Presenting and Explaining Grammar

§ Objects brought into the classroom not only liven up the context but provide some kinesthetic, hands-on dimension to your teaching.

§ Maps - are practical and simple visual aids in the classroom. Useful for jigsaw, information gap, and other interactive techniques, they can also serve to illustrate certain grammatical structures.

§ Drawings of simple shapes can be used to provide practice in stating locations and giving directions. [23, pp.14-20]

§ Dialogue - is an age-old technique for introducing and practicing grammatical points, moreover a text might be used to get a certain verb tense, or simply to illustrate a grammatical category.

§ Game offers students a fun-filled and relaxing learning atmosphere. After learning and practicing new vocabulary, students have the opportunity to use language in a non-stressful way. While playing games, the learners' attention is on the message, not on the language. Rather than pay attention to the correctness of linguistic forms, most participants will do all they can to win. This eases the fear of negative evaluation, the concern of being negatively judged in public, and which is one of the main factors inhibiting language learners from using the target language in front of other people. In a game-oriented context, anxiety is reduced and speech fluency is generated - thus communicative competence is achieved. Games are also motivating. Games introduce an element of competition into language-building activities. The competitive ambiance also makes learners concentrate and think intensively during the learning process, which enhances unconscious acquisition of inputs. Well-chosen games are invaluable as they give students a break and at the same time allow students to practice language skills. Games are highly motivating since they are amusing and at the same time challenging. Furthermore, they employ meaningful and useful language in real contexts. They also encourage and increase cooperation. Games are highly motivating because they are amusing and interesting. They can be used to give practice in all language skills. The benefits of using games in language-learning can be summed up in nine points. Games are learner centered, promote communicative competence, create a meaningful context for language use, increase learning motivation, reduce learning anxiety, integrate various linguistic skills, encourage creative and spontaneous use of language, construct a cooperative learning environment, and foster participatory attitudes of the students. [27, pp.124-138]

§ Songs can be used to motivate students and provide variety in a lesson. They can be used to focus on the form of the language including grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. Firstly, the song can be used as a grammar sample of language to be analyzed. Secondly, the song can be used as an exercise. Students can be asked to do gap-filling, transformations, pronunciation drills and so on using the lyric. In either case, the student can make use of the mnemonic quality of songs: the way words are much more memorable in combination with rhythm and melody. Students can call given language forms to memory simply by singing the song mentally, and this is something people even do involuntarily. [19, pp.7-10]



Chapter II GRAMMAR TEACHING TECHNIQUES AND ACTIVITIES

Grammar teaching has often been regarded as a structure based formal activity. For effective teaching to take place, a good method must be adopted by a teacher. A teacher has many options when choosing a style by which to teach. The teachers may write lesson plans of their own, borrow plans from other teachers, or search online or within books for lesson plans. When deciding what teaching method to use, a teacher needs to consider students' background knowledge, environment, and learning goals. Teachers are aware that students learn in different ways, but almost all children will respond well if praised. Students have different ways of absorbing information and of demonstrating their knowledge. Teachers often use techniques which cater to multiple learning styles to help students retain information and strengthen understanding. A variety of strategies and methods are used to ensure that all students have equal opportunities to learn. After the integration of several sources and techniques, which are mainly based on communicative activities, the teaching of grammar gained a new insight. In the teaching of grammar, technique-resource combinations are often modified to structure-discourse match and if well developed, they can be used effectively for all phases of a grammar lesson. In order to make a grammar lesson effective, beneficial, and interesting a teacher should use some well-developed and fascinating techniques in the classroom. In the present paper, the examples of such integrated sources and techniques, the use of songs, games, charts and drawings activities will be clarified and several examples will be provided. Visual learning is among the very best methods for teaching students of all ages how to think and how to learn. Visual learning helps students: make abstract ideas visible and concrete; connect prior knowledge and new concepts; provide structure for thinking, writing, discussing, analyzing, planning and reporting; focus thoughts and ideas, leading to understanding and interpretation. [38, pp.145-167]



§2.1 Various Grammar Teaching Techniques

2.1.1 Presenting Grammar Using Charts and Graphs

Visual learning is a proven method in which ideas, concepts, data and other information are associated with images and represented graphically. Charts and graphs are some of the techniques used in visual learning to enhance thinking and learning skills. [2, p.9]

FREQUENCY ADVERBS

always 100% almost always usually* often* Positive frequently* generally* sometimes* occasionally* seldom rarely Negative hardly ever 0% almost never never	Frequency adverbs usually occur in the middle of a sentence and have special positions, as shown in examples (a) through (e) below. The adverbs with the symbol `*' may also occur at the beginning or end of a sentence. I sometimes get up at 6:30. Sometimes I get up at 6:30. I get up at 6:30 sometimes. The other adverbs in the list rarely occur at the beginning or end of a sentence. Their usual position is in the middle of a sentence.
SUBJECT FREQ ADV VERB (a) Karen always tells the truth.	Frequency adverbs usually come between the subject and the simple present verb (except verb be).
SUBJECT BE FREQ ADV (b) Karen is always on time.	Frequency adverbs follow be in the simple present (am, is, are) and simple past (was, were).
(c) Do you always eat breakfast?	In a question, frequency adverbs come directly after the subject.
(d) Ann usually doesn't eat breakfast. (e) Sue doesn't always eat breakfast.	In a negative sentence, most frequency adverbs come in front of a negative verb (except always and ever). Always follows a negative helping verb or negative be.
(f) CORRECT: Anna never eats meat. (g) INCORRECT: Anna doesn't never eat meat.	Negative adverbs (seldom, rarely, hardly ever, never) are NOT used with a negative verb.
(h) -Do you ever take the bus to work? -Yes, I do. I often take the bus. (i) I don't ever walk to work. (j) INCORRECT: I ever walk to work.	Ever is used in questions about frequency, as in (h). it means “at any time” Ever is also used with not, as in (i). Ever is NOT used in statements.



Another grammatical system that lends itself well to charts is the verb system. David Cross offers the following commonly used system of depicting some verb tenses. Time can be shown by a line across the board. An arrow pointing down indicates this moment now. To the left of the arrow is past time, to the right is the future. A cross indicates a single event, a row of dots denotes an action that lasted or will last for a period of time. The uses of most tenses can be shown and contrasted pictorially on such time line, as shown in the following examples.

1. He used to smoke. (in the past, not any more)

____________________________________________

2. She works in the market. (did in the past and will continue in the future)

____________________________________________

3. He is having his supper. (eating now, having started a short while ago in the past, but this will not continue for any appreciable length of time)

_____________________________________________

4. He got up at six o'clock. (in the past, a single event)

_____________________________________________

X

5. I've been teaching for a long time. (started in the past, still doing it today)

_____________________________________________

6. We'll travel by plane. (in the future)

_____________________________________

7. We were out walking when it started to rain. (a continuous past action interrupted by a single event)

______________________________________

X……

8. It is 6 o'clock now; I shall have finished by 8 o'clock. (a task started earlier and which will continue for 2 more hours)

__________4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11_______________

X

This is by no means the full range of tenses, but once you have grasped the idea you will be able to use the technique to introduce others the same way. You can also use a time scale to show concepts like: for two months, since April and from March to mid June. This is done in the following example.

February March April May June July

[8, pp.355-356]

Visual learning helps students:

· Clarify thoughts

Students see how ideas are connected and realize how information can be grouped and organized. With visual learning, new concepts are more thoroughly and easily understood when they are linked to prior knowledge.

· Organize and analyze information

Students can use diagrams and plots to display large amounts of information in ways that are easy to understand and help reveal relationships and patterns.

· Integrate new knowledge

According to research, students better remember information when it's represented and learned both visually and verbally.

· Think critically

Linked verbal and visual information helps students make connections, understand relationships and recall related details.

Visual learning is a proven method in which ideas, concepts, data and other information are associated with images and represented graphically. Charts and graphs are some of the techniques used in visual learning to enhance thinking and learning skills. [46, pp.136-140]

2.1.2 Explaining Grammar Using Objects

It is known that lessons become more interactive with the use of objects. Although teaching grammar through the use of objects might sound complex and complicated, it is really quite simple. A little thought and effort can actually make a big difference to how well a student understands the facts and information presented. A concrete presentation can provide a foolproof understanding of grammar concepts, ideas and rules. Remember, graspability, clarity and simplicity must be ensured. The use of objects as assistive devices in the classroom therefore seems indispensable to make the integrated system of education more efficient and fruitful in the real sense of the term. They provide an entry point into the subject that allows student to initially anchor their understanding of new grammar terms to concrete entities. Objects brought into the classroom not only liven up the context but provide some kinesthetic hands-on dimension to your teaching. To teach the possessives to beginning level students, for example, bring in a few things like: a necklace, a purse, some glasses. Then ask students each to put two or three of their own things on their desks. Then do something like the following activities.

· Activity 1 Talk about possessions.

This/that is my handbag. This/that is Gina's pen.

These/those are Paul's glasses. That/this is Mark's watch.

Those/these are Julia's earrings. This/that is Colin's wallet.

· Activity 2 Work with a group. Ask questions about things in the classroom.

a) A: Excuse me. Is this your handbag?

B: No, it's Lucy's. / Yes, it is. Thank you.

b) A: Excuse me. Are these your glasses?

B: No. They are Paul's. / Yes, they are. Thank you.

· Activity 3 Match the people with the things.

1. Lucy a. glasses

2. Colin b. English book

3. Paul c. handbag

4. Mark d. wallet

5. Julia e. pen

6. Gina f. earrings

7. Tony g. gloves [45, pp.136-140]

2.1.3 Clarifying Grammar Using Maps and Other Simple Drawings

Maps are effective illustrations that can provide students with a general overview of information. They can also help students understand and memorize new grammar items. It is now widely accepted that people have a better memory for images than for words. The combinations of words and images that are not simply decorative have been found to facilitate learning, understanding, remembering and performing. Images can help students select, structure, synthesize and integrate information in a meaningful way. Simple drawings help students with language processing deficits by visually presenting the most important information and eliminating information that is not as critical. [18, pp.70-80] This helps students focus and to place information into a mental framework without excess language processing demands getting in the way. Maps can help students link new grammar structure to prior learning and provide a foundation to link future learning. For example, maps can stimulate learners' use of:

· Prepositional phrases (up the street, on the left, over the hill, etc.)

· Question information (where, how do I get to .., can you tell me.., is this.., etc.)

· Imperatives (go, walk, look out for, etc.)

In order to enhance grammatical explanations the use of simple drawings may be suggested. They can provide effective practice in giving directions and stating locations.

In order to do this, you might begin by using the following drawing, modeling the expressions which follow.

The circle is in the center of the paper.

The diamond is directly above the circle.

The square is to the right of the circle.

The rectangle is in the upper right-hand corner.

The triangle is in the lower left-hand corner.

After you have introduced these terms tell the students to take out a piece of paper. Give them a series of commands and have them draw these on the paper. (E.g. Draw a square in the upper left hand corner. Draw a circle inside the square.) Later you might use this same technique to introduce more technical vocabulary of shapes along with the relative proportion (e.g. Draw a triangle in the center of the paper. Draw a circle above the triangle. The diameter of the circle should be the same length as the base of the triangle.). [8, pp.357-359]

An example of such worksheets is presented in Appendix 2 A, B and 6 A, B.

2.1.4 Teaching Grammar through Dialogues

Dialogue establishes patterns of interactions and a framework for investigation. In teaching grammar through dialogue we should use pattern dialogues as they involve all features which characterize this form of speech. There are three stages in learning a dialogue: (1) receptive; (2) reproductive; (3) constructive (creative).

1. Pupils "receive" the dialogue by ear first. They listen to the dialogue recorded or reproduced by the teacher. The teacher helps pupils in comprehension of the dialogue using a picture or pictures to illustrate its contents. They listen to the dialogue a second time and then read it silently for better understanding, paying attention to the intonation. They may listen to the dialogue and read it again, if necessary.

2. Pupils enact the pattern dialogue. We may distinguish three kinds of reproduction:

· Immediate. Pupils reproduce the dialogue in imitation of the speaker or the teacher while listening to it or just after they have heard it. The teacher checks the pupils' pronunciation and intonation in particular. The pupils are asked to learn the dialogue by heart for homework.

· Delayed. After pupils have learned the dialogue at home, they enact the pattern dialogue in persons. Before calling on pupils it is recommended that they should listen to the pattern dialogue recorded again to remind them of how it "sounds".

· Modified. Pupils enact the dialogue with some modifications in its contents. They change some elements in it. The more elements (main words and phrases) they change in the pattern the better they assimilate the structure of the dialogue:

- Will you help me, Amy?

- What shall I do, Mother?

- Will you bring me a pail of water?

- Certainly I will.

The use of pictures may be helpful, besides pupils use their own experience while selecting the words for substitutions. The work should not be done mechanically. Pupils should speak on the situation. As a result of this work pupils master the structure of the pattern dialogue (not only the contents), i. e., they can use it as a model for making up dialogues of their own, that is why pattern dialogues should be carefully selected. The first two stages aim at storing up patterns in pupils' memory for expressing themselves in different situations, of course within the topics and linguistic material the syllabus sets for each form.

3. Pupils make up dialogues of their own. They are given a picture or a verbal situation to talk about. This is possible provided pupils have a stock of patterns, a certain number of phrases for starting a conversation, joining in, etc. They should use those lead-response units they have learned in connection with the situation suggested for a conversation.

At the third stage the choice of stimuli is of great importance, as very often pupils cannot think what to say, though they know how to say this or that. Therefore audio-visual aids should be extensively utilized.

Rule for the teacher: In teaching dialogue use pattern dialogues; make sure that your pupils go through the three stages from receptive through reproductive to creative, supply them with the subject to talk about.

Consider the following suggestions for teachers in using conversations. Introduce the grammatical point, explain and give examples on the board. Call on students to underline all the examples of the grammatical structure explained. Read the conversation or play the cassette. Answer any questions students have about vocabulary and structures. Introduce the new words. Have the students close their books. Ask them questions about the conversation. In pairs have the students practice the conversation. Encourage them to use their own ideas by changing the names of places, times, and activities. Call on several pairs to present their conversation to the class. [25, pp.72-90]

Example

Work with a partner. Complete the interviews with can, can't, have to or don't have to.

Interviewer: Debra Veal, your new film is a big hit. How do you feel?

D: I feel terrible.

I: Sorry?

D: I feel terrible because I hate being famous. It's boring. I (1) _____ go to parties. I (2) ______ sign autographs.

I: But you're …

D: I (3) ______ wear make-up all day. I (4) ______ kiss Brad Pitt.

I: Oh dear. That's terrible. But you're rich now. You (5) _____ buy anything you want.

D: Yes, but there are photographers everywhere. I (6) _____ walk down the street. I (7) _____ go shopping. I (8) _____ go clubbing and I (9) _____ have a private life.

I: Well, why did you make the film?

D: And I (10) _____ answer stupid questions! [37, p.88]

2.1.5 Teaching Grammar Using Games

Games are often used as short warm-up activities or when there is some time left at the end of a lesson. Games encourage, entertain, teach, and promote fluency. If not for any of these reasons, they should be used just because they help students see beauty in a foreign language and not just problems. Yet, a game "should not be regarded as a marginal activity filling in odd moments when the teacher and class have nothing better to do". Games ought to be at the heart of teaching foreign languages. Rixon suggests that games should be used at all stages of the lesson, provided that they are suitable and carefully chosen. [40, pp.56-78]

Games also lend themselves well to revision exercises helping learners recall material in a pleasant, entertaining way. Many teachers agree that even if games resulted only in noise and entertained students, they are still worth paying attention to and implementing in the classroom since they motivate learners, promote communicative competence, and generate fluency. There are many advantages of using games in the classroom:

(1)Games are a welcome break from the usual routine of the language class.

(2) They are motivating and challenging.

(3) Learning a language requires a great deal of effort. Games help students to make and sustain the effort of learning.

(4) Games provide language practice in the various skills- speaking, writing, listening and reading.

(5) They encourage students to interact and communicate.

(6) They create a meaningful context for language use.

Furthermore, to quote A. Wright, they, "add diversion to the regular classroom activities," break the ice, "[but also] they are used to introduce new ideas" [47, pp.24-30]. In the easy, relaxed atmosphere which is created by using games, students remember things faster and better. The most instructive language learning games are those that emphasize specific structures. They do not only practice the basic pattern but also do so in a pleasant, easy way that allows the students to forget they are drilling grammar and concentrate on having fun.

Sample Games

v PREPOSITIONAL CHAIN DRILL

Grammar: Prepositions of place

Level: Lower to intermediate

Time: 10 minutes

Materials: None

Procedure:

1. Review prepositions of place.

2. Take a small object, such as a pen, and do something with it, then describe your action. (Put the pen on the desk and say, "I put the pen on the desk.")

3. Give the pen to a student and ask him/her, "What did I do with the pen?"

4. The student answers and then does something different with the object that involves a different preposition of place.

5. The student then passes the object to the next student and asks, "What did we do with the pen?" That student repeats what the teacher did and what the first student did with the object. The second student then does something different with the object before passing it to the third student.

Example:

Teacher: I put the pen on the desk. What did I do with the pen?

Alfredo: You put the pen on the desk. (to the next student, Damian) I put the pen above my head. What did we do with the pen?

Damian: The teacher put the pen on the desk. Alfredo put the pen above his head. I put the pen under my book. (to the next student) What did we do with the pen? Etc.

6. This activity continues until no one can do something different with the pen that can be described using a preposition of place.

NOTE: You may want to write the prepositions that have been used on the board to help the students remember.

Variation: Give each student a card to use with a preposition of place on it.

[34, pp.2-7]

v SUPERSTITIONS

Grammar: First Conditional (true in the present/future)

Level: Intermediate

Time: 15 minutes

Materials: None

Procedure:

1. Write a few superstitions on the board. Here are some examples. If a black cat crosses your path, you'll have bad luck. If your palm itches, you're going to receive money. If you break a mirror, you'll have seven years bad luck. If you step on a crack, you'll break your mother's back.

Look at the verb forms in the if-clause and result clause together. Ask students to generate a rule (if this is an introduction) or review the rule (if you have already introduced this form).

2. Break students into small groups and have them discuss superstitions from their countries. They should list three or four to share with the rest of the class.

3. As a whole group, share the superstitions and discuss which are universal and which seem to exist only in one or two cultures. Students often have similar superstitions in their countries and like to share them, and it is interesting to compare slight variations.

4. For further review of forms, you may want to write several of the students' superstitions on the board and analyze them (Were they written correctly?).

v EYES

Grammar: Second Conditional

Level: Lower to upper-intermediate

Time: 30-45 minutes

Materials: None

Procedure:

Ask a student to draw a head in profile on the board. Ask the student to add eyes in the back of his head.

Give the students this sentence beginning on the board and ask them to complete it using a grammar suggested: If people had eyes in the back of their heads, then they … would/might/could/would have to … (+ infinitive)

For example: `If people had eyes on the back of their heads they could read two books at once' (so two pairs of eyes).

Tell the students to write the above sentence stem at the top of their paper and then complete it with fifteen separate ideas. Encourage the use of dictionaries. Help students all you can with vocabulary and go round checking and correcting.

Once students have all written a good number of sentences (at least ten) ask them to form teams of four. In the fours they read each other's sentences and pick the four most interesting ones.

Each team puts their four best sentences on the board.

The students come up to the board and tick the two sentences they find the most interesting. The team which gets the most ticks wins.

Note: Students come up with a good range of social, medical and other hypotheses. Here are some examples:

… then they would not need driving mirrors.

… they would make really good traffic wardens.

… then you could kiss someone while looking away! [24, pp.7-12]

2.1.6 Teaching Grammar Using Songs

Songs can be designed to provide a motivating alternative focus on various points of English Grammar. Music motivates. People listen to music for pleasure. Teachers have for a long time recognized that they can use songs to motivate students and provide variety in a lesson. Variety is especially important for younger learners, who often have very little internal motivation for entering a language classroom. There is widespread interest in pop songs among people of this age group, and such songs can be very profitably exploited in language learning activities. The focus is studying grammar through songs, but there are many other possibilities too. [10, pp.7-10]

Songs are fun, help relax the classroom atmosphere, incorporate both reading and listening skills, and in general, are enjoyable! When students see a teacher entering the classroom with a tape in hand, they are suddenly very motivated to learn. Teaching songs must involve a purpose for listening. It is up to the teacher to create that purpose. Since the meaning is an important device in teaching grammar, it is important to contextualize any grammar point. Songs are one of the most enchanting and culturally rich resources that can easily be used in language classrooms. Songs offer a change from routine classroom activities. They are precious resources to develop students' abilities in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. They can also be used to teach a variety of language items such as sentence patterns, vocabulary, pronunciation, rhythm, adjectives, and adverbs. As stated by Lo and Fai Li, learning English through songs also provides a non-threatening atmosphere for students, who usually are tense when speaking English in a formal classroom setting.

Songs also give new insights into the target culture. They are the means through which cultural themes are presented effectively. Since they provide authentic texts, they are motivating. Prosodic features of the language such as stress, rhythm, intonation are presented through songs, thus through using them the language which is cut up into a series of structural points becomes a whole again. There are many advantages of using songs in the classroom. Through using contemporary popular songs, which are already familiar to teenagers, the teacher can meet the challenges of the teenage needs in the classroom. Since songs are highly memorable and motivating, in many forms they may constitute a powerful subculture with their own rituals. Furthermore, through using traditional folk songs the base of the learners' knowledge of the target culture can be broadened. Correctly chosen, traditional folk songs have the dual motivating attack of pretty tunes and interesting stories, plus for many students- the added ingredient of novelty. Most songs, especially folk songs, follow a regularly repeated verse form, with rhyme, and have a series of other discourse features, which make them easy to follow. In consequence, if selected properly and adopted carefully, a teacher should benefit from songs in all phases of teaching grammar. Songs may both be used for the presentation or the practice phase of the grammar lesson. They may encourage extensive and intensive listening, and inspire creativity and use of imagination in a relaxed classroom atmosphere. While selecting a song the teacher should take the age, interests of the learners and the language being used in the song into consideration. To enhance learner commitment, it is also beneficial to allow learners to take part in the selection of the songs. [5, pp.76-84]

Teaching Procedure

There are various ways of using songs in the classroom. The level of the students, the interests and the age of the learners, the grammar point to be studied, and the song itself have determinant roles on the procedure. Apart from them, it mainly depends on the creativity of the teacher. For primary students, the best songs would be those that are either familiar to the children or those, though maybe not familiar, which have an international nature, such as Old MacDonald. Since there is not a strict teaching procedure, the teacher can mainly concentrate on what to teach rather than on how to teach. For instance, while teaching them individual letter sounds or spelling the words, the traditional camp song 'Bingo', or while teaching them counting 'Johnny Works with One Hammer' will be useful. In order to make the songs more meaningful and more enjoyable, motions can be added to the song which parallel the words of the song. Since most children enjoy singing fun and nonsensical lyrics, using easy children songs will be useful. Furthermore, choosing lively action songs through which they can dance or act while singing will ensure a lively atmosphere. For teenagers or adults in the intermediate or advanced level, it is better to use more meaningful or popular songs, which not only review or introduce grammar points but also reflect cultural aspects. At the primary level of singing the song, the prosodic features of the language is emphasized. At the higher levels, where the practice of grammar points is at the foreground, songs can be used with several techniques. Some examples of these techniques are: gap fills or close texts, focus questions, true-false statements, put these lines into the correct sequence, dictation, add a final verse, circle the antonyms/synonyms of the given words and discuss. A teacher's selection of a technique or a set of techniques should be based on his or her objectives for the classroom. After deciding the grammar point to be studied, and the song and the techniques to be used, the teacher should prepare an effective lesson plan. Since songs are listening activities, it is advisable to present them as a listening lesson, but of course it is necessary to integrate all the skills in the process in order to achieve successful teaching. [31, pp.6-12]

When regarding a lesson plan, as a pre-listening activity, the theme, the title, or the history of the song can be discussed. By directing the students toward specific areas, problem vocabulary items can be picked up in advance. Before listening to the song, it is also beneficial to let the students know which grammar points should be studied. At this stage, pictures may also be used to introduce the theme of the song. In the listening stage, some of the techniques listed above can be used, but among them gap filling is the most widely used technique. Through such gaps, the vocabulary, grammar, or pronunciation is highlighted. This stage can be developed by the teacher according to the needs of the students and the grammar point to be studied. In the follow-up, integrated skills can be used to complete the overall course structure. Since many songs are on themes for which it is easy to find related reading texts, it may lead the learner to read a text about the singer or the theme. Besides, many songs give a chance for a written reaction of some kind. Opinion questions may lead the learner to write about his own thoughts or reflections. Some songs deal with a theme that can be re-exploited through role plays. Acting may add enthusiasm to the learning process. Finally, some songs deal with themes, which can lead to guided discussion. By leading the students into a discussion, the grammar point could be practiced orally and, in a way, naturally.

As a consequence, the use of songs in language classrooms provides many advantages. They entertain and relax the learners while they are learning or practicing a structure, and they often eliminate the students' negative attitude towards learning. Through providing authenticity and context they make the grammar points more understandable and easy. As language teachers, we can benefit from using songs, since our concern is to motivate the students and draw their utmost attention on the subject during teaching. [35, pp.64-82]

“Another Day In Paradise” by Phil Collins

She calls out to the man on the street "Sir, can you help me? It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep, Is there somewhere you can tell me?"

He walks on, doesn't look back He pretends he can't hear her Starts to whistle as he crosses the street Seems embarrassed to be there

Oh think twice, it's another day for You and me in paradise Oh think twice, it's just another day for you, You and me in paradise

She calls out to the man on the street He can see she's been crying She's got blisters on the soles of her feet Can't walk but she's trying

Oh think twice...

Oh Lord, is there nothing more anybody can do Oh Lord, there must be something you can say

You can tell from the lines on her face You can see that she's been there Probably been moved on from every place 'Cos she didn't fit in there

Oh think twice...

Worksheet

Exercises

1. Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the following verbs: sleep, cross, try, be, call (2), walk, cry, tell, not fit.

She ___________ out to the man on the street "Sir, can you help me? It's cold and I've nowhere to ____________, Is there somewhere you can tell me?" He ___________ on, doesn't look back He pretends he can't hear her (He) Starts to whistle as he ____________ the street (He) Seems embarrassed to be there. ....................................................

She ____________ out to the man on the street He can see she's been ______________ she's got blisters on the soles of her feet (She) can't walk but she ________________ Oh think twice...

2. Split up the words to form sentences.

Ohthinktwiceitsanotherdayfor Youandmeinparadise Ohthinktwiceitsjustanotherdayforyou, Youandmeinparadise

3. Reorder the sentences:

Ohl ord, ist here not hingmo rean ybodyc and o? Ohl ord, the rem ust beso met hin gyo ucansay

4. Again, fill in all the gaps with the correct form of some of the following verbs:

Sleep, cross, try, be, call (2), walk, cry, tell, not fit

You can ________ from the lines on her face You can see that she's ___________ there Probably been moved on from every place 'Cos she _____________ in there Oh think twice...

ANOTHER OPTION: listen to the song and fill in all the gaps

She ..... out to the ... on the ...... sir ... you .... me? It's .... and I've ....... to ..... is there ......... you can tell me?

He ..... on, doesn't .... back he ........ he can't .... her start to ....... as he ....... the ...... seems .......... to be there

Oh, think ....., It's ....... day for ... and me in ........ Oh, ..... twice, .....just another ... for you, you and me in paradise

She ..... ... to the man on the ...... he can see she's been ...... she's got ........ on the ..... of her .... can't ...., but she's ......

Oh, think twice, It's another day for you and me in paradise Oh, think twice, It's just another day for you, you and me in paradise

Oh ...., is there ....... more ....... can do Oh Lord, there .... .. something You can say You can ... that she's .... there ........ been moved on from every ..... 'cos she didn't ... in ..... Oh think twice...

[15, p.56]

§2.2 Types of Exercises for the Assimilation of Grammar

2.2.1 Recognition exercises

These exercises are the easiest types of exercises for pupils to perform. They observe the grammar item in structures (sentence patterns) when hearing or reading. Since pupils only observe the new grammar item the situations should be natural and communicative. For example:

- Listen to the sentences and raise your hands whenever you hear the verbs in the Past Simple.

Mike lives in Oxford Street. I lived there last year. Ann gets up at 7 o'clock in the morning. She got up at half past seven yesterday. Etc.

It is desirable that sentences formed should concern real situations and facts.

Pupils listen to the teacher and raise their hands when they hear a verb in the Past Simple. The teacher can see whether each of his pupils has grasped the sentence.

- Read the sentences and choose the correct form of the verb. The following sentences may be suggested:

a) I (go, went) to school yesterday.

b) Tom (takes, took) a bus when he goes to school.

c) She (got, gets, gets) up at 7 o' clock every day.

Pupils should read the sentences and find the signals for the correct choice of the form. Since the necessary form is suggested in each sentence they should only recognize the one they need for a given context.

Recognition exercises are indispensable as pupils retain the grammar material through auditory and visual perception. Auditory and visual memory is at work.

2.2.2 Drill exercises

They are more completed as they require reproduction on the part of the pupils. In learning a foreign language drill exercises are indispensable. The learners cannot assimilate the material if they only hear and see it. They must reproduce it both in outer and inner speech. The more often they say it the better they assimilate the material. Though drill exercises are those in which pupils have only one difficulty to overcome, they should also be graded:

a) Repetitive drill. Pupils pronounce the sentence pattern after the teacher, in imitation of the teacher, both individually and in unison. For example:

Teacher: They are dancing in the park.

Class: They are dancing in the park.

Individuals: They are dancing in the park.

Or pupils listen to the dialogue and say it after the speaker.

-Is Ann dancing now?

-No, she isn't.

-What is she doing?

-She is watching television.

Attention is drawn to the correct pronunciation of the sentence pattern as a sense unit, as a statement (sounds, stress, and melody).

b) Substitution. Pupils substitute the words or phrases in a sentence pattern. For example: The children are dancing in the park.

The children are dancing in the garden.

The children are dancing in the street.

The children are dancing in the yard.

The children are dancing in the hall.

The children are dancing after classes.

The children are dancing at the party.

A pupil substitutes a phrase, the rest may say it in unison. Then they are invited to replace the word dancing with other words.

They are singing in the park.

They are working in the park.

They are walking in the park.

They are playing in the park.

They are running in the park.

They are talking in the park.

They are watering flowers in the park.

They are planting trees in the park.

They are helping the workers in the park.

The use of a particular verb is stimulated with pictures (or a Russian word). Quick revision is achieved with a small expenditure of effort. In this way they review many words and phrases. As pupils have only one difficulty to overcome the work does not take much time. Or pupils are invited to replace the words in the dialogue with those given in columns (see the dialogue above).

There is one more advantage in performing this type of exercises--pupils consolidate the grammar item without thinking about it. They think of the words, phrases, but not of the form itself, therefore, involuntary memory is at work.

c) Completion. Pupils complete the sentences the teacher utters looking at the pictures he shows. For example:

Teacher: Look at the picture.

Mike is ... ... .

Pupil: Mike is getting up.

Class: Mike is getting up.

Teacher: Mike is ... ... .

Pupil: Mike is dressing.

Class: Mike is dressing.

Attention should be given to the use of is in this exercise. The teacher should pronounce Mike is ... to prevent the typical mistake of the pupils (Mike dressing). This is essential structural element of the tense form of the Present Continuous; Russian-speaking pupils, however, do not feel any necessity to use it.

d) Answering the teacher's questions. For example:

Teacher: Is Mike getting up?

Pupil: Yes, he is.

Teacher: Who is getting up?

Pupil: Mike is.

Teacher: What is Mike doing?

Pupil: He is getting up.

Drill exercises may be done both orally and in written form. Pupils perform oral exercises during the lesson and written ones at home. For example, they ate told to write five or seven sentences on the model given.

During the next lesson the work done at home is checked orally. In this way pupils have practice in pronunciation while reading their own examples, and in auding while listening to their classmates. [30, pp. 112-120]

2.2.3 Creative exercises (speech exercises)

This is the most difficult type of exercises as it requires creative work on the part of the learners. These may be:

a) Making statements either on the picture the teacher shows, or on objects. For example, the teacher hangs up a picture and asks his pupils to say or write three or five statements in the Present Continuous.

b) Asking questions with a given grammar item. For example, pupils are invited to ask and answer questions in the Past Indefinite.

c) Speaking about the situation offered by the teacher. For example, one pupil gives commands to perform this or that action, the other comments on the action (actions) his classmate performs.

Pupil 1: Go to the door, Sasha.

Pupil 2: Sasha is going to the door.

Pupil 3: Open the door.

Pupil 4: Sasha is opening the door.

d) Speaking on a suggested topic. For example, a pupil tells the class what he did yesterday.

e) Making dialogues using the grammar item covered.

f) Telling the story (read, heard).

g) Translating into English.

h) Participating in free conversation in which pupils are to use the grammar item they have learned. E. g., pupils have learned sentence patterns with the impersonal it.

Through these questions pupils are stimulated to speak about the weather and use the grammar item they have learnt.

All the exercises of the creative type are designed for consolidating grammar material pupils need for hearing and speaking.

All the exercises mentioned above are designed:

- to develop pupils' skills in recognizing grammar forms while auding and reading English texts;

- to accumulate correct sentence patterns in the pupils' memory which they can reproduce whenever they need these patterns for speaking or writing;

- to help the pupils to produce sentences of their own using grammar items necessary for speaking about a situation or a topic offered, or writing an essay on the text heard or an annotation on the text read. [56, pp.159-164]

Chapter III. Experimental Analysis of the Theoretical Approach to Presenting and Explaining Grammar in the 8^th grade

The material used during the investigation was taken from the course-book “English for Life” for the 8^th grade. Each unit of course-book contains a Grammar Focus section covering the grammar material required for mastering by the National Curriculum of Moldova. The aim of this section is not to provide a fully exhaustive treatment of English grammar. First, pupils use the particular structures or grammatical forms to fill gaps in a text or sentences, or to supply endings to incomplete sentences (or dialogues). Then they reinforce the information by doing exercises in Extended Grammar Practice section in the Student's Book and afterwards they have a chance to use the structures in a free discussion. Alongside new grammar material every lesson contains revision grammar items.

§ 3.1 Description of the Course of the Experimental Work

I had my pedagogical practice at the lyceum “Iulia Hasdeu” where I taught the 8^th grade students. And the experiment which is necessary for the Diploma Paper had been carried out in the 8^th form. There were 34 students in this form. As the forms are divided into two equal groups, so, there were 17 students within each group. Thus, the experiment was carried out in two groups each of which consisted of 17 students.

So, the experiment was carried out in two groups of the 8^th grade, consisting of 17 students accordingly. Group 1 was considered a control one, it was taught in a traditional way which is supposed by the textbook “English for Life” (authors Galina Burdeniuc, Elisaveta Onofreiciuc, Silvia Rotaru, Larisa Cudeacov, Larisa Labliuc, Emilia Fabian, Tatiana Caraus) approved by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Moldova as a course-book for the 8^th grade. Group 2 (an experimental group) was taught with the use of some strategies on creating workshop in the classroom. For instance, during the process of fulfilling the assignment students were involved in different modern activities which help to understand grammar better, such as presenting grammar, grammar instruction, error correction, model sentences for oral practice, question and answer, dialogues, situations, demonstration texts (contextualization), grammatical explanation, quiz, puzzle, games, etc.

Before we started the experiment the students` grammar abilities had been examined. Learners were distributed a questionnaire whose purpose was to reveal difficulties students encounter while performing grammar assignments. The sample of the questionnaire is presented below:

Questionnaire

Put the numbers from 4 to 1 to show your agreement or disagreement with the given statements following this pattern:

1 - Completely disagree;

2 - Partially disagree;

3 - Partially agree;

4 - Completely agree.

1. It is difficult to me to use correctly constructions `There is / It is'.

2. It is difficult to me to identify countable and uncountable nouns.

3. I am unsure about the use of prepositions.

4. I cannot guess the meaning of single words from the context.

5. I am unsure about organizing my ideas into sentences.

6. I cannot indicate time by such expressions as `next week', `last Friday', in May'.

7. I cannot transform sentences into the Reported Speech.

8. I have some difficulties in using the articles.

The results obtained with the help of the questionnaire are shown in the table below:

№	Problem area	Number of points	Percentage of students
		Group 1 (of 68 possible)	Group 2 (of 72 possible)	Group1	Group 2
1.	Incorrect use of the constructions `There is / It is'.	18	25	7%	9%
2.	Difficulties with identification of countable and uncountable nouns.	44	44	17%	16%
3.	The use of prepositions is too difficult.	26	31	10%	11%
4.	Difficulties in guessing the meaning of single words from the context	28	22	11%	8%
5.	Difficulties in organizing ideas into sentences.	47	42	18%	15%
6.	Difficult to indicate time by such expressions as `next week', `last Friday', `in May'.	21	19	8%	7%
7.	Difficulties in transforming sentences into the Reported Speech.	39	50	15%	18%
8.	Difficulties with articles.	36	44	14%	16%

As it turned out a big number of students (15% and 18%) find it difficult to transform sentences from the direct into the reported speech. The other problem illuminated by the learners is difficulties with identification of countable and uncountable nouns (17% and 16%). The 3^rd problem for students is logically correct development of ideas and organizing them into sentences (18% and 15%). And the last large grammar problem is the use of articles (14% and 16%). The correct use of the constructions There is and It is, as also the use of prepositions, as also guessing the meaning of single words from the context and the correct indication of time by means of some adverbs of time are the other grammar problems students of the 8th grade face to, but the amount of such cases is significantly smaller.