Assessment item: Approaches to Grammar for Language Teachers

Student ID: u3293289

Student name: Vu Cong Dien

Word count: 4090

1. Introduction

The following portfolio is intensive research through the construction of three lesson plans
into teaching grammar. Targeted lessons will thus be aimed at intermediate Grade 6 students
aged 11-12 years and are designed around three basic grammatical concepts, which are the
future continuous tense, time words for sentence cohesion, and present simple tense with
daily routine collocations. The paper will, therefore, show how the integration of functional,
deductive, and communicative approaches to grammar instruction will assure the lesson on
both accuracy and fluency.

Accordingly, this portfolio is sensitive to the ways in which grammar at sentence, text and
lexico-grammatical levels support communication. In each of these lesson plans, students are
afforded an opportunity to use grammatical knowledge in contexts that reflect real use, with
the aim of fostering linguistic competence and confidence. The introduction defines the way
in which the portfolio bridges theoretical insights and classroom practice, reflecting a
student-centered and theoretically-informed approach to teaching grammar.

2. Lesson plans

Lesson Plan 1: Future Continuous Tense - Unit 1: Planning a Presentation

Class Description:

There are 30 Grade 6 students aged 11 to 12 years old in the class, who are at an intermediate
stage and have learnt English as a second language. Learners have a good foundation in basic
grammar and vocabulary and are ready for more new acquisitions and practical use of the
future tenses. This lesson is part of a unit on future tenses, specifying the future continuous
tense. The students already know the simple future; now they are going to learn how to
express thoughts on actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future using the
future continuous tense.

Lesson Objectives:

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

• Understand the form and function of the future continuous tense.

• Use the future continuous tense to describe ongoing actions in the future.

• Complete the sentences and conversations given below using the appropriate form of the
future continuous tense.

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 • Ask and answer questions about their plans using the future continuous tense.

Language Focus:

The lesson will focus on the future continuous tense. Besides that, the lesson shall introduce
negative forms, question forms, and short answers in the future continuous tense.

Materials:

• Unit 1: Planning a Presentation - Oxford Discovery Grammar

• Audio recording of a conversation (related to planning a presentation )

• Whiteboard and markers

• Printed worksheets with fill-in-the-blank exercises

Procedures:

Steps Teacher’s activities Students’ activities Teaching Notes

aids
1. Lead – in Aim: Set the tone for introducing the future continuous tense. to activate the background
(3 minutes) knowledge of students and introduce the topic of the future continuous tense.
- Begin by asking students: "What - Students respond None
will you be doing tomorrow at this freely, sharing their
time?" anticipated activities
Elicit responses that could further in the future.
stimulate interest in the topic.
2. Pre – teach To familiarize students with key vocabulary needed for the lesson. To prevent students from
vocabulary “blocking” when reading.
(3 minutes) - Present words like "preparing," - Students repeat and Flashcards
"writing," "presenting," "reviewing" engage with the new or images
with flashcards. vocabulary, writing for visual
- Provide simple definitions and down meanings and support.
examples in sentences. examples in their
notebooks.
3. First To help students develop reading for gist and to provide the context.
reading - Play the dialogue from the textbook - Listen and read Audio
(7 minutes) ("Planning a Presentation"). attentively recording
- Ask students to listen and read the and

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 text printed
dialogues.
4. Second To help students recognize and contextualize the future continuous tense.
reading - Ask students to read individually - Read attentively, Text
(7 minutes) and underline all verbs in the future underline verbs, and
continuous tense (e.g., "will be compare answers in
writing"). pairs.
- Ask students to compare answers in
pairs.
5. Presentatio To clarify the structure and use of the future continuous tense.
n-Language - Write the future continuous tense - Students take Whiteboar
focus formula on the board (will + be + notes, ask questions, d and
(10 minutes) verb-ing). and provide markers.
- Show affirmative, negative, and additional examples
question forms with examples from using the formula.
the dialogue.
6. Practice- To provide controlled practice in forming the future continuous tense (long form, short form
Controlled and negatives) for grammatical points drilling without context.
practice 1 - Ask students to complete exercise - Work individually This practice is
(3 - 5 B, C and D on page 5 to complete the prescriptive,
minutes) - Review answers with the class. exercise, then share students do not
responses during need to
class review. account
contextual
meaning to do
it.
7. Practice- To provide controlled practice in forming the future continuous tense (long form, short form
Controlled and negatives) for grammatical points drilling with context.
practice 2 - Ask students to complete exercise - Work individually This practice is
(5 minutes) B, C and D on page 5 to complete the descriptive,
- Review answers with the class. exercise, then share students need
responses during to understand
class review. contextual

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 meaning to do
it.

8. Production- To encourage students to use the future continuous tense in natural conversation.
Freer
practice
(10 minutes)
- Organize students into pairs. - Practice forming None
- Have them ask each other questions questions and
about their future plans using responses in pairs
prompts like: "What will you be (e.g., "I’ll be reading
doing on Tuesday evening?" a book on Tuesday
evening.").
9. Error To provide constructive feedback and reinforce correct usage of the grammar.
correction - Invite a few students to share their - Listen, self-correct - - Use delay
(5 minutes) answers. based on feedback, Whiteboar feedbacks for
- Correct errors collaboratively and and take notes for d for error fluency
explain any common mistakes. improvement. shows. development.

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 Appendix

These materials are from Angela and Bryan’s (2014) Oxford Discover: Grammar: Student
Book 6.

The text

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The future continuous tense formula

The Practice- Controlled practice exercise 1

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The Practice- Controlled practice exercise 2

The Production-Freer practice

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 Lesson Plan 2: Teaching Time Words in Writing

Class Description:

This class consists of 30 Grade 6 students who have reached 11 to 12 years of age, at the
intermediate level in their studies of English as a second language. They must, therefore, be
able to aquire some basic writing skills and hence require additional practice through the use
of time words such as while, when, before, after, until to develops cohesive writing.

Lesson Objectives

By the close of the lesson, the students should be able to:

 Understand how time words function and are used in the construction of sentences,
including: while, when, before, after, until, as soon as.
 Combine short sentences into longer ones using time words.
 Identify and underline the time clauses in the paragraph below.
 Write a paragraph with personal experiences, using at least three time words.

Language Focus

This lesson focuses on the following:

 Text-level Grammar: Using time words to write sentences together so that the ideas
are coherent and logically related.
 Writing Skills: Using time words appropriately in paragraphs to enhance coherence.
 Sentence Structure: Creating complex sentence structures while using time words: for
example, "While I was shopping, I saw a dress".

Materials

 Focus on Grammar- an integrated skills approach, page 82-84

 Paragraph Writing Template: Based on Exercise 4 ("I always… / Last week… /
Before…, I… / While…, I…").
 Printed Copies: Worksheets paragraph analysis
 Student Notebooks: For freer practice (writing personal paragraphs).

Procedures

Steps Teacher’s activities Students’ activities Teaching Notes

aids
1. Lead – in To introduce the concept of combining sentences using time words.
(3 minutes) - Write two examples on the board: "I - Students compare Whiteboard
was shopping. I saw a dress." and "While the sentences and and
I was shopping, I saw a dress." explain why the markers.

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 - Ask students: “Which sentence is second one is
better? Why?” clearer and more
cohesive.
2. First To help students develop reading for gist and to provide the context.
reading - Distribute the text from Exercise 1 - Read the text Printed text
(7 minutes) - Ask students to read the paragraph in
exercise 1.
3. Second To have students locate the sentences containing time words in context and comprehend how
reading they are connecting ideas
(7 minutes) Ask the students to read the paragraph Students read the
silently and to underline all those text individually,
sentences which include any kind of time circle sentences
words: while, when, as soon as, before, with time words
after, until. and make a note of
those they find.
4. Presentati To teach the function of time words
on- - Explain time words while, when, - Take notes, ask Whiteboard
Language before, after, until, as soon as, showing questions, and and
focus their function in combining ideas. provide additional markers.
(10 minutes) - Provide examples where the time clause examples using
comes first and second (e.g., "Before I time words.
left, I called her." / "I called her before I
left.").
5. Practice- To practice combining sentences using time words in a structured activity.
Controlled - Use Exercise 2: Give students a set of - Work in pairs to Worksheets
practice sentences to combine using time words combine the with
(3 - 5 (e.g., "I was walking. I found my wallet." sentences correctly sentences
minutes) → "While I was walking, I found my using time words, for practice.
wallet."). then share their
- Review answers as a class. answers with the
class.
6. Produ To encourage students to apply time words in their own writing.
ction- - Explain the context of the writing task - Write their own Student

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 Freer to students by explaining the topic-field, paragraphs notebooks
practi tenor, and mode: individually or printed
ce Field (What): "You will write a short templates.
personal story about a misunderstanding
(10 minutes)
or a funny situation you experienced."
Tenor (Who): "Imagine you're writing
this story for a friend who doesn't know
about the situation."
Mode (How): "You will write a short
paragraph that explains what happened
using time words to connect ideas
- Ask students to write a short paragraph
about a personal experience (e.g., "What
happened on your last holiday?") using at
least three time words.
- Encourage them to use the model in
Exercise 4.
7. Error To provide constructive feedback and reinforce correct use of time words.
correction - Display one or two student paragraphs - Listen to Whiteboard
(5 minutes) on the board. feedback, ask or projector.
- Show good examples of time word questions, and
usage and correct common errors revise their
collaboratively. paragraphs based
on suggestions.

Appendix

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These materials are from Fuchs, Bonner, and Westheimer’s (2012) Fuchs, Bonner, and
Westheimer (2012)

The reading paragraphs

The text for controlled practice

The template for production task

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Lesson Plan 3: Teaching Daily Routines and Presen Simple

Class Description:
The class has 30 basic-level Grade 6 students, 11-12 years old, who learn English as a second
language. The students will capitalize on their prior knowledge for further ability in the use of
present simple sentences and common collocations that describe daily routines.
Lesson Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to do the following.

 Make sentences with collocations of daily routines; for example, wake up early, watch
TV, eat breakfast.
 Use positive and negative sentences in the present simple tense.
 Describing, and talking about, their own daily routines, using present simple grammar
and daily routine collocations.
 Use and explain rules regarding subject-verb agreement, present simple.

Language Focus:

 Lexico-grammar Focus: Everyday collocations associated with daily routines, for

example, start work, go to bed, watch TV.
 Sentence Grammar Focus: Present simple affirmative and negative sentences-that is,
subject-verb agreement. Example: He studies a lot. They don't go to bed early.

Materials:

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  Tieng Anh 6, Friends Plus, student book, page 24-27
 Printed copy of text and worksheet
 A whiteboard and markers.

Procedures

Steps Teacher’s activities Students’ activities Teaching aids Notes

1. Lead – in To activate students’ prior knowledge of daily routines and spark interest in the topic.
(3 minutes) - Ask students: “What’s your favourite - Respond freely,
part of the day? Why?” sharing daily
- Elicit answers about their routines. activities they enjoy.
2. Engageme To familiarize students with key vocabulary (daily routine collocations) in context.
nt (5 - Ask students to read the text “days - Repeat the Printed copy
minutes) and nights quiz”. Focus on the verbs in collocations and of the text
blue. match them with and the table.
- Ask students to complete table 1 corresponding
where they match the collocations images.
with images.
- Teacher give correct answers.
Explain to the students that these
phrases, such as "wake up early,"
"watch TV," and "eat breakfast," are
examples of collocations-words that
commonly go together in English to
describe daily routines. Mention that
learning collocations helps make their
speech and writing sound more
natural. For example, we say "do
homework" rather than "make
homework" because it's the correct
and natural combination in English.
3. Pre – teach To familiarize students with key vocabulary needed for the lesson. To prevent students from
vocabulary “blocking” when reading.
(3 minutes) - Present words like "sons," - Students repeat and Flashcards or
"daughters," "grandchildren," with engage with the new images for

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 flashcards. vocabulary, writing visual
- Provide simple definitions and down meanings and support.
examples in sentences. examples in their
notebooks.
4. First To help students develop reading for gist and to provide the context.
reading - Play the text “a busy day” - Listen and read Printed copy
(7 minutes) - Ask students to read the text attentively of the text
individually
1. Second To help students recognize present simple
reading - Ask the students to re-read the text - Read the text and Printed copy
(7 minutes) and underline all the verbs. underline words of the text
2. Present To explicitly teach sentence structure and subject-verb agreement in present simple.
ation- - Write the rules for forming present - Take notes and ask Whiteboard,
Langua simple affirmative and negative questions about the markers, and
ge sentences on the board (e.g., add -s for rules. text
focus he/she/it). - Provide additional examples.
(10 minutes) - Show common errors (e.g., examples using the
forgetting to add -s for third person rules.
singular).
- Provide examples from the text: “He
watches TV. They don’t help.”
3. Practice- To practice forming present simple sentences accurately in a structured context.
Controlled - Ask students to complete practice 1 - Work individually Printed
practice and practice 2. on the exercise and worksheets.
(3 - 5 - Review answers as a class. share their answers
minutes) during review.
4. Production- To encourage students to use the target grammar and collocatión creatively and
Freer authentically.
practice Practice 1: speaking - Write sentences Notebooks
(10 minutes) - Ask students to work in pairs. What individually, then
does each person in your family do at share and discuss
home? Tell your partner. their routines with a
- Remember to use collocations and partner.

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 present simple structure that you have
learnt.
Practice 2: writing
- Ask students to write five true
sentences about their partner’s daily
routines, using both affirmative and
negative forms of the present simple.
- Organize students into pairs to share
their sentences and compare routines.
- Remember to use collocations and
present simple structure that you have
learnt.
5. Error To reinforce accurate grammar usage and collocations and correct common errors.
correction - Show common mistakes from - Listen to feedback, Whiteboard
(5 minutes) students’ freer practice (e.g., forgetting ask questions, and for error
-s in third person singular). revise their work if shows.
- Provide delayed feedback to the needed.
class.

Appendix

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These materials are from Trần Cao Bội Ngọc and Vũ Vạn Xuân’s (2023) Tiếng Anh 6 -
Friend Plus.

The text “Days and nights quiz”

The table 1

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The text “A busy day”

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 The controlled practice 1 The controlled practice 2

The production practice

3. Rationale

My three grammar lessons, namely Future Continuous Tense, Time Words in Writing, and
Present Simple with Daily Routines, based on previous critical research on grammar
pedagogy and have been adapted to the needs of Grade 6 intermediate-level students. The
students are at an age of development when they need explicit teaching and learning for the
building of grammatical accuracy and a structured yet communicative approach of learning.
My design, therefore, draws on functional grammar, deductive teaching, communicative
language teaching, and explicit rule instruction to ensure accuracy and fluency are both
covered within the lessons. The design consequently reflects their familiarity with teacher-led
learning while providing opportunity for meaningful use of language, balancing the
theoretical principles with practical classroom realities.

Functional Approach to Grammar

I believe in a functional approach underpinning my lesson design, where grammar is not just
a set of rules in itself but exists to provide a function in communication. In support of this,
Halliday and Matthiessen (2004) debate that language teaching should demonstrate how
grammar is functioning in contexts to actually carry meaning. Intermediate learners like my
grade 6 students, need clear presentation on how grammar is used in naturalistic situations to
connect form and function. Take the Future Continuous Lesson as an example, it can be
observed that the tense is presented in a conversation about planning a presentation. Such an

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example provides them with a clear perspective on how the structure communicates actions
that will be ongoing at a specific time in the future. In the same light, practices such as those
shown in the Time Words in Writing Lesson combine sentences using time words, such as
before and while, to show how grammar contributes to textual cohesion. These activities are
aimed at making grammar relevant and purposeful and tackling communicative needs at this
level.
This functional approach should be especially helpful for Grade 6 students, as their cognitive
facility enables them to find patterns and apply rules in realistic contexts. This is a stage
when they are ready to move from only mechanical practice-taking grammar out of context-
to apply to meaningful tasks, that is, thinking critically about how the language actually
works, fostering deep understandings.

Deductive Teaching for Grammatical Precision

Deductive teaching provides clarity and organization, which are the features required by
intermediate learners for mastery of grammar for two reasons. Firstly, this approach is
suitable to my students because my students are used to a teacher-centered kind of guidance
and thus are bound to feel more comfortable when the rules are clearly explained first before
practice. Secondly, the approach is theoretically supported by Ellis (2006) who stresses that
deductive approaches are useful in teaching grammatical structures, which are simple but
requires accuracy, like verb tenses or sentence connectors.

In all three lessons, grammatical rules are clearly exposed before their practice, as in the
Future Continuous Lesson. First of all, I explain the formula will + be + verb-ing for an
affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentence. I prioritize such clarity so that students
internalize the structure before applying it in controlled and communicative exercises. In the
Present Simple Lesson, the subject-verb agreement rules are clearly explained to the students
because it is an aspect of this tense that needs great attention to detail. Such clear
explanations make students understand grammar better and lay the foundation for accurate
use.

Communicative Language Teaching for Fluency

While deductive teaching provides accuracy, communicative activities are also incorporated
into my lessons in order to make learners fluent. Communicative language teaching (CLT)
puts an emphasis on authentic communication and assists learners in closing the gap between
grammatical knowledge and actual grammatical use in an authentic situation (Richards,
2006). For intermediate learners who very often cannot use their knowledge outside of
controlled tasks, CLT provides practice which allows them to build practical confidence and
develop their competence.

In the Future Continuous lesson, I planned a free practice activity where students talk about
their future plans in pairs: "What will you be doing tomorrow evening? ". Because of this, it
encourages them to use the tense more spontaneously, which helps them to perform a real
communication to reinforce their understanding. The writing task at the end of the Time
Words in Writing Lesson gets students to write a personal story using time words to link
events. This activity helps students build a meaningful context into which writing is
integrated, thus reviewing grammar as a tool for coherence and expression. Finally, in the
Present Simple Lesson, there is some pair work where students describe the routines of their

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family members using collocations such as wake up early in order to practice the present
simple in a natural way.

These communicative tasks make the students learn how grammar is used in real-life
communication and not just a memo of rules. CLT has proved to be very helpful for my
students because learning is made active and functional. Moreover, learners of this particular
age group seem to take more interest in tasks that offer them an opportunity to talk about
their own experiences, as a result, communicative activities provided a deeper sense of
purpose and engagement.

Explicit Rule Teaching in Context

Giving explanations and asking the student to look for rules while performing an activity
increases explicit knowledge of the structure both during and following the event. However,
learners are thinking independently, and explicit instruction may not be absorbed or may be
ignored. They may pick up on other patterns that were not the focus of the instruction. On the
other hand, implicit instruction would probably allow learners to deduce some grammatical
framework that underlies communicative activities and look for patterns themselves
(Lichtman, 2021). Thus, explicit teaching of rules has a vital part in my lesson plans, it plays
not as an independent method, but more as a complement to functional and communicative
approaches which allow students themselves to induce the rules of languages.

Time Words in Writing Lesson takes that a step further; I explicitly show students which time
words come at the beginning or end of sentences. For example, "Before I left, I phoned her"
versus "I called her before I left". Immediately after learning these rules, these are then
applied in tasks where the student combines sentences in order to write a paragraph, and
shows how grammar contributes to cohesion. In the Future Continuous Lesson, for example, I
will explain in advance of a dialogue, in context, the formula of the tense. In the Present
Simple Lesson, I present the rules of the subject-verb agreement and then try to enforce them
through activities that involve collocations and habitual actions. My lessons make sure that
students develop not only accuracy but also the ability to use grammar effectively for a
purpose, which is achieved through explicit rule teaching combined with functional and
communicative activities.

Explicit instruction befits intermediate learners particularly because it provides the clarity and
precision which they need. Grade 6 students are supposed to be at the stage where they can
handle abstracted rules themselves but still need guidance from the teacher on how to apply
this effectively. This approach respects their learning style while gradually preparing them
for independent use of grammar.

Theoretical Alignment with Grammar Levels

This is wonderfully realised in the differing levels of grammar that my lessons reflect:
sentence-level, text-level, and lexico-grammar. All three lessons place special emphasis on
sentence-level grammar, which concerns the structure and accuracy of individual sentences.
For example, students do controlled practice exercises in making affirmative and negative
sentences in the Present Simple Lesson. Coherence and cohesion in larger texts are discussed
under the text-level grammar, which serves to be an essential component in the Time Words
in Writing Lesson where students will learn to carry out connectivity of sentences using time
words to produce logically structured paragraphs. The embeddedness of the Lexico-grammar

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is seen within the Present Simple Lesson where students learn collocations such as watch TV,
or go to bed early. These activities have shown how grammar and vocabulary come together
in imparting meaning and help enhance students for their communicative competence.

In conclusion, my three grammar lessons have effectively incorporated the functional,

deductive, and communicative approaches supported by explicit rule teaching. They respond
to sentence-level and text-level, and lexico-grammar issues, thus representing a balanced and
effective framework for the intermediate level of Grade 6 learners. The combination of clear
rules, meaningful contexts, and communicative tasks will help students develop both
accuracy and fluency, thus equipping them with the ability to use grammar confidently in
real-life communication. My approach meets theoretical principles and responds to the
students' particular needs, which makes these lessons both practical and pedagogically sound.

References

Angela, B., & Bryan, S. (2014). Oxford Discover: Grammar: Student Book 6. Oxford

University Press.

Ellis, R. (2006). Current Issues in the Teaching of Grammar: An SLA perspective. TESOL

Quarterly, 40(1), 83. https://doi.org/10.2307/40264512

Fuchs, M., Bonner, M., & Westheimer, M. (2012). Focus on Grammar: [An Integrated Skills

Approach] (3rd ed.).

Halliday, M., Matthiessen, C. M., Halliday, M., & Matthiessen, C. (2014). An introduction to

functional grammar (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203783771

Lichtman, K. (2021). What about fluency? Implicit vs. explicit training affects artificial mini-

language production. Applied Linguistics, 42(4), 668-691.

https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amaa054

Richards, J. C. (2005). Communicative language teaching today. Singapore: SEAMEO

Regional Language Centre.

Trần Cao Bội Ngọc, Vũ Vạn Xuân (2023). Tiếng Anh 6 - Friend Plus. Việt Nam: Nhà Xuất

Bản Giáo Dục

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