Teach English in Yongping Zhen - Chongqing

Learning GrammarGrammar is an indispensible part of ESL education. An experienced teacher will know how to navigate through the voluminous amount of grammar rules, structures, forms and so forth. Such an instructor would also recognize the importance of presenting common grammatical mistakes as a supplemental component of grammar lessons. For instance, it would be ideal for students to have an understanding of common punctuation mistakes before attempting difficult writing exercises. In the same vein, being aware of commonly misused words and expressions along with commonly misspelled words would be extremely beneficial to students who have reached a particular level of comprehension. The challenge facing ESL instructors is not only how to present common grammar mistakes, but knowing at what point in the learning process to do so. Of course, it would be counterproductive for students to learn about common grammatical mistakes at the beginner or low-intermediate levels. Such information could confuse students, affect their confidence, and stunt their development. Prudent planning is advisable. With this in mind, an overview of general mistakes made by esl students would be a key addition to lessons at the high-intermediate or advanced levels where a significant portion of the subject matter is dedicated to writing development. Knowing how to temper each lesson with the presentation of such mistakes without disturbing lesson coherence will be the teacher?s responsibility. Common punctuation mistakes can be covered by the teacher earlier in the learning process than other common mistakes. When teaching a lesson about possessives, the ESL instructor could draw attention to the fact that, many times, apostrophes are mistakenly placed in plural words. For example, Judy cooked two egg?s for dinner. Here, the word egg?s should, of course, be eggs. In order to stress the importance of using apostrophes correctly, a study stage activity could be developed. For instance, the students could be given a paragraph having apostrophes used both correctly and incorrectly. They could read the paragraph, underline the incorrect words, and then write these words in the appropriate forms. Much like the inaccurate use of apostrophes, teachers can also create study stage exercises for other common mistakes such as leaving out introductory element commas, comma splices, and overusing exclamation points. At a later phase in the students? development, other general mistakes can be introduced which call for a more advanced understanding of English along with the ability to retain information in large portions. There are a significant number of misused words and expressions spoken and written not only by esl students, but by native speakers as well. Due to the number of these words, the teacher would have to decide upon a list which, after committing to memory, would be the most helpful to students? improvement. For example, it would be more beneficial for students to correctly differentiate between affect and effect than to be aware of the confusion over alumna and alumnus. As with all aspects of the ESL learning process, the teacher must make such decisions concerning students? comprehension level and rate of acquisition. Due to the salient differences between the type of English spoken in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada, the teacher will also have to decide on which style of English best assists students in reaching their future life goals. Perhaps, certain students would prefer to learn American English while others would need experience using British English. Such consideration should most likely be given to students on the advanced level. In any case, learning grammatical variances between the differing styles of English would be greatly beneficial to and perhaps appreciated by students who, as business professionals, must be adaptive and globally-minded. An example of such variance would be the English z and the British s. In many commonly used words, a z is used in American English where an s is placed in British English. For instance, the word organization is used in the united states, whereas the word organisation is used in the U.K. Recognize and recognise would be another example. Being aware of these and other differences would reduce the students? chances of making grammatical mistakes. Preparing students for academic or professional advancement requires an overarching understanding of the English language. An ESL instructor strictly building grammar lessons on rules will be doing his students a great disservice. Taking this into consideration, well-balanced grammar lessons which include the presentation of common mistakes made by English speakers on every level will allow students to excel.