How to teach langguage focus in grade 8 effectively

A INTRODUCTION I.REASONS OF CHOOSING THE TOPIC In the development of a powerful information technology today, English has truly become an international language It plays an important role in the fields of development of society in general,and in particular with education Nowadays,there are many countries in the world use English in teaching in schools as well as in daily communication English is the most important media in many countries in the world.Besides, English is the official language of forty five countries.Therefore, accessing to and mastering English is very urgent in the industrialization and modernization of the country Teaching grammar is an essential part of school education Without good grammar, spoken or written words lose much of their meaning and most of their value Grammar is a very important thing to get right, and teachers should take extra care to impart proper grammar to all their students Sadly, grammar is often seen as a difficult and boring subject and one popular method of teaching is to just repeat the correct grammar for a certain situation over and over until it is memorised and able to be repeated, like a parrot This is dull for both teachers and students, and often only results in the students being able to repeat what they have learned, rather than resulting in a complete understanding that can be applied to all situations.Therefore, students will forget what they have learned after a short time In secondary school programs in general and in grade program in particular, Language focus period is considered as a grammar period Because of its difficulty and boredom, more and more students don't want to study it That concerns many teachers And I do, too I wornder how to teach Language focus efectively In order to teach language focus effectively, for me, teachers should choose the methods and techniques which are suitable for the aims of the lesson as well as teachers need to explain how important the grammar is to students As I mentioned above, Language focus is a boring class, so teachers need attract students' attention , make joyful atmosphere and promote their active activities By this way, students can remember deeply and apply easily what they learned to exercises Over the years to apply innovative methods in teaching of English, and learn by experiences from my colleagues, I want to share my experience on " How to teach Language focus period in grade effectively" II RESEARCH PURPOSES: I have attended some periods of my colleagues and I saw that some teachers still depend on the content of textbooks so much that some periods are lacking lively and creativity There are so many exercises that psychology of teachers are often afraid of not having enough time so they teach quickly.This makes students understand the lessons ineffectively I have presented this article so that it brings out a more positive direction to teach “Language Focus” to be effective lesson and students acquire the lesson a better way In particular will be useful for teachers to teach dependently on pretty much textbooks, or even severe lesson on methods explained With this positive approach requires teachers to prepare carefully the nature of communication tips and steps matching subjects taught students If we done well these requirements, they will be interested in learning, creating the relaxed atmosphere and intimacy in communication, to help them acquire all effective and better mastery III OBJECT OF RESEARCH Research project is carried out within the technical program 8th grade English Research process emphasizes communication in teaching and learning, student- focused The content focuses on the Language Focus and actively support tips for this lesson I myself not stop researching, find out, applying innovative methods and measures to help them grasp the ability, skills and access to perform exercises effective Language Focus section To assess the ability of students, I have conducted research and surveys on subjects mainly graders 8A, 8B and 8C 2015-2016 school year I am teaching Learning of students in grade school year 2015 - 2016 and sharing experience with the teachers in English Group of Ben Sung town Secondary School is to find out the reasons and solution to this problem IV RESEARCH METHODS - Meet and tell to students in grade - Exchange experience with the colleagues - Experiment, compare and contrast between reality and rationale - Analysis, exchange and discuss - Practice, teaching some periods B CONTENTS I RATIONALE ANH PRACTICAL BASIS: Rationale Nowadays, as we know, English is used as the mother tongue by over 450 millions people and it is used as a second language by over 550 million people If we add over 750 million people who have studied English as a foreign language that means there are over million people speak English in the world In some countries, English plays an important role to open the large world For example, English is spoken by over 300 million Chinese and by 350 million Indian In Viet Nam , English has been widespread taught in all levels recently Practical basis When learning a new language, grammar is very important Grammar is really the foundation of the language It gives you the rules and regulations.Without good grammar, you could still make yourself understood obviously you have the vocabulary - but as soon as you start saying more complicated things that involve different times, tenses, that's when grammar becomes very useful Without grammar, you don't know how many people you're talking about, who you're talking about, and that's why it's important Therefore, besides studying Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing skills, it's necessary to study grammar and exercises Without grammar and structures, students can't make sentences, exercises, write or speak In fact, it is one of the most difficult aspects of a language to teach However, so as to attract students' attention, teachers must find out suitable methods and encourage students' inventive activities II STATES OF THE PROBLEM For students: The structure of program in grade is much more difficult than in grade and In grade 8, students have to study skills : Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing separately that are different from in grade and Many parents are not concerned about their children's learning and some of them don't think English is very important, they pay attention to other subjects but English Language focus is an uninteresting class which sometimes bores the students to death, so students get a lot of dificulties in studying it For teachers Some teachers have no time to prepare teaching aids because they have to teach a lot of grades and classes Some teachers tents to focus on these rulers and forms in their classroombelieving that their students learn best through rote memorization While it is imperative that students learn the rules and forms of grammar, this is not an effective method of teaching grammar It tends to result in a classroom full of bored and uninterested students who know how to produce excellent results in exercises and on tests, but fail badly at using the language in contextual situations On the other hand, there are teachers who teach grammar through osmosis.Teaching methods tend to revolve around the assumption that students will absorb grammar rules in communication activities or they believe that the children learn their first language without grammar instruction; therefore learning a second language should be the same way For schools The lack of equipment or backward equipment affects sharpenly to the quality of teaching Many schools have no laboratories, no projector room and they don't have enough reference books for students and teachers to read The result of the problem Basing on the above problem, when teaching I always find out the inventive ways to help students to get in touch, approach and practice doing exercises in Laguage focus To appreciate students' abilities, before applying the methods, I test them and have the following result: Here is the result of students in grade with 90 students at the first semester of 2015-2016 school year - 35 students can apply the knowlege in Laguage focus to all exercises excellently ( = 39%) - 30 students can apply the knowlege in Laguage focus to all exercises in textbook but sometimes they find dificulty ( = 33,3 %) - 25 students understand the lesson but they can't apply the theory to all exercises in the textbook( = 27,7%) Each teacher has their own way to teach part Language focus, and I want to mention the methods that I applied to teach this part in grade III SOLUTIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION Grammar instruction helps students acquire the target language more efficiently, but we should also incorporate as many communicative activities into their lesson plan as possible to strengthen what we are teaching Remember: Most people learn from learning, observation, and practice Break the class time down into manageable sections, and make sure that we are introducing and explaining the grammar lesson, demonstrate how it is used in contextual situations, put it to practical use in the classroom, and play an engaging game that reinforces your lesson Teaching grammar is the same as teaching other aspects of English, we need to implement the following steps: - Write the target grammar rule on the board - Introduce the target grammar rule/tense and explain when to use the grammar point and why - Go over the rule again Present the grammar point in written and oral examples to bring the lesson into context and to address the needs of students with different learning styles - Providing examples is an important part of grammar instruction Plan your examples around two basic principles: a) Examples must be accurate and appropriate They must present the language appropriately and be culturally appropriate for the setting in which they are used b)Use the examples as teaching tools Focus examples on a particular theme or topic so that students have more contact with specific information and vocabulary - Once you’ve run through your examples, ask your students if they can come up with some simple ideas or sentences that match the rule you are teaching - Conclude this portion of the lesson by teaching any exceptions to the rule That means we need carry out three following ways: Presentation Practice doing exercises 3.Techniques to consolidate Introduce forms and meanings of the structures Before doing exercises, the teachers introduce forms and meanings of the structures Each lesson I apply a suitable method, I often use the following ways: a Study structures in the context I find that, with grammar, before I start teaching the exact rules, it's also quite good to put it into context So, for example, if I am teaching present perfect ( Unit - page 69, 70) , it's always good to start talking to students about how long you have studied English, or how long they have lived here That way, it becomes much more relevant to them Unit 5: Section L.F / P 52 - When I present adverbs of manner, I usually ask some students to give the common form: + S1: It is formed by adding “ly” after adjs - Ex: Adjs Advs beautiful beautifully + S2: There are some words both adjs and advs such as: hard, fast, late,early,far,straight Ex: She is a hard student She studies hard + S3: There is an irregular adv: good => well Ex: He is a good student He studies well + S4: It is placed after V: S + V + Adv Ex: She dances beautifully + S5: It is placed after O: S + V + O +Adv Ex: Mr Minh drives his car carefully + S6: It is between S and V: S + Adv + V Ex: She angrily slammed the door Unit 14 Section L.F / P 136,137 When I present Indirect speech (Yes / No questions), I often ask a student to make a yes/ no question and then I report this sentence to students in the class Eg1: S: "Do you like sports?" T: He asked me if /whether I liked sports Eg2: S1 asked S2 : " Are you busy now?" S2 reported this sentence: S1 asked S2 if I was busy then S + asked+ (O) + If / whether + S + V (lùi 1thì) Compare this structure with structures that they learned in Unit ( commands, requests and advice in reported speech) b Compare and contrast structures: By using this way, students can contrast the structure they learned in grade or with what they are learning The students can review once more time learned structure and know new structure more deeply Eg: Unit - Section L.F / P 45: Teaching structure Used to, I ask students to compare "be/ get used to " which they sudied in grade Teacher gives examples : I used to live in the countryside I am/ get used to living in the countryside - Ask Ss to draw the structure and give more example =>S + used to + V- inf Eg: I used to cry when I first went to school Eg: Unit 11 Section L.F 3,4 / P 109, 110 When teaching Requests with "mind" - Teacher gives two examples Eg1: T: Do/ Would you mind opening the window? S: Yes, of course Eg 2: T: I'm very hot Would you mind if I opened the window? S: Please => Structures: - request sb to st Would/ Do you mind + Ving ? - request st for sb Would you mind if + S + Ved ? - Ask Ss to give more example, before doing exercises Eg: Would you mind if I sat here ? Eg: Would you mind not smoking? Eg: Unit - Language focus page 69, 70 Now, a lot of my English language students get the past simple and the present perfect confused So it's good to put them in context, perhaps in the same paragraph, so students can see how they are different Eg1: She lived in Ha Noi for five years, then she moved to Thanh hoa city Eg2: She has lived in Ha Noi for five years now c Explanations: Unit 10 page 95 Language focus, when teaching passive forms and adjectives followed by: an infinitive or a noun clause, I have to explain new structures as they are a bit difficult for some students to understand Teacher writes example on the board and ask students to identify subject, verb and object in this sentence Eg1 : We are learning English now Eg2: Break the glass into small pieces =>Eg1: English is being learned by us Eg2: the glass is broken into small pieces - Ask Students to draw the structure S + V + O S + be + PP + adv of place + (by O)+ adv of time Practice It's very important to reinforce the grammar that the students have learned Get them to practice with each other I find it very useful to exercises in the textbook well By checking the exercises students do, it's very easy to know students understand a rule of grammar or not or then they forget it However, some assignments in the textbook aren't suitable for the students, so the teachers can raplace by other For example Unit 10 : Section L.F / P 96 : instead of completing the dialogue between Hai and Dr Lam in the textbook, I ask students to practice in pairs by making sentences using passive forms Eg1: S1: My father drinks coffee every morning S2: Coffee is drunk by my father ever morning Eg2: S1: They visited us last week S2: We were visited last week Eg3: S1: He will buy a new house next year S2: A new house will be bought by him next year Obviously, teaching the present simple is quite straightforward, and most of my students already know the basic rules But I find that, with more complicated grammar, such as passive forms, the past perfect, reported speech , that's when I really need to reinforce it and think of more inventive ways of teaching it The aim after the lesson is how to help all the students finish exercises in the textbook Techniques to consolidate Most exercises in the part LANGUAGE FOCUS aims to strengthen and test the students' knowledge of grammar that they have learned To help students acquire good knowledge and train skills, in addition to assisting them with homework , I think also need to give children the feeling of excitement and interest them to encourage them taking part actively in lessons The normal procedure is applicable for the purposes of this lesson are: Dialogue build, Dictation, Gap fill, Matching, Network, Finding friends, Find someone who, Ordering words, Language games Tôi quan tâm đến việc sử dụng hiệu hợp lí thủ thuật Language games Thủ thuật bao gồm trò chơi : Chain game, Noughts & crosses, Pelmanism, Guessing game, Lucky numbers/stars , Unit : section L.F / P.17: Lucky stars Teaching aids: pictures ( p.17 ) Divide the class into groups, for a lucky number, Ss will get points without answering any questions For other numbers, Ss have to answer the question, points for a correct sentence How many people are there in the picture? What does the woman look like? Lucky star What does the boy look laike? Lucky star What is the woman wearing? What does the manstanding at the bus stop look like? What is he wearing? Lucky star 10.What is the boy wearing? Unit : section L.F 2/ P 25 : Survey (pair work) : Eg : S1: Are you going to see a movie? S2: Yes, I am.What about you? S1: No, I am not S2: Are you going to play sport? S1: Yes, I am Unit : section L.F 1/ P 34 -Ask ss to match the verbs in the box with the picture before completing the sentences - Then compare the result with deskmate - give feedback * Matching game (individual) Picture a - tidy Picture b- dust Picture c- sweep Picture d-clean Picture e - empty Picture f - feed Unit : section L.F / 44 *Brainstorming: prepositions (individual) to at on Prepositions before in between till after - Ask Ss to think of prepositions that they have learnt - Have Ss write down the prepositions - Give feedback - Ask Ss to give Vietnamese meaning - Ask Ss have to complete the sentences by using correct prepositions Or ask Ss to match prepositions In January On p.m At November 1997 Between July 2nd After / Before a.m and a.m In January a.m In November 1997 On July 2nd At a.m Between a.m and a.m After / Before p.m Unit : section L.F / P 61: Survey ( work group) - Asks Ss to look at the table.talk about friend's hobbies - Have ss work in group Group leader asks her friends - Present before class one by one Eg: Group leader: Do you like playing sports? S1: Yes ,I S2: No, I don't S3: Group leader: Do you enjoy cooking meals? S1: Yes ,I S2: No, I don't S3:No I hate it.What about you? Unit 10 : section L.F / P 96 Noughts and Crosses ( Group work ) - Teaching aids : the chart : (1) easy /understand (2) dangerous/go (4)important/wait ( 3) hard / believe - Divide the class into teams : O & X - Model sentence : difficult / follow => It's difficul to follow your direction 10 The above are just some examples as exercises were conducted in the form of the game to spark interest in learning for pupils and students and to ensure the principle of central role with appropriate methods which students are center Making lesson plan Unit 4: Our past - Period: 23rd Lesson 5: language focus ( page 44 - 45) I, Objectives: By the end of the lesson, sts will be able to further practice with past simple, prepositions of time: in, on, at, after, before, between and used to II, Language content: 1.Vocab: Lay eggs amazement, foolishman … 2.Gram : Past simple III, Teaching aids : tape, cassetle, book … IV,Procedures: Old lesson: Tell again the story in part write New lesson: * Warm up Matching - Have Ss match each prepositions with In the time / date / month … On At Between After / Before In January -Give feedback and corrects Ss’ mistakes Activity : Past simple tense - Ask sts to tell form of this tense January p.m November 1997 July 2nd a.m and a.m a.m In November 1997 On July 2nd At a.m Between a.m and a.m After / Before p.m (+) S +WAS /WERE +… V2/Ved (-) S +WASN’T/ WEREN’T +… DIDN’T + V (?) WAS/WERE +S +… ? DID +S +V ? 11 -Guide Ss to write the Past Simple form of each verb -Correct if necessary -Ask Ss to play game :Make sentence with the verb in past tense -Set the scene: Lan asks Nga about Nga’s yesterday activities -Have Ss complete the dialogue using the Past Simple -Ask Ss to compare their answers with their partners -Correct Ss’ mistakes and gives marks Activity : Preposition of time - Guide Ss how to exercise on page 44 -Ss exercise individually then compare with their partners -Give feedback and corrects Ss’ mistakes Write the Past Simple form of each verb Answer key: b/ flew f/ did j/ sat c/ took g/ was k/ came d/ went h/ rode e/ had i/ ate Noughts and crosses go be have come ride sit take fly Complete the dialogue below Use the Past Simple a/ Did you eat rice for lunch? (Lan) b/ Ba: ……… Nam: I rode a bicycle to school c/ Minh: Where were you yesterday? d/ Chi: ………… Ba: I had Math - In + buổi ngày/tháng /năm / mùa / thập niên/ kỷ Ex : in the morning, in May,in 2000, in the summer , in the 1960s, in the 19th century - On + thứ /ngày … Ex : on Monday , on May 20 - At + Ex : at o’clock , at night - after+ time Ex: after 10 p.m - before + time Ex: before 10p.m Between and Ex: Between 9a.m and 10a.m Complete the sentences Use the prepositions in the table a/ on b/ in c/ between d/ at … after e/ before 12 -Ask Ss to exercise on page 45 -Have Ss look at pictures on page 45 using used to with the verbs live- stayhave- be to complete the dialogue between Nga and Hoa -Have Ss practice the dialogue before the class -Then T corrects Ss’ mistakes Look at the pictures Complete the dialogue Use Used to and the verbs in the box Hoa: (1) used to have ……… Hoa: … (2) used to be ………… Hoa: … (3) …… used to live ……… Consolidation: - remind ss of the above knowledge Homework: -Learn vocabulary and grammar of Unit -Do exercises in workbook - Period: 66th Unit 10: Lesson 6: Language focus ( page 95 -97) I, Objectives : By the end of the lesson, sts will be able use the passive in the present simple (language 1); “Passive” in the future(language 2) ; adj + to- inf (language 3), adj + that– clause(language 4) Practise doing exercises II, Language content : Vocab: recycle, reduce, reuse, wrap, fertilizer, representtative Gram :Passive in the Present Simple cassette, tape, real object III,Teaching aids: IV, Procedures : Warm up Passive forms Language 1: Passive voice of simple present: Active: S+V(present)+O+place+time 13 Passive: S+tobe+P.P+(place)+by+O+(time) Ex: He speaks E fluently ->E is spken fluently by him - Ask sts to ex in the book - b Then the glass is washed with c The glass pieces are dried completely d They are mixed with certain specific e The mixture is melted until it becomes Language 2: Passive voice of simple future: - Introduce the forms of passive in the future: Ex:She will finish her work next w S + will +V + O + (time) - listen and write - S + will/shall + be + P.P +(place) +by+ O + (time) -> her work will be finished - Guide: “In order to further practise the passive by her tomorrow form, you now ex2 Complete the dialogue between Mr.Kim a famous inventor and Hai, his assistant They are talking about the coming invention of a time machine Use the correct form of the Vs in the brackets” - Ask sts to finish the dialogue - listen to the teacher’s guide - Work in pairs Hai: When will the project be started? Dr Kim: very soon H: Many people want to see the Dr K: yes, it will be shown to the public when H: Will it be built by the end of ? Dr K: I’m afraid not, but it will be finished before Tet H: Will it be made by you? Dr K: No, I need you to build 14 it When - listen and write Practice the form: adj + to- inf - Introduce:“It’s + adj + to-inf” - Guide: you now ex3 Use the adjs and in the box to complete the sentences Explain: adjs can be followed by a clause: - listen to the teacher’s guide - work in pairs b Mr Dao: Can you the exercise, Hoa? Hoa: Yes, Mr Dao It’s easy to understand c Lan: I’m the future mankind might live on the moon Nga: Really? It’s hard to believe d Mrs Thoa: Stop, Tuan It’s dangerous to go near the stove Tuan: Sorry, Mom e Hoa: Should I stir the mixture, aunt? Aunt Thanh: No, it’s important to wait for 5mins - listen and write * S + tobe + adj + That-clause - Ask sts to make sentence - Ask sts to ex, finish the letter by filling adjs with to be in the blanket - Ask sts to read the answers loudly Ex:I ‘m afraid that she can’t come - Work in pairs - read the answers loudly 10 are delighted is afraid was happy Are sure? am relieved am certain Consolidation - remind ss of the above knowledge Home work - Ask sts to prepare new lesson - Write 15 -Do exercises in workbook -Prepare: Unit 11: Getting stared + listen and read Adjustment IV CHECK AND APPRECIAL Achievements After the period of application of these measures in Language focus, at the second semester of 2015-2016 school year ,I have obtained the following results Total students Students can access and apply the knowlege in Laguage focus to all exercises excellently Students can apply the knowlege in Laguage focus to all exercises in textbook but somtimes they find dificulty Students can apply the knowlege in Laguage focus to all exercises in textbook but somtimes they find dificulty 57 students = 25 students = students = 8,9 % 63,3% 27,8 % The children had better outcomes, the number of weak students reduced, 90 students the number of strong students increased Especially, some weak students also eager to simple exercises as Matching , the Network that they had some difficulties to before Learned Lessons Some teachers tend to focus on these rules and forms in their classroom, believing that their students learn best through rote memorization While it is imperative that students learn the rules and forms of grammar, this is not an effective method of teaching grammar Teachers should be flexible, noting changing tips , choosing appropriate activities , distribution of a reasonable time, to stimulate the students' interest in learning that is the goal we are looking forward to In addition to instructors , students should help each other in group, and mutual self-assessment is very important in the learning process In the process of implementation of the subject, I also encountered some certain difficulties, one of them is the way students use " To learn English well " The more they use this book in class, the lazier they are 16 C.CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Conclusions: In sum up, all education depends on a foundation of good grammar If students cannot understand grammar, they will struggle to read, write or speak clearly in any other area of education, from maths and science to history or geography Good language is the base on which all other education has to stand Teachers can use a variety of ways to make their grammar lessons memorable and enjoyable for students Students who enjoy their lessons will pay closer attention, and you will then have an easier time while teaching This is why great lessons are important for everyone involved, and why you should take the time to ensure you are teaching grammar in the best and most engaging way for the skill level and requirements of your individual students Moreover, teaching language in general and grammar lessons in particular achieve the desired results , it should be very much to invest in the equipment such as language labotary, multipurpose projector room By teaching Language focus parts in grade and taking suggestions from my colleagues, I've applied some " tips " on the Language focus and has achieved good results I hope my writing will be read by the colleagues and I am always open to your suggestions to make its content more and more practical and abundant 2.Propose -I'd like to put forward my ideal of having functional rooms for teaching forein languages -I'd like to suggest that the expert of English of Education Service should sit in on the periods and direct the activities of the termly seminars -Every year,the papers and keys to the povincial exams for excellent students should be posted on the internet for us to refer -I would suggest that the Education Service should have some changes in assignment for each teacher to have the opportunity to teach a period and then their colleagues make comments on the period -I undertake that this initiative is mine.I don't copy other's work.I will be responsible for my commitment Sincerely thank you 17 Confirmation of the principal Nhu Thanh, March 20th, 2016 I swear this is my innovation and I shoulder the entire responsibility for it Writer Tran Thi Hoa 18 REFERENCES Student’s book Teacher’s book Standards of knowledge and skills in English Leson plan Grammar in use 19 CATEGORIES CONTENTS A INTRODUCTION I.REASONS OF CHOOSING THE TOPIC II RESEARCH PURPOSES: III OBJECT OF RESEARCH IV RESEARCH METHODS B CONTENTS I RATIONALE ANH PRACTICAL BASIS Rationale For teachers For schools The result of the problem II STATES OF THE PROBLEM For students For teachers For schools The result of the problem III SOLUTIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION Introduce forms and meanings of the structures a Study structures in the context b Compare and contrast structures c Explanations Practice Techniques to consolidate Making lesson plan IV CHECK AND APPRECIAL Achievements Learned Lessons C.CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Conclusions 2.Propose PAGES 3 16 17 20 THANH HOA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING NHU THANH DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING EXPERIENCED INNOVATION TOPIC:" HOW TO TEACH LANGUAGE FOCUS IN GRADE EFFECTIVELY" Writer: Tran Thi Hoa Office: Teacher Address: Ben Sung town secondary school Innovation: English 21 THANH HOA 2016 22 ... TRAINING NHU THANH DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING EXPERIENCED INNOVATION TOPIC:" HOW TO TEACH LANGUAGE FOCUS IN GRADE EFFECTIVELY" Writer: Tran Thi Hoa Office: Teacher Address: Ben Sung town... of program in grade is much more difficult than in grade and In grade 8, students have to study skills : Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing separately that are different from in grade and... in studying it For teachers Some teachers have no time to prepare teaching aids because they have to teach a lot of grades and classes Some teachers tents to focus on these rulers and forms in