Creating Grammar Activities and Tasks BY JOSH GASTON

Review 1. What were some examples of production activities we practiced last week? 2. What were the differences in activities for lower-level students compared to more advanced students? 3. What questions do you have from last week?

Review 1. Where are production activities usually placed within the sequence of a lessons? Why are they placed there? 2. Practice activities should build up to the production activity 3. Can production activities be more or less restricted similar to controlled practice activities? 4. What questions do you have from last weeks lesson?

Introduction We familiarized ourselves with controlled practice and production activities Weve practiced some of these activities in class Today, we will learn how to create and design these activities

Todays Plan 1. We will review considerations that need to be made 2. We will go through the process of planning and designing an activity

Considerations We will review some considerations that need to be made for when you create and design your own grammar activities

1. What is the goal of the lesson? What is the language goal of the lesson? By the end of the lesson, students will be able to... Your activities should align with the goal and work toward achieving this goal Ask yourself: 1. What is the goal of this activity? 2. How does the goal of this activity work toward the goal of the lesson?

2. How will the structure of the activity support the goal of the activity? What you ask students to do during the activity should help them achieve the goal of the activity. Which one of these is a GOOD example of this: 1. Example: your goal for the activity is to have students freely using the simple past tense to discuss what they did last weekend, so you ask them to do a gap-fill activity to practice accuracy 2. Example: your goal for the activity is to have students freely using the simple past tense to discuss what they did last weekend, so you ask them to ask three classmates what they did last weekend and then report back to their group Ask yourself 1. Does the structure of this activity support the goal of this activity?

3. What are your students levels/skills? The activities should be appropriate for your students levels and skills Ask yourself: 1. What are your students current levels? a. Will their current levels allow them to successfully complete the activity? 2. What skills will the students need in order to successfully complete the activity? a. Do your students already have those skills?

4. Where in the lesson is the activity taking place? 1. Activities shortly after the presentation: controlled practice activities more restricted focused on developing accuracy 2. Activities in the middle of the lesson semi-restricted controlled practice 3. Activities towards the end of the lesson production activities less restricted focused on developing fluency

5. Are the instructions clear? Students must understand HOW the activity in order to successfully complete the activity (and to gain the benefits of the activity!) Anticipate what your students might have trouble understanding Ask yourself: 1. Are the instructions clear? Are they explained with clear, simple language? 2. Are the instructions given in a clear, sequential order? 3. If I were one of my students, would I understand what to do for this activity?

Lets Look at Some Examples Im going to show you some good examples and bad examples of activities With a partner, decide which ones are good and which ones are bad and WHY

Example 1: More Restricted Controlled-Practice Task for Simple Past Tense (A1) Directions : First, think of five words that you like. Then, make five word maps (one for each word) with as many ideas or concepts related to those five words as you can. Tell your partner all of the words you wrote down. Then, make a short story using all of the words. The story can be about anything, but the story should use only simple past tense verbs. 1. Is this is a good controlled-practice task for A1 students? Why or why not? 2. Do you think anything needs to be changed about this task? If so, what?

Example 2: More Restricted Controlled-Practice Task for Irregular Simple Past Tense Verbs (A1) Directions: Match the base form of the verb to its irregular simple past tense form 1.run 2.eat 3.do 4.be 5.see 6.make 7.give 8.have 9.write 10. read a.made b.wrote c.read d.ate e.ran f.had g.did h.gave i.saw j.was 1. Is this is a good controlled- practice task for A1 students? Why or why not? 2. Do you think anything needs to be changed about this task? If so, what?

Example 3: Semi-Restricted Practice for Simple Future Tense Questions (A1/A2) Directions: Students are given cards with question words (e.g. where, when, who) and cards with predicates (e.g. see a movie, play basketball). Students should create several questions in a variety of verb tenses to ask a partner. Partners should answer the questions. Students can ask questions about any topic. 1. Is this is a good semi-restricted controlled practice task for A1/A2 students? Why or why not? 2. Do you think anything needs to be changed about this task? If so, what?

Example 4: Semi-Restricted Practice for Simple Future Tense Questions (A1/A2) Directions: Students are given two piles of cards: one with question words (e.g. where, when, who) and and one with predicates (e.g. watch a movie, play basketball). In partners, students will take turns taking one card from each pile to create a question about future plans. The other partner will answer the question. Continue until all cards have been used. 1. Is this is a good semi-restricted controlled practice task for A1/A2 students? Why or why not? 2. Do you think anything needs to be changed about this task? If so, what?

Work in Partners: Controlled Practice You and your partner will design a controlled practice for high-beginner (A2) The activity can be more restricted or less (semi-) restricted The lesson will focus on asking questions in the present perfect tense Assume that students have already learned how to make statements in the present perfect tense

Work in Partners: Controlled Practice Student level: high beginner (A2) Language focus: asking questions in the present perfect tense Language goals/objectives: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to Ask each other questions about travel experiences using the present perfect tense 2. Use appropriate adverbs (ever, since, before) to ask and answer questions about travel experiences Context: traveling