What does it consist of?

Teaching grammar in EFL consists of systematically helping learners notice, understand and use structures of English (tenses, modals, articles, word order, question formation, etc.) in meaningful contexts.

Effective grammar instruction integrates three elements:

1. Form — the shape of the structure (rules, word order, morphology).

2. Meaning — what the structure conveys (time, modality, quantity, etc.).

3. Use — when and why the structure is used in real communication.

Rather than only presenting rules, good grammar teaching:

• shows examples in context,

• elicits meaning from learners,

• guides controlled practice,

• and moves towards communicative use.

This aligns with communicative methodology supported by British Council and professional development resources such as American English, which emphasise grammar as useful, not isolated.

What do we achieve with this technique?

By teaching grammar in an integrated and contextualised way we:

• help students notice language patterns (noticing hypothesis).

• build accuracy (correct forms) and fluency (appropriate use).

• reduce fossilisation of errors.

• connect structure with meaning and real usage.

• support learners to produce correct language in speaking and writing.

This combination follows communicative competence principles and cognitive engagement in language learning. It is effective across levels, but the balance of explicit rule explanation and discovery varies with proficiency.

Examples

A1–A2 (beginner/elementary)

Target: Present simple (routine habits)

1. Present a short context (e.g., daily routines list).

2. Elicit examples: “What do you do every day?”

3. Highlight form (subject + base verb + s for third person).

4. Practice with controlled drills (fill-ins, substitution tables).

5. Move to semi-controlled speaking tasks:

   • Pair interviews: “What does your partner do on Sundays?”

6. Conclude with freer production:

   • Write 5 sentences about your week.

Here grammar is not learned as an abstract rule but through meaningful questions, examples, and communicative practice.

B1–B2 (intermediate)

Target: Present perfect vs past simple

1. Contextual input (student experiences, timelines).

2. Concept checking:

   • Present perfect: “Something that happened and affects now?”

   • Past simple: “Finished completely in the past?”

3. Elicit form and collocations from students.

4. Controlled practice (gap-fills with context cues).

5. Communicative task:

   • Students interview each other about life experiences, then report to class using both tenses.

This bridges controlled accuracy work with real communication, a step essential at intermediate levels.