Stages of an English Lesson: Grammar Lesson Lead-in

Jul 2, 2024

Stages of an English Lesson: Grammar Lesson Lead-in

Presenter

  • Biana Vonssil
  • 25 years of experience as a teacher trainer and CELTA tutor

Series Overview

  • Purpose: Clarify stages of different lesson types
  • Focus: Aims and importance of each stage
  • Part One: Stages of a Grammar Lesson
  • First Video: Focus on the first stage (Lead-in)

Lead-in Stage

Four Important Ingredients:

  1. Set the context
  2. Gauge students' interest in the topic
  3. Diagnose the knowledge of the grammar
  4. Make it work as a warmer for the class

Common Issues Observed:

  • Setting the context and using visuals/videos is often well-handled.
  • Problems with using the lead-in as a warmer and diagnosing students' knowledge of the grammar.

Using the Lead-In as a Warm-Up:

  • Common Method: Whole class discussions
    • Issue: Not effective for individual speaking time; stronger students dominate.
  • Solution: Pair or group work
    • Benefits: Maximizes student interaction and engages all students equally.

Diagnosing Students' Knowledge of Grammar:

  • Common Method: Teacher tells an anecdote using the target grammar.
    • Issue: Students may only parrot the teacher's grammatical structure.
  • Better Method: Engage students in activities that naturally use target grammar
    • Example: Describe differences between past and present activities to practice using 'used to' structure.

Example Activity for Diagnosing Grammar:

  1. Show a picture comparing the same person in different life stages (e.g., student vs. adult).
  2. Ask if the person's life is the same in both pictures (Expect answers indicating differences).
  3. Students discuss in pairs/groups how their current life differs from when they were in school.
  • Target Language: 'Used to' (e.g., "I used to study more," "I didn't use to worry about money").

Benefits of Example Activity:

  • Facilitates natural use of target grammar.
  • Teacher can monitor and assess students' current understanding.
  • Allows adjustments for subsequent grammar clarification stage.

Tips for Effective Lead-ins

  • Do not use the target grammar before the students get engaged.
  • Avoid correcting grammar during diagnostic activities.
  • Monitor and gather insights for tailoring subsequent lessons.

Next Video Preview

  • Part Two: How to clarify grammar effectively.