Adjective dominoes: Order of adjectives A domino game at intermediate level to practise using adjectives in the correct order that

can be played as a group game or a mingling game. Using the discovery technique for teaching grammar: article, tips and activities Author: Adrian Tennant Type: reference material Tips and activities for teaching using the discovery technique. Introduction | An example activity | Looking at the meaning Anchor Point: !ntroduction "hat is the discovery technique# Grammar can either be taught explicitly or implicitly. When we talk about an explicit approach to grammar we are talking about stating directly, usually at the beginning o a particular activity, what the grammar is. !or example, "#oday we are looking at the third conditional.$ %n the other hand an implicit approach to grammar is one where the students are &led' to the grammar through a series o steps ( this is what is meant by the &discovery techni)ue'. In other words, the &discovery techni)ue' aims to lead students towards a generalised grammar rule or pattern. !sn$t that the same as tas%&based learning# *o. +ertainly task based learning is one orm o &discovery techni)ue' but not the only way. In task,based learning the ocus is on carrying out communicative tasks without speci ic ocus on orm. -owever, it is possible in the &discovery techni)ue' to be predominantly concerned with the orm. #he idea is that students will &discover' the grammar through a series o steps .these might be tasks, language awareness activities, pictures, )uestions etc/ and will deduce both the orm and the meaning rom the context.s/. "hy use the discovery technique# %ne reason is that students o ten surprise us with what they already know or hal ,know. 0y using the &discovery techni)ue' we learn more about their knowledge and abilities eliciting in ormation rom them rather than telling things to them. Also, as 1crivener writes2 Giving students chances to be exposed to, or to attempt to use, language &above' their apparent level o knowledge o grammar is extremely use ul and greatly aids uture work on grammar. #his approach celebrates what students can do ( and clari ies precisely what still needs to be worked on. .Learning #eaching p334/. 5eturn to top Anchor Point:'An e(ample activity Level 2 Intermediate67pper Intermediate Grammar point2 8rd +onditional !unction2 1peculating about past possibilities .what might have happened/. 9aterials2 maga:ine pictures .optional/ or board drawings.

Procedure & setting the conte(t 7se the ollowing story to set the scene ; try to elicit the orm2 This is John .show a picture o a man looking unhappy/ <uestion2 Does he look happy? .=licit the response ( No/ <2 Why do you think hes unhappy? .=licit a ew ideas/ Well, John was going to meet his friend . show a picture o a woman/ Jane. <2 What do you think happened? .=licit that >ohn didn't turn up/ John didnt wake up until .=licit a time, and draw a clock/ ????. ecause he woke up late he missed .show a picture o a bus/ John tried to phone Jane !ut his mo!ile phone didnt work. .=licit that he'd orgotten to charge it the previous night/. Jane waited for .elicit a length o time e.g. an hour/ and then she left. <2 Where do you think she went? .#ry to elicit &nightclub' ; show a picture/. "n the clu! Jane met .show a picture o another man ; elicit a name/. Jane and ????? .try to elicit fell in lo#e/ and they .try to elicit got married/ )ote : @ou can build on this story. )ote ': 7se ideas elicited rom your students 07# make sure that you keep the story on track .it is )uite easy to go o on a tangent/. Anchor Point:*+oo%ing at the meaning *ow you can ask )uestions based on the story to try to elicit the structure .you will be surprised how many students already know the structural orm o a grammatical item but are not necessarily aware o its use/. 1tart by asking )uestions that ocus on the events2 e.g..

Aid >ohn meet >aneB *o. Why notB 0ecause he missed the bus. Imagine >ohn had caught the bus. .try to elicit the sentence2 I >ohn had caught the bus, he would have met >ane/.

I you elicit the sentence ask the ollowing )uestions2

Aid >ohn catch the busB *o. Aid he miss the busB @es. Aid he meet >aneB *o. WhyB 0ecause he missed the bus.

@ou can ocus on each event in the story by asking a similar set o )uestions. e.g.

Aid >ohn try to phone >aneB @es. Aid he manage to call herB *o. Why notB 0ecause his mobile phone wasn't working. WhyB 0ecause he had orgotten to charge it. .#ry to elicit the sentence2 I >ohn had charged his phone, he would have been able to call >ane./ etc.

I you are unable to elicit a sentence containing the structure .8rd conditional/ a ter two or three attempts then give the students an example. #hen try to elicit sentences re erring back to the model you have provided. )ote: 5e, ocussing on the meaning, use and structure is key to the discovery techni)ue.