1
GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTYwith grammar
GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTYwith grammar
Demand High
Am I really challenging the full learning potential of my students?
The aim: to raise the quality and quantity of learning in my classes
We’re going to look at one way
of being more demand high
by looking at one common stage in many lessons
When students have done an exercise (individually or in pairs) and the teacher leads a feedback stage to check answers.
Beyond “Correct” and “Wrong”
1 Make a class of 5 ish.
2 Do the exercise as students (individually)
3 In your groups of 5 ish – appoint one teacher.
4 Teacher: Go through the students’ answers and check them (in any way you want to. You have about 2 minutes)
5 Thought experiment …
“If I wanted to extend this stage (going through students’ answers) to last 60 minutes … what are some of the things I could do?”
oooo
oooooooo
oooooo o
oooo
ooooo
oooO
Often interpreted as:“The students should do it all by themselves”
Teacher: “Stand back, don’t say too much, don’t interfere” “The learning will happen by itself”
The current standard view?learner-centredlearner autonomy
The Tweak"Received Contemporary" Demand-High
Materials-centred Learning-centred
Finish the activity Go where the learning is
Teacher as hub Everyone interacts
Questions test right answers Question uncover learning
Fun is added on Engagement is integral
Little language upgrade Lots of language upgrade
Language work done by book Hands-on language work
Class taught as a unit Class taught as individuals
Try to communicate >> praise Playful exploration >> upgrade
Examples are
Input
Playing with
examplesis
Practice
Read it
Make it sound real
Substitute
Personalise
Use
Try it!
Upgrade Steps
I have no idea
I can say the sentence
approximately
I can say the words
with good sounds
I can make the words with
the right forms / endings
I can say the
sentence with
good stress
I can
approximate
intonation
I can say the
sentence with
meaningful
intonation
I can make simple
substitutions to the
sentence to change the
message
I can integrate the new language with everything I
already know and use it when needed
I can use the grammar
to convey the message
I want to
I can put the words
in the right order
I can spell the
forms accuratey
I can do all this
increasingly fluently
I have an initial idea of
the form
I can fine-tune
my meanings
I can write the sentence
approximately I have an initial idea of
the meaning & use
The DH alternative: Upgrade everything…
To St A: Check the no of words,
To B Say it faster,
C Slower and more clearly,
D Where is the stress?
E Join the words together,
F You need another word,
G Take a word out
H Say it with interest
I Whisper it,
J Make it a question,
K Change it!
L Change one word
M Look at your pronunciation
N That’s correct, but now In English!
O All of you…find another way to say the same thing…
not “drilling”
“ … this weird foreign language”.
( just a small step )
not “drilling”
Not just once …
Rubbish >>>>>>>>>> Competent Language Use
Give an imperative or instruction (e.g. “Say it faster”)
Not everything at once …… a small reachable, achievable step
IndividualsOpen PairsClosed PairsSmall GroupsLarge GroupsClass sectionsWhole ClassMingle
Focus1to1
i.e. 1-to-1 within the class
Focus1to1
Focus1to1
Focus1to1
Focus1to1
Focus1to1
Focus1to1
Focus1to1
Q(b)? Good. (c)? Perfect(d)? Well done etc etc
Instead of just checking the answers … and then moving on …
… can we find a way to go back in, mining the material for more value?
Three Times Practice
One: Do it. Then we check it.
Two: Cover the words. Can you remember the sentences? Say them to your partner. (Check whenever you need to)
Three: Practise saying them more naturally. (NB Also think about facial expressions, gestures etc)
Well it’s …One for the money Two for the showThree to get ready
Now, go cat, go …
Well it’s …One for the exercise Two for the learningThree “in English”
Now, go cat, go …
Well it’s …One for the exercise Two for the learningThree “in English”
Now, go cat, go …
Helping every individual student in the class to improve …
Instead of praising weak production …
Instead of drilling …
Instead of doing an exercise and moving on …
Instead of teaching the whole class as if it’s one level …
Instead of explaining as a key teacher grammar input …
Upgrade Steps
“Upgrade Feedback”
PROUF
3XP
1to1Focus
Examples are Input
Thanks to
234