Franchesca Jones

TSL 612 Spring 2016

Dr. Burnett
Final Project
Prior to reflecting about my newly established philosophy on teaching
grammar, I completed the three lessons attached below. Completing course
readings, compiling the grammar notebook, and researching articles and
textbooks, was just the first phase of this process. The actual application of
all of the aforementioned information to create the lesson plans was the
synthesis and complete understanding of what it takes to teach grammar to
ELL students. I have realized that prior to taking this course I was improperly
teaching grammar to my students. Not that I was providing incorrect
information, but I was not providing them with the opportunities and diverse
teaching methods necessary to acquire and be fully engaged in L2 learning.
In addition to lacking knowledge and information about ELL teaching
methods, I was lacking education about the specific requirements for
teaching ELL grammar.
The greatest revelation I had is that English grammar is not the same as
English grammar for EFL students. As Folse highlights, native speakers of
English study the formal rules of a language that they already speak. While
ELL grammar needs to entail formal rules, the main focus of ELL grammar
teaching is to provide them with guidance on how to correctly construct
phrases and sentences that best express the ELLs intended messages
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(Folse, 2009). The focus is not so much on the form as it is on the meaning.
Additionally, the pre-existing L1 of the ELL learning creates a different
experience in learning English as the experience of the native speaker. Due
to the fact that ELL students have already learned the systematic patterns of
their first language, it is inevitable that these patterns interfere with those
being learned in the L2. Because of this, an essential component of teaching
ELL grammar is a focus on avoiding common errors based on the L1. It is
important to have knowledge of the commonalities and differences between
the grammatical patterns of the L1 and L2 to either make connections and
aid in acquisition or fill the gaps to avoid common errors. In addition to
errors caused by L1 interference, there are universal problems all ELLs face,
such has defaulting to negating with no. Students may also face interference
created by English itself, as prior knowledge can conflict with newly taught
material. It is therefore critical for the ELL grammar teacher to be familiar
with all possible and common errors, to address them appropriately and
accurately.
Addressing common errors brings me to another element of teaching I
was not well informed about, error correction and interactional feedback. It
is important for the teacher to prioritize when correcting errors in student
output whether spoken or written. In both domains of output, meaning is
more important than form. However errors should be addressed differently
in speaking and writing. In correcting speaking errors, it is important not to
interrupt the students train of thought, as the instructor should encourage
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the student to feel comfortable speaking the L2. However, if it is a scenario

in which the space is allotted to make a correction, there are various types of
corrections an instructor can make. First off it is better to elicit the student
to self-correct, rather than reformulate their erroneous utterance. Secondly,
from the types of elicitations one can perform, I have developed a preference
for metalinguistic feedback and direct elicitations. While the context
determines which type of correction best fits the situation, the
aforementioned corrections require the student to self-correct, with the
teacher providing guidance as the where the error has occurred, or what
type of correction needs to be made. In addressing errors in writing, the
instructor should be very careful in the selection of errors to highlight to the
student. A student can easily be discouraged if he/she receives a written
piece of work back which is covered in corrections. A better method is to
select a couple of errors which appear repeatedly in the writing, and
highlight these. By doing so the student is less likely to be overwhelmed,
and can address and process a smaller chunk of information. I am
developing my system for correcting errors which allows me to feel like I am
maintaining a balance between helping the students to become better at
expressing themselves in English, while also helping them to build their
confidence in the expression of a second language which is so different from
their first.
Another important factor gleamed from Folses text is that that it is
critical to know the level of the learners, as grammar is stratified into levels
3

of difficulty. For example, Folse informs us that simple present tense and
basic word order are grammar issues in beginning classes, present perfect
and phrasal verbs are often intermediate classes, and past perfect tense and
gerunds are seen in higher-proficiency grammar classes (Folse, 2009).
While the presentation of grammar points by teachers can be flexible, some
order is necessary in presentation order selection as to avoid confusion and
to ensure that students are presented with information they are able to work
with based on their level. In some cases the material is appropriate for the
level of the learners, but the material can seem daunting or challenging in its
entirety. A solution to helping students feel less overwhelmed and remain
open to learning a difficult grammatical feature, is to break it down into
smaller pieces or steps which can be gradually added on. In Longer lessons
can also be broken down into two or three lessons which will make much
more likely for student to retain the information, rather than cramming all of
the information into one lesson to simply stay aligned with a pacing guide.
This will not benefit the students, and the teacher will be unsuccessful in
leading the students to notice and uptake a new grammatical feature or
component.
Along the same lines of simplification for comprehension, it is
important to ensure that the examples which are selected for the teaching of
any particular grammar point are simple and to the point. Folse
recommends that example sentences should not go much beyond the
current grammar point. In other words, ensure that the examples provided
4

really highlight the particular grammar feature and do not become too
complex or lengthy. If teaching the verb to be, an ideal example sentence
would be I am hungry, rather than I am hungry so I am going to go to the
restaurant and purchase some food. There are multiple features going on in
this sentence such as present progressive, which could distract from the
main focus of the grammar lesson which is the verb to be. Folse advises that
the example sentences chosen when teaching any grammar point are the
key to successful teaching and learning.
Two of the concluding points made in Naassaji & Fotos text are that
successful instruction is multifaceted, and that teachers should be
eclectic in their instruction approach. This means that a grammar instructor
should utilize multiple teaching methods and strategies in their instruction.
There is a plethora of methods which can be used to teach any grammatical
feature, it would only torturous and boring to stick the same monotonous
types of activities. All of the texts read throughout the course provided a
variety of ways to approach teaching. From input based and output based to
the multitude of task based types of activities, an instructor has at their
disposal many ways to present a grammar point. By incorporating various
teaching methods, a teacher can also determine what is most beneficial and
effective for the target population of students in his/her class.
Just as important as what goes on in the classroom, is the learning
context of the instruction. Students learning English as their second
language in a country where their first language is spoken are at a
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disadvantage compared to students who are immersed in the target

language. To tackle this issue, Folse states that the teacher must create
opportunities for ELLs to practice English because they dont hear English
outside of the class. Sometimes inside the classroom can be the only
opportunity in which the students are exposed to the target language, which
is not nearly enough if students are aiming to become proficient. This same
issue was discussed in an article that I reviewed entitled Success with ELLs:
We Are All Writers! Building Second Language Writing Skills in the ELA
Classroom. In her article, DelliCaprini provides strategies for making the
most out of class time as well as strategies for exposure to the target
language outside of the classroom. The first is to create and offer an
extended time for writing. The second is to provide students with
opportunities for extra support and practice with the material at home,
during free periods, and even in class. Lastly, she suggests working
collaboratively with teachers to either share time, or coordinate covering
similar points simultaneously. By doing so, students will have repeated
exposure to a point, and therefore notice and retain it. It is important to
always consider the learning environment, living environment, and time
constraints the students have.
Throughout the readings and backgrounds of all of the grammar
teaching methodologies, one can see that grammar teaching as evolved a lot
from its roots. In fact, studies are always going on to determine what is most
effective in the teaching of English as a second language. For example the
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authors of an article I reviewed for the semester, Differential Potential of

SLA Output Tasks versus Input-based Teaching of English Grammar: A
Comparative Study, Hamavandy and Golshan focus particularly on two
different components, input-based versus output-based, and within the
category of output-based instruction they examine picture cued production
tasks and editing reconstruction. Research such as this is continuously going
on, and I feel as an ELL instructor it is my duty to stay current on the latest
studies and developments in TESOL to ensure a successful learning
experience for the students as well as a gratifying experience as an
instructor.
Daily Life at School: 3 Lesson Plans on present progressive and
phrasal verbs
Target Audience and Level: The target audience is elementary level L1
Arabic speakers. They are learning English as Second Language in the
Foundations program of a technical college. This series of three lessons
could be utilized for any elementary level class, as it focuses on grammar
points which are typically covered with elementary groups. Specifically it
takes into account the common ELL mistakes which occur for L1 Arabic
speakers, thus it would most benefit them.
Context for the grammatical point: The three lessons provided are all
centered around the theme of Daily Life at School. The lessons were planned
with elementary learners in mind, whom have already worked on the present
simple tense. After having obtained sufficient experience with the base form
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of verbs, they can now be exposed to the present progressive which will be
much more useful to them. Because it is one of the most commonly used
tenses in the English language, it is broken down into two separate lessons
to ensure student comprehension, and to address present progressive
properly. Lesson 1 introduces the present progressive, and aims for students
to be able to orally demonstrate comprehension of its formulation. Lesson
two focuses on the identification and learning of the spelling rules necessary
to accurately write the present progressive. This lesson also integrates the
negative form which does not require such extensive practice as it is simple
and transparent. The third lesson reinforces present progressive and allows
for additional practice of this tense, while introducing the concept of phrasal
verbs. In lesson three students will understand what a phrasal verb is, and
learn meanings for commonly used phrasal verbs.
Technique: Many techniques have been integrated into this three lesson
series. Drawing from Yule, Nassaji, Fotos, and Folse, the activities and tasks
included are recommended for L2 English learners at this level of proficiency.
Incorporated in the lessons are techniques such as text editing, total physical
response, textual enhancement in written text, written discourse analysis,
interactional feedback during group work activities via recasts (primarily
metalinguistic feedback and direct elicitation), and implicit and explicit
structured grammar-focused tasks.
Lesson 1: Introduction to Present Progressive
Lesson 1, Activity 1: What are they doing?
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The teacher will project on a screen or print out and hand out to
students a photograph of a classroom (image in Lesson Materials). The
teacher will ask the students what the students and teacher in the classroom
are doing. The students should volunteer information about what the people
in the photograph are doing, otherwise the teacher can call on students. The
students will provide sentences about what they see going on in the
photograph. The teacher will listen for verb + ing responses. Possible
responses will be He is looking outside, He is writing on the board, The
student is sleeping, The students are talking, The student is playing,
The teacher is teaching/instructing/pointing, etc. If the students do not
respond with verb + ing, the teacher can begin with direct correction, and
transition into direct elicitation and/or metalinguistic feedback (Nassaji &
Fotos). This recasting will take place until the teacher feels confident that
the students have identified and absorbed the pattern.
After discussing the image, the teacher will formally present the
present progressive form. The teacher will inform the students the present
progressive form is utilized for actions that are happening right now. The
teacher will address the presence and correlation or lack of existence of the
present continuous in the students L1. The teacher will write on the board
that the progressive tense takes the form of: Subject + am/is/are + (verb +
ing), underlining each part to designate three separate columns. The
teacher will write beneath the form examples which the class just discussed
to reinforce the form and pattern of present progressive.
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For Example:
Subject

am/is/are

The student

verb + ing

is

sleeping.

The teacher

is

writing.

The students

are

talking.

If necessary, the teacher can ask the students for additional examples of
present actions to add to the table/chart the teacher is writing on the board.
When the teacher feels the students have grasped the formula, the teacher
will leave it on the board, and proceed to Activity 2.
Lesson 1, Activity2: Correcting Errors
The teacher will separate the students into small groups (3-5
depending on class size). The teacher will give each group strips of papers
with incorrect present progressive sentences on them. The sentences will
fall under two different groups. Half of the sentences are missing the
is/am/are portion of the sentence. The remaining sentences have the
present participle where the present progressive form of the verb should be.
The teacher will instruct the students to identify the two different groups,
and to separate the sentences accordingly. The students will read their
sentences and work collaboratively to identify the two errors, and to
categorize the sentences by error. Upon completing the categorization, the
students will work together to correct the sentences. The teacher will float
from group to group, observing their progress, and providing interactional
feedback . When the teacher observes the students nearing completion of
10

the task, the teacher will address the whole class and ask the students to
provide feedback about their findings. The teacher will ensure that the
students have identified the errors correctly, and properly corrected the
sentences. The teacher will proceed to Activity 3.
Lesson 1, Activity 3: Charades for +ing verbs
The teacher will conclude the lesson on present progressive with a
game of charades. The teacher will pre-write present progressive verbs on
strips of paper and place them in a cup. The class will be split into two
teams, Team A & B (or the students can select their own team names). A
representative from Team A will to the front of the class and pull out a verb
strip from the cup. To earn a point, a team member will have to properly say
what verb the team representative is acting out. The team with the highest
score wins the game.
Lesson 1, Exit/closer: What will you do today?
As the students are leaving the class, the teacher will ask each one
individually, what are you doing today? The students should answer with
an +ing verb.
Lesson 1 Materials:
Image for Activity 1: What are they doing?

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Sentences for Activity 2: Correcting Errors

Sentences missing is/am/are
1. I reading chapter four right

Sentences with present participle

instead of present progressive
1. They are study today.

now.
2. They walking to market after

2. We are read this book now.

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

school.
It opening at 5 a.m.
Someone is shout in the class.
I thinking about the answer.
Quick the bus come.
Somebody else using that

pencil.
8. She writing her name.

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

I am sleep in class.
She is text during the lesson.
We are prepare for the exam.
Someone is talk right now.
I am ask a question.

8. We are learn a lot this lesson.

Verbs for Activity 3: Charades

Texting
Talking
Writing
Reading
12

Sleeping
Laughing
Jumping
Dancing

Walking
Running
Exercising

13

Driving
Listening to music
Eating

 Lesson 2: Present Progressive: Spelling and Negative Form

Lesson 2, Activity 1: Reviewing formulation of present

progressive verbs

The teacher will begin by asking the students about their daily
schedules. As the students provide their responses, the teacher can
then ask the class what student x is doing at a certain time. The
teacher will write the structural frame on the board: What is ______
doing at _______ oclock? He/She is ______________ing. As the students
demonstrate understanding of the frame, the teacher will present them
with Jamilas schedule. The teacher will tell the students that Jamila
has a very full schedule, and the teacher will ask the students to orally
respond to questions about what Jamila is doing throughout the day.
For example: What is Jamila doing at 7 oclock? Answer: She is
getting up. After completing some examples orally, the students will
work in small groups to fill in the she is column of Jamilas schedule
(Jamilas schedule in Lesson Materials).

Lesson 2, Activity 2: Identifying and categorizing present

progressive spelling errors

The students will remain in their small groups to complete Activity 2.

The teacher will inform the students that the verbs from Activity 1
belong in 3 separate spelling groups. The teacher will instruct the
students to look at both the activities column and the she is
column in identifying what the three groups are. The students will

work together to identify the three groups: a) drop the final e before
adding ing, b) verbs ending in consonant-vowel-consonant, double the
last consonant, and c) add ing. The students will develop rules for
each category of verbs. The teacher will ask for volunteers to explain
what they have identified as the rules. The teacher will provide
guidance when necessary, but allow the students to aid each other and
work to develop the rules. When they have finished, the teacher will
formally explain the rules for the three categories.

Lesson 2, Activity 3: Present progressive practice integrating

negative form of present progressive through text editing

Again the students will remain in their groups for the final activity. The
teacher will give the students a paragraph written in the present
progressive. The negative form will also be integrated in the
paragraph. The paragraph contains errors the students are responsible
for identifying and correcting (Paragraph for editing in Lesson
Materials). First the teacher will read the paragraph so that the
students can listen for the errors. Then the students will receive a
copy of the text and work collaboratively to make the necessary
changes which will make the paragraph grammatically correct (Nassaji,
Fotos, 2011).

Lesson 2, Exit/closer: What will you NOT do today?

As the students are leaving the class, the teacher will ask each
one individually, what are you not doing today? The students should
answer with I am not +ing verb.

Lesson 2 Materials

Jamilas Schedule for Activity 1

T
i
m
e
7
:
0
0
7
:
1
0
7
:
1
5
7
:
3
0
7
:
4
5
8
:
0
0
9
:

Activity

Get up

Brush teeth

Take shower

Have breakfast

Drive to school

Go to Math class

Go to Typing class

She is

0
0
1
0
:
0
0
1
0
:
3
0
1
1
:
3
0
1
2
:
3
0
1
:
0
0
2
:
0
0
3
:
0
0
3
:
3
0
4
:

Have morning break

Swim practice

Go to English work
on essay

Eat lunch

Go to Ceramics
make a picture
frame

Go to Science
complete science
fair project

Study Time

Track practice Run

1 mile

Drive back home

3
0
4
:
4
5

Begin cleaning

Paragraph for Activity 3

Today is the first day of my new life. I going to start taking school
seriously. My friends are say that I cant do it. I am think about how
to prove them wrong. Today our teacher is talk about good study
habits. I am plan to start doing them every day. I am write down all
the important information the teacher is give us, so that I dont
forget. Some students in the class not paying attention, but not me.
I am pay attention to everything because I want to improve my
grades. I am do all of my assignments and I reviewing before every
exam. I am arrive to school on time, and I am stay after for extra
studying. I am ask the teacher questions when I am confused, and I
am listen careful to all of her responses. There are also some habits I
am change starting today. I am no talking on the phone late at
night. I not drawing pictures in class, and I not talk to my friends. I
no feel happy about all of these changes, but I am think they will
make me better.

Lesson 3: Introduction to Phrasal Verbs

Lesson 3, Activity 1: Identifying Phrasal Verbs

The teacher will continue with the theme of School Life and
present progressive by presenting eight sentences which contain nonseparable phrasal verbs.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

I am handing out the papers.

The students are getting through a lesson.
He is filling out the exam.
The teacher is calling on the students.
She is sitting down.
They are handing in homework.
The teacher is going over the quiz.
The students are running out of time.
The teacher will ask the students questions about the sentences to
gain their attention. For example, what is the theme of the sentences?
Who is going over the quiz? Who is running out of time? Then the
teacher will ask the students to identify the verb in sentence number
one. When the students identify handing the teacher will underline
taking. Then the teacher will put a box around out. The teacher will
ask the students if they think that out goes better with handing or with
papers. When the students have identified that it goes better with
handing, the teacher will inform the students that this is correct. The
teacher will explain that handing out expresses one idea with two
words. The teacher will provide synonyms for handing out like
distributing or giving. The teacher will create column at the end of the
sentences to write down the phrasal verb in each sentence. The
students will work in pairs to identify the phrasal verbs. Upon

completion of their collaboration, the teacher will call on students to

provide the correct phrasal verb to fill in the phrasal verb column.

Lesson 3, Activity 2: Analyzing Text to Identify Phrasal Verbs

The teacher will explain to the students that phrasal verbs

are idiomatic expressions which do not always make sense when each
word is analyzed for its meaning. They are expressions which need to
be learned to be understood. The teacher will split the class into
groups and distribute to each student a dialogue between two students
discussing an upcoming exam (dialogue in lesson materials). The
teacher will encourage the students to work together to identify the
phrasal verbs in the written discourse. As the students work, the
teacher will float from group to group to answer any questions about
phrasal verb meaning. The teacher will encourage the students to use
the context to determine the meaning. If the students within the group
are unable to determine the meaning, the teacher will address the
entire class and ask if anyone knows the meaning for that particular
phrasal verb. If no students are able to provide the meaning, the
teacher will offer a meaning to the class. When the teacher observes
that the groups have successfully identified and completed the
activity, the teacher will proceed to activity 3.

Lesson 3, Activity 3: Gap Fill Selecting the Correct Phrasal

Verbs

Remaining in their same collaborative groups for Activity 2, the

students will complete a gap-fill activity. The teacher will distribute
worksheets which contain a word bank with phrasal verbs discussed in
the lesson. The worksheet also has sentences with blank spaces where
the phrasal verbs should be. The students will use the word bank to fill
in the sentence gaps. When the students have completed the gap fill,
the teacher will address the entire class to ensure they have
comprehended and completed the activity correctly.

Lesson 3, Exit/Closing Activity: Reviewing Meaning of Phrasal

Verbs

The teacher will prepare sentences with the phrasal verbs

discussed in the lesson. The phrasal verb will be bolded in each
sentence, accompanied by multiple choices to select the meaning of
the particular phrasal verbs. Each student will select a sentence, and
provide the definition they feel best fits the bolded phrasal verb.

Lesson 3 Materials:

Dialogue for Activity 2:

Mansour: Hi Ahmed! Are you feeling better? Are you catching up with
the material?

Ahmed: I am getting over my cold, but I am giving up on this exam.

Mansour: Oh no! The exam is in two days. Are you filling out the study
guide?

Ahmed: I am trying, but I am coming across questions I cant answer. I

feel like I am breaking

down.

Mansour: I have an idea for getting through this. A group of students

are going over the study guide in the library after school.

Ahmed: Are many students showing up?

Mansour:

I am counting on everyone to be there because we are

running out of time to study.

Ahmed: Oh thats great! I am going to go then. Thanks for looking

out for me!

Mansour: No problem! We are working out the hard questions then we

are eating out at the restaurant near school. You can join us for dinner
also.

Ahmed: That sounds great! See you there! It was great running into
you.

Word Bank and Sentences for Activity 3

Filling out

Getting through

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Handing out
Calling on

Running out
Sitting down

Going over
Handing in

Fatema is _________________ the form.

The students are ______________ of time.
The teacher is ________________ all of the students to answer.
They are _______________ in their seats.
The class is __________________ their exam results
Someone is ______________ worksheets to everyone.
I am finally ________________ my final assignment to the teacher.
Abdullah is ________________ the hard questions by not giving up.

References

DelliCaprini, M. (May, 2012). Success with ELLs: We Are All Writers!

Building Second Language Writing Skills in the ELA Classroom.
Folse, K.S. (2009). Keys to teaching grammar to English language
learners: A practical handbook. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan
Press
Hamavandy, M., & Golshan, M. (October 2015). Differential Potential of
SLA Output Tasksversus Input-based Teaching of English Grammar: A
Comparative Study. Theory and Practice inLanguage Studies, 5(10),
2083-2090. http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0510.15
Nassaji, H. & Fotos, S. (2011) Teaching grammar in second language
classrooms: Integrating form-focused instruction in communicative
context. New York: Routledge.

Yule, G. (1999). Explaining English grammar. New York: Oxford

University Press.