Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaKingdom of Saudi ArabiaMinistry of Higher EducationMinistry of Higher EducationKing Abdul Aziz UniversityKing Abdul Aziz UniversityWomen's College of EducationWomen's College of EducationLiterary Sections - JeddahLiterary Sections - JeddahEnglish Department English Department Third Year Third Year Section : BSection : B

    By ; Asmaa Dhafer Al-By ; Asmaa Dhafer Al-shihrishihri   

Introduction Introduction

Teaching grammar may be the thing Teaching grammar may be the thing that scares native speakers the that scares native speakers the most. Most people have an in-depth most. Most people have an in-depth understanding of the grammar of understanding of the grammar of their own language. You may get their own language. You may get mainly conversation classes and feel mainly conversation classes and feel that you’ve licked out, but teaching that you’ve licked out, but teaching grammar doesn’t have to be horrible grammar doesn’t have to be horrible for you or for your students.for you or for your students.

Four Tips for Teaching Four Tips for Teaching GrammarGrammar

The First tip :The First tip :

First of all, keep your expectations First of all, keep your expectations realistic. You will not have the time realistic. You will not have the time or resources to teach your students or resources to teach your students everything there is to know about everything there is to know about tenses or word order or relative tenses or word order or relative clauses, and you were almost clauses, and you were almost certainly not hired to do so.certainly not hired to do so.

The Second Tip :The Second Tip :

There are people who are walking There are people who are walking dictionaries of grammar rules; most dictionaries of grammar rules; most schools wouldn’t want to hire them schools wouldn’t want to hire them and even if they did, most students and even if they did, most students wouldn’t want to be in their classes. wouldn’t want to be in their classes. Teach them what they need to know Teach them what they need to know in order to do the practice exercises in order to do the practice exercises in the book or in the test. Don’t feel in the book or in the test. Don’t feel you need to finalize everything in you need to finalize everything in your two-hour class. your two-hour class.

The Third Tip :The Third Tip :

Make sure you prepare so that you Make sure you prepare so that you yourself understand the grammar yourself understand the grammar point at hand. Check a reference point at hand. Check a reference book or ask other teachers.book or ask other teachers.

If there are practice exercises, do If there are practice exercises, do them yourself and THEN check the them yourself and THEN check the answers. This will help you avoid answers. This will help you avoid embarrassing yourself with a wrong embarrassing yourself with a wrong answer….it happens.answer….it happens.

The Fourth Tip :The Fourth Tip :

Avoid getting into detailed Avoid getting into detailed explanations and try to get your explanations and try to get your students practicing and speaking as students practicing and speaking as soon as possible. soon as possible.

When you don’t know the answer, When you don’t know the answer, it’s okay to say you need to check on it’s okay to say you need to check on it and get back to the students.it and get back to the students.

Low Beginning Low Beginning

Focus on basic sentence structure, Focus on basic sentence structure, word order and verb tenses. word order and verb tenses.

Types of materials: Types of materials: Texts which offer Texts which offer simplified structure, explanations simplified structure, explanations and vocabulary.and vocabulary.   

High Beginning

Focus on simple sentence Focus on simple sentence combination and subordination, noun combination and subordination, noun phrases and articles. phrases and articles.

Types of materials: Types of materials: Texts which offer Texts which offer expanded instruction in basic expanded instruction in basic structures and tenses structures and tenses

Low Intermediate

Focus on complex verb phrases, Focus on complex verb phrases, embeddings, clauses and embeddings, clauses and hypothetical. hypothetical.

Types of materials: Types of materials: Texts which Texts which explain complex sentence structure explain complex sentence structure and word usage and word usage        

High Intermediate

Focus on collocations and complex Focus on collocations and complex phrasing such as absolutes and phrasing such as absolutes and subjunctives. subjunctives.

Types of materials: Types of materials: Texts which Texts which provide examples of complex provide examples of complex phrasing and structures phrasing and structures        

Advanced

Focus on writing style, register, Focus on writing style, register, appropriateness and recognition of appropriateness and recognition of non-native structures non-native structures

Types of materials: Types of materials: Texts which Texts which provide examples of complex and provide examples of complex and refined prose. refined prose.    

Thank You Doctor Thank You Doctor for Your Time for Your Time