Communicative Grammar Teaching TEFL Training Package Office of

Communicative Grammar Teaching TEFL Training Package Office of Overseas Programming & Training Support (OPATS)

What’s the difference between traditional and communicative grammar teaching? • Why are dialogues, role plays, and other types of problem solving activities so important for Communicative (grammar) teaching? After you have decided what are traditional & communicative activities, which do you think counterparts will tend to use? How can you “blend” communicative and traditional grammar pedagogies

Ready to Do It Yourself? • What communicative problem does the grammar feature solve? • Examples of grammar features: articles (a, an, the), verb tense, preposition choice, comparative structures—as presented in-- Dialogues!

For each dialogue, answer the questions below. 1. What is the grammar feature? 2. What is the feature’s function—that is; what communication problem does the feature solve? GRAMMAR FEATURES INCLUDE: articles (a, an, the), verb tense, preposition choice, comparative structure, subject-verb agreement, word order, count and noncount nouns, passive voice, reported speech, etc.

What’s the Grammar Feature Being Demonstrated Here? Jenn: Wow! It’s later than I thought. Lisa: Oh, It’s not as late as all that. Jenn: No, but I have to get up earlier than usual tomorrow. I’ve got to take my car to the shop. Lisa: What’s wrong with it? Jenn: Well, it’s burning a lot more oil than it used to. Lisa: Oh, I hope it isn’t too expensive. Jenn: Well, it always seems to cost more than you think.

What’s the Grammar Feature Being Demonstrated Here? “…so I met a girl at the party. She seemed friendly so we began to talk. The girl had been a Peace Corps Volunteer. She lived in a village with another (hint: “an” “other”) Volunteer. In the village, people danced fire dances annually to honor their departed. One night the Volunteer went to a fire dance. The other Volunteer did not attend the fire dance. However, about a week later the girl……”

What’s the Grammar Feature Being Demonstrated Here? Joe is walking in the room. Sarah is walking into the room. She is driving on the road. He is driving down the road They are walking along the road. The boy jumped on the trampoline. The girl jumped onto the trampoline. He sits in the chair next to me. She sits in a chair by me.

What’s the Grammar Feature Here?

This One or That One Excuse me, could I see that watch? Which one, this one? No, that one over there. The gold one with a black band. This one? Yes. Hmmm…this is nice. How much is it? That one is $100. Hmm…. that’s a little pricey. Do you have something cheaper? Well, this one is gold plate and it’s only $75 and this silver one with the same dial is only $50. Great. I’ll take the silver one. Fifty, you said? Yes. Okay. Here you go. Thanks. Thank you! Have a nice evening!

A Functional, Communicative Approach to Grammar • Instead of teaching grammar structures first; that is-- “Today students, we are going to study the present prefect!” • we teach the communicative functions that grammar structures address: “Today we are going to talk about things in the past that affect what we are doing now. ” • We teach students the structures they need, so they can talk about things they want to talk about. • We focus less on “what we teach” and more on HOW “what we teach” is used in the real world.

Keep in Mind Though… Many of your counterparts will be in this traditional, teacher-centered mode: “Today students, we are going to study the present prefect!” To get to this (a communicative outlook): “Today we are going to talk about things in the past that affect what we are doing now. ” You’ll need to—negotiate. One strategy: “You explain the constructions & rules, I’ll take care of the practice. ”

When grammar is learned in context. . . • Students discover the kinds of situations where they could use the grammar form. • They also learn other forms and vocabulary associated with the grammar form.

REVIEW: DO IT YOURSELF— find a function of the form What’s one function of: The present progressive tense? I am leaving tomorrow. The modal could? The definite article? This is the student I mentioned. The (affirmative form of) the simple future? I’ll help you tomorrow.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT GRAMMAR FEATURE PROBABLY IS?

VERBS! Verbs can be hard for learners in two ways-- • in terms of VERB FORM: *I be going. *He swimmed. *Thank you for to help me. • and VERB CHOICE. * I study English since 2008. * He is knowing the answer. * If he knew, he will have told me.

About Verbs– A Review: Some Labels I am going/talking/seeing SUBJECT - AUXILIARY VERB - PRESENT PARTICIPLE (-ing) I have gone/worked/been SUBJECT - AUXILIARY VERB - PAST PARTICIPLE (-ed) I planned/visited/tried he went/brought/was. REGULAR PAST VERBS (-ed) VS. IRREGULAR PAST VERBS He tried to stop. She asked him to help. INFINITIVE VERBS: which are in root form because they are not under the influence of a subject

What Do You Know About Tense and Aspect? • Forms of different tenses and aspects? • Differences of meaning between them? • Why is it important to know the difference?

Take a couple of minutes to look through your handout

Unpack the Aspect/Tense* *We do not say the “Present Perfect Aspect Tense, ” we simply say “Present Perfect Tense. ” 1. 2. 3. 4. What is the aspect and/or tense? What is its nuanced meaning? * In what context might you use the tense? How is it different in meaning from the contrasting sentence? * With a little practice, you will likely find it easier to determine the “nuanced meaning of a tense than your counterparts.

1. She had opened the front door but he came in through the bathroom window. 1. Contrast Sentence: She would have opened the front door but he came in through the bathroom window. 2. I have lived in _(your PC country) for _X_ weeks. 2. Contrast Sentence: I’m settling into my site in (your PC country).

3. Sometimes I feel homesick. 3. Contrast Sentence: I’m feeling homesick these days 4. I’ve been waiting for my site assignment impatiently. 4. Contrast Sentence: I’ll wait impatiently for my site assignment

5. I was bargaining in the market for a padlock when the thieves hit my house 5. Contrast Sentence: I bargained for the padlock then the thieves hit my house. 6. I’ve got “exceeds expectations” on assignments. 6. Contrast Sentence: I got “exceeds expectations” on assignments.

7. She will have completed most of her service before her last TPI. 7. Contrast Sentence: She would have completed most of her service before her last TPI 8. I’m taking notes. 8. Contrast Sentence: I’ve been taking notes.

Imagine 1. Your CP comes up to you to ask what is the difference between “I was eating” and “I had been eaten? ” 2. A student asks why she got the sentence, “I have played the trumpet since 2013, ” right and the sentence, “I have played trumpet since three years, ” wrong. 3. A student studying for a school-leaving exam asks you the difference between “I’ll do the dishes tonight. ” and “I’m washing the dishes tonight. ”

Simple Rules for Dialogues 1. Dialogues shouldn’t have more than about 10 turns 2. Situation must relate to students’ lives 3. Keep turns to 1 -2 lines each 4. Name all dialogue characters 5. Think about your students’ proficiency. Don’t make the dialogue too complicated or easy.

Exploiting Dialogues • Do the dialogue first as a Listening Comp activity before showing learners the text. • Show the text, go through vocabulary, idioms and the target language feature with class. • In pairs, students engage in pronunciation practice • If your class is large or students’ proficiencies are low, break the dialogue into smaller chucks (2 -4 turns). Introduce a chuck, explain it, & have pairs practice it. • Do the same with remaining chunks, then review the entire dialogue and again, have pair practice it

Now, let’s put you to work 1. Count off 1 -10. 1 s join up w/1 s, 2 s w/2 s, 3 s w/3 s, etc. 2. Select a tense strip (use handout and Azar for clues) 3. Build a dialogue around your tense (~ 6 turns)