age of the students as primary students think concrete and senior students are able to process info in a more abstract way.

There might be some kind of challenge for me as remembering that ‘one size doesn’t fit all’. Some students prefer the lecture or academic style of explaining the grammar points. They need to see the comprehensive picture of the grammatical phenomena (or the whole “garden”) before they get to the meaning and use stage.

So, here is the plan: to differentiate groups into the learning stations. Each learning station will be tied to the proficiency level: low, intermediate and advanced. Prepare the differentiated activities for the pertaining levels. The low level will mostly concentrate on the form, the intermediate – meaning, the advanced – use. In groups Ss study materials, texts, dialogues and then make a presentation on a particular grammar point. Finally, each group presents to everybody what they’ve learned and prepares the polilogue, so all students in groups are involved and nobody is left behind.