Below please find my grammar activity for students, preparing for IELTS exam with CLB level 5-6. Even though their language is quite good, there are still some fossilized mistakes they make, which I describe a little further.
Learning objective
to introduce students to nouns that can be both countable and uncountable
to use articles a/an correctly in sentences with countable and uncountable nouns
This lesson assumes that students already know the concept of singular/ plural regular nouns
Using a/an with uncountable nouns is a very common fossilized mistake that I meet, when helping students to prepare for their IELTS speaking test. Most of my students know and can identify countable and uncountable nouns (regular and irregular) but can’t recall learning about nouns that can be both. The confusion arises when they are asked to talk about tea or coffee at the exam, for example. They find it hard to understand when they should/shouldn’t use a/an with countable/uncountable nouns as there is no such concept in their mother tongue.
Their main goal is to improve grammar accuracy in the exam to get band 7 to be able to apply for immigration to Canada.
This is an online lesson and I usually use Google Slides for creating presentations for my students.
I use a combination of inductive and deductive approaches in my lesson:
Inductive approach - ‘….the learner is presented with some authentic language material and expected to discover the grammatical rule on his/her own - Sikorzynska (1995, p.8)
Deductive approach – “… the learner is first given the rule, and later asked to apply it in various exercises” – Sikorzynska (1995, p.8)
Slide 1. Shows the pictures of countable and uncountable nouns (oranges, sky, scissors). I ask my students to look at the slide and tell me if these nouns are countable or uncountable. Students give their answers. At this point I don’t correct students and accept their answers, whether they are right or wrong.
Slide 2. Shows the rule – Some nouns are countable (with examples, including the one from the previous slide – oranges) and uncountable ( with examples, including the one from the previous slide – ice-cream). The slide also says -We use a/an only with singular countable nouns. If there were any mistakes made when discussing the first slide, we go back and correct them.
Slide 3. Shows the rule – Remember that uncountable nouns have a singular form only. I ask my students to think about what they have in their kitchen. What do they usually use for cooking? Students come up with their own examples – butter, milk, oil, bread, etc
Slide 4. Practice time! I ask my students questions about their eating habits. Do you sometimes add butter to your dishes? How often do you eat bread? Is rice popular in your diet. I listen to their answers and correct their mistakes.
Slide 5. Shows more pictures of other uncountable nouns ( I usually choose the most common nouns in the IELTS exam -weather, coffee, childhood, news, information, furniture) I ask student to create one sentence with each word.
Slide 6. Shows a picture of a bucket of ice-cream and an ice-cream cone. Another picture shows coffee beans and a cup of coffee. I ask students if ice-cream and coffee are countable or uncountable nouns and listen to the answers. I ask them to imagine a situation when they order a coffee at Starbucks – what do they say? Again, at this point I don’t correct them and let them make their guesses. I like using inductive approach in exercises like this.
Slide 7. Shows the rule – Some nouns are countable and uncountable and that different forms usually have different meanings… A lot of times have their aha moments looking at this rule.
In the next few slides I give them more examples of nouns that are both countable and uncountable (Light – I show a picture of a floor lamp and the sun; glass as a material and a glass of wine etc)
I also add a couple of slides with some fill in the gaps exercises:
My brother is always listening to …..( music)
I have a homework/homework to do tonight
Do you have a news/news about them?
You will need a paper/paper and a pen/pen to complete this exercise.
A light/light comes from the sun.
At the end of the lesson we also discuss situations when both forms are possible. For example, I would like to have a coffee/coffee, please
Any feedback is welcome, thank you!
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