Why Should We Contextualize Grammar

Many English learners recall that grammar has always been their least favorite part of the learning process. Among the reason-whys, they name repetitive tasks, countless explanations of rules, lack of engagement and realness, and uncertainty that they will be really using this information. 

However, is it possible to teach grammar in an interesting way, skipping the part with thick boring textbooks and showing some actual stuff? The answer is “yes”, especially when it comes to higher levels. 

So, today we will discuss how you can contextualize grammar and why contextualizing is way better than using explicit teaching.

According to “How to Teach Grammar” by Bas Aarts, Ian Cushing, and Dick Hudson, contextual grammar involves:

That leads us to such key concepts of the approach as:

On the contrary, even according to older studies that date back to the late 70th, memorizing terminology, recreating the rules without a clear reference to the context, and monotonous drilling of the rules — all the features that define so-called explicit grammar teaching proved themselves either to be not effective enough or useless at all. 

Nowadays, in the era of the Internet and social media, there is no easier and more fun thing to do than finding a context for your grammar lesson, especially for students of higher levels who can already understand memes, lyrics, movies, etc. 

Teach grammar using the main focus

If your students have a specific goal like communicating with a business partner or being fluent while traveling around the world, you have a chance to show them how to use some exact grammar topics in a context that is especially interesting for them. 

Such an approach fights back against a stereotype that is popular among students and based on the idea that studying grammar and practicing speaking are totally different and not connected things. 

Use music

Songs are a great source for contextualizing grammar: you may discuss the topic of the song using some grammar structures, or share a worksheet based on the song completion which will end up with self-discovering a grammar topic. Again, here everything depends on the teacher, but the idea is that music helps to build stronger and more lasting associations. 

It is hard to forget Beyonce’s “If I Were a Boy”. Why don’t we make conditionals as unforgettable as the song?

Use literature

We have already talked about the use of literature in class, so there is no wonder that reading is especially good for looking at how grammar works in a real situation or how often it is used. 

Plus, it is much more interesting to discuss grammar while referring to some plot, characters, and issues at the same time. 

Films and videos

There is no richer source of context for grammar than movies. Ask your students to watch “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, and create a worksheet for Type 3 Conditional and we promise that you will have the coolest grammar lesson ever!

However, to present grammar you don’t have to use the whole movie. 

Sometimes, one TikTok is enough to give the context. So, next time while scrolling your feed try to focus on how you could potentially use this content to present some grammar. We guarantee that the result will be surprising. 

Social media

Also, don’t underestimate Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, Facebook, TikTok, or even some pieces of news from TV. These are the places where you can find a nice video or a good text that will inspire you for contextualizing your grammar lessons. 

Using such materials not only makes a lesson more engaging but also makes it more real, and more connected to everyday life activities and issues which creates a clear idea of when and how you can use certain grammar.