Module 2.1.

Grammar
Introduction
This module is designed to make sure that you are aware of your own grammar, and
aware that it is essential to get to grips with it.
When you are teaching ESOL you do not need to tell your students the grammatical
terminology unless they specifically ask for the information (language-conscious
nationalities will, even at lower levels) or unless you are teaching advanced students
who need the terminology. However you do need to know the terminology for yourself,
both to be able to answer such questions if the students ask you and to be clear about
what point you are teaching and why you are teaching it.
In order to complete this unit, you may need to refer to the Back-to-Basics grammar
module in Unit 1, as well as follow the link to the English grammar guide | EF | Global
SiteLinks to an external site. in Additional Resources in this module. For more detailed
explanations and for future reference as a teacher of grammar, you may find it useful to
purchase Practical English Usage by Michael Swan and/or English Grammar in Use by
Raymond Murphy.In addition, there are many great online resources available these
days.
If you are already working in the field of TESOL and have a different grammar you
should be able to use that so long as it was not written for use by Shakespeare!
The English language is not static and some older grammars will now be out of date -
both in the language they choose to describe and the way they describe it.
Check for example what your grammar book says about the difference between 'will'
and 'shall'. If it tells you that: the 'correct' way to use them is 'shall' with the 'I' form : 'I/we
shall' and 'will' with other forms and gives examples like: 'I shall not clean the kitchen,
he will clean it,' then you are in trouble and need a new book!
It is worth remembering that people enter the world of TESOL from a variety of
backgrounds. Therefore some of you will find these tasks quite straightforward due to
your academic background, while others will need to spend time searching through a
grammar in order to make sense of them.
Take your time, that is the advantage of an online learning course. After you have
studied a grammar topic it is useful to give yourself time to listen out for it in daily life,
just as your students try to do!
There is no pressure to be the first to finish. But there may be pressure on you from
students if you do not take time do this section well!
Do not depress yourself with the notion that there is somewhere one ultimate set of
grammatical rules which we 'know' and you must learn. This is not true. The famous
adage: Rules are made to be broken.' was never truer than for English grammar. But
there are useful rules to share with students and knowing a rule can help them succeed.
When you are teaching and you do not know the rule (let us assume this is a
momentary lapse as you should know it!) use inductive analysis (explained in this
module).
By definition you, as a native speaker (if you are a native speaker), 'know' the grammar
of English perfectly - your problem is to see it as a foreign language, to know about it
and to understand the problems it poses to a foreign learner. (Non-native speakers
have a distinct advantage here!)
Think of this all the time that you are doing the tasks; think of simple examples where
you are asked for them, make life easy for yourself and your future students!
Lesson 1: Inductive Analysis
Always check out any grammatical structure which
you are unsure of and are expected to teach.
Have your own 'bible' which you can rely on as a reference before a lesson.
You will need your grammar resource throughout your TESOL career. In this unit you
are expected to use your grammar resource, to familiarise yourself with the layout and
become skilled at using it as a quick reference.

BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF I HAVEN'T GOT MY GRAMMAR WITH ME?

If you do not know a particular grammatical structure well, but you wish to explain it to
your students, try using Inductive Analysis.
This means working it out for yourself. Write yourself some examples.
One example is very dangerous in English, there is a good chance it will be an idiom or
an exception. Two examples have a better chance of illustrating an emerging pattern,
but there is still a chance that one will be an exception. Three examples are much safer,
hopefully two of the three will illustrate the structure and you should then be able to
explain the structure successfully.
In theory it should never happen that you do not know a grammatical structure well
enough to be able to explain it, exemplify it and name it.
HOWEVER, early on in your TESOL career it may happen. It may also happen if you
are given no warning nor preparation time before a lesson. This can happen if you are
substituting for an absent colleague or on badly organised summer schools. Otherwise
you should MAKE SURE you know what you are teaching by thoroughly preparing your
lessons.
Special Tip: One hour of preparation is the minimum for a one-hour lesson, especially
in your first year of teaching.

Self-check Exercises
For many of the Self-check Exercises throughout the course we recommend that you
either have a pad of paper handy, or use word processing software such as Word.
Self-check exercises are designed to stimulate your learning, but you do not need to
submit them to your instructor and they will not be graded.
You may wish to keep a record of your self check exercise answers for future reference,
but it is not essential.
Click the arrow to go to the self check exercise.
Self-check
Try to use inductive analysis here.

1. Explain when to use the preposition 'at'

2. Explain the use of the three prepositions 'on', 'in' and 'at' as used with expressions of time
3. Explain the difference between 'count' and 'mass' nouns
4. Work out some rules for the use of count and mass nouns(Include the verb)

Write examples to show the use of 'some' and 'any' in these cases:

1. Beginners - 'some' in positive sentences (in contrast to 'a')

2. Elementary - 'any' in negative sentences
3. Elementary - 'any' in questions
4. Elementary - 'some' with questions (when you expect a positive answer)
5. Intermediate - 'any' in positive sentences

Each time a new aspect of the structure is introduced, the previous forms should be
practised again and consolidated.
Each form can be taught as a definite case that must be followed and only later do you
point out and teach alternatives and contradictions.
These examples are for you to check your own understanding.
Lesson 2: Inductive and Deductive
Approaches to Grammar Teaching
Grammar, of course, is the backbone of any language. You cannot successfully
communicate in a language if you do not first have an understanding of the grammar
rules.
As an English teacher it is essential to have a good understanding of the grammar rules
of English in order to be able to teach and assist students in their language acquisition.
Later in the course you will look at specific techniques for integrating grammar into the
classroom. However, at this stage, we encourage you to first fully acquaint yourself with
the grammar materials presented, analyse your own grammar knowledge and identify
any areas where you may need to study further.

Inductive and Deductive Approaches to Grammar

Teaching
In TEFL there are two main approaches to teaching grammar. The more traditional
approach is the Deductive approach, while the more modern approach is
the Inductive approach.
The Deductive approach is the more traditional approach, which most students are
more familiar with, where the grammatical rules and structures are presented first. Only
after being presented with the rules are the students asked to apply those rules through
a variety of exercises.
For example, if the lesson is focussing on the present perfect tense, the teacher would
outline the uses and rules of this tense. The students would then be asked to put into
practice the rules of this tense by completing a number of exercises. In this approach,
the class is very teacher directed; the teacher is the centre of attention, responsible for
presenting and explaining all new materials.
The Inductive approach represents a more modern, student centred approach to
language education where the grammatical rules and structures are presented to the
students within a meaningful language context. The students learn the use of the target
structures through practice of the language in context and later are asked to identify the
rules from the practical examples.
For example, if the structure to be presented is the comparative form, the teacher might
begin the lesson by drawing a figure on the board and say ‘This is Bill. He is tall.’ The
teacher would then draw another figure and say ‘This is Ted. Ted is taller than Bill.’ The
teacher would then provide many more examples using the students, pictures or items
in the classroom, to develop students’ understanding of the structure.
The students are asked to repeat after the teacher, then the students are led into
meaningful practice of the structures in pairs or groups.
After meaningful practice the students are given worksheets which lead them to identify
the rules for themselves. The role of the teacher is to provide meaningful contexts to
demonstrate the grammatical rules, while the students develop their understanding of
the rules through examples and practice.
In both approaches the students practise and apply the use of grammatical structures,
yet there are advantages and disadvantages to both. For higher level students, who
already have a good understanding of the basic structures of the language,
the Deductive approach can be effective. However, the Deductive approach is less
suitable for lower level students and younger learners for presenting grammatical
structures that are complex in both form and meaning.
The advantage of the Inductive approach is that students can focus on the use of the
language without being held back by grammatical terminology and rules that can inhibit
fluency. The Inductive approach also promotes increased student participation and
practice of the target language in meaningful contexts, which should be the aim of all
EFL classes
The use of the Inductive approach has been noted for its success in the EFL classroom.
However, some students used to more traditional teaching styles in the classroom, may
initially find this approach difficult. Therefore, it is important to gradually build students’
confidence through carefully graded practice to ensure student success.