How To Teach Grammar Using PPP Model

We need to have some grammatical knowledge to be able to speak a language to some degree of proficiency and to be able to say what we really want to say.

Without grammar, words hang together without any real meaning or sense.

By teaching grammar, we enable students to express themselves correctly.

Thanks to using deductive and inductive approaches to dealing with grammatical rules nowadays, teaching grammar no longer means endless conjugation of verbs or grammar-translation.

How to Use These Two Approaches to Teaching Grammar

A deductive approach

It is when the rule is presented, and the language is produced based on the rule. (The teacher gives the rule)

An inductive approach

It is when the rule is inferred through some form of guided discovery. (The teacher gives the students a means to discover the rule for themselves)

In other words, the former is more teacher-centred and the latter more learner-centred.

Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages.

In my own experience, the deductive approach is undoubtedly time-saving and allows more time for practising the language items.

Thus making it an effective approach with lower-level students.

The inductive approach, on the other hand, is often more beneficial to students who already have a base in the language.

It encourages them to work things out for themselves based on their existing knowledge.

Factors to consider when teaching grammar

In general, when teaching grammar, there are several factors we need to take into consideration.

The following are some of the questions we should ask ourselves before deciding on the approach to use:

• How useful and relevant is the language?
• What other language do my students need to know in order to learn the new structure effectively?
• What problems might my students face when learning the new language?
• How can I make the lesson fun, meaningful and memorable?

Although I try to only use English when teaching a grammar lesson, it is sometimes beneficial to the students to make a comparison to L1 in the presentation stage.

This is particularly true in the case of more problematic grammatical structures which students are not able to transfer to their own language.

The Lesson Structure Based on Deductive Approach

A deductive approach often fits into a lesson structure known as PPP (Presentation, Practice, Production).

The teacher presents the target language and then gives students the opportunity to practice it through very controlled activities.

The final stage of the lesson gives the students the opportunity to practice the target language in freer activities which bring in other language elements.

In a 60-minute lesson, each stage would last approximately 20 minutes.

This model works well as it can be used for most isolated grammatical items.

It also allows the teacher to time each stage of the lesson fairly accurately and to anticipate and be prepared for the problems students may encounter.

It is less workable at higher levels when students need to compare and contrast several grammatical items at the same time.

1. Presentation

In this stage, the teacher presents the new language in a meaningful context. I find that building up stories on the board, using realia or flashcards and miming are fun ways to present the language.

2. Practice

There are numerous activities which can be used for this stage including gap fill exercises, substitution drills, sentence transformations, split sentences, picture dictations, class questionnaires, reordering sentences and matching sentences to pictures.

It is important that the activities are fairly controlled at this stage as students have only just met the new language. Many students’ books and workbooks have exercises and activities which can be used at this stage.

3. Production

Again there are numerous activities for this stage and what you choose will depend on the language you are teaching and on the level of your students. However, information gaps, role plays, interviews, simulations, finding someone who, spots the differences between two pictures, picture cues, problem-solving, personalization activities and board games are all meaningful activities which give students the opportunity to practice the language more freely.

It is important to note here that using the PPP model does not necessarily exclude using a more inductive approach since some form of learner-centred guided discovery could be built into the presentation stage.

Other models for planning a lesson

PPP is one model for planning a lesson.

Other models include TTT (Test, Teach, Test), ARC (Authentic use, Restricted use, Clarification, and focus), and ESA (Engage, Study, Activate).

All models have their advantages and disadvantages and I, like many other teachers I know, use different models depending on the lesson, class, level, and learner styles.

Which Model Do You Prefer Using to Plan a Lesson? Why? Share your Ideas with the Community.

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