Grammar is one of those “you’ll use it in the real world” skills that, unfortunately, can be difficult to implement in the classroom. Especially if you are hitting on it as a stand-alone unit and not throughout the year. Here are five suggestions to help students improve their grammar. 1. Use real-life examples I have found humor to be the best example, which is why I love looking up “Grammar Fails” with my students. It is a great way to solidify grammar rules. You might also have students look for Grammar Fails throughout the year. They can bring it in for extra credit, and you can build a display in your room of student-found samples. 2. Daily practice I’ve never understood cramming grammar as its own unit. That’s a lot of rules for students to make sense of, and students who don’t already have a good grasp of grammar will struggle. If you want to see improvement, grammar should be practiced daily. Even if you dedicate 2-3 days a week to include grammar practice, you are helping your...

While some teachers love teaching students grammar principles, it is not everyone’s favorite part of being an English teacher. However, teaching (and learning about) this subject doesn’t have to be as painful as pulling teeth. Here are five ways to make the process more enjoyable for everyone: Be in tune with your students’ oral communication pattern After all, speech and writing are intertwined, and there are generally more opportunities to correct grammar issues in spoken word. Correcting incorrect speech can, under the right circumstances, lead to stronger writing and grammar skills. However, we must keep the following in mind: use mistakes solely as a learning opportunity. We often forget how embarrassing it is to be corrected in front of the class. Instead of addressing the issue to them in a short, curt manner, try addressing the student individually or using it to spark a more extensive conversation. Boost student engagement Students often learn a lot from their peer...

Today is National Grammar Day. As English teachers, grammar is something that is always on our minds. We think about grammar as we create lesson plans and as we grade our students' essays. We think about it as we casually surf the Internet, and we think about it as we see typos and errors on billboards and grocery store circulars. Correct grammar and language usage comes easily for some people. It is something that probably comes easily to most English teachers. IFor us, it's almost like second nature to use the correct verb form and  make subjects and verbs agree. However, for some, grammar doesn't come as easily. This is something I've come to see in my own students -especially my ESL students. These are the students who really struggle in my class. They don't struggle because they aren't trying or don't care . They struggle because they lack the necessary language skills and background knowledge. The most important thing to remember about these s...