Lower-Intermediate Skill Builders: Grammar
Grammar strictly refers to the construction of sentences. But sentences work together to form conversation, complete with questions, answers, added information, and so on. For grammar in the ESL/EFL classroom to carry any real meaning, we must also consider the meaning of the sentence and how it ties together with other parts of the written and/or spoken language.
When teaching or explaining grammar in the classroom, consider the following:
- Keep explanations simple and brief.
- Provide charts and diagrams whenever possible to highlight the information.
- Provide simple examples at first, then seek to use those examples with other sentences or mini-dialogues, which will provide greater clarity of context.
- Don't worry about exceptions to the rules so much. English is not science. It has evolved, and will continue to do so, which results in a lot of inconsistencies of language.
In short, produce speakers of the English, not grammarians!
And here are some additional resources for your ESL needs: