2nd year university students
Education Majors
A few low level but mostly mid-high level communication skills
My favorite lesson is the one where I introduce the Present Perfect Tense (PP) to my students. I have found this topic to be very difficult for my students to master and it is a challenge to present well. My students are fairly proficient in English but they are weak in skillfully using PP to discuss life experiences.
By the end of our 3 hour lesson, students should be able to describe life experiences using present perfect correctly while also demonstrating their ability to use simple past tense and not confuse their meanings.
1st Hour
On the overhead, students can see diagrams from English Page help the students visualize the definitions that characterize present perfect. Here are two examples;
- unspecified times before now
- duration with non continuous verbs
The class discusses the form (have/ has + past participle) and the meaning of PP and brainstorm examples of how it can be used:
- in past actions at an unspecified time in the past with present relevance
- as an experience in someone's life
- to describe a non-continuous action or state that continues into the present
- to discuss past actions with results in the present
- with time expressions for & since
- when making negative statements ( I haven't seen..)
I post examples of common mistakes on the screen and the students must identify the mistakes, and most importantly we discover how the meaning of the incorrect statement is different from the correct statement.
The students often make mistakes when providing examples and these get listed on the board for discussion.
2nd & 3rd Hours -Practice Activities ( time permitting)
1- Have you ever..?
Students each write 3 true simple past statements and state the time of the event in the lives. Then, they hand the paper to a partner who must make "Have you ever..?" questions for each statement. They share answers with the class.
2- Negative statements
Students form groups of 4-5 and stand around a circle of 3-4 chairs (depending on the number of students) with one student standing in the middle. The student in the middle makes a negative statement about something they haven't done in their lives. If someone else has done it, they must try to get into a chair. The student left standing must stand in the middle and start the game again with a new negative statement.
3- Which country am I in?
In groups of three, students take turns trying to find out which country each group member is in. They use questions like "Have you been to..? Have you tried..? Have you travelled..?" etc.
4- Discuss future plans
Students discuss a future plan they have and the things they have or haven't done to prepare themselves. Partners can stand up in an tell the class what their partner discussed.
5- Speech
Finally, the students spend the last hour of class time preparing a 5 minute speech using various examples of Present Perfect. They will deliver to the class providing details of their quality of life and their experiences that shape it.
Students respond well to this lesson and have given me positive feedback on how the various activities have enabled them to better understand PP through practical use.
I think grammar is one of the most challenging topics to teach to students.Your activities are concise and reinforce the grammar point well. Having your students for three hours is great so that you have enough time to learn and reinforce what you have taught. Practice makes perfect. Good lesson.
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