Teaching language construction

Studying of a specific feature of the language is new to students and they want to
understand and use it or because they want to revise it in order to improve their ability to
use it without making errors.The immediate goal of this kind of study is to increase
knowledge of the language system so that the longer term aim of improving productive and
receptive skills can be achieved.

A. Studying structure and use

A focus on the structure and use of language forms;

 the morphology of forms

 the syntax of phrases, clauses and sentences
 vocabulary
 the meaning and functions that phrases and sentences can convey
 pronunciation
 spelling;

A1 Language study in lesson sequences

The status of language study depends on why and when it occurs.

Where the study activity should be placed in the sequence? Should the focus on any
necessary language forms take place before, during or after the performance of a
communicative task or a receptive skills activity?

One approach is for students to study language in variety ways, explore a topic and then use
what they have learnt to perform a task. Alternatively, it may happen during a task-based
sequence. A third option is to study forms after the students have performed the task. This
usually happens as a form of language repair when the task has shown up language
problems- or when students might have found the task easier if they had been able to
produce certain language forms which they did not use at all.
Opportunistic study may happen because a student wants to know how some element of
language is constructed or why it is constructed as it is. Opportunistic teaching – studying
language which suddenly “comes up”.

Many study activities; PPP, explain and practice, encourage students to discover or notice
language before we ask them to use it, preface a study exercise with activities which show us
how much of the language in question is already known, ask students to research language
as part of an ongoing lesson sequence, and may interleave the study with other elements.

A Choosing study activities

Following planning principles: we need to bear general planning principles in mind. We

need to offer a varied diet of exercises because all our students have different learning
styles, and also because we want help them sustain their motivation.

Assessing a language study activity for use in class: how effective it will be, it should justify
the time we will need to spend on it both before and during lesson, does the activity
demonstrate meaning and use clearly and that it allow opportunities, we have to be
confident that it will engage our learners successfully.

One way of assessing study activities is to judge efficiency and their appropriacy. The terms

of efficiency; economy, time and efficacy; economy means time; an easy activity is one that
is simple for the teacher to use and organize; an efficacious activity is one that works. In
terms of appropriacy, we need to judge whether the activity is suitable for the time of day,
the classroom conditions and for a particular group of students taking into account their
level their educational background and their cultural sensibilities.

If we use same activities with different groups we can see that what was appropriate for one
class may not work as well with other students. 

Evaluating a study activity after use in class: answers questions such as whether or not the
exercise helped students to learn the new language(efficacy), whether students were
engaged by it(appropriacy) and whether or not we want to use it again (or modify for the
next use).

A3 Known or unknown language?

Individual students learn at different speeds and in different ways. These two facts, taken
together, it means “mixed ability”. If we are not sure whether or not our students know the
language we are about to ask them to study, we will need to find this information out. If we
don’t, we risk teaching students things they already know or assuming knowledge they do
not have.

One way of avoiding teaching already known language is to have students perform task, also
attempting to elicit the new language forms.

B Explain and practice

Commentators have described an “explain and practice” approach to teaching language

construction as a deductive approach; students are given explanations or grammar rules and
then, based on these explanations or rules, they make phrases and sentences using the new
language (like PPP, straight arrows). An activate (immediate creativity) stage where the
students try to make their own sentences. The students will then involve in some repetition,
repeat the sentences in chorus, and cue-response drilling. All of this stage of the lesson is
designed to foster accurate reproduction of what the teacher is introducing.

B1 Explaining Things

Explaining meaning: ways of explaining the meaning; showing it, for actions we can use
mime or gesture, we can demonstrate superlative adjectives by using hand and arm
movements, many teachers have standard gestures to explain, we can also use facial
expressions, pictures, diagrams, time lines, we can describe the meaning of word, we can list
vocabulary items to explain concepts, we can use check questions, and translating words and
phrases.

Explaining language construction: through modeling sentences and phrases. Many teachers

use fingers or hands. We can also demonstrate word and sentence stress by beating time
with our arms. We can show intonation patterns by “drawing” the tune in the air, diagrams
on boards or overhead projectors, writing words on individual cards, and Cuisenaire rods
(used to show parts of speech, stress patterns and sentence construction).

B2 Practice (accurate reproduction)

Repetition: can be either choral or individual.

For choral repetition to be effective; start the chorus clearly, help the students with the
rhythm by conducting with your arms and hands. Choral repetition can be invigorating
because it gives all students a chance to speak together rather than being show up
individually.

Sometimes teachers divide the class in half (semi-chorus).

We may ask for individual repetition, after chorus, by nominating, be careful not to
nominate students in obvious order, will not keep students on their toes.
In individual repetition, students to say the word or phrase quietly to themselves,
murmuring it a few times as they get used to saying it.

● Drills: we may organize a quick cue-response session to encourage controlled practice of

the new language. We can use cards as cue. Cues can be also verbal or non-verbal. If we
think students need more controlled practice, we can put them in pairs ad ask them to
continue saying the new words or phrases to each other.

C Discover (and practice)

Inductive approach, students see examples of language and try to work out how it is put
together. If we want students to understand how speakers in informal conversation use
certain phrases as delaying tactics (or to buy “thinking” time), we might get them to listen
again.

Discovery activities are especially useful when students are looking at the construction of
specific language for the second or third time. If students do not like inductive approach,
they would prefer to be “spoon fed”. The detective work they are doing now is intended to
expand their knowledge and revise things they are already familiar with.

D Research (and practice)

We could ask them to consult a dictionary or encourage them to use search engines, such as
Google. When students research language, they are far more likely to remember what they
find out than if they sit passively and are given words (affective at higher levels). Also we
may ask them to use the language they have discovered (like discovery activities). Over-
drilling can have a very demotivating effect.