The complete process of teaching grammatical patterns and structures involves

“To grasp a language effectively”, remarks C.C. Fries, “complete utterances, whole sentences must become automatic.” To achieve this, the teacher may lay emphasis on teaching the essential features of arrangement and form and function of words. Control over content vocabulary will be gained naturally as a part of this teaching.

The complete process of teaching grammatical patterns and structures involves:

(1) Presentation; (2) Pattern Practice; (3) Application

Techniques to be used in each of the above stages are given below:

The following techniques are suggested for teaching structures successfully.

(a) Start with Oral Work

Oral work is the sheet-anchor of teaching structures. The oral work should bring in the activity of the pupil more than that of the teacher. The reading and writing of simple structures must have its beginning made with the oral teaching of the same patterns.

(b) Use of Teaching Situations

Importance

“If the need for the language we use is urgently felt, it is learnt quickly. The need for expression in language must arise from the need to realise and deal with situations.” The situational teaching of a language makes the whole process useful and realistic.

Language defines situations and has meaning only in situations. Situational teaching of a language is important because situations define our experience; they are associated with our experience.

How to Create Situations? Appropriate situations can be created by the teacher in the following ways:

(i) Inside the class-room

The English class-room presents a large number of objects about which the child would like to know and talk. Let the child look at these objects, point to them, touch them, push them,
and so on. The teacher’s own bag can work magic. Like a magician, he can bring out very interesting objects or small models, and arouse the interest of the class. The following common objects can be used to create situations inside the class-room.

(a) Class-room Objects

Table, chair, bench, desk, black-board, wall, door, window, floor, chalk, wall-picture, calendar, almirah, etc

(b) From the teacher’s bag

Toys, models, balls, cups, saucers, spoons, forks, small stones, short sticks, long sticks, small boxes, big boxes, etc.

Objects out-side the class-room

Objects out-side the class-room can be viewed through the class-room window. Trees, flowers, sky, clouds, birds field, road are common objects which can be used to teach structures like ‘That is-‘, ‘There is-‘, ‘they are-‘, ‘those are-‘, etc.

Pictures and Charts

Charts prepared in different colours arouse children’s interest. Pictures and charts can be used to describe common objects, common actions and sequence of actions.

(iv) Black-Board Drawing

A language teacher can use the black-board for preparing simple drawings and line-sketches on it. With a little bit of practice the teacher can draw huts, houses, mountains, clouds, line drawings, human figures, and so on. Different actions like walking, running, throwing, pushing, kicking, sitting, picking etc. can be easily drawn upon the black-board.

(v) Actions and Gestures

Simple actions and gestures are very useful in teaching a foreign language. Action situations like stand up, sit down, look at the black-board, go to the door, close the door, open the door, place the pencil on the table, I am going to the window, I am jumping, etc., can easily be created in the class-room by the teacher himself or with the co-operation of the pupils. Gestures and actions can successfully help in teaching a large number of structure points.

(vi) Verbal Background

Verbal situations can be used to teach some common phrases. Verbal background can be used in the following sequence to teach, for instance, ‘every day’:

I came to school at 10 o’clock on Monday.

I came to school at 10 o’clock on Tuesday.

I came to school at 10 o’clock yesterday.

I came to school at 10 o’clock to-day. I come to school at 10 o’clock every day.

Many more situations can be created with the help of verbal background to teach certain structures.

(c) Use of Substitution Tables

The use of Substitution Tables facilitates the working out of the scheme of structural teaching. With the help of a single table the teacher can build a large number of sentences.

Here is an example of the substitution table.

With the help of the above substitution table, the teacher can give 32 sentences, such as

My teacher is an Englishman. My doctor is an Englishman.

My clerk is an Englishman. My friend is Englishman etc.

(Ii) Structure practice

Once a certain structure or sentence-pattern has been presented, it needs a large amount of practice before it is finally fixed. Pattern-practice drills and written exercises are very useful at the practice stage. These techniques are explained as follows.