Teaching Grammar through Speaking
By Arunborey Than, ACE Teacher
Teaching English can be fun and entertaining, as teachers often interact with their students. When introducing the English language to students, I’ve found that many students struggle to understand grammar points. I’ve found a way to counteract this difficulty that is very helpful for both teachers and students, and which I’ll describe in this article.
Over the past few terms, I’ve been teaching grammar points by enabling students to understand the context of the lesson at their own pace, instead of spoon-feeding them information about the grammar point at hand. This method has worked very well for students, including those who are beginners.
Method: Group Reading
I’ve been teaching grammar points using group reading. Specifically, I divide students into small groups, each of which focuses on a different aspect of the grammar point. I then have them form new groups with different students.
- Students have 5-10 minutes to read the aspect of the grammar point assigned to their group. They are then instructed to explain that component of the grammar point to the other members of their group as best they can. I monitor the groups to ensure that students understand their aspect of the grammar point, before assigning them to new groups to discuss the grammar point.
- Once they are in their new groups, students complete what is essentially a grammar jigsaw puzzle. Each student shares their component of the grammar point with their new group to facilitate each other’s understanding of the grammar point as a whole.
- Students complete practice and productive activities in their groups.
Benefits
- Students have an opportunity to communicate with each other. This is a great way to encourage them to speak.
- Students learn and progress in groups, rather than individually. One positive aspect of this activity is that the groups often consist of fast and slow learners who, as part of a group, help each other to learn and understand effectively, while having fun at the same time.
- Students are encouraged to ask questions. If a student doesn’t understand the grammar point, for example, they can ask other group members or their teacher for help.
- Group reading increases student interaction and student talk time (STT).
- Group reading can be used with lessons from the Course Book and with handcrafted lessons.
I hope you’ll find this classroom activity useful!