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The English Language is complex and challenging in many ways. Its complexity emanates from the infinite numbers of tenses which may prove difficult to learn especially for non-native English speakers. As a teacher, whether you are teaching EFL or native English speakers, the essential thing to note is the strategies to simplify the whole process of learning and how to can incorporate the learning process of English in day to day experiences of the students. The main focus should be on the time frames which deploy a lot of relatable activities (Cummings 1). Therefore, a teacher should never commence any class with grammatical rules or forms as this would only bore the students. Instead, the tutor should use questions or anecdotes which apply the tenses taught that specific day. In this context, teaching various tenses is all about capturing the student's attention and interest while presenting concepts slowly and gradually to avoid intimidating the students. The first step in teaching various tenses is to provide an overview of the whole system of tenses. The teacher should draw a table on the board with three columns that identify all the three main tenses which are past, present, and future. Consequently, the six remaining tenses which include; simple, perfect, continuous, should be written on the sides to form rows. After drawing the table in this format, the teacher should start filling each cell in that table with examples that are relatable to the students such as see, run and eat. Additionally, the teacher should craft inspiring examples and use routine instances. For instance, if the teacher is presenting simple tense to the students, an excellent way to start the class is through the use of a story or a habit. The teacher should show the class a teacup and tell them: "I always drink tea in the morning." Alternatively, the teacher should show the students a marker and say: "I usually write on the board." After doing this, motivate the students to mirror the examples (Cummings 1). Probe them on the activities they engage in each morning. At this point, when students respond to your question, try to correct them gently by repeating what they were incapable of saying in the correct format. Secondly, after the identification of the whole system, concentrate on a single time frame. The time frame may be present, future or past tense. An excellent time frame to commence with is the present tense since most students are capable of comprehending it with ease. For instance, I cook (simple), I am cooking (continuous), I cooked (perfect). The main reason for this is the assumption that most students can follow along when a teacher stays within a single time frame. Besides, even if a teacher decides to narrate a story to the students, there's a high probability that the teacher will stick to a single time frame throughout the story. However, for ESL students, it is mandatory for teachers to emphasize on past, present, and future since a lot of other languages don't apply the use of tenses. Lastly, the teacher should provide the students with authentic opportunities to practice verb tenses. By authenticity, personalized and relevant activities should be improvised for the students. Have the students jotting down a recap of the activities they engaged in the previous day or ask them to schedule their time for the next day. In essence, engage the students in problem-solving tasks rather than reading for them. Work Cited Cummings, Lane. “How to Teach English Tenses.” The Classroom | Empowering Students in Their College Journey, 10 Jan. 2019, www.theclassroom.com/teach-english-tenses-5887661.html
