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James Stubbs

Avda Carabanchel Alto 68 Bajo28044 MADRIDSPAINTel. (+34) 915 08 14 53

STICKY GRAMMAR!Making Grammar Teaching Really Work For All Learners

How can we get pupils of all levels and abilities, whether in setted groups or all in together in a mixed-ability class, to be able to speak spontaneously, fluently and accurately in the target language? Whilst there are no magic answers, this session will give you an introduction to an approach which combines classroom routines and content (topic) language as a springboard to exploring grammar through the medium of the foreign language, which recognises the differences that exist between how the learners in our classrooms access, retain and recall language.

Outline  of  the  Session

✦    Where  are  we  trying  to  get  to?                    Skills  &  Language

✦    Walking  backwards                    Integrating  classroom  routines                    Identifying  stumbling  blocks

✦    comSIMPLEplexity                    Learning  styles

An

inductive,

multi-sensory,

mixed-ability,

target-language approach!

Presented by James Stubbs

©  James  Stubbs  2011

Web: www.JamesStubbsLanguages.co.uk

E-mail: info@JamesStubbsLanguages.co.uk

Blog: http://jamesstubbs.wordpress.com

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Getting Started With Routines

For  a  little  extra  help:

• Visit  http://jamesstubbs.wordpress.com

• See  Chapter  5  of  Something  to  Say

• See  Volume  2  of  Teaching  Grammar  Through  

The  Target  Language:  Mission  Impossible?  

(Grammar  &  Classroom  Interaction)

Where  are  we  trying  to  get  to?

Pupils  should  be  able  to:

• Write  a  letter

• to  a  shop

• to  complain  about  faulty  goods  and  to  

demand  action

• use  IOPs  correctly  (position,  gender)

• use  PDOs  with  agreement  for  number  &  

gender  in  the  perfect  tense

VISIT WWW.JAMESSTUBBSLANGUAGES.CO.UK TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MY DVD METHODOLOGY RESOURCES FOR MFL TEACHERSVISIT WWW.JAMESSTUBBSLANGUAGES.CO.UK TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MY DVD METHODOLOGY RESOURCES FOR MFL TEACHERSVISIT WWW.JAMESSTUBBSLANGUAGES.CO.UK TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MY DVD METHODOLOGY RESOURCES FOR MFL TEACHERS

Chapter  5  of  Something  to  Say,  by  James  Burch,  Jane  Darcy,  Vee  Harris  &  Barry  Jones  (CiLT,  2001)  has  a  full  description  of  James’  register  routines  &  forfeit  routines

Objectives

Monsieur,

Je  vous  écris  pour  faire  une  

réclamation.    Le  jour  de  Noël  mes  

parents  m’ont  offert  un  pull  noir  en  

laine,  mais  quand  je  l’ai  ouvert,  il  y  avait  

un  grand  trou!    Je  l’ai  rapporté  au  

magasin.    Pour  mes  parents,  je  leur  ai  

offert  des  CDs,  mais  quand  ils  les  ont  

ouverts,  les  deux  CDs  étaient  cassés.    Je  

les  ai  rapportés  au  magasin  aussi.    Mon  

frère  m’a  offert  des  chaussettes,  mais  

quand  je  les  ai  ouvertes  j’ai  trouvé  

encore  un  problème.    Elles  étaient  

déchirées.    Bien  sûr,  je  les  ai  

rapportées  au  magasin  avec  les  

autres  cadeaux.    J’ai  parlé  avec  le  

serveur.    Je  lui  ai  dit,  ≪Voici  les  

problèmes≫,  mais  il  m’a  dit,  ≪Je  

suis  désolé,  je  ne  peux  rien  faire,  tant  

pis≫.    Ça  ne  suffit  pas!    Je  voudrais  me  

faire  rembourser.

Salutations,  …

©  James  Stubbs  2011

Writing activities on

TAPSense of Text

Sense of Audience

Sense of Purpose

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Pupils  should  be  able  to:use  indirect  object  pronouns  correctly  (position,  gender)(to  me/to  him/to  her/to  us/to  them)

Classroom routines

Before  we’ve  got  anywhere  near  the  

unit  in  which  pupils  need  to  use  indirect  

object  pronouns  in  a  piece  of  work  we  

can  get  them  into  a  wide  range  of  

routines.    The  wider,  the  better,  as  the  

different  contexts  and  situations  will  

help  to  reinforce  comprehension  and  

consolidate  the  sense  of  pattern.    It  also  

helps  significantly  if  these  are  introduced    

well  in  advance  of  the  unit  so  that  there  

is  nothing  new  here.    It  will  also  help  to  

reduce  any  confusion  with  direct  object  

pronouns,  which  are  new  in  this  unit.    It  is  

possible  to  introduce  indirect  objects  in  

routines  such  as  these:

• Voulez-­‐vous  nous  donner  un  point  ?

• Voulez-­‐vous  mieux  nous  expliquer  l’activité  ?

• Tu  m’as  parlé  en  anglais  !• Tu  nous  as  parlé  en  anglais  !    Veux-­‐tu  nous  répéter  en  français  ce  que  tu  as  dit  en  anglais  ?

• Veux-­‐tu  nous  expliquer  pourquoi  tu  es  en  retard  ?

• Veux-­‐tu  lui  expliquer  pourquoi  tu  es  en  retard  ?

• Vous  devez  surveiller  les  autres  et  il  faut  leur  dire  ≪éliminé  !≫

• MR  DP  DP  DP  ROTÉE

Pupils  should  be  able  to:use  direct  object  pronouns  with  agreement  for  number  and  gender  in  the  perfect  tense

Success  depends  on:

• Knowing  the  vocabulary

• Knowing  the  gender  of  that  

vocabulary

• Using  past  participles  with  clear  

masc./fem.  pronunciation  distinctions  

(ouvert  /  ouverte)

• Distinguishing  between  je  l’ai  /  je  les  

ai…

comSIMPLEplexity

The  term  refers  to  a  situation  in  

which  you  teach  apparently  simple  

language  but  in  a  way  which  allows  you  

to  teach  complex  language  and  

structures  around  it.    In  the  example  in  

this  session,  the  focus  appears  to  be  on  

learning  the  vocabulary  for  Christmas  

presents.    This  is  essentially  very  simple  

language  and  it  could  be  done  in  a  

matter  of  minutes.    Some  teachers  

would  be  happy  giving  out  a  vocabulary  

list  and  expecting  pupils  just  to  learn  the  

words.    However,  teaching  something  so  

simple  gives  us  an  opportunity  to  teach  

something  very  complex  around  it.    In  

reality  we  focus  on  both  the  simple  and  

the  complex,  but  with  the  sequence  

broken  down  into  small  pieces  and  only  

dealing  with  one  thing  at  a  time,  even  

groups  which  would  be  expected  to  use  

only  a  very  basic  level  of  language  are  

able  to  cope  with  it.    For  more  on  

comSIMPLEplexity,  see  http://

jamesstubbs.wordpress.com

Walking Backwards

comSIMPLEplexity - Sequence

a.Slow-­‐reveal  with  paraphrase  

&  mimes  (VAK)  1-­‐3

b.Song  between  each  item  of  

vocabulary

c.Memory  test  1-­‐3  >  Race  read  

with  mimes

d.Repeat  sequence  (a-­‐b)  for  

4-­‐6

e.Charades

f.Repeat  sequence  (a-­‐b,  e)  for  

7-­‐9

g.20  clues

h.Repeat  sequence  (a-­‐c)  for  

10-­‐12

i.20  questions

j.Whole  song

©  James  Stubbs  2011

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Occasionally  people  ask  

whether  teaching  in  the  target  

language  is  possible  with  KS4  classes.    

They  can  see  how  it  could  be  possible  

with  KS3,  where  pupils  are  young  and  

keen  and  they  will  engage  in  fun  

activities  and  the  language  is  very  

simple.    They  can  also  see  how  it  is  

desirable  in  KS5,  where  the  level  of  the  

pupils  is  generally  good  and  pupils  are  

there  because  they  have  chosen  the  

subject  and  have  their  eyes  on  their  

final  grade.        They  may  have  

reservations  about  whether  grammar  

can  be  taught  in  the  target  language,  

but  in  principle,  target-­‐language  seems  

a  good  idea.    But  what  about  those  in  

between?    Isn’t  it  difficult  where  there  

is  a  wide  range  of  ability  or  prior  

attainment  in  the  class,  or  a  wide  range  

of  motivation?    Would  they  

really  engage  in  routines  and  

activities  where  they  are  

expected  to  make  an  effort?

Hopefully  this  session  will  

have  shown  you  that,  

although  there  are  easier  ways  

to  teach,  the  approach  you  

have  seen  is  effective  and  it  

really  can  be  used  to  teach  

more  complex  structures    in  

a  way  which  allows  pupils  of  

all  learning  styles  to  access,  

retain  and  recall  the  language.

Of  course,  if  this  approach  represents  a  

radical  change  in  your  teaching  

method,  it  will  take  a  little  time  to  take  

root,  but  one  of  the  many  significant  

advantages  of  this  approach  is  that  it  

gets  easier  with  classes  as  you  go  

along.    The  more  language  they  know  

well  and  can  use,  the  more  they  will  

remember.    The  more  opportunities  

they  have  to  be  spontaneous  in  the  

classroom,  the  more  confidence  they  

will  develop  to  have  a  go,  to  dare  to  

speak,  to  express  what  they  want  to  

say.    The  more  pairwork  they  engage  

in,  the  more  intensive  it  feels  for  them,  

and  the  more  opportunities  they  have  

to  speak,  and  the  more  securely  and  

lastingly  they  remember  the  language,  

and  the  more  you  get  to  step  back  from  

the  lesson  and  take  a  breather,  as  the  

pupils  work  harder  than  you!    

If  you  would  like  to  look  further  into  

target-­‐language  teaching  for  mixed-­‐  

ability  classes  at  KS4,  take  a  look  at  ‘I’m  

an  A*  Student,  Get  Me  Out  Of  Here!’.    

And  if  you  want  to  explore  the  whole  

area  of  teaching  grammar  

communicatively  without  using  

English,  you  can  also  get  hold  of  

‘Teaching  Grammar  Through  The  

Target  Language:  Mission  Impossible?’.    

Both  3-­‐DVD  sets  are  available  from  

www.JamesStubbsLanguages.co.uk

Getting Started• Consider  using  a  planner  where  you  

have  on  one  page  all  of  the  lessons  of  

the  week  for  one  class

• Remember  to  write  in  which  classes  

need  to  be  quiet  ones  so  that  you  

pace  yourself

• Don’t  try  too  much  at  once

• Try  using  the  same  activity/technique  

with  as  many  classes  as  possible  in  

the  same  week

• Use  pairwork  as  much  as  possible

• Plan  an  easy-­‐on-­‐yourself  day  once  in  

a  while

• Observe  and  support  each  other

• Allow  yourself  to  make  mistakes!

Target-Language Teaching at KS4

Preceding Direct Objects -

Sequence

a.Present  &  repeat  new  

vocabulary  with  language  of  

speculation,  VAK  strategies,  

contextualising  phrase

b.Set  homework

c.Gender  Walls:  masculine  

singular  nouns  only  with  

contextualising  phrase

d.Gender  Walls:  masculine  &  

feminine  nouns,  singular  

only.    Response:  un  /  une

e.Repeat  (d).    Response:  

quand  je  l’ai  ouvert  /  ouverte

f.Gender  Walls:  masculine  &  

feminine,  singular  &  plural

g.Correct/incorrect  sentences

h.Introduce  problems

i.Sentence-­‐construction  game

Always keep it VAK!

©  James  Stubbs  2011