Fun Grammar Games and ActivitiesPeter Lucantoni Peter Lucantoni • Started teaching in 1979 in UK • Lived and worked in Europe and Middle East, now based in Cyprus • Author, Educational Consultant & Teacher Trainer for Cambridge University Press • Cambridge TKT, CELTYL, CELTA & DELTA trainer • Cambridge CELTYL assessor • Examiner for Cambridge ESOL speaking examinations • Classroom teacher • What is ‘grammar’? Discuss with your colleagues and try to agree on a working definition. What is grammar? system combining grammatical roles meaning Grammar is a set of rules for ………. words to express ………. . It is the ………. of a language. Words are given ‘labels’ to help us to identify their ………. . It is the system of a language.What is grammar? Grammar is a set of rules for combining words to express meaning. . Words are given ‘labels’ to help us to identify their grammatical roles. com/Q/What_is_the_definition_of_communicative_grammar .What is communicative grammar? Communicative grammar is based on the communicative approach to the teaching of a second language. a structure is practiced orally and in written form. In this way. Language structures must not be taught in isolation but integrated to the four skills of language.answers. http://wiki. which is understood as the ability to use and understand a structure in a variety of situations spontaneously. the main objective focuses on the development of communicative grammatical competence.com/Q/What_is_the_definition_of_communicative_grammar . http://wiki.What is communicative grammar? Grammatical patterns must not only be learned at the utterance level but at the discourse level.answers. 2009 .What is communicative grammar? • Needs to be an active involvement in the learning process • Examples from texts need to be isolated and used as a basis for tasks • Tasks should focus on both concept and form of target grammar • Students should be encouraged to find other examples and work out rules for themselves Adapted from: Thacker with Puchta & Stranks. English in Mind Teacher’s Book 2. Cambridge University Press. What is CLT? • What is communicative language teaching? Discuss with your colleagues and try to agree on a working definition. . and the roles of teachers and learners in the classroom.What is CLT? ‘Communicative language teaching can be understood as a set of principles about the goals of language teaching. Communicative Language Teaching Today. 2006 . Cambridge University Press.’ Jack Richards. how learners learn a language. the kinds of classroom activities that best facilitate learning. What is CLT? CLT is not a ‘method’ • CLT “is best considered an approach rather than a method” (Richards & Rogers) • Teachers are free to interpret the ‘rules’ • Wide variety of classroom techniques feasible • CLT should move us away from learners who are ‘structurally competent’ but ‘communicatively incompetent’ (Johnson 1981) . What is CLT? However … • “it is clearly not possible to engage in purposeful communication in a language without being able to formulate the structures of that language as well” (McDonough & Shaw 2000: 25) • “it is essential for teachers to interpret the rules and strike a balance between consolidating structures and developing communicative competence in their E2L students” (Lucantoni 2002: 14) . How does CLT affect our teaching? • We need to ensure that learning at this level is focused on tasks and problem-solving • Learners need to be interacting with someone else (but teachers should not regard learners working on their own as bad!) • Learners learn to use language already acquired to complete tasks • Teachers should provide support & assistance in language areas where learners have problems . 2000) Why? .How does CLT affect our teaching? ‘Language without grammar would … leave us seriously handicapped ‘ (Batstone. Usually requires controlled practice • Procedurising – making the new grammar ready for instant and fluent use in communication Rob Batstone. OUP 2000 .How does CLT affect our teaching? • Noticing – an active process in which learners become aware of structure and notice connections between form and meaning • Structuring – bringing new grammar patterns into learners’ internal grammars. Grammar. Fried dates are incredible I ate David’s fruit .From letters to grammar • Listen to the letters • Think of a grammatical and meaningful phrase that uses each letter as the first letter of a word. • Examples: A. D. I. The order of the letters is not important. F = A day in France. From letters to grammar •GPOS •HYTV •CKLW • In groups. choose 4 letters and give them to another group to make a phrase . Badra.Question-Question Ali >>> <<< Badra Pretty good. that’s my secret! Why do you want to know? Are you crazy? . What about you? What did you say? Ahhh. Where are you going? I’m nosey. Can I come with you? I said ‘How are you?’ Hi. how are you? I’m ok. that’s my secret! Why do you want to know? I’m nosey! Can I come with you? Are you crazy?! . what about you? Pretty good. Where are you going? Ahhh. how are you? What did you say? I said ‘How are you?’ I’m ok.Question-Question Ali Badra Ali Badra Ali Badra Ali Badra Hello. Useful questions • • • • • • What did you say? Why do you ask? Can you say that again? Can we stop this? Are you deaf? What do you mean? . Topic vocabulary quiz Girl’s name Country Capital city Vegetable Month/Day Clothing Feeling Transport Fruit Sport Colour Furniture Animal Famous person . Who could …? • This activity practises the structures either … or & neither … nor • But it also provides reading and writing skills development in a communicative and learner-centred manner . Possible candidates Age 31 Home Muscat Hobbies Loves music. plays piano Job Doctor Speaks Arabic. English & some French Other Dislikes pets SALMA . weightlifting Job Dairy farmer Speaks German Other Vegetarian HARRY .Possible candidates Age 48 Home Frankfurt Hobbies Stamp collector. Who could …? 1 help move heavy furniture? 2 sing a song? 3 advise you about your health? 4 cook a meal? 5 entertain a visitor from Greece? 6 drive you to the airport? 7 teach you how to play better football? 8 entertain an Arabic-speaking visitor? 9 tell you about collecting things? 10 … . really bad! Come on.Alphabet dialogue • Create a paired dialogue so that each line begins with the next letter of the alphabet • For example: Ahmed. how are you? Bad. it can’t be that bad! Do you think I’m joking? E ??? . The world • Listen to the words • Think about in which country you can write them • Example: ‘coffee’ could go in Italy because the coffee is good there. or in Brazil because coffee beans grow there • Discuss with your partners and give reasons for your choices . The world coffee football history wild animals coffee peace water music oil chocolate mountains fishing . The world • • • • • • Where did you put coffee? Why did you put coffee in Brazil? I put coffee in Brazil I chose Brazil because … I agree / disagree So did I / I didn’t . Presenting a new product – Umbrella – Paper clip – Candle – Fork – Coat hanger – Highlighter – Chopsticks . Presenting a new product • Choose the product you want to present • Think of five new features for it • Draw and label it. showing the new features • Look at the talk skeleton and make notes about your product • Prepare and deliver your presentation to the class . • The ………. is fantastic! • Firstly ………. Afterwards. you can ask questions.Presenting a new product • Thank you very much for coming to our presentation. • Finally ………. • Also ………. is ………. • Our wonderful new product is called ………. • Secondly ………. • And ………. • I have time to answer two or three questions now • Thank you all for listening! . • I’m going to tell you about it. • We believe that our ………. Mistakes maze • This activity gives learners an opportunity to focus on identifying grammar mistakes. learners work on correcting grammar mistakes. in order to make their way through a maze • Furthermore. and can also create their own mistakes maze . 1.Mistakes maze IN. 6. What’s the capital of Italy? 4. 2. I live with my mum and dad on number 20. There are lots of interestings things to do in Salalah. 7. I’ve got a letter from my cousin. 3. He’s quite interested at cooking. Have you got my new CD? 5. Has he got short curly hair? . They’re Mr Saleem’s books. Said doesn’t like meat. Our bus was late this night. Ahmed and I are both live in the same house. 12. 11.Mistakes maze 8. Giraffes clean sometimes their ears with their tongues. did they had a lot to eat? 14. 9. 10. At first. I’m wearing my green and yellow shirt. I’m going to drawing that dinosaur. 13. . There are lots of interestings things to do in Salalah. Giraffes clean sometimes their ears with their tongues. I’m wearing my green and yellow shirt. 1. did they had a lot to eat? 14. Ahmed and I are both live in the same house. I’m going to drawing that dinosaur. What’s the capital of Italy? Right? Go to 3 4. 9. Wrong? Go to 6 12. I’ve got a letter from my cousin. Has he got short curly hair? 8. They’re Mr Saleem’s books. 7. He’s quite interested at cooking. Our bus was late this night. 10. Said doesn’t like meat. At first. I live with my mum and dad on number 20. Right? Go to 8 11. 6. 13. 3. 2. Have you got my new CD? Wrong? Go to 14 5.Mistakes maze IN. . they use their knowledge of grammar in order to create the story . learners look at a text which contains ‘nonsense’ words. and try to make sense of it from a grammatical perspective • In addition.Sloobie • In this activity. In order to ning a sloobie. It okuls from Klooblie. the layod is larted by a ticfrous layoder.Sloobie A sloobie is a brumpting silop which draches in a layod. a zert in Fring. . Sloobie Use these words: country. fish. Klooblie is a zert in Fring. river. Asia. . lives A sloobie is a brumpting silop. dancing. It draches in a layod. comes. It okuls from Klooblie. org Facebook community: ‘English as a second language with Peter Lucantoni’ .peter@cup-training.