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Teaching Grammar: A Guide to Successful Grammar Instruction

What is grammar.

Grammar is the sound, structure, and meaning system of a language, a set of rules defining how language is structured. Grammar, usage, and mechanics are conventions of written English. Teaching grammar is a complex and rich process that helps students effectively read and write with authenticity.

View the complete Using Grammar as a Tool for Improving Students' Writing webinar by Dr. Beverly Ann Chin, Past President of NCTE and author of Grammar Workshop, Tools for Writing and Grammar for Writing , here .

How to Start Teaching Grammar

Research reveals that effective grammar instruction is systematic and contextualized in reading and writing. Concise, focused instruction that links form with meaning is critical to mastering conventions of written English. Direct instruction of grammar concepts through clear explanation and modeling of grammar, usage, and mechanics should be followed by scaffolded skills practice in a variety of contexts as well as extensive applications in writing and reading. Grammar instruction that follows this approach is effective for students in the elementary, middle, and high school grades and called for by the state English Language Arts standards.

View the complete Can Authentic Grammar Instruction Improve Students' Understanding of Complex Texts webinar by Ellen Edmonds, Vice President of Learning, Sadlier School, here .

Helping Students Understand Why Learning Grammar is Important

When students know the benefits of learning grammar, they will be more invested in the process. Knowledge of grammar will help students improve reading, writing, and communication skills and support students in effective self-expression no matter what and for whom they are writing—both now and in the future. When students have a strong understanding of grammar, their reading will be stronger, their comprehension is increased, and they are able to comprehend more complex text. Grammar learning makes students’ writing clearer . As students develop grammar skills, they will see their communication become more effective and more personal. And as better readers, writers, listeners and speakers, students will have more success, both in the classroom and beyond, into college and careers.

General Objectives of Teaching Grammar

Teaching grammar is not a means to an end but instead deeply connected to reading and writing. There is a strong relationship among grammar, writing instruction, and student achievement . Teaching grammar explicitly and integrated with reading and writing will help students expand their repertoire of writing strategies, gain control of written and spoken language, develop their writing style, think creatively, improve comprehension, and ultimately help them succeed in school and on assessments.

View the complete Using Grammar as a Tool for Improving Students' Writing webinar by Dr. Beverly Ann Chin, here .

When to Teach Grammar

Grammar instruction is an essential component of literacy instruction, and it is most effective to implement using an intentional, research-based scope and sequence. Integrating grammar instructionally ensures it is an internal part of the way that students read and write, and a “habit of mind.” Students need multiple and various exposures to correct grammar for mastery. Ideally, teachers can find time for 2 to 3 mini grammar lessons a week with application opportunities.

View the complete Can Authentic Grammar Instruction Improve Students' Understanding of Complex Texts webinar by Ellen Edmonds, here .

Grammar should be taught systematically and in the context of reading and writing, often, and in response to student writing. To be responsive to the students in the classroom, teachers can look for patterns in student writing and identify conventions that students are using correctly or incorrectly and respond with appropriate and explicit lessons on grammar, usage, and mechanics. Grammar can be integrated into writing instruction during the revising and editing stages, enabling students to learn the conventions of standard written English in meaningful ways, especially in middle and high school.

Stages of Teaching Grammar

Grammar instruction is appropriate in elementary, middle school, and high school. Specific objectives and standards at each grade vary, as will instruction, but the approach and the major goals remain the same for students at all grade levels.

Teaching Grammar in Elementary School

In upper elementary school (Grades 3–5), grammar instruction entails helping students communicate their written message with clarity and correctness so that students can make appropriate choices about grammar, usage, and mechanics to improve their writing.

Download Best Practices for Teaching Grammar and Writing at the Elementary Grades by Beverly Ann Chin, PhD.

Teaching Grammar in Middle School

In middle school, students learn to value writing purpose and audience to discover how conventions affect the clarity and impact of their messages, especially as they encounter more sophisticated and diverse texts than in elementary school. Teaching grammar in middle school entails helping students observe how writers make choices in ideas, organization, language, and conventions to create an effect on readers.

Download Effective Strategies for Engaging Middle and High School Students in Writing and Grammar Instruction by Beverly Ann Chin, PhD.

Teaching Grammar in High School

In high school, students continue to read and produce diverse and sophisticated texts. As text complexity increases, application opportunities for students change. Teaching grammar in high school requires focused instruction and abundant opportunities for students to learn, apply, and master the conventions of standard English in their own writing.

How Do You Teach Grammar Effectively?

Research shows that although extensive reading and writing is important to grammar acquisition, explicit instruction is crucial to mastering the conventions of written English (Haussamen et al., 2003). When it comes to teaching grammar, ongoing explicit instruction is essential, in addition to a mix of instructional strategies, embedded in and applied to lots of reading and writing. A research-based approach is best: it is critically important to have students learn grammar in the context of writing and apply grammar learning to meaningful, beneficial writing for a variety of purposes and audiences.

An instructional routine that follows a gradual release of responsibility model has been shown to be highly effective for teaching grammar. This model progresses from direct, explicit instruction, scaffolded opportunities for practice, and application on important grammar concepts.

Ways to Teach Grammar Authentically

Authentic grammar instruction focuses on application to reading and writing, in which students use what they learn for their own purposes and purposes in the classroom. An integrated approach allows students to apply grammar concepts immediately to their own authentic reading and writing.

Following Grammar Standards

Before the Common Core State Standards, grammar, usage, and mechanics were commonly situated within writing and speaking standards. Within the Common Core State Standards, most grammar standards are found within standards for language. Grammar and mechanics have their own strand. Here is what the standards now say about grammar instruction:

• The standards imply that we teach grammar across the grade levels. Think of the concepts as learning progressions that are building over time.
• The standards have shifted to focus on authentic instruction and application.
• Deep instruction needs to focus on the expectations at each grade level.
• Grammar concepts are not explicitly defined in standards; the standards are the how and not the what of instruction. Using a research-based scope and sequence supports a teacher following grammar standards and wanting a roadmap for what concepts to teach when.

Different Methods of Teaching Grammar

Inductive teaching.

An inductive approach to teaching vocabulary invites students to observe grammatical patterns and determine a rule from these patterns on their own or with guidance.

Deductive Teaching

In a deductive approach to teaching vocabulary, students are given a rule which is then applied to examples and practiced.

Learning Through Writing

Grammar instruction in the context of students’ writing is an effective way to improve students' writing, especially in the context of sentence fluency. When students understand the structure of language, they are better and more engaging writers. Teachers can continually assess student writing to plan appropriate grammar lessons. Students can improve their writing while they learn grammar, designing their writing by making deliberate language choices.

Best Practices for Teaching Grammar

Focus and scaffold instruction.

Following a gradual release of responsibility model for teaching grammar is highly effective. Following direct instruction, practice should be focused to allow students to demonstrate understanding and receive judicious, corrective feedback through modeling or more instruction on critical errors.

Finally, application in reading and writing is essential as students directly apply what they are learning in grammar. Grammar instruction should link form and meaning to be effective.

View the complete Grammar Instruction that Sticks Grades 6–12 webinar by Ellen Edmonds, here .

Use Mini Lessons and Modeling

Concise, focused mini lessons are the most effective way to teach grammar, usage, and mechanics. Mini lessons should focus on a concept of a rule, then the application of the concept to authentic reading and writing. For best results, mini lessons prioritize and select the one or two important concepts to be addressed in each lesson and avoid introducing too many concepts at the same time. Mini lessons should include modeling and examples.

Prioritize Sentence Work

Three effective strategies that improve students’ writing—and grammar—are sentence combining, sentence expansion, and sentence imitation. (Haussamen, 2003; Hillocks and Smith, 2003; Holdzkom, Reed, Porter, Rubin, 1984; Killgallon, 1997; Noguchi, 1991; Strong, 2001) These strategies are adaptable to any grade level and subject area.

Sentence combining is a strategy in which students construct more complex and sophisticated sentences by combining short, choppy sentences in longer, fluent ones.

Experimentation with sentence combining supports students in making choices about language fluency and ways that sentences relate to meaning and effect. This strategy is very effective when presented to students during the revising and editing phase of their own writing and using their own drafts and when connected to punctuation. Revising can be defined as helping writing be more effective for purpose and audience. Editing can be defined as helping students correct for spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage.

View the complete Using Grammar as a Tool for Improving Students' Writing webinar by Dr. Beverly Ann Chin, here .  

Sentence expansion is a strategy in which students add information to short sentences to make their writing more detailed and interesting. This strategy supports students in learning grammar in the context of writing new sentences, and helps make connections to word choice, variety, and writing style.

This strategy is effective when scaffolded for students, especially for English Learners. It is easier for students to begin using this strategy by expanding sentences at the end to make their sentences livelier and more detailed.

Then, students can implement the strategy by adding information at the beginning of sentences to make their sentences more creative.

When students master sentence expansion at the beginnings and ends of sentences, they are ready to learn ways sentences can be lengthened at both ends and/or in the middle.

Sentence imitation is a strategy in which students imitate the structure of a sentence but replace the original words and ideas with new words and their own ideas. Using model sentences from authentic literature and complex text is a particularly effective source for sentence imitation exercises.

With sentence imitation, students can see parts of speech and sentences at work and in relationship with sentence structure and word choice. Using published authors’ sentences as inspiration helps students as they gain insight into the craft of writing. As students work with their own ideas and words, they learn how authors create effective sentences (Knudson, 1989; Knudson, 1991; Haussamen et al., 2003).

Apply to Reading and Writing

Grammar lessons must be contextualized and embedded into the reading and writing in the classroom. It is critical that students learn grammar in the context of writing and apply grammar learning to meaningful, beneficial writing for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Writing and grammar go better together! Learn more at a 2-part, on-demand Masterclass hosted by grammar expert Dr. Beverly Ann Chin and Ellen Edmonds.

Use Authentic Examples from Complex and Authentic Text

Exposure to and engagement with a variety of texts is essential. Students should see examples of grammar concepts in a variety of texts and genres and encounter a variety of writing styles, forms, and sentence structures in texts.

Focus on the Positive

Feedback is important, but too much feedback can be a detriment when it comes to teaching grammar. Teachers can point out students’ correct use of conventions to reinforce the importance of grammar, usage, and mechanics as tools that help readers while building students’ confidence as writers. Modeling and reteaching are strategies that help teachers focus on the positive when it comes to grammar instruction.

Successful grammar implementation occurs over time and across varied contexts. Ensuring students have ample opportunity to practice is essential. Practice should be offered with guidance and feedback before independent practice and application by students.

Strategies to Engage Students While Teaching Grammar

Utilize mini lessons.

Using mini lessons is an effective strategy for grammar instruction, whether whole class, small group, or individual. This approach is more effective than an isolated approach and powerful when applied to reading and writing. A mini lesson focusing on a concept of a rule can then be applied to an authentic reading and writing experience.

Building on mini-lesson strategies, modeling is a highly engaging tool for teaching grammar. An example of modeling might be taking a text and modeling error correction. Think-alouds and writing are examples of modeling strategies for grammar instruction.

Use real objects, gestures, pictures, and facial expressions to teach words and clarify meaning for all learners, and especially those learning English. For example, an effective grammar technique with nonlinguistic representation could be used for teaching action verbs.

Integrate Variety and Cross-Curricular Connections

Consistently providing different texts for students to read and analyze in multiple classes or subject areas helps broaden perspective and provides text-rich examples for modeling. Read-alouds (even at middle and high school) also exposes students to a variety of writing genres, sentence structures, and details through oral processing that are important and are embedded in various academic contexts.

Offer Interactivity

Games and interactive activities that allow students to practice grammar skills with motivation boosters like time clocks or competitive elements are opportunities to engage students as they learn grammar.

Make Grammar Lively

When teaching grammar, teachers can engage students by making instruction lively. Encourage language play, experimentation, and risk-taking. Foster an environment that supports high-quality discussion about language and effects. Show examples from print and nonprint media that use written language. Jokes, puns, and misplaced modifiers offer opportunities to discuss grammar.

Encourage Journaling

An authentic and engaging writing opportunity for students, journaling offers a lot of connections for mapping grammar concepts to writing for different purposes on many topics. Journaling is another opportunity for contextualization in which grammar instruction is embedded in reading and writing.

View the complete Grammar Instruction that Sticks Grades 3–5 webinar by Ellen Edmonds, here .

Differentiate Instruction

A structured grammar program is appropriate for all students, but differentiation is essential. Students in each classroom have diverse backgrounds, needs, and levels of English proficiency and may therefore need additional support. In any given class, teachers must address a wide range of student writing abilities, interests, and needs. To help all their students grow as writers, teachers need to help each student develop the ability to write clearly, effectively, and correctly. Teachers must make adjustments based on individual students and provide varying levels of guidance and direction.

How to Teach Grammar Online

To supplement focused direct instruction of grammar concepts and application in writing and reading, online activities and games can provide opportunities for engaging student practice. Digital resources offer opportunities for practice, feedback, and assessment that is dynamic and personalized.

Basic Grammar Activities

There are many grammar concepts students must understand to communicate effectively. Students also need to know when to apply grammar rules they are learning to situations in their reading and writing. Here are just a few of the basic grammar concepts students should know at a variety of grade levels and related simple activities.

Commas are a common punctuation mark often used before a conjunction in a compound sentence. Commas are also used between items in a series of three or more items. There are other comma uses including after a noun of direct address, after an interjection, and not to set off an introductory word. Students of all ages need to know when to use this common punctuation mark . Standards on comma use include applying the conventions of standard English and correctly using punctuation to set off nonrestrictive or nonessential information.

View the complete Grammar Instruction that Sticks Grades 3–5  webinar by Ellen Edmonds, here .

Fragments and Run-on Sentences

Run-on sentences are one of the most common errors students include in their writing. A run-on sentence is two complete sentences that run together. One way to correct a run-on sentence is to separate it into two sentences. Another way to correct a run-on sentence is to make a compound sentence. Fragments , or incomplete sentences, are another concept on which students need instruction and practice.

Parts of Speech

Naming conventions are less important than understanding the functions of grammar concepts. Students at all grade levels will continue to revisit the parts of speech and the functions of nouns, pronouns , adjectives , verbs , adverbs , prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. Students need to be able to construct quality sentences that communicate information accurately and clearly. Understanding basic parts of speech is the first step to this effective communication.

What Doesn’t Work in Grammar Instruction

Teaching grammar is not easy. There are many common pitfalls that teachers can avoid in grammar instruction. When it comes to an approach, the research is clear that a lecture-based, isolated approach doesn’t work. A “drill and kill” approach that prioritizes worksheets and memorization has not been seen to be effective for impactful grammar instruction. A one-size-fit-all approach is not as effective as one that is differentiated and targeted for every learner and writer.

Common Issues in Grammar Instruction

Classroom management.

When teaching grammar, teachers will have to make adjustments based on individual students, since some students need a lot more guidance and instruction or time in application, while others can apply quickly. Small group work can support teachers in differentiating. The evidence is compelling that that investment of time in applying to writing, though challenging, is worthwhile.

The Wrong Approach

Using a program with the wrong type of approach, (i.e., an isolated program that prioritizes memorization over application) can be a detriment to students. To overcome this challenge, teachers can implement a program that is research based and focused on best practices.

Low Engagement

Active instruction is an opportunity to infuse grammar with joy, for both teachers and students. Grammar instruction need not be boring or rote. In fact, it should be neither! Teachers are encouraged to move away from worksheets and instead use strategies that promote and enhance student engagement and success.

Avoid more common pitfalls in grammar instruction with these suggestions of what to do and what not to do when teaching grammar.

The Advantages to Leveraging Grammar Materials

A research-based, intentional grammar program that integrates with reading and writing will ensure that teachers are meeting grade-level standards of grammar, usage, and mechanics and provide a framework for teachers to follow when teaching grammar. Due to the history of teaching grammar in the United States, many American teachers may have never been students of grammar, so implementing such a research-based program ensures that they can provide the best and standards-based grammar instruction to students.

Grammar Instruction Must-Haves

To be effective, a grammar program for use with elementary, middle-school, and high-school students must be research based and aligned with standards. A grammar program must have an intentionally designed scope and sequence suited for students at each grade level with well-constructed mini lessons and ample opportunities for students to apply skills to writing.

The Importance of Lesson Planning and Content Structure

Structure is a key consideration for a grammar program. Use of the proven gradual release of responsibility model is a plus for an effective grammar program. Well-sequenced lessons that can stand alone and be taught in response to student writing and classroom needs makes a program flexible. Explicit instruction and explicit examples and modeling as students write and read are best, especially via focused mini lessons. Practice with the appropriate type and amount of feedback that is provided in interactive formats should be present. Application to writing is essential.

Benefits of Sadlier Grammar Programs

Sadlier offers standards-aligned grammar solutions for Grades 3–12 that are research based and intentionally and logically sequenced to lay a solid foundation for students in grammar throughout the elementary, middle, and high-school grades. These programs follow the gradual release of responsibility model—providing concise direct instruction of grammar concepts, practice with guidance, and application to writing and reading.

Elementary Grammar Instruction

Sadlier’s Grammar Workshop, Tools for Writing is designed for students in Grades 3–5. The research-based program provides simple lesson plans built on a 3-step instructional routine (Learn, Practice, and Write) that provides direct instruction and models the rules of grammar, usage, and mechanics and then lets students practice and apply in the context of reading and writing. An included handbook directly supports students in the writing process and integrates grammar, usage, and mechanics in the process. For engaging practice, interactive online resources reinforce concepts. The program includes specialized lesson suggestions to support English learners and differentiate instruction.

Middle and High School Grammar Instruction

Sadlier’s research-based Grammar for Writing for Grades 6–12 teaches the conventions of standard English and takes students through the complete writing process as they write arguments, informative/explanatory texts, and narratives. The program is based on the principle that the primary purpose of grammar instruction is to improve student writing. The program follows the three-step process of instruction, practice, application. The program also helps to prepare students for state assessments with practice in standardized-test format.

Sadlier’s Online Solutions

Sadlier’s grammar programs provide interactive online resources to supplement learning for students and strengthen their understanding of concepts. Resources include engaging interactive games with self-evaluation for independent learning, quizzes and practice for assessments with feedback, and more. While these resources support teachers and students implementing Sadlier’s grammar programs, Sadlier’s searchable resource center offers free grammar resources to support all grammar instruction.

Home » Tips for Teachers » Here is Your Ultimate Guide to 7 Creative and Fun Ways How to Teach Grammar Through Writing!

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to 7 Creative and Fun Ways How to Teach Grammar Through Writing!

If you’re a teacher, chances are you already have an idea of how difficult teaching grammar can be. Many students and teachers are insistent that traditional methods of practicing grammar are not effective. One creative and fun way to teach grammar that is known to produce great results is to teach grammar through writing.

From my years of experience teaching writing, I can tell you that writing and grammar go hand in hand. Students are much more likely to retain information about grammar when it’s learned in context, rather than from a worksheet. If students learn about the natural flow of grammar as well as specific grammar concepts from writing and reading, it will be very beneficial to their long-term grammar knowledge.

Because grammar is a difficult and debated topic in teaching, often teachers have to get a little creative when planning lessons for their students. If you don’t know where to start with teaching grammar, don’t fret! Here is your ultimate guide to teaching grammar through writing. After reading this article, you will know all about:

• Why Teaching Grammar is So Important→
• Different Methods You Can Use to Teach Grammar→
• How to Teach Grammar Through Writing→
• Activities to Help You Use Writing to Teach Grammar→

Once you know about all the ways you can incorporate grammar into your writing lessons, you will have all the tools you need to build fun and effective lessons for your students!

Why is it Important to Teach Grammar Correctly?

One of the reasons teaching grammar is such a difficult area is because it’s extremely important that it’s done correctly. If students aren’t taught the building blocks of grammar, their writing and future linguistic progress will suffer. Unfortunately, many students over the years have been taught grammar incorrectly from disengaged, uninformed teachers.

According to the 2014 English National Curriculum, “Explicit knowledge of grammar is very important, as it gives us more conscious control and choice in our language.” Students who do not have a proper grasp of grammar may struggle with control over language in their writing. However, grammar is also a subject that many students historically dislike and are resistant to learn.

Stubborn as some students may be, incorporating grammar into lessons is crucial for students’ future success. Grammar also plays a huge role in improving students’ speech. If you work on teaching grammar through writing and reading with your students, chances are you’ll notice the grammar in their speech improving too.

If you want to know a little more about common challenges teachers face while teaching grammar, check out this YouTube video!

If you’re teaching online, a camera is an essential piece of equipment for a grammar lesson.

Four Different Methods of Teaching Grammar

Before we get into our ultimate guide on teaching grammar through writing, let’s take a look at some of the different methods of teaching grammar that are out there. By having an idea of the different ways how to teach grammar, you can decide what method would work best for you and your students!

1. The Traditional Method

The first method of teaching grammar we’ll be talking about today is the traditional method. For decades and even centuries, teachers have been using this method to impart grammar knowledge upon their students. Many aspects of the traditional method are still being used in schools, though most classrooms today aim to use traditional grammar exercises as supplementary learning in combination with more progressive methods.

In traditional grammar lessons, the main tools of the trade are lists, worksheets, and grammar textbooks. Traditional teaching methods utilize “memorization-based techniques that [rely] on repetition.” While this more traditional method of teaching grammar is still used in classrooms sometimes, particularly where students are learning English as a second language, more creative and interactive methods of teaching grammar are generally favored today.

2. The Model Method

One very popular way of teaching grammar outside of the traditional method is the model method. The model method, or teaching by modeling, involves showing students ‘models’ of good writing and grammar that they can observe and mimic. For students who are native English speakers, it does much more for retention to see grammar properly used within context than to simply complete a worksheet or grammar exercise.

To teach using the model method, provide your students with short stories and novels to read and tell them to look up to the authors as grammar mentors. As your students read throughout the year, either independently or as a class, they will get a sense for the way grammar works in context. If you have been working on any specific grammar concepts with your class, have them write down examples they notice from their reading in a notebook, which you can then go over in class. Of course, sometimes authors break grammar conventions for artistic purposes, so if that crops up it’s a good opportunity to teach your class about where and when grammar rules can be broken.

3. Teaching in Context

For students who are too young to read texts for the model method, teachers can get a similar effect by teaching in context. Teaching in context involves showing students short examples, either verbal or written, to illustrate grammar concepts. Ideally, teachers should want these examples to tell a story and be interesting and engaging for students. This one is a creative spin on traditional grammar exercises, allowing students to learn through fun paragraphs and stories as opposed to exercises that many students find boring.

4. Selective Grammar Review

Another method of teaching grammar that is increasingly common in classrooms is selective grammar review. Especially with younger students, there are often too many grammar concepts to go over in one school year. For students who are native English speakers, it is more important to make sure they have a general feel for the way grammar works through spoken and written speech, then address grammar terminology later.

According to literacy specialists, teachers find that they have to “temporarily ignore certain mistakes in order to intentionally focus on a single teaching point.” This means that rather than trying to tackle every little grammar mistake your students make in their writing and speech, you should choose specific concepts to focus on that are both age-appropriate and related to their demonstrated grammar struggles.

Some teachers like to incorporate document cameras into their grammar lessons.

Also, my colleagues have made a podcast about teaching Grammar. You can listen to it following the link below.

How to teach grammar through reading and writing workshop. https://t.co/01o3GHUMbh — Ashley Hubner, M. Ed. (@ashley_hubner) July 20, 2018

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Is Teaching Grammar Necessary?

NCTE 10.03.16 Teaching Writing

This post is written by Joanne Yatvin, NCTE’s P12 policy analyst for Oregon. 

Many years ago, while visiting a grade 4/5 classroom in the school where I was principal, I listened to a group of children reading aloud the first drafts of essays they had written about various holidays celebrated in America. The children were helping each other to correct errors and make meaning clearer. In reading her essay one girl said, “In the United states we celebrate Christmas by giving and receiving gifts and sing Christmas carols.” Immediately, another girl in the group interrupted her, saying, “That word should be singing .” The interesting thing for me was not that the second girl was absolutely right, but that she was right without knowing why. Neither she nor any other child in the classroom could have stated, “Sentence elements of equal grammatical rank should be expressed in parallel constructions.” Yet, all of them subconsciously knew that principle of English grammar and were able—most of the time—to demonstrate it in their speech and writing.

This story is but one illustration of what happens most of the time in language usage; we construct grammatically correct sentences or correct our mistakes by intuitively applying the rules that govern English syntax. If, instead, we had to apply those rules consciously, they would only get in our way, making it impossible for us to speak or write at all. To construct a simple two-word sentence, such as “He dreams,” requires the application of at least seven grammar rules. Imagine trying to apply them consciously following the rules of English grammar.

To say what I mean, I need a noun phrase and a verb phrase. The noun phrase can be made up of a singular noun plus a determiner, a plural noun, a proper noun, or a nominative case pronoun. If I choose a pronoun, it can be singular or plural, but it must be inflected for first, second, or third person. The verb I choose can be transitive, intransitive, or copulative. But if it is transitive, it needs an object, or if it is copulative, it needs a complement. In any case the verb must also be inflected for first, second, or third person to agree with the pronoun.

With grammar rules so complicated and hard to use, you may wonder why we have them at all. The fact is that such rules were created by linguists in order to explain language phenomena that had already existed for thousands of years. Most of the grammatical explanations were reasonable at the time they were created, but some have been discredited by subsequent discoveries about language. Others were cancelled out by actual changes in spoken language over time. In all cases, though, the rules were merely rough models for incompletely understood mental processes. No grammarian ever asserted that a grammar list exists in the brain from which human beings select and apply rules as they need them.

Although grammar rules are explanations for what exists in language, not prescriptions for what “ought to be,” they have been misused for a long time. Teaching those rules in schools started with instruction in ancient Latin and Greek, where it made sense because those were “dead” languages. But then those rules gradually slipped into other parts of the school curriculum, such as modern foreign language courses and English classes, where they had no business.

Over the years, the teaching of grammar has continued to be prominent in English and foreign language instruction, leaving less class time or student energy for students to speak, read, or write in those languages. Yet, many perceptive teachers, sensing that grammar lessons might not be all that beneficial for their students, have pressed for research to determine its real impact on learning. As early as 1906, studies were undertaken that attempted to show the relationship between knowledge of school-taught grammar and language skills. Since then, hundreds of such studies have produced some clear and unequivocal conclusions: The teaching of formal grammar does not help a student’s ability to speak, to write, to think, or to learn foreign languages.

It is important for educators to know that, among recent research studies, not one justifies teaching grammar to help students write better. * Although we accept the fact that social, economic, and political forces influence education in many areas, we ought not to allow such forces to outweigh knowledge and reason in determining the school curriculum.

*See Elley, W. B., Barham, I. H., Lamb, H., & Wyllie, M. (1976). The role of grammar in a secondary English curriculum. Research in the Teaching of English , 10 , 5-21.

Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

Four Strategies for Effective Writing Instruction

• Share article

(This is the first post in a two-part series.)

The new question-of-the-week is:

What is the single most effective instructional strategy you have used to teach writing?

Teaching and learning good writing can be a challenge to educators and students alike.

The topic is no stranger to this column—you can see many previous related posts at Writing Instruction .

But I don’t think any of us can get too much good instructional advice in this area.

Today, Jenny Vo, Michele Morgan, and Joy Hamm share wisdom gained from their teaching experience.

Before I turn over the column to them, though, I’d like to share my favorite tool(s).

Graphic organizers, including writing frames (which are basically more expansive sentence starters) and writing structures (which function more as guides and less as “fill-in-the-blanks”) are critical elements of my writing instruction.

You can see an example of how I incorporate them in my seven-week story-writing unit and in the adaptations I made in it for concurrent teaching.

You might also be interested in The Best Scaffolded Writing Frames For Students .

Now, to today’s guests:

‘Shared Writing’

Jenny Vo earned her B.A. in English from Rice University and her M.Ed. in educational leadership from Lamar University. She has worked with English-learners during all of her 24 years in education and is currently an ESL ISST in Katy ISD in Katy, Texas. Jenny is the president-elect of TexTESOL IV and works to advocate for all ELs:

The single most effective instructional strategy that I have used to teach writing is shared writing. Shared writing is when the teacher and students write collaboratively. In shared writing, the teacher is the primary holder of the pen, even though the process is a collaborative one. The teacher serves as the scribe, while also questioning and prompting the students.

The students engage in discussions with the teacher and their peers on what should be included in the text. Shared writing can be done with the whole class or as a small-group activity.

There are two reasons why I love using shared writing. One, it is a great opportunity for the teacher to model the structures and functions of different types of writing while also weaving in lessons on spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

It is a perfect activity to do at the beginning of the unit for a new genre. Use shared writing to introduce the students to the purpose of the genre. Model the writing process from beginning to end, taking the students from idea generation to planning to drafting to revising to publishing. As you are writing, make sure you refrain from making errors, as you want your finished product to serve as a high-quality model for the students to refer back to as they write independently.

Another reason why I love using shared writing is that it connects the writing process with oral language. As the students co-construct the writing piece with the teacher, they are orally expressing their ideas and listening to the ideas of their classmates. It gives them the opportunity to practice rehearsing what they are going to say before it is written down on paper. Shared writing gives the teacher many opportunities to encourage their quieter or more reluctant students to engage in the discussion with the types of questions the teacher asks.

Writing well is a skill that is developed over time with much practice. Shared writing allows students to engage in the writing process while observing the construction of a high-quality sample. It is a very effective instructional strategy used to teach writing.

‘Four Square’

Michele Morgan has been writing IEPs and behavior plans to help students be more successful for 17 years. She is a national-board-certified teacher, Utah Teacher Fellow with Hope Street Group, and a special education elementary new-teacher specialist with the Granite school district. Follow her @MicheleTMorgan1:

For many students, writing is the most dreaded part of the school day. Writing involves many complex processes that students have to engage in before they produce a product—they must determine what they will write about, they must organize their thoughts into a logical sequence, and they must do the actual writing, whether on a computer or by hand. Still they are not done—they must edit their writing and revise mistakes. With all of that, it’s no wonder that students struggle with writing assignments.

In my years working with elementary special education students, I have found that writing is the most difficult subject to teach. Not only do my students struggle with the writing process, but they often have the added difficulties of not knowing how to spell words and not understanding how to use punctuation correctly. That is why the single most effective strategy I use when teaching writing is the Four Square graphic organizer.

The Four Square instructional strategy was developed in 1999 by Judith S. Gould and Evan Jay Gould. When I first started teaching, a colleague allowed me to borrow the Goulds’ book about using the Four Square method, and I have used it ever since. The Four Square is a graphic organizer that students can make themselves when given a blank sheet of paper. They fold it into four squares and draw a box in the middle of the page. The genius of this instructional strategy is that it can be used by any student, in any grade level, for any writing assignment. These are some of the ways I have used this strategy successfully with my students:

* Writing sentences: Students can write the topic for the sentence in the middle box, and in each square, they can draw pictures of details they want to add to their writing.

* Writing paragraphs: Students write the topic sentence in the middle box. They write a sentence containing a supporting detail in three of the squares and they write a concluding sentence in the last square.

* Writing short essays: Students write what information goes in the topic paragraph in the middle box, then list details to include in supporting paragraphs in the squares.

When I gave students writing assignments, the first thing I had them do was create a Four Square. We did this so often that it became automatic. After filling in the Four Square, they wrote rough drafts by copying their work off of the graphic organizer and into the correct format, either on lined paper or in a Word document. This worked for all of my special education students!

I was able to modify tasks using the Four Square so that all of my students could participate, regardless of their disabilities. Even if they did not know what to write about, they knew how to start the assignment (which is often the hardest part of getting it done!) and they grew to be more confident in their writing abilities.

In addition, when it was time to take the high-stakes state writing tests at the end of the year, this was a strategy my students could use to help them do well on the tests. I was able to give them a sheet of blank paper, and they knew what to do with it. I have used many different curriculum materials and programs to teach writing in the last 16 years, but the Four Square is the one strategy that I have used with every writing assignment, no matter the grade level, because it is so effective.

‘Swift Structures’

Joy Hamm has taught 11 years in a variety of English-language settings, ranging from kindergarten to adult learners. The last few years working with middle and high school Newcomers and completing her M.Ed in TESOL have fostered stronger advocacy in her district and beyond:

A majority of secondary content assessments include open-ended essay questions. Many students falter (not just ELs) because they are unaware of how to quickly organize their thoughts into a cohesive argument. In fact, the WIDA CAN DO Descriptors list level 5 writing proficiency as “organizing details logically and cohesively.” Thus, the most effective cross-curricular secondary writing strategy I use with my intermediate LTELs (long-term English-learners) is what I call “Swift Structures.” This term simply means reading a prompt across any content area and quickly jotting down an outline to organize a strong response.

To implement Swift Structures, begin by displaying a prompt and modeling how to swiftly create a bubble map or outline beginning with a thesis/opinion, then connecting the three main topics, which are each supported by at least three details. Emphasize this is NOT the time for complete sentences, just bulleted words or phrases.

Once the outline is completed, show your ELs how easy it is to plug in transitions, expand the bullets into detailed sentences, and add a brief introduction and conclusion. After modeling and guided practice, set a 5-10 minute timer and have students practice independently. Swift Structures is one of my weekly bell ringers, so students build confidence and skill over time. It is best to start with easy prompts where students have preformed opinions and knowledge in order to focus their attention on the thesis-topics-supporting-details outline, not struggling with the rigor of a content prompt.

Here is one easy prompt example: “Should students be allowed to use their cellphones in class?”

Swift Structure outline:

Thesis - Students should be allowed to use cellphones because (1) higher engagement (2) learning tools/apps (3) gain 21st-century skills

Topic 1. Cellphones create higher engagement in students...

Details A. interactive (Flipgrid, Kahoot)

B. less tempted by distractions

C. teaches responsibility

Topic 2. Furthermore,...access to learning tools...

A. Google Translate description

B. language practice (Duolingo)

C. content tutorials (Kahn Academy)

Topic 3. In addition,...practice 21st-century skills…

Details A. prep for workforce

B. access to information

C. time-management support

This bare-bones outline is like the frame of a house. Get the structure right, and it’s easier to fill in the interior decorating (style, grammar), roof (introduction) and driveway (conclusion). Without the frame, the roof and walls will fall apart, and the reader is left confused by circuitous rubble.

Once LTELs have mastered creating simple Swift Structures in less than 10 minutes, it is time to introduce complex questions similar to prompts found on content assessments or essays. Students need to gain assurance that they can quickly and logically explain and justify their opinions on multiple content essays without freezing under pressure.

Thanks to Jenny, Michele, and Joy for their contributions!

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Six Tips for Teaching Grammar

Looking for tips for teaching grammar that won’t cause a ton of more work?

What are some effective strategies for teaching grammar?

Some effective strategies for teaching grammar include incorporating real-life examples, using interactive activities , providing clear explanations, offering regular practice and feedback, breaking down complex concepts into smaller parts, and making grammar lessons fun and engaging for students.

Let’s break down these tips for teaching grammar.

Sensible Tips for Teaching Grammar

First, grammar instruction can overwhelm ELA teachers because we have so much to do! In this post, I’ll provide some advice for teaching grammar skills. Then, you can apply these tips to your own lessons.

So to start, think of whatever grammar point you want classes to take away. Additionally, when I outline my plans, I must factor in starts and stops to break down complex topics for students.

Overall, when I consider what makes a grammar lesson successful, six ideas come to mind. Over the years, I have experimented (and failed) at teaching grammar, and I am excited to share what works with other teachers. So often, ELA teachers confide that they don’t want grammar to be boring, they don’t want to waste valuable class time, and they dislike sentence diagrams.

Hopefully, these grammar ideas will make your job easier because students will experience success in their grammar activities.

Have Grammar Fun

Truth: You might have to fake the fun at first. I did.

Once upon a time, I would share with students that we would “get grammar out of the way.” Well, that message insults students who enjoy grammar. It also aligns students with the idea that grammar doesn’t fit in with the rest of the curriculum—which is untrue.

So, I started being excited about grammar which looked like implementing new activities and talking about grammar outside of “grammar lessons.” Once I began mentioning grammar in literature lessons with mentor texts (for example), I realized that we were not only looking at grammar in a new way, but also that we were having fun.

Use Metaphors

Throughout the years, I created a variety of metaphors for explaining grammar concepts. Metaphors helped students, so I continued using them. Then, I began reading that metaphors in learning are connected to brain-based learning. Take for instance what I found from Rose Hendricks in “Do metaphors make learning a piece of cake?”

She acknowledges what we teachers know: “A growing body of research suggests that we don’t just use metaphors to talk; we use them to think as well.” As we teachers search for explaining concepts to students, we naturally think of analogous language to explain difficult concepts. I use metaphors frequently, not only with grammar, and you probably do too.

Now, metaphors might not always work, and Hendricks suggests we teachers “acknowledge the incorrect inferences that students might make.” I have found that overall, students do not confuse the concepts of grammar with the metaphor.

My most frequent metaphor is sentence structure and scoops of ice cream (picture above). One scoop = one independent clause, a simple sentence.

Two scoops? A compound sentence. A strawberry or chocolate scoop = a dependent clauses.

Switch and play around, and make them your own, but the scoops of ice cream works well for teaching clauses and sentence structure.

The point of all this silliness? So often, grammar is taught through lectures, only. Research tells teachers not to teach only that way. They stress before they’ve given themselves an opportunity to succeed. A bit of figurative language, a bit of understanding and compassion helps with grammar lesson plans.

Build Images Together

Similar to metaphors, I use images to explain grammar. Often, I’ll ask students to think of an image for grammar (and its concepts). We brainstorm, and often, students develop an image like a fruit salad or pizza. Not every sentence contains every part of speech, similar to a sandwich, fruit bowl, or pizza.

For instance, if all of grammar is a fruit, and there are many kinds of fruit we could continue with this sort of discussion:

A noun could be… an apple. Oranges are common, and so are nouns. We study types of nouns: concrete/abstract, proper/common, and on. We could study types of oranges: Valencia, mandarin, and navel. All of those types are still oranges, just as all nouns are still nouns.

Pronouns—apples? Granny Smith, McIntosh, and Honeycrisp to name a few. Students often decide the “type” of fruit each part of speech is. Many passionately explain that a chili is indeed a fruit, and it should be an adjective because of its spicy nature.

When I introduce verbals, student sometimes say that they have never heard of a gerund, participle, or infinitive. I ask them if they’ve heard of a breadfruit or noni. Normally, no, they think I’ve imagined those fruits. We discuss that simply because a word or concept is new and strange, we can still learn it.

And yes: when we review grammar, I tell my students we are making a fruit salad with sentences. The best way to have fun with grammar is to be goofy with classes.

Connect English to Life

Connecting grammar concepts to students lives is easiest (for me) with sentence structure and active and passive voice. In real life, writers mess with the best sentence structure to prove their points. Also, passive voice can be deceptive in marketing and campaigning.

Sentence structure, for instance, allows students to play with their language, with grammatical structures. In my sentence activities , I made grammar manipulatives or sentence-building pieces. Students can literally hold types of sentences, rearrange them, punctuate them, and change the structure.

I then connect this concept to life. If students understand how to present their arguments, their beliefs, their opinions, they are in a position to get what they want, whatever that is.

Many times as we rearrange and build sentences, I’ll ask students: Do you ever see yourself asking for a raise? Applying for a grant? Writing a proposal? Get students thinking ahead of how a strong understanding of language will connect to their lives now and in the future.

Play Games with Learners

Students love games and competing, so I am sure to implement different approaches. Online competitions like Kahoot or GimKit are fun, and once you have the formatting designed, you should have a tool for multiple uses. Plus, if you have students who cannot physically join the class, you can add them virtually. Finally, you can share a link with students to practice independently.

I also use grammar sorts as a racing game. Students can compete against each other for time, or they can each do a different grammar sort. When they finish, ask them to snap a picture. The group with the most correct answers wins. Since grammar sorts cover many topics, you don’t need to give every student the same one.

Another way to “play” with grammar is to color. After a series of mini lessons, give students a coloring sheet to emphasize lessons. Games work especially well in small groups.

Show Improvements

One of the best tips for teaching grammar? Show students how they have grown in understanding the English language.

Parallelism is a good area to show classes their growth. For instance, during parallelism lessons, you can discuss:

• Items in a series: Point out to how they can recognize all the nouns, predicates, or phrases in a list.
• Phrases: Show them that since they understand gerund phrases, they know how to make all phrases in a parallel situation such phrases.
• Verb voice: Explain that since they can identify active and passive voice, they can then implement active voice in their own writing.

If parallelism is too advanced, show improvement sin different ways. For instance, use the parts of speech. Demonstrate the way vocabulary words can become different parts of speech, and how classes manipulate their language. In writing, praise their sentence combining with conjunctions.

Whatever the topic, take 30 seconds and explain to students how their prior knowledge of grammar helped them to understand this current topic. Students who want to become writers or to be involved in the publishing industry should especially find connections from grammar to writing important.

Those are my six quick tips for teaching grammar—concepts often under the “language” section in standards. With a few changes, you should be able to use these English grammar tips across multiple grades in fun ways.

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What other tips for teaching grammar would you add?

grammar fun grammar help grammar ideas

33 Sure-Fire Strategies & Activities for Teaching English Grammar

Grammar… how do we teach it?

Is it just reciting monotonously from a textbook and hoping that the students are on board?

Can we make it more interactive and dare I say, even fun?

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Read on and find out yourself!

Whether you’re new to teaching English (ESL) or are just looking for new ways to keep things fresh in the classroom, there is something in this guide about teaching grammar for everyone.

After using some of these 33 strategies and activities, don’t be surprised if you’re soon being harassed by other teachers who want to know your secrets!

Why Inspiring Grammar Lessons Are So Important

7 sure-fire strategies and survival tips for your grammar lessons, 13 great games and activities to teach grammar rules, how to teach specific grammar areas, more resources for teaching english grammar.

Grammar in any language is important, that’s a fact and English grammar is no exception. Learning grammar can be no easy task and teaching it can be even harder!

There are a number of reasons that can make teaching grammar a difficult task, including fossilized errors, irregularity of verbs, plurals, etc and vast differences between English and the student’s mother tongue.

Another issue can come from the mindset of the students. If they have experienced dry, boring grammar lessons in the past then they will likely expect the same this time around.

It is important for you to break the mold and allow your great grammar lessons to captivate and inspire your ESL students to get the best results from them.

So… How do we do this?

Let’s have a look at some “survival tips” to help you and your students navigate the jungle that is English grammar.

1. Teaching Grammar in Context

One method of teaching which has had a lot of success is teaching grammar in context.

This makes sense as we created “grammar rules” as a way to make sense of the patterns that we use in the language. They are not arbitrary systems imagined out of thin air.

For this reason, it makes sense to see how these rules apply in the language.

Use different example sentences so that students can see how we can use these rules. It’s important to show why these are useful and why someone would want to use these.

It’s all well and good teaching a student the intricacies of the past perfect tense but if it hasn’t clicked in the student’s mind why they would want to use such a device then it most likely won’t get used in their active language skills.

2. Teaching Grammar Rules Inductively

Inductive teaching is a very useful tool when it comes to teaching grammar. Let’s have a look at how it works.

We start with specific examples such as sentences that all use a particular grammar point. The students then use these examples to come to their own conclusions about what the rule is.

This is in contrast with deductive teaching which starts by teaching the rule/s first and then looking at examples afterward.

This teaching style is great as it starts with a real-world example that already gives the grammar device relevance. It then forces students to engage cognitively instead of passively taking in a presentation which they may or may not be on board with.

The idea is that a student who engages in this way is more likely to understand and retain a particular point.

That being said, while this method can be very successful with some aspects of grammar which are generally straightforward (such as adjectives), there are some areas of grammar (such as articles) where it may not be as effective due to the large number of rules and irregularities that can occur.

3. Grammar Placement Testing

One thing that needs to be known before we start teaching grammar is what the students actually know.

For a class learning English as a foreign language from the very beginning, this is a lot simpler. We can somewhat assume the students are a blank slate and we just need to stick to the syllabus.

Maybe some have had some prior outside tuition and have covered certain areas, these students can be assigned harder tasks to avoid boredom but the vast majority will be at the same level.

If we are teaching one-to-one classes though, our job becomes a little more tricky. Not everyone learns grammar in a fixed order so the things a student knows can be a bit “random”.

Even if they showed you a syllabus of what they have covered, there may be some areas that require doubling back on if they have forgotten or didn’t understand properly in the first place.

How do we know which topics these are?

This is where placement testing becomes extremely useful. The student is given a test designed to test them on a variety of different grammar points. From this, the teacher is able to see where the student’s weaknesses are and use that to form a plan of what needs to be studied.

You’ll find free downloadable placement tests for different student levels here .

4. Teaching Grammar Through Writing

Writing is fundamental for teaching grammar. When explaining structure you and your students need to see what is happening in order to make sense of it.

The nice thing about practicing writing (compared to speaking) is that it gives the students time to think and work things out. You can plan worksheets beforehand to work through and these can also be used to set homework.

Browse our archive of grammar worksheets here on JIMMYESL .

5. Teaching Grammar in the Conversation

There is something to using grammar by using conversation too.

It may be worth doing this after the student has had a chance to practise with writing first to boost their confidence.

A good idea is to have a free conversation session at the end of the lesson where you can use the new grammar concept. This is more likely to have the concept “stick” when the student speaks in the language in the future.

Need ideas for conversational lessons? Here are 7 easy ESL speaking activities and a huge list of ESL conversation starters and questions .

6. Teaching Grammar to Kids vs. Adults

Teaching children and teaching adults can be two very different things!

Let’s look at some of the differences.

When teaching children , a big challenge is engagement. Expecting a class of 6-year-olds to sit still for an hour and watch you explain grammar points on a board is not realistic.

Doing activities that get them physically involved (games), mixing up activities often and using examples with things like pictures will help draw them into the subject.

Also, it’s a good idea not to drop too much on them at once. Maybe introduce the present simple tense into a class on verbs, instead of bombarding them on all of the simple tenses and their rules for a whole class.

Teaching adults with regards to grammar can sometimes be easier. Adults tend to have a little more patience and are usually ok taking their time to focus on each point without needing a new activity every few minutes or a game to liven things up.

That being said, some variety is still needed to keep them interested but there is less pressure in this area than with children.

Adult beginners will usually go along with the tasks set and will only really ask things if they don’t understand something.

Be aware though that the more advanced students can ask you a lot of background questions about a particular topic especially if they are very interested — e.g “why would we use the past perfect continuous instead of the past simple?” — so it’s a good idea to make sure you are prepared!

7. Tackling Common Grammar Mistakes

It’s important to tackle common mistakes early before they become fossilized, otherwise, it can be an uphill battle!

Here are some of the common grammar mistakes you should watch out for with your students:

• Adding “s” to noncount nouns
• Missing articles
• Improper placement of adverbs
• Subject / verb agreement

If you are teaching a particular grammar point then it is important to stop a student and correct them immediately if they make a mistake related to that grammar point.

I’ve seen students self-correct after just a few of these interruptions so it doesn’t take long!

To reinforce these points you can set homework (such as essay questions) that are designed to get the student to use the taught grammar.

Having a list of fun games and activities for your class is a necessity.

Not only will you have great material for your lesson plans but you will also feel confident knowing you have something to fall back on if things don’t go according to plan or if you start losing the students’ attention.

1. (Reverse) Taboo

Subject: Adjectives

A student has to get either the teacher or other students to guess a particular word by only using adjectives to describe what it is.

A ball – “round, bouncy”

2. Sentence Expansion

Subject: Adverbs

Write a simple sentence. Then get the student to insert an adverb.  

“He eats sandwiches.” – “He eats sandwiches noisily. ”

3. Article Drop

Subject: Articles

Take a section of a text and remove all of the articles from it. The students have to put the articles back in where they think they should go.

For a more competitive element, you could split the class into two teams who have to work together to complete the task first.

“[…] man went to […] shop and bought […] ice cream.”

Subject: Determiners

Split the students into groups and get them to ask the other group for things like “that pen” or “those sweets” etc.

“Have you seen that boy over there?”

“Do you like this pair of jeans?”

5. He/she said…

Subject: Direct and Indirect Speech

Pair students up. Have student 1 say a sentence. Get student 2 to tell us what student 1 said. Carry on from student to student.

If you are teaching one to one lessons then you could always use a scene from a movie and get the student to tell you what the actors said.

Student 1 “Yesterday I went to school.”

Student 2 “Student 1 said he went to school yesterday.” – “I want an apple.”

Student 3 “Student 2 said she wants an apple.” – “I like cats.”

6. Fact Finder

Subject: Gerunds or Present Participle

Pair students up and get them to find out five facts about the other. These facts must be made up of at least one gerund or present participle.

“Jane likes snowboarding”

“Ben is studying English”

7. I Spy With My Little Eye

Subject: Nouns

A classic for beginners. Use the phrase “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with…” followed by the first letter of a noun that is in the room. The other students have to guess what the word is.

Student 1 “I spy with my little eye something beginning with ‘a’.”

Student 2 “Is it an axe?”

Student 1 “No.”

Student 3 “Is it an apple?”

Student 1 “Yes!”

8. Voice Switch

Subject: Active and Passive Voice

Ask the students to convert a sentence from an active voice to the passive voice and vice versa.

“The man ate the cookie.” -> “The cookie was eaten by the man.”

9. Whose Is It?

Subject: Possessives

Give an object (e.g. a ball) to a student and ask the others whose it is (“his”, “Jim’s”, etc).

Repeat this a few times and then move on to splitting the class into groups so that this time it is now “theirs” / “ours” etc.

“Whose is this?”

“It is Jane’s”

“Good, and whose is this?”

“It is mine.”

10. Guess Who

Subject: Relative Clauses

You can use the classic game “guess who”. The rules are the same as the original. Each person has a collection of faces in front of them, they also have a card with one particular face on. They then each take it in turns to ask questions and find out which card the other player has.

The difference with this game is that we have to use a relative clause in our questions.

The students have a selection of faces in front of them.

They have to find out the chosen face by asking questions:

“Do they wear glasses?” – “Is it someone who wears glasses?”

11. Interview

Subject: to-Infinitives

Pair the students up and one can be the interviewer while the other can be the interviewee. The aim is to find out what the person being interviewed “likes to do”.

After they have a few answers, students swap roles. This is designed to test “to-infinitives” so make sure the students use the “to verb” format in their answers.

“What do you like to do?”

“I like to ski.”

12. Delegation

Subject: Causative Verbs

Split the students into groups of three: the boss, the boss’s assistant, and the worker. The boss needs to get the assistant to ask the worker to do a task.

Boss: “Have Student C stack the documents.”

Assistant: “Stack the documents.”

Worker: “Ok.”

Rotate this so everybody gets a turn.

You can also have the students use “get” after a few repetitions. (Make sure to explain that “get” is more casual.)

13. Simon Says

Subject: Verbs and Verb Tenses

This is a great one for getting the attention of younger learners when teaching verbs. Say the sentences “Simon says…” and then add a phrase after it such as “jump up”. The students then have to do what you say.

“Simon says ‘stand up’”

*Class stands up

“Simon says ‘sit down’”

*Class sits down

Now that we have gone over an overview of grammar overall, it’s time to look at the methods of delivery for each specific area.

It goes without saying that you need to be comfortable with whatever topic you are delivering so that you are prepared in case you get any of those “curveball questions”. These sections will look at the teaching of each topic. For the background information, there is a more in-depth resource list at the end of the article.

1. Adjectives

What are adjectives? : Describing words for nouns.

“The tall building.” / “The ball is red .” / “That car is expensive .”

Adjectives are quite straightforward. Most languages will have an equivalent so it is quite an easy concept to grasp. Getting the student/s to use the adjectives will prove very useful and will help them “stick” a bit better when they can be visualized.

More info on adjectives .

What are adverbs? : Describing words for verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.

“He suddenly woke up.” / “The car is very small.” / “She sings really well.”

Now adverbs get a little trickier. Students often struggle with getting the order of words right with adverbs. A good idea is to split the adverbs up into groups (degree, time, manner, etc) and teach each group individually before moving on to the next.

Seeing these adverbs used in context will be very useful and getting the students to identify which type of adverb is being used in a sentence will also help get them to think about their own word order.

More info on adverbs .

3. Articles

What are articles? : They tell us if a noun is specific or general.

“I have a car.” / “Do you want an apple?” / “I will take the day off work.”

Articles are a simple concept to begin with. Most students who have spent any time with the language knows that we have to use them but they do get a fair amount of misuse. More exposure to the language and seeing lots of example sentences help to see how they are used.

More info on articles .

4. Determiners

What are determiners? : Pointing words.

“I want that one.” / “Do you want these ?” / “No, I want those ones.”

These are some of the first things a student will learn on their English journey. As it is likely to be children you are teaching, it may help to be a little more interactive and use props to help engage them in the lesson.

More info on determiners .

5. Direct and Indirect Speech

What is direct and indirect speech? : Quoting speech

“He said ‘hello’.” / “She said she would text me.” / I said that yesterday.”

This is a great area to get your students interacting with each other and testing their listening skills at the same time.

More info on direct and indirect speech .

6. Gerunds and Present Participle (ing-form)

What are gerunds and the present participle? : Making nouns from verbs

“He is running down the street.” / “I am working in a school.” / “I like playing football.”

These are good to teach at the same time. As they both have the same ending it is easy for students to get the two confused.

This is where inductive teaching can play a valuable part.

Put two sentences on the board, one of these sentences uses a gerund and the other has a sentence in the continuous tense.

First, ask students if they can spot the difference. If they can’t guess it then start asking questions such as “where is the verb in this sentence?” or “where is the noun?”.

Once you’ve drawn their attention to that and explained the difference then they should be able to guess any more examples you send their way.

More info on gerunds and present participles .

What are nouns? : Names / objects.

“This is a ball .” / “Hello, my name is Tim .” / “There is a lot of information here.”

It’s very easy to explain these to beginners and nouns are some of the first words that students learn. In English there are certain rules that have to be obeyed though such as:

• Capitalization
• Singular / plural nouns
• Count vs Non-count

We can also open things up by talking about topics such as compound nouns, collective nouns as well as abstract nouns.

More info on nouns .

8. Passive Voice

What is the passive voice? : When something is done to the subject.

“The cookie was eaten.” / “The signature was forged.” / “The person was murdered.”

The passive voice is extremely useful when teaching students who are studying for things such as IELTS (that requires a high level of academic writing). It is worth setting these students essay questions for homework on a regularly basis and getting them to use the passive voice in their answers.

More info on the passive voice .

9. Possessive

What are possessives? : Belonging words.

“That is my car.”/ “This is yours .” / “The summer of love.”

For beginners we can use flashcards or the students themselves to demonstrate the possessive form and it shouldn’t take too long to grasp. The difficulty usually comes in when trying to decide where the apostrophes go in things like singular and plural nouns. For this reason it’s a good idea to teach these around the same time as singular vs plural.

More info on possessives .

10. Relative Clauses

What are relative clauses? : A clause that adds additional information to a sentence.

“I went to the place where I was born.” / “I bought a dress that looks really nice.” / “This is that person who I told you about.”

Relative clauses can be a messy area. It’s a good idea to take things slowly and lay the groundwork. First look at sentence structure, look at the differences between phrases, clauses and sentences. Once you have this locked down then you can build that and introduce relative clauses.

As you get into more technical aspects of grammar like this it is a good idea to get the students to make their own sentences using the construct. With simpler aspects of grammar it’s very easy for them to see the value in a certain point and find the motivation to use it.

When things get more difficult though they will need an extra push in seeing why it has use and why they should use a more difficult sentence structure (compared to using two separate simple sentences.)

More info on relative clauses .

11. The To-Infinitive

What are to-infinitives? : Verbs that can be used as nouns or paired with other verbs.

“I want to go .” / “He needs to do his homework.” / “She has to buy a ticket.”

When tackling the topic of to-infinitives it is most likely a good idea to bring gerunds into the mix as they can sometimes act in similar ways. Start by introducing two sentences, one using a to-infinitive and one using a gerund:

• I like skiing .
• I like to ski .

Once they have seen that you can use both in similar ways then the next obvious question is “why should we use one or the other?”. At this point you can introduce sentences where one is a preferable choice:

• I want to play football.
• I want playing football.

You can explain the situations where gerunds are prefered and situations where to-infinitives are preferred. After that you can get them to correct mistakes, choose between a gerund or to-infinitive and then finally give them scenarios where they get a chance to form their own sentences with either type of verb.

More info on to-infinitives .

12. Causative Verbs

What are causative verbs? : Making somebody else do an action.

“I had my haircut.”/ “I got Jim to fix the car.” / “I got my house cleaned.”

Causatives are usually a little more advanced but you can still have a lot of fun with them especially as there’s a lot of opportunity to get movement involved and act things out.

More info on causative verbs .

13. Verbs and Verb Tenses

What are verbs and verb tenses? : Actions and when they happen in time.

“I went to the shop.” / “I am going to the shop.” / “I will go to the shop.”

You’re going to have a much easier time explaining things like tenses with a diagram related to time. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a timeline on a board or a clock, as long as it’s something visual to point at it will make your life a lot easier.

More info on verbs and verb tenses .

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Teaching grammar creatively

Grammar teaching doesn’t need to be dull or book-bound.

With a little time and effort a grammar presentation can be made interesting and engaging; or the presentation in the coursebook can be brought to life. Do they like noticing grammatical structures? Are they motivated by communicative activities or do they prefer to reflect on language on their own?

Picture stories

These could be on IWB flipcharts, flashcards, etc. There are many ways of using picture stories (see the activity ‘ Picture stories in communicative classroom ’ for some examples). They are great for setting a context quickly and can easily be used to elicit language. You can use them in a Test Teach Test (TTT) approach, to see if you can elicit the target language (Test), then tell the students if they don’t come up with it (Teach). Pictures can be reused as a basis for writing practice (Test) after you have told the story, i.e. the students retell it either with or without support. Pictures

Use individual photos as part of a presentation, e.g. old and new photos of your home town for the present perfect. Get students to bring in their own photos and talk about them, e.g. to practise relative clauses: “This is the friend who…”. For a good source of usable, copyright-free photos go to the ELTPics flickr stream here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eltpics/sets/ Teacher monologues

Tell the students a story, in the way that you would tell some friends an anecdote, but grading the language and content much more, of course. After the students have responded in a natural way you can go back and look at some of the language you used. Many teachers find it easier to record themselves, or someone else, doing this. That way they can go back and replay a section and hear exactly the same language with exactly the same intonation. Building up a situation which will generate the language. This technique was popular back in the 1970s and is still a useful way to explain meaning clearly. The teacher introduces a situation, e.g. some friends go to a park for a picnic and thieves steal their money and phones. You can use visuals to build up the situation or just do it orally. The teacher then elicits the target language: should have + past participle, e.g. “They should have been more careful” / “They shouldn’t have put their bags behind them”. If the students don’t know the structure, you give them it. A dialogue build is another tried and tested technique for functional language (which can include new grammatical content). Again, the teacher builds up a situation and elicits, in this case the dialogue between two people, e.g. 6-8 lines in total. This can be a good way to supplement a coursebook which is weak on functional language or to introduce more teen-friendly language. Teachers usually have very specific language in mind when they do this and often use lines as cues to show how many words are needed. However, you could leave it more open and accept whatever the students produce which is appropriate. Once you have elicited the target phrases, you can write up the first letter of each word on the board as an aid to memory. Elicit and mark up the stress and intonation. Then get the students to practise the dialogue, as a class, then in pairs. With a low level you can practise the lines in pairs, then the complete dialogue. Finally, give students a copy of the complete dialogue (or re-elicit, write it on the board and get the students to copy), and focus on any grammar elements which are new. Use Cuisenaire rods to tell a story which incorporates the target grammatical structure. These are those small, coloured pieces of wood which were invented for maths classes. They are great for telling stories economically and making full use of students’ imaginations. Rods can be used for stories involving movement (e.g. traffic accidents) or when the layout of a place is important (e.g. an airport or a burglary story). Tell your story laying down the rods as you go – it’s usually best to use as few as possible. If necessary you can point to the rods to recap the story. The students can retell the story in pairs with their own selection of rods using the target language (e.g. past continuous / past simple), then invent another similar story. Cuisenaire rods are also useful for showing grammar or pronunciation patterns, e.g. 1  - give/dictate sentences and get students (in pairs) to use different colours for different parts of speech: She can swim.    white – pronoun    red – modal      green – main verb e.g. 2 – get them to use different colours for stressed / unstressed words: Can she swim?    white      white       red She can’t swim.    white      red       red She can swim, can’t she?     white      white     red      red      white Use realia to demonstrate grammar rules. For example, to show the difference between countable and uncountable nouns, bring in food and demonstrate the difference. Sweets are good for showing the difference between “Do you like…?” and “Would you like…?” Bring in your possessions to talk about, particularly ones with a story behind them, for example a piece of jewellery (“I was given this…” – passive or  “I’ve had this since/for …” – present perfect with for/since). Get students to bring in their own objects for further practice. Use authentic texts - newspaper articles, adverts, poems, songs, videos, etc can all be excellent for looking at grammar in context. Start with some kind of extensive reading or listening task before pulling out the grammar you want to look at. Teenagers will always be grateful for song videos, so tying them in with grammar tends to go down well. With a monolingual class I recently played a song video with a general task, then gave the students a small section of the song translated into their language. They had to translate into English, then listen to the song again to check (they needed several replays). Then we looked at the grammar area – informal reported speech. Using dictation – there are many different types of dictation which can be useful for grammar lessons and a good way of using a coursebook text in a different way.

Dictogloss practises many things at once: listening, note-taking, grammar, writing, speaking. Read a short text aloud to your students at natural speed. The first time is for general understanding; the second time they make notes. The students then work together in pairs or groups to recreate the text. When they have finished you can compare their texts with the original and look at important differences – this is the time to focus on the target grammar, e.g. the use of the past perfect. Wall dictations can be great fun for introducing or practising grammar. Put several copies of a short text on the wall and get students to go up to the text, remember a sentence, go back to their partner(s) and dictate the sentence for them to write down. The process continues until the text is complete. Plan your classroom management carefully, students usually run to the wall and bang into each other or desks. Use games – it’s easy to devise your own games to practise grammar. Snakes & ladders and dominoes can be made to practise whatever grammar you are focusing on. Have a template for snakes and ladders and write on one for your particular grammar area – you could include gaps for filling in the correct grammar or incorrect sentences to correct. Dominoes could be used for connecting two parts of sentences, such as conditional sentences. You can download a ‘Snakes and ladders’ game here: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/snakes-and-ladders Word hangman can be used for presenting or practising a structure. Play it as you would play spelling hangman, but the cues represent a word rather than a letter. In conclusion, we can see there are many ways of introducing and practising grammar. When deciding what kind of activities to use, bear in mind the magic “SPELL” checklist:

• S ensory – do you support learning with a variety of activity types drawing upon a range of senses?
• P ersonalise – does the activity mean anything to the students on a personal level?
• E ngage – is the activity inherently interesting, will the learners be engaged? For example, will they learn something new about the world (art, science, history, culture, etc)?
• L udic – is there a playful element? Is it fun? This could be a personal challenge to solve something or some kind of competition, depending on your students’ personalities, ages, culture, etc.
• L earning – this is the big one – will the students have a better understanding of the meaning, form or phonology (or all three) of the target language by the end of the lesson?

Obviously not all activities will include all these elements, but in any grammar activity, besides the final “ L earning” aim, it’s a good idea to include at least one of the others. By Helen Hadkins  

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Creative Ways of Teaching the Grammar Essay

Grammar entails learning rules which dictate how best to apply language and is a segment of the wide-ranging verbal communication studies known as linguistic. In order to develop a good writing skill, it requires one to appreciate the grammar set of laws though several students find it uninteresting, difficult and tedious to learn these rules.

Nevertheless, there are many ways which can be employed to different students of different ages to make it interesting and fun to study grammar. All these ways have to do with presentation that is how the subject is brought up to the students.

One of these ways is teaching grammar through use of ‘fun learning games. This is a strategy that can best be employed to students in an ESL classroom. When for instance teaching a topic on punctuation signs, a teacher may use this strategy by grouping the class into two, and take one group at a time for presentation.

Using a written sentence, the teacher will give every student in that group a particular word including all punctuation marks from that sentence which he/she should write down on a card. Then each and every student will line up with their cards in the proper order of the sentence. Subsequently the students holding the punctuation symbols will fit themselves within the sentence to fill in the punctuations appropriately.

To make this effective, the group that fits the sentence correctly will be get ten points and so on. If there is a mistake in sentence punctuation, the teacher will ask the other group to identify and correct them. If one student wrongly identifies the punctuation problem, he/she gets out for the group and the other group gets one point.

However, if he/she correctly identifies the problem, the group will be awarded two points. The process goes on till every mistake is identified or there is no one else from the opposite group who remains to give an answer or they fail to detect the mistakes.

At this point, the teach calls it “the end” of the first round, helps the students to identify the remaining mistakes if any and call for the second group which will be assigned a new sentence to present. After the competition, the group with the highest number of points will be termed as the winner which will be awarded through applauding or any other gift.

Use of rhymes and songs is another creative way of coaching grammar. Songs are useful in enhancing remembrance of learned grammar. Most importantly, they create a chance of routine classroom activities where every student gets involved in learning.

A song that holds the rule of punctuation, such as “period comes at the end of every sentence”, “comma establishes a pause”, “question mark comes after a question statement” among other verses or musicale verses will make it easier for the student to recall which punctuation mark falls where.

Use of games in grammar teaching can be considered as the best communicative activity in ESL class. This is because, the use of game helps the students to gain both knowledge as well as skills to apply and use this knowledge. Games also create an environment which encourages students to practice and internalize structure, grammar and vocabulary comprehensively.

One reason for success in this strategy is that students are more interested in playing than sitting on desks to study. In addition games do capture the attention of the students and enable them to concentrate on the subject which enables them to absorb the language, grammar and punctuations (grammar rules) subconsciously.

Through use of familiar songs to the students, teachers can eliminate their challenges in classroom. Apart from being memorable, songs are as well motivating. They will motivate students to practice more as they identify with what they like, which includes the songs they are familiar with.

Through introduction of punctuation marks within a song, and practically performing it, students will always remember the usage of these marks when they come across statements similar to one they know.

More importantly, songs are essential in development of student’s ability in verbal communication, writing, paying attention and interpretation. Songs in ESL classrooms are significant tools in encouragement of extensive and intensive listening, and inspire use of imagination and creativity in a student when it comes to writing or speaking.

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IvyPanda. (2019, November 25). Creative Ways of Teaching the Grammar. https://ivypanda.com/essays/creative-ways-of-teaching-the-grammar-essay/

"Creative Ways of Teaching the Grammar." IvyPanda , 25 Nov. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/creative-ways-of-teaching-the-grammar-essay/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'Creative Ways of Teaching the Grammar'. 25 November.

IvyPanda . 2019. "Creative Ways of Teaching the Grammar." November 25, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/creative-ways-of-teaching-the-grammar-essay/.

1. IvyPanda . "Creative Ways of Teaching the Grammar." November 25, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/creative-ways-of-teaching-the-grammar-essay/.

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IvyPanda . "Creative Ways of Teaching the Grammar." November 25, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/creative-ways-of-teaching-the-grammar-essay/.

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• “Grammar Games” on Teacher’s Corner focuses on using games for grammar practice: https://americanenglish.state.gov/resources/teachers-corner-grammar-games
• Activate: Games for Learning American English has many fun communicative grammar games: https://americanenglish.state.gov/resources/activate-games-learning-amer...
• A great way to develop practical skills for teaching grammar communicatively is through the Teaching Grammar Communicatively MOOC: https://www.aeeteacher.org/MOOC .

• “English Clubs: Introducing English to Young Learners” in English Teaching Forum https://americanenglish.state.gov/resources/english-teaching-forum-2006-...
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• The Teacher’s Corner resource “Making Grammar Fun” focuses on making grammar fun by teaching it in context: https://americanenglish.state.gov/resources/teachers-corner-making-gramm...

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This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

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The Importance of Grammar

"Grammar is the structural foundation of our abiity to express ourselves. The more we are aware of how it works, the more we can monitor the meaning and effectiveness of the way we and others use language. It can help foster precision, detect ambiguity, and exploit the richness of expression available in English."                                                                                                                   David Crystal, "In Word and Deed," TES Teacher, April 30, 2004

Grammar is not just about avoiding mistakes. Understanding how grammar works is fundamental for all writers. While it can be argued that good grammar knowledge will not necessarily make you a better writer, it is recognized that it will help make you a more effective writer. Good grammar knowledge enables you as a writer to understand what makes a piece of writing successful, so that it will capture both the interest and understanding of the reader. It helps you to know how to craft words into coherent sentences, and how to form those sentences into paragraphs that successfully convey your meaning. Punctuation is an aspect of grammar that should never be underestimated. Correctly used, it can clarify meaning while, on the other hand, lack of use can cause ambiguity. Punctuation also acts as a signposting system for the reader, indicating where to pause, and what to stress. The various sections, listed on the right hand side, provide a useful grammar overview, and will help you to enrich your writing.

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Teaching Writing to ESL/EFL Students: Tips and Activities for Any Level

• Linda D'Argenio
• August 19, 2022

Teaching writing to non-native speakers of a language presents a plethora of unique challenges and can feel overwhelming for new and seasoned teachers alike. However, teaching writing to ESL students can be dynamic and meaningful when approached with a bit of ingenuity.

If you’re new to teaching, you’ll want to get initial training and qualification with a TEFL certificate . You can explore our online TEFL courses to get started!

Why is it important to teach writing to ESL students?

In order to effectively participate as contributing members of society, individuals need to be able to communicate their thoughts in written form, whether they are using the English language as their vehicle or not.

Writing is an essential component of productive language, and ELs will need to demonstrate their ability to write in English if they hope to be competitive in a globalized world . Building competency in English-language writing supports reading comprehension, vocabulary expansion, and oral fluency , so there’s so much to be gained. And even if your students don’t plan to use the lingua franca on a regular basis, the skills gleaned from learning to write in another language transfer to all facets of life, making students more aware and more effective communicators in their native language(s) .

Teaching ESL writing aids in self-expression , which might be particularly meaningful for individuals who are hesitant to express themselves verbally. You might have the next Henry David Thoreau or Gabriel García Márquez in your class!

Why do ESL students struggle with writing?

Writing in another language is no easy feat, so it’s only natural that your ESL/ EFL students encounter difficulties when asked to do so.

First, it’s essential to recognize that writing conventions differ from one language group to another . Students from various linguistic backgrounds might declare that writing in English (particularly in an academic setting) is “boring,” something they perceive as formulaic. Often, these students come from backgrounds that value writing in a way that might seem “tangential” to native English readers.

In “Cultural thought patterns in inter-cultural education,” Robert B. Kaplan (1966) put forth a model for examining written discourse patterns, which illustrates how different thought patterns influence how speakers of other languages express themselves in written form.

You can observe that English is illustrated as being very straightforward, which aligns with the directness of spoken English. Kaplan poses here that other language groups tend to branch off in different directions in written form, pulling in supporting elements that might not be directly correlated to the main idea and that present as “off-topic” for native English speakers.

Secondly, it’s crucial to keep in mind that writing requires a vocabulary lexicon that can adequately support sharing . Often, even the most proficient English learners struggle to select the language they need to convey their point. When tackling writing instruction, make sure to consider how you’re supporting vocabulary development to support the conventions you’re teaching.

Lastly (and perhaps most importantly), writing is a form of self-expression, and self-expression through writing isn’t valued the same way in all cultures . There is a great deal of value placed on sharing one’s opinions in the U.S., for example, but this is not the reality all over the world. Some of your students might have been taught that they receive and process information, but that they are not in the position to make statements of their own or have the authority to teach others. Therefore, putting their thoughts down on paper might feel formal, high-stakes even, for your students.

What are some tips for teaching ESL writing?

Regardless of the age and proficiency level of your students, or whether you’re teaching writing in an ESL or EFL classroom, there is a myriad of strategies that you have at your disposal.

Don’t underestimate the value of conducting needs assessments

When it comes down to how to teach writing skills, even if you are teaching a group that is considered a certain proficiency level, recognize that there is always going to be a range of experience and ability present. Spend time getting to know what your students have been exposed to and in what ways before deciding on your approach. Teach to the middle to ensure no one is left behind.

Check out the following sample needs assessment to get started:

Think about how you can lower learners’ affective filters

A large portion of all successful teaching comes from relationship-building. In addition to getting a true sense of your learners’ experience and abilities, try to understand their attitudes towards writing as a process and any challenges that might be borne from those attitudes. How can you increase your students’ comfort level? How can you engage the individuals sitting in front of you?

Check out these 5 ways to build rapport with your students when teaching English.

Think about how the writing task can act as a building block for other assignments

Learning how to write in another language can be intimidating, and even more so if your students don’t enjoy writing in the first place. When wondering how to teach writing to ESL/EFL students, think about how you can integrate writing more often and more seamlessly into your lesson plans. Instead of approaching writing in isolation, teach writing skills alongside other “more engaging” activities that students tend to enjoy more. Have your students participate in role-playing and storytelling activities that require writing but don’t make writing the focus of the activity. This is your chance to be sneaky and get your students to build their writing skills without even knowing!

Present opportunities to examine authentic, written language

Providing students with examples of the target language is non-negotiable, but challenge yourself to move beyond the sample texts in your curriculum where possible. Students might feel bored by the selected works in their textbooks – they need to recognize that written language is all around them. Pull from authentic texts that cover an array of topics that you know matter to your students to keep them enticed.

Try incorporating pop culture into your ESL classroom to spice up writing activities!

Lead with function over form in instruction, and then alter your focus

Students can be discouraged to find their paper covered with red ink, highlighting their fallacies. While it is important to provide corrective feedback, consider the purpose of the assignment before marking up the composition. Was the output comprehensible? Did it touch upon everything that you asked for? Focusing on both function (the purpose of the assignment) and the accuracy in form simultaneously can feel overwhelming. Choose your objectives carefully, make them known to the learners, and provide corrective feedback accordingly .

Choose writing activities that pertain to your students’ learning goals. For example, the following clip, from a BridgeUniverse Expert Series webinar , covers how to teach Business English students to write an email in English:

Consider formative assessment and reflective strategies

Whenever possible, assess student work periodically, examining the process with various checkpoints and iterations throughout, instead of just evaluating the final product. Writing is an iterative process, and students benefit greatly when offered opportunities to reflect on their process. Create opportunities for students to participate in self- and peer-revision processes, which in turn will result in more conscientious and focused writers.

What are some ESL writing activities and lesson plans for beginners?

It can feel challenging to come up with writing activities for learners with beginner proficiency, but with proper scaffolding , writing can be inclusive and participatory.

Try group writing processes in class to get students comfortable

Writers with beginner proficiency might default to a deficit mindset, believing that writing is inaccessible for them due to a dearth of vocabulary or experience, so when you start to look at how to teach writing in the ESL/EFL classroom, your first job is to inspire confidence and get students into a growth mindset. To get them comfortable with the writing process, engage them in group writing activities.

• Choose a familiar topic (or have your students choose a topic together), and explain that you are going to “group-author” a paragraph.
• Have the students share what they know about the topic, and you, as the teacher, act as the scribe, jotting down their thoughts in a central location.
• Continue gathering their ideas until everyone has shared, remembering to emphasize that this is a process and that there is no wrong contribution.
• Examine the individual contributions and note overlap: How can a few thoughts be grouped together? In the process, ask students to elaborate on what they meant and provide examples.
• Organize these preliminary thoughts to the best of your ability, involving the students and getting them to notice organizational structures and decipher between the main idea and details.
• After celebrating what you can refer to as the “first draft,” provide specific and limited ways to improve the piece. Did they include everything they thought was relevant to the topic? Could the paragraph benefit from additional cohesive devices? Do the subjects and verbs agree? Provide ample support in the form of examples, formulas, and sentence frames alongside the piece. Invite students to examine the paragraph and seek out these common mistakes (in partners or individually).
• Create your “final draft” together, and ensure that it’s displayed prominently in the space.

By engaging them in the writing process in this way, you are instilling habits that will aid them in writing autonomously when the time comes.

Make the most of brainstorming – both individually and with others

Have you ever had students tell you that they don’t know what to write? Students, particularly those at the beginner level, need ample time to think about the content before diving into the actual writing process . Emphasize the importance of brainstorming as a way to collect their thoughts and aid them in their writing. Engage students in different kinds of brainstorming activities, going beyond “write down what comes to mind.”

Consider Think-Pair-Share as a framework for brainstorming, where students take time to think independently about the topic, share their ideas with their peers, and then share aloud to a larger group. Typically, the sharing is done orally, but you could also consider the independent writing portion of the activity as “sharing” with a larger audience, just in written form.

What are some ESL writing activities and lesson plans for intermediate and advanced students?

Facilitate a two-way journal experience with your students.

Create a way for individual students to exchange their ideas with you in an informal way with a two-way journal . Have the students maintain a writing journal that you periodically collect to write comments and ask questions. The objective of this exchange is not to formally evaluate your students’ writing, but to gather intel about your students’ progress and connect with them as individuals. Within these exchanges, not only are you building and sustaining rapport, but you are also augmenting critical thinking and meta-cognitive skills with strategies like noticing and annotation.

Cultivate peer revision routines

Learning to write in a non-native language is as much a social process as it is a cognitive process. Involving students in peer revision activities can be incredibly beneficial in that students can learn from their peers (potentially those who are stronger writers than themselves) and develop the ability to think more critically about their own writing. While getting students to effectively participate in peer revision activities requires a lot of frontloading and the establishing of routine, it is the gift that keeps on giving. If you’re interested in facilitating peer revision with your students, consider the following as general guidelines:

• Start by determining your focus for the activity. What are you asking the students to do? Make it clear to the students what you’re looking for, and provide supports that they can use in the process (e.g., a checklist or rubric).
• Demonstrate how students would use the rubric, and go through the revision process as a group.
• Provide sample pieces to examine, and engage the students in discussion around the samples.
• Make sure that students are aware of what is considered appropriate and useful feedback through modeling. Have them practice, and give them feedback on their feedback.
• Monitor the peer review sessions and jump in as needed, ensuring the quality of feedback for all involved parties.
• Reflect on the peer feedback activity in whole-group format, asking students to share what they got from reading their peers’ work, defining areas that they excelled in and areas for improvement.

Timed writing

Once your students feel comfortable with the writing process and the structure at hand, consider different contexts that they’ll be writing in. Perhaps they are planning to take the TOEFL or the Pearson Test of English (PTE) and hope to study abroad, or maybe they’re about to enter the workforce and work collaboratively with others.

In either case, your students will need to demonstrate their ability to communicate their ideas in written form while adhering to time constraints . Plan timed writing activities for your students on a variety of topics and with different parameters. In a standardized test prep context, have students write under the same conditions as the test that they’re preparing to sit for.

Take a Micro-credential course in Teaching TOEFL Test Prep or Teaching PTE Test Prep to help students ace these high-stakes exams.

In a workforce development setting, illustrate a scenario in which an email from management warrants an urgent (and polished) response. In either context, examine the output and discuss strategies that the students used. Student output from timed activities provides fertile ground for examining accuracy in form. Walk students through noticing activities, and challenge them to remember their tendencies in subsequent timed writing tasks.

Teaching writing to ESL/EFL students requires commitment and perhaps a bit of innovation on the part of the teacher, but if done well, it can prove immensely useful in a globalized world, aiding individuals in self-expression and beyond.

In addition to writing, there’s another subject that can sometimes fill teachers with dread: grammar! Here are 7 simple strategies for teaching grammar to English language learners , so you can tackle this topic with confidence .

Linda D'Argenio

Linda D'Argenio is a native of Naples, Italy. She is a world language teacher (English, Italian, and Mandarin Chinese,) translator, and writer. She has studied and worked in Italy, Germany, China, and the U.S. In 2003, Linda earned her doctoral degree in Classical Chinese Literature from Columbia University. She has taught students at both the school and college levels. Linda lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Teaching Connections

Advancing discussions about teaching, who’s afraid of academic writing a reflective essay on dispelling anxiety and fear in an academic writing course.

WONG Jock Onn Centre for English Language Communication (CELC)

Jock Onn considers how educators can apply an ethics of care in their teaching, as he takes us through survey findings on students’ perspectives towards academic writing, particularly the emotions they associate with this activity and the challenges they face.

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

I had previously spent many semesters in my teaching practice developing methods that I thought would help students excel in academic writing. It did not matter to me at the time that student feedback told me that my coursework was demanding; I took it to mean that I was on the right track (Wong, 2023a). It was only in recent years that I realised the need to show more care in my teaching (Wong, 2023b). Last year, amazingly, for the first time, the word ‘care’ appeared in my student feedback. A student wrote, “Dr Wong displays care for his students…” Realising the importance of care, I decided to find out why students need care and conducted a simple Google survey (entitled “Attitudes Towards Academic Writing”) last semester with my three classes. I asked them to make known the emotions they associate with academic writing, write qualitative comments on their answers, and tell me what challenges they face. I received 41 responses, and the survey yielded some tentative but interesting findings.

The survey asked, “Which of the following emotions do you associate with academic writing?” As shown in Table 1, over 50% of the students associated academic writing with fear and anxiety. Slightly over a quarter associated it with a rather positive feeling (26.8%) and only a very small percentage (4.9%) associated it with something very positive. The fact that over half of the respondents associated academic writing with fear (53.7%) and anxiety (63.4%) was a surprise to me. Fortunately, less than 10% hated academic writing.

Students also gave qualitative comments on why they experienced fear and anxiety in academic writing. Some indicated that they had insufficient linguistic knowledge, including the vocabulary and skills to write academically. A few even claimed that they did not know what academic writing entails. Other respondents indicated a lack of confidence. For example, a student wrote that knowing that their work is being graded caused anxiety. Several students attributed their anxiety to uncertainty and a lack of confidence in academic writing. In some cases, fear or anxiety was a result of bad experiences in junior college (JC). A student recounted their JC experience, when they had to produce an essay in three hours, causing their brain and hand to hurt.

The survey further asked respondents to tick the problems they face in academic writing from a list. Table 2 shows that the top three problems students face in academic writing have to do with not knowing what constitutes academic writing, not having enough ideas, and sentence cohesion . More than half of the students said that they did not know how to write academically (58.5%) and did not have enough ideas for writing (51.2%). Also, over 30% of respondents had problems with the introduction (‘don’t know how to start’) (36.6%), and grammar (34.1%).

Table 2 Problems that students face (in decreasing order of importance)

Anxiety is said to be “one of the critical individual affective factors in the process of learning a second language or a foreign language” (He et al., 2021, p. 1). Presumably, the same could be said of the process of learning academic writing. Anxiety, as studies suggest, is linked to “avoidance of the feared situation and loss of motivation to perform”, which could adversely affect retention (England et al., 2017, p. 2/17). Student anxiety and fear can ultimately affect language performance (Soriano & Co, 2022, p. 450). Thus, dispelling anxiety and fear among students is a pedagogic imperative.   

To dispel anxiety and fear, one would benefit from understanding what they mean. I believe most of us do. However, two co-authors offer an interesting perspective. According to Kastrup and Mallow (2016), fear “deals with things of which there is good reason to be afraid”, whereas anxiety means “being scared of something that is not intrinsically fearful” (pp. 3-1). Although Kastrup and Mallow (2016) speak in the context of science, their definitions seem to make general sense. As educators, we recognise that while some student concerns are practical in nature (e.g., they do not know the rules), others seem to be psychological. The solution to practical concerns could be addressed in a more straightforward fashion by using sound teaching methods; however, psychological barriers may require a different approach.

My proposed way of addressing the psychological challenge is to replace the bad experiences with pleasant ones. As Cook (2021) puts it, teachers “must provide instructor presence by providing a positive education experience for students” and give them “a sense of belonging” (p. 136). The teacher can achieve this by creating a positive learning experience through an ethic of care (Noddings, 2012). The teacher can display “empathic concern” (Patel, 2023) by acknowledging student perspectives in class, using inclusive languages, encouraging open communication, and accommodating student needs (p. 64). The teacher can create “a safe learning environment” by establishing “rules of engagement” and encouraging students to “explain their answers” in class without labelling the answers as “wrong” or “incorrect” (Teo, 2023, p. 79). After all, “harsh criticisms” can impede learning (Soriano & Co, 2022, p. 452), whereas positive feedback can alleviate anxiety (He et al., 2021). A student recently gave feedback that I often asked them whether they understood what I had taught, and this suggests that checking for understanding regularly is reassuring. To this end, the teacher could use ungraded quizzes, which do not cause student anxiety (England et al., 2017). There are many other things a teacher could do in this vein to help address such psychological learning barriers (Harvard Medical School, 2017; Abigail, 2019).

To maximise student learning, the teacher plays a big role, a role much bigger than I had previously thought—the teacher has a responsibility to dispel fear and anxiety among students. I agree with Kastrup and Mallow (2016) that it is the teachers “who most affect the anxiety (or lack thereof) of the students” (pp. 3-12). I would now say that what makes an excellent teacher is not just the use of time-tested teaching methods but also a capacity to care (Wong, 2023b). Thus, for me, the obvious way forward is to ‘integrate care in higher education’ by ‘teaching with heart’ (Holles, 2023, p. 18).

Abigail, H. (2019, March 5). Tips to beat back writing anxiety . Retrieved from IUPUI University Writing Center Blog: https://liberalarts.iupui.edu/programs/uwc/tips-to-beat-back-writing-anxiety/

Cook, M. (2021). Students’ perceptions of interactions from instructor presence, cognitive presence, and social presence in online lessons. International Journal of TESOL Studies (Special Issue “ELT in the Time of the Coronavirus 2020”, Part 3), 3 (1), 134-161. https://doi.org/10.46451/ijts.2021.03.03

England, B. J., Brigati, J. R., & Schussler, E. E. (2017, August 3). Student anxiety in introductory biology classrooms: Perceptions about active learning and persistence in the major. PLoS One, 12 (8), e0182506. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0182506

Harvard Medical School. (2017, October 13). Write your anxieties away . Retrieved from Harvard Health Blog: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/write-your-anxieties-away-2017101312551

He, X., Zhou, D., & Zhang, X. (2021, July-September). An empirical study on Chinese University students’ English Language classroom anxiety with the idiodynamic approach. Sage Open, 11 (3), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211037676

Holles, C. (2023). Faculty-student interaction and well-being: The call for care. International Journal of TESOL Studies, 5 (3), 7-20. https://doi.org/10.58304/ijts.20230302

Kastrup, H., & Mallow, J. V. (2016). Student Attitudes, Student Anxieties, and How to Address Them: A Handbook for Science Teachers. Morgan & Claypool Publishers. https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/978-1-6817-4265-6

Noddings, N. (2012). The caring relation in teaching. Oxford Review of Education, 38 (6), 771-81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2012.745047

Patel, S. N. (2023). Empathetic and dialogic interactions: Modelling intellectual Empathy and communicating care. International Journal of TESOL Studies, 3 , 51-70. https://doi.org/10.58304/ijts.20230305

Soriano, R. M., & Co, A. G. (2022, March). Voices from within: Students’ lived experiences on English language anxiety. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 11 (1), 449-58. http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v11i1.21898

Teo, C. (2023). Beyond academic grades: Reflections on my care for university students’ holistic development in Singapore. International Journal of TESOL Studies, 5 (3), 71-83. https://doi.org/10.58304/ijts.20230306

Wong, J. (2023a, March 29). When angels fall: The plight of an ambitious educator. Teaching Connections: Advancing Discussions about Teaching . Retrieved from https://blog.nus.edu.sg/teachingconnections/2023/03/29/when-angels-fall-the-plight-of-an-ambitious-educator/

Wong, J. (2023b). What completes an excellent teacher? Care in higher education English language teaching. International Journal of TESOL Studies2, 5 (3), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.58304/ijts.20230301