Creating Learning Partners: A facilitator’s guide for training effective adult literacy tutors

Activity D

Teaching strategies

This activity looks at the different ways that tutors can approach grammar instruction.

Talk
Materials and equipment Handout 12.19: Parts of Speech Preparation Copy handout. STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS Cover the following concepts: Tutors teach grammar in different ways. Some teach points as they come up in the course of a lesson or conversation. Others formally teach a point and then tie it in with the lessons. Some teach rules first. Others provide examples and then assist the learner to discover a rule to be written in the learner’s own words. Some teachers use grammatical terms. Others avoid the terms. The way you approach grammar will depend on your learner’s expectations, previous educational experience and learning style. To get this kind of information, make observations during lessons and ask your learner, if possible, about his previous language learning experiences. Many learners have received formal grammar instruction and will expect the same from you with formal exercises from a grammar book and formal terminology. Others will not have the educational background to understand grammar terms. Some prefer to find out rules for themselves and others may want the rules upfront. Grammar builds a lot on previous knowledge. Check out grammar texts for an idea of grammar teaching sequences. They are also full of many drills and other exercises. Grammar elements should be connected to the learner’s needs and other speaking and writing parts of the lessons. Hand out Parts of Speech. Ask tutors to hang on to this handout to use as a reference if they have learners who want grammar terms for parts of speech. This sheet will give them the basic terms.

Talk

Materials and equipment

Handout 12.19: Parts of Speech

Preparation

Copy handout.

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

Cover the following concepts:
- Tutors teach grammar in different ways.
- Some teach points as they come up in the course of a lesson or conversation. Others formally teach a point and then tie it in with the lessons.
- Some teach rules first. Others provide examples and then assist the learner to discover a rule to be written in the learner’s own words.
- Some teachers use grammatical terms. Others avoid the terms.
- The way you approach grammar will depend on your learner’s expectations, previous educational experience and learning style. To get this kind of information, make observations during lessons and ask your learner, if possible, about his previous language learning experiences.
- Many learners have received formal grammar instruction and will expect the same from you with formal exercises from a grammar book and formal terminology. Others will not have the educational background to understand grammar terms. Some prefer to find out rules for themselves and others may want the rules upfront.
- Grammar builds a lot on previous knowledge. Check out grammar texts for an idea of grammar teaching sequences. They are also full of many drills and other exercises.
- Grammar elements should be connected to the learner’s needs and other speaking and writing parts of the lessons.
Hand out Parts of Speech. Ask tutors to hang on to this handout to use as a reference if they have learners who want grammar terms for parts of speech. This sheet will give them the basic terms.