Trainer notes

In-Service Teacher Development

Grammar 1 – Noticing

© Mat Wright

www.britishcouncil.org/teachingenglish
Grammar 1 Noticing Trainer notes

Overview
“The best way to teach grammar” is a controversial topic. Views range from the belief that a focus
on grammar is detrimental to developing learners’ communicative competence, to concerns that
without an overt focus on form the target language can never be learnt effectively. Indeed some
of the language involved in talking about grammar seems to be dominated by opposites: product
v process; grammar translation v communicative methodology; inductive v deductive; accuracy
v fluency and so on. So how can teachers decide which approach is best – particularly, as is often
the case, they may be constrained by the approach in their textbook or the expectations of their
schools, learners or learners’ parents. In this workshop we will explore how grammar teaching can
be effective in all teaching contexts by developing learners’ ‘noticing’ skills and integrating ‘noticing’
tasks with existing resources and approaches.

The materials are suitable for teachers with a minimum B1 level, working in any educational context
– primary, secondary, tertiary, adults.

This is the first of three workshops. This workshop should take approximately 1.5 hours.

Learning outcomes
By the end of this workshop participants will be able to:
■ Discuss teachers’ approaches to teaching grammar.
■ Define what is involved in ‘noticing’.
■ Distinguish between tasks which practice grammatical structures and tasks which encourage
noticing them.
■ Modify typical textbook grammar exercises to provide practice in developing noticing skills.
■ Present ideas for modifying tasks to peers.
■ Reflect on learning from this workshop.

Recommended reading for trainers

Grammar, Rob Batstone, (OUP 1994) (Chapters 5–9).

Key Concepts in ELT: Noticing, Rob Batstone (in ELT Journal Vol 50/3, OUP 1996).

Teaching and learning in the language classroom, Tricia Hedge, (OUP 2000), (Chapter 5).

Uncovering Grammar, Scott Thornbury (MacMillan 2005).

Grammar 1 Noticing Trainer notes

Procedure
1 What’s the best way to teach grammar?
For this task, participants discuss quotations from teachers who answered this question.

NB If teachers are likely to have difficulty understanding the concepts mentioned by the teachers,
there is a matching task (see below) which they can complete prior to watching the film clip or
following the ‘alternative procedure.’ This does not appear in the participant worksheets, so would
need to be put on the board or photocopied and cut up.

Materials required for this stage

■ Participant worksheet ‘What’s the best way to teach grammar?’

Instructions for task/activity

■ Ask participants to reflect for a couple of minutes on how they teach grammar.
■ Next, ask participants to look at the quotations from teachers who answered this question:
Communicative way – first practice, then rule.
Deductive and inductive.
Test teach test.
Errors help them notice the gap between their current language ability and the standard forms.
Creating situations for practice.
Understanding meaning from context.
Teachers need to present the rules.
Asking concept questions.
Presentation, practice, production.
Get learners to ‘notice’ grammar.
■ Participants work in groups to answer the discussion questions:
How close are the views of the teachers to yours?
Which ones are new ideas for you?
Which ones do you agree with the most?
What do you think is the best way to teach grammar?

Feedback
Elicit responses on what they think is the best way to teach grammar. Write up their
suggestions, and explain that this will be returned to later in the workshop for reflection.
Grammar 1 Noticing Trainer notes

2 Noticing
This activity introduces participants to the concept of “noticing”.

Materials required for this stage

■ Participant worksheet ‘Noticing’

Instructions for task/activity

Three of the teachers mentions noticing (“Errors help them notice the gap between their current
language ability and the standard forms;” “Students need to notice the patterns and identify if
right or wrong;” “Get learners to notice grammar.)” Elicit from participants what they understand
by “noticing”.

■ Go over feedback (see below).

■ Focus on the quotation from Scott Thornbury¹ and ask participants to discuss whether they agree
with it.
“Noticing is a pre-requisite for learning, attention is a pre-requisite for noticing.”
■ Elicit participants views and clarify that noticing involves paying attention to grammatical forms
and patterns – noticing how they occur and how they are used. This lays the foundation for
helping to acquire the grammar. Give an example of ‘noticing’ from your own experience of
language learning, then ask participants to discuss the questions below:
Think about a time when you were a language learner. What kind of things helped you to ‘notice’?
How can teachers help their learners develop noticing skills?
■ Elicit examples of noticing from participants and write up to return to later. In the next section
participants assess grammar tasks which aim to get learners to notice.

Feedback
There are two aspects to noticing:

a) Paying attention – to grammar as it occurs in different contexts, for example, grammar input
in lessons, structures in texts and listening material, language practice activities and spoken
interactions.
b) ‘Noticing the gap’ – learners becoming aware of differences in their performance and L1
competence. For example, you read something, or hear something about a grammar item
which seems to be new to you and sticks in your mind. In fact, it is probably not new, but
you are ‘noticing’ it for the first time. Having ‘noticed’ it you will see it or hear it regularly and
wonder how you could have failed to notice it before.
Noticing, (as described in (a) above), whilst on its own does not lead to mastery, is arguably the
most important. It is this aspect which will be focused on in this workshop.

¹ Scott Thornbury, Uncovering Grammar, MacMillan

Grammar 1 Noticing Trainer notes

3 Tasks for noticing grammar

PIn this activity participants analyze grammar tasks to identify how much support is given for
learners to ‘notice’ grammar features. These tasks could be replaced with ones from teachers’
own textbooks if appropriate. The first task is worked through together with the whole class as an
example.

Materials required for this stage

■ Participant worksheet ‘Tasks for noticing grammar’
■ Trainer notes ‘Tasks for noticing grammar – examples 2–4’

Instructions for task/activity

■ Focus on example 1 – this is in the participant worksheets.
■ Ask participants to read through the exercise.
■ Elicit how the exercise helps learners to notice grammar (ie, by providing examples of use in
context, contrasting the two tenses to show the different meanings). It uses guiding questions to
help learners to notice. Ask learners if they think it is effective or not. By asking questions rather
than simply giving the rules, it requires learners to think about the forms and notice how they
are used. It is reasonably effective in encouraging noticing, however there is no guarantee that
learners will remember the points discussed or use the forms correctly later on.
■ Participants work in groups. Give one of the exercises from ‘Tasks for noticing grammar –
examples 2–4’ to each group. (These can be found at the back of this module). Ask participants to
answer the same questions as in the whole group activity.

Feedback
Highlight to participants the similarities and differences between the examples. The use
of comparisons and layout to organize and help learners notice patterns, use of questions
instead of rules etc. All of the exercises involve drawing learners’ attention to the grammar
items. Example 2 is more explicit, whereas the others invite learners to discover the rules
for themselves. Example 1 specifies the tenses to help learners focus on use and meaning.
Example 3 provides no clues, though arguably this gives learners an opportunity to really use
noticing skills. Example 4 guides learners, though encourages them to discover the rules for
themselves from the examples given. All of these types of exercises are valid – depending on
the teaching context and the level and ability of the learners.
Grammar 1 Noticing Trainer notes

4 Noticing grammar with your text book

This activity provides participants with an opportunity to assess some text-book grammar exercises
and modify them to enable learners to develop noticing skills. Participants then present their
modified version to the group and provide feedback to each other on the effectiveness of the
modifications. Exercises from teachers’ own textbooks may be substituted if preferred.

Materials required for this stage

■ Participant worksheet ‘Noticing grammar with your textbook’ or exercises from participants’
own textbooks
■ Trainer notes ‘Noticing grammar with your textbook – examples 2 – 4’

Instructions for task/activity

■ Focus on the questions in the participant worksheet and do Exercise 1 together as an example
– the focus is on the present simple and continuous forms. Learners have to choose the correct
form. There are no real opportunities for noticing – it is like a test to see if they understand when
to use the forms. Discuss how the exercise could be modified, for example:
Ask learners to give reasons for their choices.
Re-do the exercise, including some mistakes in it. Ask learners to identify and underline the
mistakes and suggest the reasons for them.
Ask learners to write the rules for the use of the grammar.
Instead of asking learners to choose the correct forms, leave the sentences intact and ask learners
to underline and explain why the tenses are used.
■ Divide participants into groups and assign a grammar task to each group (see trainer notes).
If you have a lot of groups, get two groups to work on the same task.
■ Go over the instructions ensuring they understand that they can modify the task in any way they
like, so long as it helps to develop learners’ noticing skills .
■ When they have done made their modifications, ask them to prepare to present their exercise to
the whole group. They should show how they have improved it and how it encourages noticing.
■ Each group presents their modified tasks to the whole group.
■ After each group has given their presentation, ask the other participants to comment on how
effective they think the new versions are and whether they can suggest any other ways of
modifying the exercises.

Feedback
Some ideas for modifying the exercises:

Exercise 2: As above – give learners the correct version of the conditionals and ask them to
say how they are formed and what their rules of use are; give completed sentences which are
incorrect. Ask them to find the mistakes and explain why the wrong forms are not possible.

Exercise 3: Separate into three boxes, eg,

Get on a bus
Get in a car Get on a horse
Get on a plane
Get in a taxi Get on a bike
Get on a train

Ask participants questions to see if they can work out why ‘in’ and ‘on’ are used with different
kinds of transport. As a follow-up, ask them to write the opposites – get off a bus etc.

Exercise 4: Provide the whole text with gaps completed. Underline the tenses and ask
participants to analyse why the writer uses them and why he switches from one to the other.
Grammar 1 Noticing Trainer notes

5 Reflection
Participants return to the lead-in question about the best way to teach grammar and reflect on how
their responses may have changed since completing the workshop.

Materials required for this stage

■ Participant worksheet ‘Reflection’

Instructions for task/activity

■ Participants work in pairs or small groups.
■ Discuss the questions on the worksheet.

Feedback
Elicit a few responses to the reflection questions. It is important that teachers try noticing
activities with their learners and monitor how (or if) it helps learners to develop grammatical
competency.
Grammar 1 Noticing Trainer notes

Additional task for participants who have difficulty understanding the quotes
from teachers.
Divide participants into groups. Make one copy of the table below for each group. Cut the table up
into a set of cards and shuffle Groups match each concept to its definition

Concept Meaning

✂
Students practice communicating and then study
Communicative way – first practice, then rule
the grammar rules.

In the first approach the teacher teaches the rules

along with examples. The learners then practice using
Deductive and inductive the language. In the second approach, the teacher
gives examples and asks learners to work
the rules out for themselves.

Teachers ask learners to complete a task without help

(test). The teacher then uses the results to find out
Test teach test what learners know about and then teach what they
don’t know (teach). Next, learners do another task to
check they are able to use the new language (test).

Comparing learner English with target forms shows to

Errors help them notice the gap between their current
teachers and learners what the differences are and
language ability and the standard forms
what the learners need to change/improve.

Building a context for learners to try out/practice

Creating situations for practice
new language.

Using a context, eg a situation, pictures, story,

dialogue etc, containing new language items.
Understanding meaning from context
Learners use the context to work out what the
language means.

As well as teaching situations of use, teachers

Teachers need to present the rules.
should teach grammar rules.

Questions which show that learners have

understood and which avoid using the target
Asking concept questions language. For example: Present perfect
“He has lived here for 3 years.” When did
he begin living here? Does he still live here?

Teacher presents the grammar structures to learners,

they practice these in a controlled way, eg, through
Presentation, practice, production grammar exercises, then do a task where they use the
structures to communicate – the learners have more
freedom here than in the controlled practice.

Help learners to ‘discover’ grammar through

Get learners to ‘notice’ grammar providing tasks which help them to work out how
it is used.
Grammar 1 Noticing Trainer notes

Noticing grammar with your textbook

Exercise 2

Underline the correct form in these sentences

What would you do if you lose/lost your job?

If you eat all that ice cream, you will/would get sick.

If I forget our anniversary, my wife gets/got upset.

If it rains, I will/would take a taxi.

Exercise 3

Complete the gaps with in or on

Get ____ a bus

Get ____ a car

Get ____ a plane

Get ____ a boat

Get ____ a train

Get ____ a horse

Get ____ a taxi

Get ____ a tram

Get ____ a bike

Get ____ a motor-bike

Grammar 1 Noticing Trainer notes

Noticing grammar with your textbook

Exercise 4

Complete the gaps in the text with these words

changed had has helped gave up had found died have also learned
moved taught lived have managed worked have sold took up
had never lived

My Life

I _________________________ as an accountant in London for many years.

I _________________________ in a small flat in the city, but two years ago

I _________________________ an accident – I nearly _________________________.

It _________________________ my life. I _________________________ my job and

_________________________ to Northern France and _________________________

painting.

At first I _________________________ it difficult to adapt to my new life.

I _________________________ abroad before and I _________________________ no

experience of learning a language or being self-employed. But, slowly

I _________________________ to learn French and this _________________________ me

make friends and adapt to the local culture. I _________________________ to grow grapes

and make wine – which I sell in local shops.

As for my paintings, well I _________________________ a few, so with my wine and my

paintings I make enough to live.

I don’t worry about the future – my accident _________________________ me to live one day

at a time.

(James Johnstone)
Grammar 1 Noticing Trainer notes

Tasks for noticing grammar

Example 2

Using much and many

We use many with plural nouns:

How many teachers are there in your school?

There are too many tests in our school.

We use much with uncountable nouns

We don’t get much help with our homework.

I haven’t got much time for studying.

Now add much or many to the following sentences

How ____________ brothers and sisters have you got?

How ____________ money have you saved for your holidays?

I haven’t done ____________ studying recently.

There aren’t ____________ computers in our library.

I don’t know how ____________ money the book costs.

Discuss the following questions in your group:

How does the exercise help learners to notice grammar?

What kind of support is given?

Is it effective? Why/why not?

Grammar 1 Noticing Trainer notes

Tasks for noticing grammar

Example 3

Look at the conversation on the left and compare it with the reported version on the right.

Work with a partner and identify what changes are made to direct speech to make it into reported
speech.

Direct Speech Reported speech

“Let’s go to a restaurant,” she suggested. She suggested going to a restaurant.

“I haven’t got any money,” he said. He said he hadn’t got any money.

“I’ll lend you some,” she offered. She offered to lend him some.

“No, I don’t want to borrow any money,” He said he didn’t want to borrow any money.
he replied.

“It doesn’t matter,” she told him. She told him it didn’t matter.

“Let’s eat at home instead,” he suggested. He suggested eating at home instead.

“All right,” she agreed. She agreed that was all right.

Discuss the following questions in your group:

How does the exercise help learners to notice grammar?

What kind of support is given?

Is it effective? Why/why not?

Grammar 1 Noticing Trainer notes

Tasks for noticing grammar

Example 4

Must and must have

What do you know about ‘must’? With your partner, think of an example of how you use it.

Did your example express strong obligation? (For example I must finish my essay this evening or I’ll
miss the deadline).

As well as using ‘must’ to express obligation, we also use it in another way. Look at the following
example. What is the function of ‘must’ in this sentence.

My brother won a triathlon yesterday.

Really? He must be very fit.

In this case, we use must to make deductions, to give an opinion when we are sure of something.

Here are two more examples:

A: They have completely re-decorated their home and put in a new kitchen.

B: Have they? It must be worth a lot of money now.

A: I’m having difficulty with my French homework.

B: Why don’t you phone Marie? Her Mum is French so she must know the answers.

Look again at the examples, how do we form sentences using must?

Now compare your answer with the one below:

In these cases speaker B is making a deduction and using must to express what they infer from
the context is true.

How can we express this use of must in the past tense? Discuss with a partner.

Now look at this example, were you correct?

I bought a new sunhat recently but I don’t know where I put it. I’ve searched everywhere in the
house.

Oh dear, you must have lost it

We add have and the past participle to must. Here is another example.

They took early retirement and are now on a world cruise.

They must have received a lot of money.

Grammar 1 Noticing Trainer notes

Example 4 (continued)

Must and must have

Now complete the following conversations by using must or must have and making any changes
necessary to the words in italics. The first one is completed as an example.

■ I have got a terrible cold. I didn’t sleep at all last night.

You/Tired

You must be very

____________ tired.
____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

■ She has got in to the top university.

Do well/exams

____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

■ They are usually home by now.

A lot of traffic

____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

■ She was involved in a serious accident and nearly died.

Family and friends/worried

____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

■ They only met 3 months ago, but they are getting married next week!

Very much in love.

____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

■ The doctor ordered him to take 6 months off work.

Under a lot of stress.

____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

Additional information: Must is a modal auxiliary. It takes no 3rd person ‘s’. It is followed by the base
form of a verb, ie, without “ to” eg, must be, must know, must go, must work etc.

Discuss the following questions in your group:

How does the exercise help learners to notice grammar?

What kind of support is given?

Is it effective? Why/why not?

The following link discusses ‘noticing’ and provides a sample lesson plan

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/top-stories/teaching-esl-students-notice-grammar
Participant worksheets

In-Service Teacher Development

Grammar 1 – Noticing

© Mat Wright

www.britishcouncil.org/teachingenglish
Grammar 1 Noticing Participant worksheets

What’s the best way to teach grammar?

Think about how you teach grammar.

Now look at how a group of teachers answered this question.

■ Communicative way – first practice, then rule.
■ Deductive and inductive.
■ Test teach test.
■ Errors help them notice the gap between their current language ability and the standard forms.
■ Creating situations for practice.
■ Understanding meaning from context.
■ Teachers need to present the rules.
■ Asking concept questions.
■ Get learners to ‘notice’ grammar.

Work in groups and discuss:

■ How close are the views of the teachers to yours?
■ Which ones are new ideas for you?
■ Which ones do you agree with the most?
■ What do you think is the best way to teach grammar?
Grammar 1 Noticing Participant worksheets

Noticing
One of the teachers mentions “Get learners to ‘notice’ grammar.”
■ What does this mean?

Now look at this quotation

“Noticing is a pre-requisite for learning, attention is a pre-requisite for noticing.” ¹
■ Do you agree?

Think about a time when you were a language learner.

■ What kind of things did you notice?
■ What kind of things helped you to ‘notice’?
■ How can teachers help their learners develop noticing skills?

¹ Scott Thornbury, Uncovering Grammar, MacMillan

Grammar 1 Noticing Participant worksheets

Tasks for noticing grammar

Example 1
Look at the example exercise below and discuss the following questions with the whole group and
your trainer.
■ How does the exercise help learners to notice grammar?
■ What kind of support is given in the exercise?
■ Is it effective? Why/why not?

Two friends bump into each other in the street. Read their conversation then answer the
questions which follow.

1. Sara Hi Jane, where are you going?

2. Jane The gym – I’m trying to get fit for my holidays, Sara.

3. Sara Oh good for you Jane. Are you doing a class?

4. Jane Yes – aerobics twice a week and I’m taking swimming lessons too.

4. Sara Oh, that’s a good idea. Listen, I need to get fit. I’ll come with you.

6. Jane That’s great Sara. By the way, I’m dieting too.

7. Sara Really? I won’t join you on that!

In lines 1–4 and 6, Sara and Jane use the present continuous form. Why?

In lines 5 and 7 Sara uses the ‘will’ form. Why?

Is it possible to reverse this, ie, use ‘will’ in lines 1–4 and 6 and use the present continuous in
lines 5–7? What would the effect be?

Your trainer will give you another example. Work in groups using the same questions as above, ie:
■ How does the exercise help learners to notice grammar?
■ What kind of support is given in the exercise?
■ Is it effective? Why/why not?
Grammar 1 Noticing Participant worksheets

Noticing grammar with your text book

Look at Exercise 1 and discuss these questions with the whole group:
What is the grammar focus?
■ What do learners have to do?
■ Are there opportunities for noticing?

Exercise 1

Complete the following sentences by choosing the present simple or present continuous

She (look) for a job with EU in Brussels. She (speak) 5 different European languages so I (think)
they’ll be interested in her.

I (travel) to work by car, but I (want) to be more eco-friendly, so I (consider) other ways.

I (read) a book about psychology in everyday life, but it’s very dull.

Now look at the task your trainer gives you. Work together to modify the task in any way you like, so
that it helps to develop learners’ noticing skills.

When you have made your modifications, decide how you will present your modified task to the
other participants.
■ What was the focus of the original exercise?
■ What changes have you made?
■ How will your changes help learners to develop noticing skills?

Listen to the other groups’ presentations. How effective do you think their modified versions are?
Can you suggest any other ways of modifying the exercises?
Grammar 1 Noticing Participant worksheets

Reflection
Work in pairs or small groups. Discuss the following:
■ Think back to your discussion on the best way to teach grammar at the start of this workshop.
How would you answer that question now?
■ Compare the suggestions you made earlier for helping learners develop noticing skills with your
experience of modifying exercises. Are they similar? Are they different? How?
■ What changes will you make to your approach to teaching grammar as a result of the workshop?