TEACHING STRUCTURE

Introduction

The introduction of structure or ‘grammar’ is one of the components in teaching language. Knowing a structure involves both the knowledge of its for(s) and of its meaning(s) that is the ability to construct it correctly and to use it appropriately in a given situation. Therefore, in order to achieve our goals or teaching structure effectively, form and functions cannot be separated. Students need a good command of structure just as they need a wide vocabulary to express themselves clearly and precisely in speech and writing. A good command of grammar (structure) means the ability to use the language and not the ability to describe it.

The purpose of this section is to deepen the participant’s awareness as teacher of the role which structure plays in communication and how a grammatical structure can have a number of different communicative functions in different contexts.  The challenges are to build teachers competency and students ability to use the language communicatively.

Specific Objectives

After going through this topic, a teacher will be able to;

 Explaining the meaning of form, meaning, use and functions

Describe characteristics of a good presentation

Present and practice a new structure

Strategies

Cues

Brain

Demonstration

Discussions

Micro-teaching

Materials and References

Material

-          Real objects

-          Pictures and diagrams, graphs, tables

-          Cards

      

References;

-          Harmer J. (1996); Teaching and learning Grammar Longman, UK

-          Ur Penny (1993); Grammar Practice Activities –Cambridge, UK

-          DOHA- (1996); Teach English, a training course for Teacher Longman UK

-          MOEC (1997) INSET RESEARCH PACK ENGLISH TUTORS WEB.P & GRANT N (2006) English in use BK I-Longman

-          U.K

DEVELOPING TEACHERS COMPETENCE.

Activity 1

      Divide the participants in groups and ask them the following questions

What are the aspects of teaching /learning structure.

What does a structure need to know about structure?

Answer. When we teach structure we get our students to learn quite a large number of different though related bits of knowledge skills. For example how to recognize the example of the structure when spoken, how to identify written form, how to produce its spoken and written form, how to understand its meaning in context and produce meaning sentences which they can use themselves.

    

   The aspects of teaching/leaving structure to know its form and meaning in the different skills and can be summarized in the table below.

Listening	Perception and recognition of the spoken form of the structure	Comprehension of what the spoken structures mean in context
Speaking	Production of well formed example in speech	Use of structure to convey meaning in speech
Reading	Perception and recognition of he written form	Comprehension of what the written structure means in context
Writing	Production of well-formed examples in writing	Use of structure to convey meanings in writing.

Participants should discuss this and give examples.

Activity 2

 Ask participants to sit in groups and discuss the following questions.

  -what do you understand by communicative approach in teaching a structure item?

Answer

The type of exercise in which the stress is on the production or comprehension of meaning for some non-linguistics purpose communicative approach is doing functions.

            More discussion by participants – there are wrong or right answers.

-          Discuss the activities that can be used in communicative approach-

          Some possible answers should be

          Dialogues

          Role-play                     

                Question and answers

                Dramatization

                Games

Assessment;

Have these activities helped the participants in developing their competency in teaching structural items?  Discuss and shave ideas.

Presenting a structural lesson

Activity 1

             Ask participants to discuss

           (a)How to present a structural lesson

           (b)What are the main stages

           (c)What happens in every stage

Possible answers

             A structure lesson is presented in stages.

How?                                                                                                      Stages

(i)Create a situation/context                                                                   brainstorming

(ii)Give example of new structure                                                         Presentation

(iii)Let students repeat the structure and give personalized examples. Practice

(iv)Ask concept questions                                                                     assessment

Activity 2 Model lesson plans

                 A model lesson-showing stages 

                 Focus; expressing future plans/activities.

                              Target; form1 students

Using aid of a picture of a boy looking very happy holding a ticket which shows name of a bus date of travel, seat no ticket, time of reporting, departure time, time of arrival, date of issue, fare and places, from and to.

Step 1:

 Show the picture and tickets (Distribute them the students)

Step 2: Ask questions on the tickets e.g.

                  What is the name of the bus?

                  What date is the bus leaving?

                  Where is the bus coming from?

                  Where is the bus going? 

Step 3:

Ask about the boy then introduce the first example of structure.

 John is going to travel Mwanza on Saturday.

Ask students to repeat; John is going to travel Mwanza on Saturday.

Teacher asks students to repeat as a whole class, groups, pairs, and individual then teacher writes the sentence on B/B and gives other examples and writes then on the B/B.

John is going to leave Morogoro at six O’clock in morning

He is going to arrive in Mwanza the next day.

He is going to sit in seat no 50.

Step 4:

Teacher asks a question: - Is John going to travel to Mwanza now?

                              -   then asks the students to ask questions to each asking on the boy                                    

                                   and ticket using the example of the sentences on the B.B.

                                   The students produce more sentences about new talking about what

                                   They are going to do next week, tomorrow.

Step 5:

Assignment after practice.

Make sentence from the table below.

Juma
We
She	Is going to	Visit
They	Are going to	Play	At the mariket
You		Sing
		Help

Step 6:

Teachers ask students in pair to write a dialogue about what they are going to do during the holiday. Then ask each pair to read their dialogue.

Activity 3: model lesson 2.

Focus: General opinions about a text

                

Target: form iii students.

Step 1:

Teacher read a story about a farmer Maganga whose sales for 2006 were not good. They were dropping down as the year began to t the end. Then the teacher shows the sales table shown below.

                      

Tshs. 000   Sales

J

F

M

A

M

J

J

A

S

O

N

D

350

300

250

200

*

Step 2

T. What does the graph show?

S. It shows that the sales are dropping down.

T. From the story what type of a man Maganga is?

S. Maganga is a hardworking man

T. So we can say:-

          E.g. Although Maganga worked hard his sales figure got worse.

T. Asks students to repeat the sentence

 Students repeat: - Although Maganga worked hard his sales figure got worse.

-          Repeat as a whole class, repeat, and repeat in groups, in pairs and individual.

T. Write the sentence on the B/B

T. Gives another sentence –although the weather was good Maganga got poor yields.-then write it on the B/B.

Asks the students the students to repeat

Step 3

T. Can you make sentences about yourselves using although e.g. although I am slow I do all my homework.

Students give different sentences about themselves using although.

T. Introduces BUT the students.

    Maganga worked hard but his sales figure got worse.

    The weather was good but Maganga got poor yields.

  

Then ask students to read the sentences with but.

T. Can you make sentences about yourselves using but e.g. I am slow but I do all my homework.

Teacher gives a table with sentences and ask them to produce different sentences using although.

	the passenger protested	they arrived on time
	the state of the roads were terrible	they were allowed on board
Although	the driver was reckless	they arrived without an accident
		he seemed to drive safely

Assignment 

Construct 5 sentences talking about things or people you know using although, then write the same sentences using but

What can u say about the two presentations?

-Were the four stages used or not. Discuss it and comment.

Prepare lesson plans on different topics in the syllabus and apply the different activities used in teaching /learning a structural lesson.

Remember that a structure lesson involves all the language skills, listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Assignment and Evaluation.

 How can you make teaching and learning structural activities simple and effective?

Summary: -

A structure lesson should involve all the language skills, listening, speaking, reading and writing.

A good presentation should be clear, efficient, lively and interesting. The practice must be meaningful and interesting, clear and productive.

Clear - students should have no difficult in understanding the situation.

Meaningful  - Activities should relate to real life situation

Interest – to make the students remember the new structure easily.

Productive- students are able to make many sentences or question with new language

Reflection: Do you think what you have learnt will help you in teaching structural items?