How to Teach Grammar Communicatively in the ESL Classroom
Teaching grammar has often been associated with memorizing
rules, filling out worksheets, and drilling isolated structures. While such
methods may help learners recognize forms, they do not always improve their
ability to use grammar in real communication. Today’s English
classrooms—especially those following modern ELT approaches—prioritize Communicative
Language Teaching (CLT), which emphasizes meaningful interaction, authentic
use of language, and learner engagement.
Grammar, therefore, should not be taught as a dry set of
rules but as a tool for expressing meaning, solving problems, and participating
in real communication. This approach is known as Communicative Grammar
Teaching.
This article explains what communicative grammar teaching
is, why it matters, and how teachers can implement it step-by-step in their
classrooms.
1. What Is Communicative Grammar Teaching?
Communicative grammar teaching integrates grammar
instruction with meaningful communication. Rather than presenting rules first
and practicing them later, teachers create opportunities where students discover,
use, and refine grammatical structures while engaging in
real-life tasks.
It focuses on three key principles:
1.1 Meaning before Form
Students use language to express ideas, solve problems, or
accomplish tasks. Grammar is learned through communication, not before it.
1.2 Contextualized Language
Grammar appears in meaningful situations, such as stories,
advertisements, conversations, emails, surveys, interviews, and role-plays. The
context helps learners understand why a structure is used.
1.3 Interaction and Negotiation of Meaning
Learners talk, ask questions, share opinions, give
instructions, and negotiate meaning. These interactions create a natural need
for grammar.
2. Why Teach Grammar Communicatively?
2.1 It Improves Fluency and Accuracy Together
Traditional grammar teaching may improve accuracy but does
little for fluency. Communicative grammar balances both: students learn rules
while using them to communicate.
2.2 It Motivates Students
Learners enjoy activities like information gaps, role-plays,
and real-life tasks much more than worksheet drills. Engaging tasks make
grammar meaningful and easier to remember.
2.3 It Builds Long-Term Grammar Understanding
Students remember grammar better when they use it repeatedly
in authentic contexts.
2.4 It Supports Different Learning Styles
Visual learners benefit from context-rich texts, auditory
learners from meaningful conversations, and kinesthetic learners from
movement-based tasks.
3. Steps for Teaching Grammar Communicatively
Below is a practical, classroom-friendly framework you can apply to any grammar point.
Step 1: Create a Meaningful Context
Before introducing any grammar structure, provide a
real-life situation where the target language naturally appears.
Examples:
- To
teach present perfect, show a travel vlog where the speaker says: “I
have visited… I have never tried…”
- To
teach comparatives, give students a brochure comparing two
smartphones.
- To
teach modals of advice, create a scenario where a student has a
problem and needs advice.
Why it works:
Context helps students understand how grammar
communicates meaning, making the structure more memorable.
Step 2: Provide an Input Activity (Discovery Stage)
Learners observe the grammar in use through input-rich
materials:
- short
texts
- dialogues
- stories
- video
clips
- infographics
- listening
activities
Tasks could include:
- Underline
examples of the target structure.
- Match
sentences to their meanings.
- Identify
why the speaker used that tense or form.
- Notice
patterns and make hypotheses.
This is the inductive part—students discover the
grammar instead of receiving rules first.
Step 3: Clarify the Grammar (Form + Meaning + Use)
After the discovery stage, guide learners to confirm or
refine what they noticed.
Explain briefly:
Form:
How the structure is built (e.g., “have + past participle”).
Meaning:
What it expresses (e.g., past experiences with no specific
time).
Use:
When and why speakers choose this grammar.
Keep it simple:
Avoid long, complicated explanations. The goal is clarity,
not technical linguistics.
Step 4: Controlled Practice (Meaningful but Structured)
Instead of dry drills, use controlled but communicative
practice activities that require actual meaning.
Examples:
- Find
someone who… (“Find someone who has visited another country.”)
- Information
gap tasks using pictures or data.
- Short
surveys (“How often do you…?”)
- Sentence-building
grids with meaningful options.
- Guided
dialogues students personalize.
This stage builds confidence before freer communication.
Step 5: Freer Communication (Real Use of Grammar)
This is the heart of communicative grammar teaching.
Students use the target structure to express real ideas.
Examples of Free Speaking Tasks:
- Role-plays
(doctor–patient, customer–shop assistant, traveler–hotel receptionist)
- Problem-solving
tasks
- Debates
and discussions
- Presentations
- Storytelling
- Interviews
- Group
projects
Examples of Free Writing Tasks:
- Emails
- Blog
posts
- Reflections
- Narratives
- Descriptions
- Advice
texts
The teacher observes and notes common errors for later
feedback.
Step 6: Provide Feedback and Reformulation
Feedback should be constructive, delayed if necessary, and
focused on both meaning and form.
Types of feedback:
- Recasts:
Repeat the sentence correctly.
- Clarification
requests: “Do you mean you have visited or visited?”
- Peer
correction in pairs or groups.
- Mini-lessons
based on recurring errors.
This helps students refine accuracy without interrupting
communication.
4. Practical Communicative Activities for Grammar
Below are ready-to-use activity ideas for your classroom.
4.1 Information Gap Activities
Students each have different pieces of information and must
communicate to complete the task.
Great for:
- past
tenses
- prepositions
- question
forms
- comparatives
4.2 Role-Plays and Simulations
Students act out real-life scenarios.
Examples:
- making
travel plans → future forms
- asking
for advice → modals
- negotiating
→ conditionals
4.3 Task-Based Grammar Activities
Students complete a task where a grammar structure is
essential.
Examples:
- planning
a school event → future forms
- describing
lost objects → passive voice
- solving
a mystery → past continuous + past simple
4.4 Grammar Through Stories
Use short stories to highlight structures like:
- reported
speech
- narrative
tenses
- time
expressions
Students retell, expand, or rewrite the story using target
grammar.
4.5 Games and Interactive Tasks
Examples:
- Board
games with grammar prompts
- Cards
with challenges (“Give advice to this person…”)
- Chain
stories
- Two
truths and a lie
Games lower anxiety and increase motivation.
5. Tips for Successful Communicative Grammar Teaching
5.1 Make Grammar Relevant
Use topics students care about: travel, food, technology,
work, sports, daily routines.
5.2 Keep Explanations Short
Students remember better when they use grammar
instead of hearing lectures.
5.3 Encourage Pair and Group Work
More interaction = more communication = more grammar
practice.
5.4 Use Authentic Materials
Menus, emails, social media posts, ads, short videos, and
interviews help students see grammar as real.
5.5 Integrate Grammar with Skills
Combine grammar with speaking, listening, reading, and
writing tasks.
5.6 Be Patient with Errors
Communicative learning is a gradual process. Mistakes show
growth, not failure.
6. Conclusion
Teaching grammar communicatively transforms the classroom
from a rule-learning environment into a space of meaningful interaction and
creativity. Students learn grammar naturally by seeing it in context, using it
to communicate, and refining it through feedback. This approach not only
improves accuracy and fluency but also increases motivation and confidence.
By applying the steps and activities in this article, ESL
teachers can create engaging lessons where grammar becomes a powerful tool for
real communication—not a list of rules to memorize.
