Teach English in Gaohe Zhen - Chengdu Shi

INTRODUCTION In a traditional grammar classroom the emphasis was on teaching of formal grammar in which all the grammatical rules are taught irrespective of the fact whether they are of wider application or not. Emphasis was laid on learning definition and acquiring terminology. But recently there had been a lot of rethinking on teaching of grammar and the stress is laid on functional grammar. It is the study of that portion of grammar which helps the learner to speak and write correct English. While no one denies the importance of teaching grammar while trying to teach the language, the fact remains that language is better learnt through its use than through learning rules of grammar. The activities and games provide practice in grammar. The practice is made interesting and not mechanical like traditional exercises. They provide opportunities for learners to use language for communication. While teaching grammar, games and activities play an important role to help learners engage in active language use while learners are producing structure which they should practice, they are at the same time actively involved in communication. They listen, speak, understand and interpret. This improves their communicative competence. ADVANTAGES OF GAMES IN CLASSROOM It helps motivate the learners and sustain their interest. The competitive spirit generated by a game can make learners participate enthusiastically. In fact they master language structures, without being aware of the fact that they are doing so. Games help teacher create contexts in which the language is useful and meaningful. Games provide meaningful practice in real life contexts. By making the language convey information and opinion, games provide the key feature of “drill” with the opportunity to understand the working of language as living communication. The quality of the practice provided by these games is much richer than the amount or quantity of practice provided by traditional grammar exercises. Games provide practice in all four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. Games also have diagnostic role: while students play games, the teacher could quietly observe the students performance and identify their strengths and weaknesses. This feedback can prove very valuable to teachers for further planning of their teaching. PRECAUTIONS FOR USING GRAMMAR GAMES When learners are not familiar with a new approach, games could be used to supplement the main course. Later, as the teachers and learners acquire familiarity with the approach, games can be used as substitute for parts of the course. We must remember to choose a game appropriate to the level of the learner. The instructions should be very clear. At the beginning all the learners may not participate enthusiastically. Some maybe shy or lack confident but we should not compel them to participate, they should willingly participate. Teachers should be alert and check when learners are starting to feel bored of the game. At such stage, she should stop and change over to another activity else there is the danger that learners may develop grammar game fatigue. In course of playing game, learners are sure to make mistakes. However the teacher should not stop the game to correct the mistakes but should quietly note down the mistakes without interrupting the game, and take them up for discussion later. TYPES OF GAMES Mario Rinvolucri (1984) divides games into four parts: 1. Competitive games: this include traditional games like “noughts and crosses” , “snakes and ladder”, ”double or quits”, etc. which have been adopted to highlight a specific grammar point. Here students are asked to think consciously think about grammar. These games pose a cognitive challenge. 2. Collaborative games: in accordance with the humanistic approach, these games require warm cooperation among students rather than competition. The teacher generally remains in the background and plays the role of a facilitator. 3. Awareness activities: here the students engage in activities which require them to think and feel about human relationships, e.g. their childhood, friends etc. indirectly they practice grammar. The students focus is on what they are saying, not on the form they are using. On the other hand, the teacher’s job is to control the structures. 4. Grammar through drama: during these activities, students are active, they practice grammar through movement; when students are disinterested or shouting these games are ideal. Or when you have a set of lively youngsters with a lot of energy to expend, this is the best way of channelizing it. Given below is a sample of each type: A. Competitive games Game: circle games Level: any Grammar: vocabulary practice Circle games can be played in circles of 3 to 7 students. Student A says a letter. Player B thinks of a word beginning with A’s letter and says its second letter. C tries to guess the word and gives the third letter. The student who in saying a letter completes a word lose sand drops out. If a player on her/his team thinks that the combination offered so far cannot make a word they may change the previous player. If there is no such word, that students has to drop out, otherwise that challenger is penalized. B. Collaborative games Game: picture composition Level: primary/ secondary Grammar: speaking skills The teacher draws an incomplete picture on the board. Students are divided into groups. Each group is given a turn to add to the picture. Once all the groups have taken turns at drawing, each group tells their version of the story to the class. C. Awareness activities Game: the burglary Level: primary Grammar: passive voice Tell the students that a burglary had taken place in Mr. James’s house when he was on a holiday. When Mr. James came back he was shocked to find the following: The windows were broken The safe had been opened Now ask the learners to write more sentences about the burglary and what could be done. This word will provide a natural context for the use of passive voice. To make the task more interesting, give them a picture of the room after the burglary. D. Grammar through drama Game: fortune teller Level: secondary Grammar: future simple/ reported speech Divide the students into groups. Ask them to choose one of the group members to be the fortune teller. He/ she should sit apart while the other members of the group go to him/her one by one with questions like, ‘what will be my career?’, ‘when will I get married?’, ‘will I be famous?’ etc. They should note down the responses and come back to report them to the whole group and class. e.g., he said that I would become the President of the country. He said that I would live long and marry at the age of thirty. Etc. CONCLUSION Language experts suggests that grammar class should be organized in a slightly manner. They are of the opinion that teacher should encourage students to formulate certain rules by working through a lot of examples. Grammar should be enjoyable and help learners to improve their skills by reading and writing. Such activities provide opportunities for meaningful use of language, practice in the four skills, useful at all levels of learning. As the learners have a sense of achievement in reaching their own conclusions (through principle of discovery). They remember the rules for a longer time. However, the problem of this kind of approach is the time required and the thoughtfully planned correlation between text and grammar item presented. It is time consuming and critical and demands a lot of creativity from the teacher as they go about with the materials to choose for the learners development, which has to be easy, short, appealing in content and presentation varied to suit the abilities and levels of students. Some teachers despite their best intentions, may be compelled to teach directly a set of grammar rules in a traditional manner as they are unable to cope with the planning and somehow they run out of ideas or due to time constrains. Yet we should always reflect on the objectives that is to work for the development of the students, explore and always keep up with the changing world trends and be the guide, the facilitator of the learners.