Students Improve What They Practice
(4 Rules for Teaching Grammar)
John Brezinsky, Higher Education Marketing Manager
Research and classroom experience show that learners make
the best gains in the skills they practice the most. If you want your students
to be better readers, they need to read more. Students who speak more will become more fluent speakers.
The same is true for grammar and can be summarized by four rules.
1. Make time for
meaning
Meaning is primary in all communication, and grammar
instruction should focus on meaning. When students are first learning grammar
points, successful instructors always set aside time for exercises that
specifically address meaning. For example, sentences containing the target
grammar can be matched to pictures which illustrate the meaning.
2. Make time for
accuracy
Once they have begun to internalize the meaning, learners
need time to get used to the form of the target grammar. Especially if it is
the first time they have worked with a particular structure, just learning to recognize
and create it takes time. Never forget to give students plenty of opportunities
to manipulate the grammar and develop some automaticity with it. This level of
comfort will serve them well when they move on to more creative activities.
3. Make time for
practice in all 4 skills
Just as your students need to be able to recognize the
target grammar and describe it, they also need to be able to understand it in
discourse and produce it in a variety of contexts. This means that students
need time in class to read, write, listen, and speak in situations that require
the target grammar. Remember that your students will improve those skills that
they have time to practice, so give them opportunities to improve their
understanding and use of the grammar in all four skills.
4. Allow more time
for mastery
No one expects an athlete to master a skill after one
training session. On the contrary, we expect that mastery will take place over
a long period of time. We also expect that skills will need to be reviewed,
recycled, and re-practiced numerous times. Grammar is no different. Learning a
language is a complicated process that takes time and repetition. Allow your
students that time and give them opportunities for repeated practice.
The Focus
on Grammar series of textbooks and interactive software was designed with
these four rules in mind. For more information about the textbooks, visit the companion website. For
more information about the software and a 30-day trial, visit its home page. |
