Don’t Teach Grammar — Teach Functions!

I recently read a blog written specifically about what is wrong with PPP methodology.  And, sadly, the author stated:

PPP means that teachers will first present a grammar point

While I would agree that PPP has some limitations, I would never agree that PPP must be about teaching grammar.   And the writer would not think that if he had been in my training classroom!

Now I quite understand that MOST TEFL training programs around the world take that approach, but a thinking teacher never would.   And method should be about thinking your way through lesson, not just following a cardboard cutout over and over and over.

Why in the world would you make grammar the point of specific lessons?  I sure can’t think of any reasons beyond the banal, Because they need to know grammar.

Well . . . yes, students do need to know and understand grammar but this constant focus on grammar is one (of many) reasons why students come to hate studying English.  Why not teach students how to communicate about something they are interested in?  And then, inside of that lesson, teach them how to do that communication in a grammatically correct way?

Teach Functions

Functions are simply language that we use to exchange information.  Language that has a purpose or a function.

Simple examples:

Asking and answering questions about your favorite sport

Dealing with complaints at work

Asking someone for a date

Asking and giving directions around town

Asking for assistance at work

Giving your opinion in a meeting

Making a sales call

Disagreeing

Talking about your product

Introducing yourself

Describing your favorite toy (food, hobby, music, actor, and more more more)

and on and on.

What is important and or most relevant to your students?  Talk about that and teach them the language for that.   Do you really think your students talk about present perfect when they are away from school?  Not!

Notice the functions always start with Something-ING.  Asking and answering.  Offering, helping, assisting, complaining, talking about, directing and on and on.  Or you almost can’t go wrong with the simple: Asking and answering questions about ______ .  Just ask your students what they want to talk about and fill in the blank.  Wouldn’t your students be more interested in your class if THEY got to pick what they are going to talk about?  Of course they would!

If you teach them how to talk about things they WANT to talk about – things they are INTERESTED in talking about, you will have a much more motivated student.  One who just might enjoy their class rather than hate it.

Now I did say – Don’t Teach Grammar – but what I meant was don’t make it the point of the lesson.  Just teach your students the proper grammatical structures they need to talk about the topic at hand.  That’s all.  They will get it.  Certainly faster than just memorizing irrelevant grammar points.

TED’s Tips™ #1: Teach Functions!  Not Grammar.

TED’s Tips™ #2: This post is part of a series at: ESL Blog Carnival – the topic is Teaching Grammar Effectively

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How to Teach Grammar in EFL

Teaching Grammar in EFL

Grammar skills and the ability to simply explain grammar is another hallmark of a skilled EFL teacher. Students expect their teacher to be skilled in grammar and if you aren’t you will probably lack confidence in the classroom. So, get skilled!

While I would like to give you a simple explanation and a couple easy links to read, as in most the other sections, there is not really a super easy way to master grammar. However, I can recommend the Fast Track Grammar Review for EFL Teachers.

This eBook was used in 2009 by the University of California – Irvine Campus – as part of their Education 134 Teaching English Internationally course.

Fast Track was written by an experienced TEFL Teacher-Trainer with a master’s degree in education (me!). Students on the TEFL Certification course I taught were having trouble quickly grasping the grammar they needed to pass the course and get their TEFL Certificate. Thus was born Fast Track to help them get what they needed quickly and easily.

Fast Track Grammar Review is a downloadable 66-page grammar eBook that is written for people intending to teach English or teachers who wish to brush up on their grammar skills. It emphasizes the idea of staying flexible and understanding grammar at a deep level. It also gives you a lot of vocabulary so you don’t have to feel intimidated when the subject of grammar comes up.

You should be able to read this e-book, check a few other resources, and bring yourself up to speed quickly (thus the “Fast Track” notion). Remember, most native-speakers of English already KNOW grammar intuitively, it is only that they don’t know how to explain what they already know.

Read the eBook with the idea that you will be introduced to a variety of NEW ideas about grammar. Note, for example, that some grammar books say there are eight parts of speech. Some say nine, some say more. Keep your thinking flexible and understand that different authors say different things. Just get to know the vocabulary of grammar, so you know what people are talking about.

Try the eBook, do all the exercises, pre-tests, and post-tests and you will be in good shape with grammar. Not to worry, the book is written with lots of graphics, practical examples and exercises and a bit of humor. The author knows that grammar is not a favorite topic of study. It also comes with a 100% no-questions-asked guaranteed refund. If you don’t like it, just ask for your money back, no problems.

Click here: Fast Track Grammar Review for EFL Teachers to read more about it and see some sample pages:

TED’s Tips™ #1: Get yourself skilled in good basic grammar. It is an area where many teachers feel inadequate and it is not difficult to get yourself up to speed.

TED’s Tips™ #2: Don’t pretend to know what you don’t know. If you can not accurately answer a student’s question, tell them you will have a good answer for them at the next class. Don’t hurt them by giving them a made-up half answer.