Effective ways of teaching grammar at secondary school

The principles and methods of teaching grammar

1.1.1. Principles

Teaching grammar should be based upon the following principles:

Conscious approach

This means that in sentence patterns teaching points are determined so that pupils can concentrate their attention on some elements of the pattern to be able to use them as orienting points when speaking or writing the target language. For example, I can see a book. I can see many books.

The teacher draws pupils' attention to the new element in the sentence pattern. The teaching point may be presented in the form of a rule, a very short one, usually done in the mother tongue. The rule helps the learner to understand and to assimilate the structural meaning of the elements. It ensures a conscious approach to learning. This approach provides favorable conditions for the speedy development of correct and more flexible language use.[9, pp. 12-24] However it does not mean that the teacher should ask pupils to say this or that rule. Rules do not ensure the mastery of the language. They only help to attain the practical goal. If a pupil can recognize and employ correctly the forms that are appropriate, that is sufficient. When the learner can give ample proof of these abilities we may say that he has fulfilled the syllabus requirements.

Conscious learning is also ensured when a grammar item is contrasted with another grammar item which is usually confused.[13] The contrast is brought out through oppositions. For example:

I have breakfast at 8 o'clock.

It's 2 o'clock. I am having breakfast.

He has been to Astana.

He was in Astana two years ago.

Give me a magazine (to read into the bus).

Give me the magazine (you have promised).

I like steak (more than any other food).

I like the steak (that my mum cooked).

The teacher should realize difficulties the sentence pattern presents for his pupils. Comparative analysis of the grammar item in English and in Romanian or within the English language may be helpful. He should think of the shortest and simplest way for presentation of the new grammar item. The teacher should remember the more he speaks about the language the less time is left to practice. The more the teacher explains the less his pupils understand what he is trying to explain, this leads to the teacher giving more information than is necessary, which does not help the pupils in the usage of this particular grammar item, only hinders them.