Teaching English Grammar Penny Ur 2015

Moving towards meaning 1

1. Focus on meaning, but controlled form: Find someone who…

...has met someone famous._______ _________

...has read all the Harry Potter books_____ _____

... has visited Egypt ___________ ____________

... has been in a car accident ________ _________

Moving towards meaning 2

Sentence completion

Since this time last year, I have ….

Moving towards meaning 3

Think of a situation (using the present perfect) that would produce the reaction…

1. Wow! 2. Wonderful! 3. Oh no!

4. Congratulations! 5. Help! 6. What a relief!

7. What a shame! 8. Thank you! 9. I’m sorry!

10. Thank goodness! 11. What a surprise! 12. (sigh)

Moving towards meaning 4.

Write a paragraph

Picture A shows my table at 8 in the morning.

Picture B shows my table at 9 in the morning.

What has happened?

Moving towards meaning 5

Group discussion: You are a committee of experts who have to interview candidates for a specific course or profession.

Your candidate is requesting:

• to become a kindergarten teacher
• to join the police force
• to work in a summer camp for teenagers
• to become an ambulance driver

Transforming mechanical into meaningful

Make sentences using the present perfect

• Lina can’t find her key. (lose)
• Peter weighed 80 kilos before, now he weighs 60. (be on a diet)
• Mark and Dana are delighted. (pass the test)
• Becky won’t be playing today. (break her leg)
• Sam will be late. (have an accident)
• We aren’t going on holiday after all. (change plans)

What has happened? Make sentences using the present perfect

• Lina can’t find her key.
• Peter weighed 80 kilos before, now he weighs 60.
• Mark and Dana are delighted.
• Becky won’t be playing today.
• Sam will be late.
• We aren’t going on holiday after all.

Summary and conclusions

In order to learn grammar well, students need some explicit teaching as well as lots of communicative work.

In order to learn grammar well, students need some explicit teaching as well as lots of communicative work.

Grammar teaching should include:

• Explanations (pro- or re-active, deductive or inductive)
• Learning by heart and language play
• Reactive ‘Focus on form’
• Practice (initially mechanical, but meaningful / communicative and creative as soon as possible)

But if they are still making mistakes…

We are going to need to provide corrective feedback.