Interactive method of teaching English grammar
Interactive method of teaching English grammar
The
use of games in learning grammar.
Grammar
acquisition is increasingly viewed as crucial to language acquisition. However,
there is much disagreement as to the effectiveness of different approaches for
presenting vocabulary items. Moreover, learning grammar is often perceived as a
tedious and laborious process. In this report I would like to examine some
traditional techniques and compare them with the use of language games for
grammar presentation and revision, in order to determine whether they are successful
in presenting and revising grammar than other methods.
From
my teaching experience I have noticed how enthusiastic students are about
practicing language by means of games. I believe that the grammar games are not
only fun but they help students learn without a conscious analysis or
understanding of the learning process while they acquire communicative
competence as second language users.
There
are numerous techniques concerned with grammar presentation. However, there are
a few things that have to be remembered irrespective of the way new lexical
items are presented. If teachers want students to remember new grammar it needs
to be learnt in the context, practiced and then revised to prevent students
from forgetting. Teachers must take sure of that students have understood the
new words, which will be remembered better if introduced in a “memorable way”. Bearing
all this in mind, teachers have to remember to employ a variety of techniques
for new grammatical presentation and revision.
We
suggest the following types of grammar presentation techniques:
1 Visual
techniques. These pertain to visual memory, which is considered especially
helpful with the grammar retention. Learners remember better the material that
has been presented by means of the visual aids. The visual techniques lend
themselves well to presenting concrete items of grammar. They help students to
associate the presented material in a meaningful way and incorporate it into
their system of the language units.
2.Verbal
explanation. This pertains to the use of illustrative situations connected
with the grammar material studied.
The
advantages of using games.
A
lot of experienced textbook and methodology manuals writers have argued that
games are not just time-filling activities but they have a great educational
value. We hold that most grammar games make learners use the language instead
of thinking about learning the correct forms. The grammar games should be
treated as central, not
peripherical to the foreign language
teaching programme. Games, as Richard Amato thinks, are to be fun, but he warns
against overlooking their pedagogical value, particularly in foreign language
teaching programmes. There are many advantages of using games in grammar.
1.
Games can lower anxiety, thus making the acquisition of input more likely.
2.
Games are highly motivating and entertaining, and they can give shy students
more opportunities to express their opinions and feelings.
3.
They also enable learners to acquire new experience within the foreign language
that are not always possible during a typical lesson.
4.
Games add diversion to the regular classroom activities, break the ice and
introduce the new ideas.
5.
In the easy, relaxed atmosphere which is created by using games the students
remember things faster and better.
6.
Grammar games are a good way of practicing the language, for they provide a
model of what learners will use the language for in real life in future.
7.Grammar
games encourage, entertain, teach, and promote fluency.
If
not for any of these reasons they should be used just because they help
students to see beauty in a foreign language and not just problems, and this is
the main reason to use games when studying English grammar.
Choosing
appropriate games
There
are many factors to consider while discussing games, one of which is
appropriacy. Teachers should be very careful about choosing games if they want
to make them profitable for the learning process. If games are to bring desired
results, they must correspond to either the students’ level, or age, or the
materials that are to be introduced or practiced. Not all of the games are
appropriate for all students irrespective of their age. Different age groups
require various topics, materials and modes of games. For example, children
benefit most from games which require moving around, imitating a model,
competing between groups, and the like. Furthermore, structural games that
practice or reinforce a certain grammatical aspects of language have to relate
to students’ ability and prior knowledge. Games become difficult when the task
or the topic is unsuitable or outside the students’ experience.
Another
factor influencing the choice of a game is its length and the time necessary
for its completion. Many games have time limits but according to Siek Piscozub,
the teacher can either allocate more or less time depending of the students’ levels,
the number of people in a group, or the knowledge of the rules of a game, etc.
When
to use games.
Games
are often used as short warm-up activities or when there is some time left at
the end of the lesson. As Mr. Lee observes, a game should not be regarded as a
marginal activity filling in odd moments when the teacher and class have
nothing better to do. Games ought to be at the heart of teaching foreign
languages. Mr. Rixon suggests that games should be used at all stages of the
English lesson, provided that they are suitable and carefully chosen. At
different stages of the lesson, the teachers’ aims connected with a game may
vary:
1.
Presentation. It presents and provides a good model making its meaning clear.
2.
Controlled practice. It elicits a good imitation of the language and
appropriate responses.
3.
Communicative practice. It gives to the students a chance to use a foreign
language.
Grammar
games also lend themselves well to revision exercises helping learners to
recall a grammar material in a pleasant, entertaining way. All authors referred
to in my report agree that even the grammar games resulted only in noise and
entertained students, they are still worth paying attention to and implementing
in the classroom since they motivate learners, promote the communicative
competence, and generate the fluency. However, can they be more successful for
presentation and revision than other techniques? My teaching practice proves
that the answer to this question is absolutely affirmative.
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