Suggested Activity to Improve Simple Present Tense

1.A Conversation Game

The teacher shows a picture of two girls with a sentence on top (see Appendix 1) and asks them to rewrite the same sentence by filling up the gap below. The teacher elicits the word ‘both’ with the picture and also elicits how to talk about the similarities and differences (using don’t and doesn’t) with the picture. The teacher then tells that they will be playing a conversation game (see Appendix 2). The class is divided into two groups. All the students in ‘Group A’ will get a card with a set of 8 questions and a pseudo name in the lower right corner and the students in ‘Group B’ will also get a card with the same pseudo names and with the same set of questions. The teacher reminds that the rule of the game is to ask complete questions and to get complete answers from their partners using the present simple tense rule which are on the board and warns that anyone who breaks the rule will be disqualified.

The teacher then instructs that the students of ‘Group A’ should find their partners with the same name from ‘Group B’. Then the pairs must sit together and get all the answers to their questions. After gathering information, they must discuss and write a short paragraph on their similarities and differences. Once they finish each pair has to stick their paragraph on the board and who does so first within the time limit wins the game and the teacher adds that the winning pair will also receive a ‘prize’. Teacher monitors and makes any notes necessary, checking to see if they have understood. When everybody finishes, teacher sticks the paragraphs on different parts of the walls in the class and asks the students to walk around the class and read the other paragraphs. Later on, one of the students from each pair reads out their paragraph to the class and teacher elicits correction as WCFB. Finally, the teacher gives the winning pair a box of Turkish delight to be shared with the others in the class. Rationale:

I intend to play this conversation game as these learners are basically fun loving, these kind of activities would activate schemata and get them engaged in the task. This will also create a lively atmosphere, as they are personalising which would encourage them to use present simple efficiently. “It is also a way to find out more about your students. It is good to practise language and to find out more about my students! Use preset simple questions every day in class when you chat at the start or end of the lesson.” (Scrivener, J, 2010, pg.111). As they can already write small essays, their knowledge of present simple tense would help them to do the written task more accurately. This activity is also a combination of the receptive skills of ‘reading and listening’ and productive skills of ‘speaking and writing.’

2. Daily Routines
The teacher tells or elicits a story using board pictures or flashcards getting students to repeat each sentence (see Appendix 3). Then, asks students to recap and retell the whole story at various points. When the story is completed, the teacher asks students to work in pairs to write a second similar story for a different character (Scrivener, J, 2010, pg.102).
Rationale : I believe that this activity will be very effective, as they would be repeating each sentence and retelling it. This will develop confidence in them to use the correct forms of Present Simple tense. This activity will also develop their receptive (listening) and productive (speaking) skills.

BIBLIOGRAHY

Scrivener, J. (2010) Teaching English Grammar. Oxford: Macmillan Publishers Ltd.