The terminology? It gives you the vocabulary to specifically address problems in writing. Using examples to show grammar is sort of like giving an example as a definition. Sure it helps people understand, but it isn't the complete meaning of the word.

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Remember you are a college-educated native speaker. A lot of the grammar you absorbed in grade school may have been forgotten but you still use it. These are kids who do not have the benefit of 20+ years of immersion in books and usage. They are still learning what subjects, predicates, pronouns and noun case are. Things like subject verb agreement & noun case, objects, & limiting adjectives...understanding all these things will help them be better writers.

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Especially for middle school and under, subject knowledge is only a fraction of teaching. Delivery, packaging, differentiation, engagement, and classroom management all are equally important parts of teaching.

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I get it. I don't enjoy grammar either. But we are the adults in the room, and it's our job to teach them shit. It's our job to make the boring stuff interesting; even when, especially when, we don't think it's interesting.

> How does simply knowing the terminology make someone into a better or more expressive writer?

It helps people learning or improving their skills in the language to better identify what their problem areas are, especially if they are looking for help between textbooks or in more complex exams. If I have a student who is consistently having trouble possessives, they can ask a different teacher for help rather than saying "I am not sure how to clarify theirs or yours."

I TA'd for a teacher who was dogmatically opposed to using terminology, only examples. It certainly helped students pick things up faster, but it slowed them down when preparing for their exams.

Naming things has two advantages:

• it allows you to conceptualise
• it allows you to communicate efficiently with others

Probably the same reason why meta language exists in all fields. The language helps those in the field communicate with each other more efficiently, especially as they progress to more advanced levels. Things have to have names at the end of the day.

I recommend Raymond Murphy's (designed for ESL) Grammar in Use series. It may help clarify terms and usage sufficiently for anyone not a grammarian, including teachers and students.

That's normal. Your brain encodes the rules for grammar but you don't have conscious access to those rules. Native speakers (of any language) will 'know' the most important rules of their language's grammar long before they formally study them.

Most of your brain's activities are not accessible to conscious thought. You don't 'think' about how to control your body temperature or heart rate, or how to process visual signals or audio signals. These things (and many more) are all dealt with by unconscious fast neural circuits. Your conscious only gets involved when something anomalous happens that can't be handled automatically, and needs focused attention and analysis.

Edit: As for teaching a second language to someone (particularly an adult); teaching formal grammar early is beneficial as consciously learned information can be used to help inform (train) the subconscious language processing networks - thus short-cutting the learning process somewhat. This is one benefit adult learners have over child learners (we're better at analytical thought).

Most natives have no idea about what's actually happening with language.

I don't think that most people know what present participles, gerunds, 3rd conditionals, the subjunctive mood, future time clauses or cleft sentences are, but they instinctively know how to use them.

I think that there's a difference between how (at least in the UK 40 years ago) we learn English and how non-natives learn. We tend to learn implicitly, whereas non-native learners get into the rules and technicalities.

It took me a decade of teaching it to really get to grips with what's going on with English grammar, so don't be disheartened that you can't explain things without having studied them

I take Spanish on Duolingo and I have learned a LOT about English language. It has really made me think about my own language - grammar, phrases, etc.

Most often in my schools it was specifically because of the differences between Catalan and the various forms of Spanish spoken in LatAm countries. Same thing happened in my Mandarin classes with students who spoke Cantonese.

I lived in French-speaking Canada for a few years. I studied French and spoke it every day. Only then did I begin to understand how my native language worked … grammar was always there, but never explicitly. Then later I studied English at Uni, and did a module on TEFL. It was all grammar. Basically with a bit of study you can become explicitly aware of how it all works.

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Thanks.

##How do I get started / what’s your language learning routine?

The key for me was starting with a small, sustainable habit with learning methods I enjoy and look forward to. I didn't try to jump into doing 5 hours a day - I started with something I knew I could do, which was 20 minutes a day.

If you find ways to make the early journey fun, then it'll only get more fun as you hit intermediate, and you can just spend your time (1) watching native media you find enjoyable and (2) interacting with native speakers.

The key at the beginner level is to find methods that work for you and your situation. It's different for everyone. I personally like comprehensible input, others like graded readers, others like textbooks and structured courses. Many learners mix a wide variety of learning styles and methods.

You may find these previous discussions interesting.

https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/1cskf2h/whats_your_daily_routine/

https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/1cssqr3/whats_your_daily_routine_for_language_learning/

https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/1cpsxun/what_is_your_one_most_effective_strategy_to_learn/

https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/12w7b6p/what_has_been_your_best_way_of_learning_a_new/

https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/1c5sjvd/whats_your_method/

https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/14oleg7/whats_your_daily_routine_for_language_learning/

https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/w1d9u8/what_is_your_routine_for_selflearning/

https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/1ati2ew/what_is_your_daily_language_learning_routine_vs/

https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/1944xxp/study_adviceroutine/

https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/1cd8i4x/whats_your_study_routine/

https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/1ckhith/whats_your_method_for_language_learning/

There are people much smarter than me who have spent their lives learning how to make course curriculum.

Some of them are really quite good at it.

If you want to know how to introduce grammar and vocabulary in a controlled way see how a course would do it.

I think I would do more harm than help. My first language is not English and I don't want to teach him wrong... I thought that school was supposed to teach how to read write and do math...

Most children can pick up grammar by exposure, without being explicitly taught grammar.

You should ask that your child get screened for learning disabilities like dyslexia and dysgraphia. If the school refuses to do the screening, you can complain to the state and federal departments of education. You can also try to find a specialist on your health insurance to do a screening.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disorder_of_written_expression

Lucy Calkins and the units of study changed literacy and now 60-some% of 4th graders are not reading at grade level.

Your concern is understandable. Your school may have not taught phonics well or have shoddy writing practices or your child may need longer to develop. The more your child reads the better their writing becomes. Some kids struggle but become top readers a few years later. Everyone is different... but what can you do? Get your child reading. If you're not able to read to your child yourself, hire a babysitter or kid a few years older to just read to them -- the more books the better. What you want by 4th grade is to get them to love "series books" for the next few years. These are books with the same characters, having different adventures book after book. Kids get hooked on these (according to interests, mysteries, sports, adventure, humor...) and devour them, one after another. Their reading becomes far better -- you'll see their writing improve as well. Nothing improves writing as much as tons of reading. You'll see. Go to your local library, explain your concern to the town librarian -- that person will become your best friend and you'll be visiting the library every week. Good luck!

not all parents can do that. schools need to teach children. period.

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Thanks.

I'd ask in r/TEFL and r/englishteachers

FWIW google’s AI is producing a summary. Here’s ChatGPT’s response to your question

Yes — Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching (Diane Larsen-Freeman, later editions co-authored with Marti Anderson) is one of the most widely used introductions to language teaching methodology. It’s written as a survey of major approaches, showing not only what teachers do in the classroom but also the theoretical principles behind those practices. Here’s a summary:

⸻

Purpose of the Book • To give teachers a clear overview of the main language teaching methods developed in the 20th century and beyond. • To illustrate each method through a demonstration lesson, followed by analysis of its techniques (classroom practices) and principles (underlying beliefs about language and learning). • To help teachers become reflective and flexible, rather than dogmatic, in their teaching.

⸻

Methods/Approaches Covered (in most editions) 1. Grammar–Translation Method Focus on rules, vocabulary lists, translation; accuracy > fluency. 2. Direct Method No translation; target language only, with inductive grammar learning. 3. Audio-Lingual Method Habit formation via drills, repetition, and pattern practice. 4. Silent Way Teacher remains silent much of the time; students discover language with Cuisenaire rods and charts. 5. Desuggestopedia (Suggestopedia) Relaxed, music-enhanced environment to lower affective barriers and encourage learning. 6. Community Language Learning Teacher as “counselor”; learners work in groups, using translation and recording. 7. Total Physical Response (TPR) Linking language to physical action; comprehension before production. 8. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) Focus on meaningful communication, fluency, interaction, and authentic tasks. 9. Content-Based, Task-Based, and Participatory Approaches (later editions) Language learned through engaging with content, performing tasks, or addressing learners’ own contexts. 10. Learning Strategy Training, Cooperative Learning, and Multiple Intelligences (added in newer editions).

⸻

Structure of Each Chapter • Starts with a sample classroom lesson (written almost like a transcript). • Then: techniques used → analysis of principles → how teacher/student roles are defined → what kinds of materials are used. • Ends with discussion questions and suggestions for reflection, so readers can compare methods.

⸻

Key Themes Across the Book • No single best method: Each has strengths/weaknesses and fits different contexts. • Techniques ↔ Principles: Practice always reflects beliefs about how languages are learned. • Teacher flexibility: The goal is not to imitate but to make informed choices. • Evolution: Methods moved from teacher-centered and form-focused toward learner-centered, communicative, and eclectic approaches.

⸻

✅ In short: Larsen-Freeman’s book is not just a catalog of methods, but a framework for thinking about language teaching. It trains teachers to recognize the link between what they do in the classroom and why they do it, encouraging adaptability rather than rigid adherence to any single method.

⸻

Do you want me to make you a one-page study chart (methods × key principles × techniques) for quick review? That’s often the most useful way to digest this book.

I did my capstone project on the best mix of ci based methodologies vs grammar based instruction for optimal language acquisition. There’s definitely a place for both but more ci based will get the best results based on research, as long as kids are listening with the intent to understand.

I speak on this at conferences quite often. Using PACE, Dictogloss, Concept Attainment, the Interactive Model along with Bill Van Patten’s Structured Input. All very effective methods.

Mini-lessons with a lot of hands-on activities (worksheets). Collaborative quizzes to reinforce and then more reinforcement, maybe with some competitive games (like Jeopardy in teams). Language learning requires plentiful input and a lot of opportunities to practice (and make mistakes).

Always remember that you can't teach in one term what it takes competent users years to master - but you can improve. Some things will be more difficult than others. For example, verb inflection will be very hard for students whose first language (Mandarin is one) doesn't have that feature, and you may see little to no improvement in that area (but of course, all students are different).

Finally, encourage writing tutor visits (maybe with extra credit). You can't do it all in the short time you have in the classroom.

I teach high school English. We use the free website NoRedInk.com to teach grammar. A lot of teachers also use quill.com

I teach using their own writing rather than examples from a textbook. I tell my students that my goal is for them to be aware and to be mindful of their writing habits. If students perceive their writing is supposed to be 100% perfect, that might create a mental block and actually hinder their writing (especially with ELLs who may already perceive themselves as deficient).

Their writing habits and mistakes are often idiosyncratic, so they should be able to anticipate the mistakes they are likely to make. I put a concept up on the board and lecture on it for 10-15 minutes and then give them passages from student essays to identify and fix the error(s). I also let them look for consistency in their errors (e.g., spelling "taught" as "tough" or leaving off past tense markers). I will also have them do bizarre writing exercises to get them out of their comfort zones with the intent of purposely focusing on their writing (e.g., writing a paragraph consisting of sentences that are only six words in length or writing an entire paragraph without the letter "E")

Start with the parts of speech, move onto phrases and clauses, then sentences and go from there

I’ve thought about this a lot as a way to teach English in Korea, but rules for many systems are often very in advanced and niche English. Unless you find a VERY rules-lite system or have near-fluent students, it’s going to be rough. My wife is for all intents and purposes fluent, but still struggles to keep up with a lot of fantasy descriptions or complex rules.

My best advice is to find a system that has a direct translation in their language already and just play the game in English. The rules/mechanics are going to what break things and quite frankly won’t be that valuable to learn in English. Natural conversation and narration is what the focus should be on.

Tales from the Loop provides a more "realistic" context for students to be able to use real world utterances while still having a very rules lite system. They play as normal kids so even using low level production can stylistically fit into their character backgrounds.

Some of the pre-made modules should be revised for content as some are very light and interesting, but others can get very dark and violent. The former is better for an academic context heh. I'm a ESL/EAL Instructor using board + RPG games myself.

ESL instructor here. I've wondered if VtM and the Storyteller system in general would make for a fun tool to use in an extra curricular project. Never managed to convince a school coordinator to allow me to try it though.

I'm not sure if a spanish version of Maze Rats exists, but I think it might be a good fit.

Also, Basic Fantasy RPG is free, and kind of a Rosetta Stone. The beginners essentials document would make a great https://www.basicfantasy.org/downloads.html

Fate or the Labyrinth Adventure Game

Adrian Uperhill

https://youtu.be/1kAPHyHd7Lo

I use his technique in the classroom, and the IPA is a little more implicit, but I find it incredibly helpful! This is the best pronunciation teaching method I have ever come across. It works really well! (it takes practice and review, but my students have improved in ways I couldn't have imagined!)

Edit: making a game out of this, who can make the funniest face, who can use a silly voice and make the vowel sound... Type of activities have gone over really well. I think teaching IPA explicitly, with no context will be dull and will keep them bored. Good luck!

Yes. IPA Vowels are very important as English has a rich vowel bank. I taught in Poland and they only have 6 vowel sounds and we have 19- 22 depending on where you are from. I used to make a list of commonly mispronounced words. Or commonly confused words. It, eat, fit, feet, ran, run or but, bat, boot, bud, body, buddy etc. The students would have to pick a word and I would have to guess which one they were trying to say. It sounds easy but in practice 50% of the time I didn’t know which word they were trying to say. Is, ease, is a big one too.