Teaching Grammar - Week 2 - What Knowledge Does an English Teacher Need?

Introduction: Hello and welcome to Week 2 of the course Teaching Grammar for the Licenciatura in English Teaching at ULACIT. In this class we will do several activities to explore the topic of teacher knowledge in foreign language teaching and we will also look at one of the most common types of grammar practice exercises, the drill.

Today's Goals:

• Discuss what kind of knowledge foreign language teachers need to be successful at their job.
• Discuss possible answers to the "inert knowledge problem" regarding learner errors.
• Explore the use of drills in grammar practice, their characteristics, strengths and weaknesses.

Guiding Questions:

• What aspects of English grammar do I feel comfortable teaching and which do I find challenging?
• What knowledge does an English teacher need to have to teach effectively?
• Why do students make errors and how should teachers deal with them?
• In grammar learning, does practice make perfect?

Task 1: What do I tell them?

To start today's class you are going to participate in an improvised role-play activity. Click the link below and follow the instructions. One person in the group should share the screen.

• Roleplay: CLICK HERE

Task 2: Group Discussion 

Discuss the following questions with your teacher and classmates and compare your answers with some of the improtant quotes from your study guide.

What is Grammar?

• Based on the reading and your own common sense definition, what is grammar?
• How is grammar that native speakers learn in high school different than the grammar language learners need?

Does the Teacher's L1 Matter?

• How comfortable would you feel answering the students' questions from the previous activity?
• Does being a native speaker qualify someone to teach a language?
• What is the general perception of the public (laypeople) about value of native speaking teachers?

Why Do Students Make Errors?

• Why do students make grammar errors and what should the teacher do about them?
• What are some common errors that are caused by first language influence?
• Should teachers correct all errors or "put up with" some kinds of errors for a time?

What Does the Author Say?

• CLICK HERE to view some direct quotes from Folse (2017) about these questions. These quotes are also in your study guide. 

Task 3: Drills: The Typical Grammar Practice Exercises

Structure based drills are the most common form of grammar practice exercise in ELT. Although there are many variations of drills, they all share some common characteristics, strengths, and challenges. Click your group link below to explore this activity type in more detail.

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE
• Group 3: CLICK HERE

References:

Folse, K. (2017). Keys to Teaching Grammar to English Language Learners: A Practical Handbook (2nd ed.). University of Michigan Press. 

Scrivener, J. (2005). Learning Teaching. Macmillian.

Ur, P. (2012). A Course in English Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press.