Types of exercises for the assimilation of grammar

1. Recognition exercises. Since pupils only observe the new grammar item the situations should be natural and communicative. Recognition exercises are indispensable as pupils retain the grammar material through auditory and visual perception. Auditory and visual memory is at work.

2. Drill exercises.

- Repetitive drill. Pupils pronounce the sentence pattern after the teacher, both individually and in unison. Attention should be drawn to the correct pronunciation of the sentence pattern as a sense unit, as a statement (sounds, stress, and tune).

- Substitution. Pupils substitute the words or phrases in a sentence pattern. Pupils substitute the words or phrases in a sentence pattern. 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.

- Completion. Pupils complete the sentences the teacher utters looking at the pictures he shows (Mike is…).

- Answering the teacher’s questions. Drill exercises may be done both orally and in written form. Pupils perform oral exercises during the lesson and written ones at home.

3. Creative exercises (speech exercise). This type of exercises requires creative work on the part of the learners. These may be :

- Making statements either on the picture the teacher shows, or on objects.

- Asking questions with a given grammar item.

- Speaking about the situation offered by the teacher. (He is opening/has opened the door)

- Speaking o a suggested topic. For example, a pupil tells the class what he did yesterday.

- Making dialogues using the grammar item covered.

- Dramatizing the text read. For example, pupils read the text in persons.

- Commenting on a film-strip.

- Telling the story.

- Translating into English.

- Participating in free conversation in which pupils are to use the grammar item.

As to the grammar items pupils need only for reading pupils assimilate them while performing drill exercises and reading texts. This is usually done only in senior grades where the grammar material is not necessarily used in oral language.

All the exercises mentioned above are designed:

1) To develop pupil’s skills in recognizing grammar forms while auding and reading English texts.

2) To accumulate correct sentence patterns in the pupil’s memory which they can reproduce whenever they need these patterns for speaking or writing.

3) 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.

4 LECTURE 4. TEACHING LANGUAGE SKILLS

4.1 Teaching listening

4.2 Teaching speaking

4.3 Teaching reading

4.4 Teaching writing

Teaching listening

The previous chapters dealt with the teaching of various aspects of the language, namely, pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. The knowledge of each of the aspects is of great importance to learners. However, when we say a person knows the language we first of all mean he understands the language spoken and can speak it himself. When we speak about teaching a FL we first of all have in mind teaching it as a means of communication.

Listening Dialogue

Oral language < <

Speaking Monologue

The syllabus requirements for oral language are as follows:

1. To understand the language spoken

2. To carry on a conversation and to speak a FL within the topics and linguistic material the syllabus sets.

This is the practical aim of teaching oral language. But oral language is not only an aim in itself; it is also a mighty means of FL instruction.

Difficulties in listening

When auding a FL pupils should be very attentive and think hard. They should strain their memory and will power to keep the sequence of sounds they hear and to decode it. Not all the pupils can cope with the difficulties entailed. The teacher should help them by making this work easier and more interesting. This is possible on condition that he will take into consideration the following three main factors which can ensure success in developing listening skills.

1. Linguistic material

2. The content of the material suggested for listening

3. Conditions in which the material is presented.

Listening comprehension can be ensured when the teacher uses the material which has already been assimilated by pupils. However this does not completely eliminate the difficulties in auding. Three kinds of difficulties should be overcome: phonetic, lexical, and grammatical: the horse is slipping (sleeping); they worked (walked) till night; phrasal verbs put on, put off, put down; grammatical homonyms Past Indefinite, Past Participle.

The content of the material also influences comprehension. The topic of communication should be within the ability of the pupils to understand. Difficulties should be explained (proper names, geographical names, terminology etc.)

Description is more difficult than narration. The pupils’ readiness to listen and comprehend is very important. The title of the story may be helpful in comprehending the main idea of the text. Monologic speech is easier.

Conditions of the presenting are of great importance: the speed of the speech, the number of times of presenting the material. Pupils should be taught to listen to the text once. However they sometimes can grasp only 50% of the information and even less, so a second presentation may be helpful. The presence or the absence of the speaker is also an important factor.