Teaching Grammar Creatively

1. Teaching Grammar Creatively Günter Gerngross Herbert Puchta Scott Thornbury Merle Paat Antsla Gymnaasium

2. Variety of lessons and activities Aim to stimulate the imagination, humour and creativity Not all grammar points are covered Wide range of techniques to use when teaching grammar points not covered in the book

3. 53 grammar lessons divided into two sections – Language Awareness Activities and Creative Grammar Practice Language Awareness: Discovery-Consolidation-Use (Presentation-Practice-Production) Creative Grammar Practice: Lead-in – Presentation of the model text – Reconstruction of the model text – Text creation – Text sharing

4. Awareness raising “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.” Awareness raising is learner-led Teacher can provide conditions to “discoveries”

5. Learning through emotions Different learning styles need to be taken into account – the authors have tried to show ways how to provide balance The content and the emotional depth of experience is essential to aquire grammar Imaginative devices – metaphor, humour, fancy, absurdity, etc. I want to be the white man’s brother not his brother-in-law. The man’s hat is green.

6. Finding the lesson Look in the Quick-reference Guide Choose the one that best fits your class Make sure if you need to adapt it in any way In some lessons, alternatives are provided The techniques can be changed Vocabulary can be changed Teachers need to be creative to teach grammar creatively.

7. Basic techniques Silent time before creative writing Reading out loud by the teacher (eyes closed) Managing students’ reading – rehearsal time is important! Corrections should be made before students share their texts Publication of the learners’ texts – class display, reading out, making a class journal Anchoring - their own text, someone else’s text

8. CD-ROM Text files of model texts Text files of worksheets and language boxes Drawings Audio files

9. Lead-in activity There are_________________ there are _________________ there are _________________ there are _________________ and _____________________ when I take a long look into your eyes. There are ________________ there are ________________ there are ________________ there are ________________ and ____________________ when I look out of my little tent in the dunes. kites of every colour mountains flowers tigers white clouds fireworks over dark lakes tall trees high waves seagulls crying surfboards jumping

10. Key to lead-in activity There are flowers there are tigers there are tall trees there are high mountains and fireworks over darklakes when I take a long lookinto your eyes. There are white clouds there are seagulls crying there are high waves there are surfboards jumping and kites in all colours when I look out of mylittle tent in the dunes.

11. Text creation a. You may choose to offer only the following prompts: - Thereare______________ - there are ______________ - there are ______________ - there are ______________ - and __________________ - when _________________ b. You may offer them additional text endings, such as: - in the picture I’m going to paint - when I’m daydreaming in the classroom - when I’m looking down from my hang glider - when I remember ... - in the film I’d like to make - when I think of ...

12. Consolidation. Language of description. Yuk! That cheese smells Yummy! This ice-cream tastes Mmmm. Your skin feels so Interesting. This artificial meat tastes Mmm. Your perfume smells Someone’s at the door. It sounds What’s your jacket made of? It feels What’s the matter? You look What’s that barking? It sounds Take an umbrella. It looks smooth and soft. like roses. like wool. disgusting. depressed. like rain. delicious. like the neighbour’s dog. like chicken. like the postman.

13. Do you mind ..... Presentation and reconstruction of the model text D _ y _ _ r_ _ _ _ _ m _ _ _ m _ b _ _ _ _ I _ _ _ o _ _ _ i _ aw _ _ _ _? D _ y_ _ r _ _ _ _ _ m _ _ _ m _ f _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ m _ h _ _ _ _ _ _ _? D _ y_ _ r _ _ _ _ _ m _ _ _ m _ t _ _ _ _ _ _ t _ m _ m _ _ _ _w _ _ _ I’ _ b _ _ _ _? D _ y_ _ r _ _ _ _ _ m _ _ _ m _ s _ _ _ _ _ _ i _ t_ _ t _ _ _ _ _? D _ y_ _ r _ _ _ _ _ m _ _ _ m _ s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I _ _ _ _ _ _? W _ _ _, t _ _ _ w _’ _ _ h _ _ _ t _ s _ _ g _ _ _ -b _ _ b _ _ _ _ _ _ I d _ m _ _ _ n _ _ _ _ _ -m _ _ _ _ _ t _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

14. Do you mind ..... Presentation and reconstruction of the model text Do you really mind my being late once in a while? Do you really mind my forgetting my homework? Do you really mind my talking to my mates when I’m bored? Do you really mind my smoking in the toilet? Do you really mind my skipping lessons? Well, then we’ll have to say good-bye because I do mind narrow-minded teachers.

15. Thank you for your attention!