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Two
Things You Aren't Spending Enough Time On in Grammar Class
John Brezinsky, Higher
Education
Marketing Manager
We all want
students to understand and use grammar accurately and fluently. The
major challenge is often getting the right mix of instruction and
practice—and the right balance of controlled and free practice.
Here are two things many instructors don’t give enough time to in
their grammar classes.
Error Correction
After students have studied the target grammar and completed some
controlled exercises, editing practice is an effective way to test
their understanding. You can take the previous day's writing assignment
and write the number of grammatical mistakes at the top—or you
can save time by using a textbook that contains editing practice in
every unit. Students' ability to find and correct common learner errors
is a good indication of their readiness for more open-ended exercises.
Speaking Practice
A lesson's final speaking task should always be contextualized,
extended, and relevant to students' lives. A good communicative role
play may take as many as 20-30 minutes, and teachers often do not
budget enough time. Students need this time, however, to practice using
the target grammar in meaning-focused situations. Teachers who budget
time for extended speaking report that their students are much better
speakers as a result.
Focus on Grammar and the Azar-Hagen Grammar Series both offer opportunities for error correction and speaking practice. Focus on Grammar Interactive (now online) and Azar Interactive (online soon) also feature error correction and speaking to continue grammar practice outside of the classroom.
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