Sharing Good Practice
Teaching English Grammar to 2nd
Language Learners (Do’s and Don’ts)
By Melissa Monney
be used, conjugated or interpreted
based on context.
Allow for “teachable
moments”
Aside from direct teaching, teachers
should allow every opportunity to be
a “teachable moment.” Teachable
moments can occur anywhere from the
classroom to the hallways or cafeteria.
An example could be; a student makes
a grammatical error, the teacher can
use this as an opportunity to not only
correct the mistake but also seize the
opportunity to teach a mini lesson
based on the mistake.
Do NOT allow “fossilization” to
occur
"By learning you will teach; by
teaching you will understand."
- Latin Proverb
T
eaching and learning English
have become a worldwide
phenomenon, many countries
have moved towards educating
their population in what is said to be
the “lingua franca” of the 21st century,
English. Teaching English can be quite
challenging, especially if the student’s
mother tongue varies significantly in
grammatical structure, as is the case
with most non-Romance languages.
Below are a few points to consider
when teaching English grammar to 2nd
language learners.
DO teach language structure
The structure (or as linguist like to
call it, syntax) of a language is key in
conveying the appropriate message.
Many schools have removed teaching
grammar in English classes; however,
grammar is part of the foundation of
learning English. Teaching syntax does
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not have to be as boring as memorizing
rules, but could be incorporated into
other activities.
Teach idiomatic expressions
As
English
language
learners
grow in their linguistic awareness,
understanding subtle nuances in
the language is fundamental in
communicating. Learning to “read
in between the lines” could