Teaching Grammar Deductively and Inductively

My teaching experiences have been in elementary schools. I have used deductive and inductive teaching strategies and am comfortable using either. My decision to use a particular strategy is usually based on factors such as the ability of the students to discover the skill or strategy within a reasonable amount of time, the attention span of the students (what learning activity will keep students motivated and engaged in the task), inclusion of a variety of learning styles and modalities, the skill or strategy being taught, resources available and the time allotted for the lesson. I will probably use these same factors when deciding which strategy (deductive or inductive) to use when teaching grammar rules to ESL adult learners.

ESL beginners may not have enough language to express a rule when they recognize it or they may not feel confident enough with English to offer suggestions. Therefore, teaching a grammar point such as using pronouns with the correct form of the BE verb may be taught more efficiently with an explicit explanation along with examples related to students’ lives. The majority of class time could then be spent with the students working in groups completing an information gap activity.

This same group of ESL beginner students may benefit more from learning some grammar points inductively. An example is teaching how and when to use simple present verbs with a learning activity such as the ‘lost bag’ collection of objects. In this activity students need to identify the items in the bag and state the information each article provides about the owner of lost the bag. Items in the bag include commonly used things such bus tickets and a novel which would prompt students to say, “He rides the bus. He reads.” As students say a statement the teacher writes it on the board so students have a visual representation of the simple present verb along with the aural and oral examples. When this activity is finished, the teacher leads students to the discover a rule about the simple present; that is, it ends in a ‘s’ and the activity is one that usually or always exists. This activity is interesting and authentic which encourages students to complete it to identify the owner, not to learn more about simple present verbs. Time may be a factor in how often inductive approaches are used since they tend to be more time consuming than using the deductive strategy.

The above examples of deductive and inductive lessons include a variety of learning styles (visual, oral and aural) and language modalities (listening, speaking and reading). Resources for the learning activities are readily available, minimizing preparation time for the lessons.

The anticipated level of student motivation and their cognitive engagement in various learning activities are factors that I consider when determining which teaching-learning strategies and activities to use with a particular group of students. Students’ motivation and engagement are often heightened by using a variety of learning activities within a unit and designing lessons so students can connect the learning to their own lives. Variety and authenticity can be incorporated into a unit by including realia, (as in the inductive activity above), situational learning, as well as oral and written examples that relate to students’ goals.

Grammar points taught inductively using a situational approach can be tailored for each particular group of students. If the students are agriculture workers, then the topic could be related to tasks and problems they will encounter on the farm. This approach can include pictures, graphics or other sources of realia. Situational learning is cognitively engaging because students have a need to learn the grammar point when it is presented in a context that is connected directly to situations in their lives.

To conclude this discussion, I think using both inductive and deductive teaching strategies in each unit provides variety and enables the teacher to incorporate the most appropriate and efficient strategies and creative learning activities in the lessons while keeping in mind the students’ language levels, goals, and learning styles; as well as the grammar points being addressed, and the available resources and time constraints.

Elements of ‘Flow’ and EAL Lesson Plans

This post is a discussion of how Csikszentmihalyi’s elements of ‘flow’ apply to EAL lesson plans.

Clearly stated goals/objectives provide a focus to lessons and inform the teacher’s decisions when planning learning activities, when to give students feedback, the best assessment tools to use and when to assess students’ performance. Clear objectives lets students know the skills they will learn and be assessed on. Students can also monitor and assess their own progress when they know the skills that need to be learned. When students are in the process of monitoring their learning against the lesson objectives, they will be focused and in the ‘flow’.

Immediate feedback from the teacher about the use of the new skills lets students know if are using them correctly. If a student is incorrect, he has an opportunity to restructure the response with the teacher’s assistance. A feeling of accomplishment and success is encouraging to students and keeps them engaged in the learning and in the ‘flow’.
Students’ interest will be elevated when the learning is meaningful and relevant and serves a purpose outside the classroom. They will be able to connect the learning to some aspect of their lives. It may be a grammar skill and/or vocabulary they can use for a hobby, at work, in their daily activities or to improve social relationships. For example, if lesson objectives are to learn how to ask questions about someone’s activities, and answer in complete sentences, students will be able to apply these skills to most daily activities. Planning lessons objectives around skills students can use outside the classroom will keep them interested and focused on the task at hand.

Good planning can minimize the fear of failure by designing lessons that are within the students’ zone of proximal development and by scaffolding the difficulty level from one learning activity to the next. Students will be engaged in the lessons when there is a balance between challenges and skills.

A safe and comfortable learning environment and atmosphere reduces stress and self-conscientiousness and promotes engagement in the learning activities. Students feel comfortable speaking to others in class and taking risks with new skills and vocabulary.

Fun and enjoyable learning experiences will keep students interested and the activities are more likely to be enjoyed for their own sake. Using a variety of learning strategies and resources such as role playing, songs, games, pictures, realia and graphics adds variety and interest to lessons. For example, if students are trying to figure out who has lost a bag of items by identifying the items; they will complete the activity for the sake of trying to identify the owner of the bag and won’t realize the grammar skills and vocabulary they are practicing.

I think good lesson planning and ‘flow’ go hand-in-hand.