MFL teaching aids: Asking effective questions - grammar building blocks (KS3)

Effective grammar teaching

is really really important.

In our time-limited context in the classroom,

it's really important

that we teach the grammar elements

and that we teach them explicitly.

Through teaching these

grammar elements in this way,

students make far more progress

in the classroom by speaking, writing,

and also recognising grammar principles

through reading and listening.

There are some really successful strategies

that we can use to insure

that grammar is taught effectively.

Number one, make sure

that your grammar explanation

is short, succinct

and using English.

Now we're going to look at using the verb

'to do' and 'to make'

which is the verb that we've seen before.

And we've used the verb 'to do'

and 'to make' before.

So let's remind ourselves

of what this verb is and how it works.

When getting students to practise

the grammar points,

make sure that you pick a pair

of contrasting features

for them to practise with.

Make sure that if you're teaching a verb

for example you don't teach

the whole paradigm at once.

Just pick perhaps the infinitive

and the third person

or perhaps the first person and the second person.

It doesn't matter in what order

you get them to practise that grammar point,

but as long as they're just practising

two contrasting features.

So, we're going to be using the verb 'faire'

which in English means 'to do'

or 'to make', or 'doing', or 'making'.

So two meanings there that we can use it for.

We could also use it to say

'does' or 'makes'

or 'is doing' or 'is making'

by saying 'fait'.

So it's the shorten version.

And we might use that with a 'he' or 'she'.

So 'he' or 'she does' or 'makes'

or 'is doing' or 'is making'.

By doing this, this avoids cognitive overload.

So just targeting two points, two forms of a verb

is much much more effective.

The third point is making sure that grammar

is essential to complete the task.

So when setting activities for students,

it's making sure that

the grammar feature is isolated

and the students have to complete

that particular grammar feature,

in order to be successful in a task.

It's important first that tasks are set

which require students to listen to

and to read the language,

and that these are set

before their productive tasks

of writing and speaking.

Can you work out what this sentence

is saying and rewrite it?

This ensures that students are much more familiar

with the vocabulary and the grammar

prior to having to use it and produce the language.

Finally, it's really important the students

revisit this knowledge

and they practise these grammar points

at interspaced times and interspaced points

within a scheme of work.

They should revisit different grammar points

in a variety of different contexts,

not just, for example, talking about holiday

and using the past tense in this context.

Take it in turns to ask your partner,

'who does' different activities.

So, verbs are best taught initially

by teaching the infinitive

and one short stem form of the verb.

So perhaps that could be the infinitive

and the third person for example.

Those can then be practised in context

as an isolated pair of features,

but it's important that

the infinitive is taught first,

so the students understand and grasp

the meaning of that verb straight away.

Verbs and vocabulary in general

is best set as homework,

so that through flipped learning,

students then come into the classroom

and apply their learning

and that vocabulary and those verbs

in context straight away

and complete a number of different activities.

When teaching forms of verbs,

it's important not to teach

all different types of verbs at the same time.

So for example in French,

it's best not to teach '-er'

'-ir' and '-re' verbs all at the same time

when teaching the present tense for example.

Best just to stick with one of those types of verbs.

Can you see if you can write out the sentence again,

in French underneath on your sheets?

So we'd write in French: 'il fait la cuisine'.

Ok, right. Off you go then.

'Trois, deux, un, allons-y'.