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Making Grammar More Enjoyable

Nina Lauder
http://ninaspain.blogspot.com

Georgia 2013

Outline for Todays Session


Warm up Why play games? What to do before we play Games and practical activities Wrap up

Warm up : Look and write in the correct tense

do buy enjoy take drive to be born


I in Vancouver, Canada.

I have always ..driving, so eight years ago I ..a van to . around Europe. I enjoy .sports and Ive been .. rollerblading classes for a while.

Warm Up: 2 True, 1 False


I WAS BORN in Vancouver, Canada. I have always ENJOYED driving, so eight years ago I BOUGHT a van to DRIVE around Europe. I enjoy DOING sports and Ive been TAKING rollerblading classes for a while.

Nowtell the person next to you.

Something you enjoy doing


OR Something you are learning to do

Gramesis
In the beginning my English teacher created nouns and verbs.
And the verbs were without form and voice; and darkness was upon the face of the deep--my teacher. And she said, "Let there be grammar;" and there was grammar. And Teacher saw the verbs and laughed and said that it was good; and she divided the bright students from those who remained in darkness.
http://www.joke-archives.com/classroom/gramesis.html

Why is grammar so unpopular?


1. Many of the rules are arbitrary. 2. Learning proper grammar is very difficult (more difficult than native speakers often realize).

3. Most students don't want to have to learn the parts of an engine before they can drive a car.

The Joys of English


Teacher: "Josephine, give me a sentence beginning with I." Josephine: "I is ... Teacher: "No, Josephine. It's always 'I am...' Josephine: "OK. I am the ninth letter of the alphabet."

Starting out
Stress - motivation consuming - learning - provoking

"..........is a major hindrance in language .. process. Learning language in traditional way is, by its nature, time . and stress and often raises the stress level to a point at which it interferes with student attention and efficiency and undermines .
- Schultz (1988)

Starting out
"...Stress is a major hindrance in language learning process. Learning language in traditional way is, by its nature, time consuming and stress provoking and often raises the stress level to a point at which it interferes with student attention and efficiency and undermines motivation.
- Schultz (1988)

Starting out
One method has been developed to make students forget that they are in class ....relax students by engaging them in stress-reducing tasks or games.
- Schultz (1988)

Why play games? G A M E S.. amuse

entertain build self esteem motivate reduce stress educate make learning more meaningful

Before we play
WHERE are we going to play? HOW LONG is the game going to last? HOW MANY players or teams are there? WHEN are we going to play? WHY are we playing? HOW is the game organised? Points? WHAT do we need?

Important numbers in my life Look at the following numbers

36

165

1990

21

Now decide why you think these numbers are important to ME


(This must be your., This is probably your, This could be when you)

Compare with a partner

Numbers in my life
Check your answers

1990

The year I moved to Europe

165

Height in centimeters

36

Shoe size

21

Birthday

Queen Victoria
24th May 1819 1837 20th June - 18

English World, Macmillan

My Busy Day
Demonstrate activity then encourage pupils to work in groups. Pupils have to describe a very busy day and remember what their classmates have said. They can/should use actions if possible. Give short time limits (the activity is quite demanding).
Yesterday I got up at 6 oclock. Yesterday I got up at 6 oclock and made a cup of tea.

Adapting My Busy Day


Tell the person next to you how this game could be adapted. Im going to (Alaska). Im going to take my (binoculars). I went to the (zoo). I (saw) a (lion). Theres a (comb) in my bag. I like (bananas). On Sunday mornings, he has (tennis class)

Comparatives
Give the class things to compare that have nothing to do with one another, like an elephant and a potato. The students then have to tax their imaginations to find points of comparison, the objective is more interesting and the results often entertaining.

a man

laptop

umbrella

banana

tulip

Superlatives

English World, Macmillan

Which do you prefer? Why?


Speaking in English Swimming Going Staying to the in in a cinema the hotel sea OR Writing English Watching Staying Swimming in ain a film in campsite a atpool home
I prefer (speaking in English) because its (easier) than writing. I prefer ..because its (faster, slower, more beautiful, more exciting, more difficult, funnier, warmer, safer) than.

English World, Macmillan

Questions Game

Fuzzy Wuzzy
Fuzzy Wuzzy didnt make a cake Fuzzy Wuzzy wrote a letter Fuzzy Wuzzy didnt write a letter Fuzzy Wuzzy drove a car

Coffeepotting
One person thinks of an action verb The other pupils guess the verb by asking questions, for example: Can you coffeepot in class? Are you coffeepotting now? Think of additional questions.
Do you like coffeepotting? Have you ever coffeepotted? Are you going to coffeepot this weekend? Do you need a (book) to coffeepot? Can a dog coffeepot? Did you coffeepot last night? Does your teacher coffeepot? Do you coffeepot in a bar?

Reflection
What games did we look at? What grammar structure were we working on?

Numbers in my life Questions Game

Fuzzy Wuzzy
Coffeepotting

Modals (This might be your) Mixed tense question formation Past irregular verbs Mixed verb tenses; question forming

Tell your partner which game you liked best. Why?

We dont stop playing because we grow old.

...we grow old because we stop playing.


George Bernard Shaw

For more information on your trainer, visit:

http://ninaspain.blogspot.com

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