Grammar Activity - Assignment # 3
Context: Classroom in a locally funded community- based program with learners at beginner levels. The ages of the students vary between 42 - 63 years old. Students still have difficulties on subject-verb agreement with the verb “to be” after several lessons on the topic.Class Level: CLB 2-3
Communicative Language Task: Students will have a better understanding of subject-verb agreement rules, using the verb “to be” in the present and past tense.
Activity Sequence:
· Teacher will do a small review on the verb “to be” (present and past tense) with students.
· Ss will fill in the blank spaces on “Lesson Review Activity Sheet.” (5 minutes)
· Students to play “Family Tic Tac Toe” using the verb “to be.” They will fill the blank spaces of the sentences written on each box of the grid by using the most suitable verb for that sentence. (10 minutes.)
Materials:
· 3x3 Tic Tac Toe Grids - premade and laminated by the teacher.
· Targeted verbs are listed at the bottom of the grid.
· Non-permanent markers for students.
1. Teacher to explain the rules of the game and to model the first sentence for the students.
2. The T will form groups of 2 -3 Ss, making sure to blend strong Ss with weak students.
3. Ss will decide who goes first then choose a square to start with.
4. The Ss will pick from the verb bank the correct verb (in the correct tense) for the written sentence of his choice. There will be one extra verb that will not fit.
5. Groups continue to take turns, trying to score 3 in a row.
6. The first group to score 3 in a row wins the game.
Name: _______________________ Date: ________________________
Lesson Review Activity Sheet: Verb “to be” Present and Past Tense
Explanation: Using the verb “to be” from the box fill in the missing verb in the sentences below.
are is was
were am like
Click Here to have full access to the lesson plan (“Family Tic Tac Toe Game").
Explanation: Using the verb “to be” from the box fill in the missing verb in the sentences below.
are is was
were am like
- John and Mary _______ married on June 24, 2000
- I _______ Mary’s cousin.
- _________ you part of their family? / _____ you John’s cousin?
- She _______ a good cook.
- John ________ a doctor.
- John and Mary’s 2 boys (twins) ______ 6 years old.
- Their daughter _______ 12 years old.
- Her name ________ Susan.
- What grade _______ the boys in?
- They ______ in grade 1.
Click Here to have full access to the lesson plan (“Family Tic Tac Toe Game").
Rationale:
According to the scenario I chose, my students have already been given the rules and reviewed the form of subject-verb agreement on the verb "to be" several times. However, they are still making mistakes and are becoming insecure when writing short sentences, especially when describing family members.
The above situation tells me two things: the first one is that I did not take my time, using deductive teaching, to explain the basic rules of the conjugation of the verb "to be" in the present and past tense... And the second one, I need to go back and review the rules again with the class.
So, after a quick review on the lesson and using inductive teaching, my students will play a Tic Tac Toe game where they will have the opportunity to practice the verb “to be” in the present and past tense to improve their understanding on this topic.
The above situation tells me two things: the first one is that I did not take my time, using deductive teaching, to explain the basic rules of the conjugation of the verb "to be" in the present and past tense... And the second one, I need to go back and review the rules again with the class.
So, after a quick review on the lesson and using inductive teaching, my students will play a Tic Tac Toe game where they will have the opportunity to practice the verb “to be” in the present and past tense to improve their understanding on this topic.
Summary:
My decision to use inductive teaching in this situation is due to the fact that these students need more task-based activities to internalize the rule of subject-verb agreement.
When I connected with a practicing ESL instructor regarding instructional of methods, this is what she had to say, "I do use deductive more than inductive to start with, but it is usually a combination. I start teacher-based and then switch to student-based, and task-based. For me not all teaching works with just one type of teaching- it is usually a combination. Always trying to not weigh too heavily on the deductive." I totally agree with her statement. I think it's vital not to rely on one single type of teaching method. As teachers, we have to look for ways to help our L2 students to become more independent and autonomous in their learning process. If we do too much deductive instruction, students will become too dependent on the teacher and will not try to do things on their own. They will be too afraid of making mistakes, not realizing that making those mistakes are necessary for a better learning experience.
So, to conclude, the use of inductive instruction through the Tic Tac Toe game is a great way to stimulate the students' cognitive thinking; they will be actively involved with other classmates, and the learning of the grammar rule will be more meaningful to them.
When I connected with a practicing ESL instructor regarding instructional of methods, this is what she had to say, "I do use deductive more than inductive to start with, but it is usually a combination. I start teacher-based and then switch to student-based, and task-based. For me not all teaching works with just one type of teaching- it is usually a combination. Always trying to not weigh too heavily on the deductive." I totally agree with her statement. I think it's vital not to rely on one single type of teaching method. As teachers, we have to look for ways to help our L2 students to become more independent and autonomous in their learning process. If we do too much deductive instruction, students will become too dependent on the teacher and will not try to do things on their own. They will be too afraid of making mistakes, not realizing that making those mistakes are necessary for a better learning experience.
So, to conclude, the use of inductive instruction through the Tic Tac Toe game is a great way to stimulate the students' cognitive thinking; they will be actively involved with other classmates, and the learning of the grammar rule will be more meaningful to them.
Resources:
Extracted from Grammar Book.com: Your No1 Source of Grammar and Punctuation
https://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/subjectVerbAgree.asp
ESL Games: ESL – Tic Tac Toe. Posted on 18 August 2014 by Marc Anderson
http://blog.tesol.org/esl-games-esl-tic-tac-toe/
Personal PLN: Ideas provided by ESL Teacher
YouTube Video: How to Teach an Inductive Learning Lesson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RlLVQYhJt8
YouTube Video: Inductive and Deductive Teaching
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4ZuDBBGoGU
This work by Jenny Carmona is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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