What is the best way to present narrative tenses for intermediate level ?
8 answers from our tutors
Best answer
In short, get the student to tell a story. Let them speak freely. Then use examples (lots online - British Council) of the tenses in use, and get them to copy them. I agree with the answer below about getting people to talk and then analyse afterwards.
Story. It gets the interest and curiosity going. Tends to repeating the grammar, and you don't realise your leaning it. Then go back over the text and identify which grammar and why
My teaching style is conversational, with emphasis on students listening and speaking as much as possible. This method mirrors the most effective, least complicated and quickest way to master all parts of English, being able to take a complete non-English speaker who has absolutely no knowledge of the Latin alphabet or how to form the sounds needed to pronounce English words, to be completely fluent, to be able to read and write the language of Shakespeare within about 5 years. The best way to present ALL tenses, let alone narrative tenses is to USE them, not to introduce them in splendid isolation on the pages of a text book. Learning English is about using the language, not reading about it and knowing what all the parts of speech are. Studying English and knowing what a past participle is, or what a dependent clause is WILL NOT MAKE YOU SPEAK ENGLISH. Presenting anything new in English should be done in conversation so the student uses it immediately.
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What is the solution for a student who keeps answering the other’s questions and doesn’t let the other student who is mostly silent and shy finds any opportunity to speak in an online class?
- BOb..
hello. teaching narrative tenses to intermediate level student involves an engaging approach. begin with a brief overview, highlighting the importance of past simple, past continuous, and past perfect tenses in storytelling. initiate an interactive storytelling session where the student contributes to a story using these tenses. follow up with a timeline activity, encouraging the student to place events on time using the appropriate tenses. analyze a short story together, identifying instances of past tenses. incorporate targeted grammar exercises, role play, and short film discussions to reinforce understanding.Assign a writing task for students to create stories with varied tenses and facilitate peer reviews for constructive feedback. conclude with a comprehensive review to solidify their grasp on narrative tenses.keep the activities diverse for an effective and engaging learning experience. You should know though, it may take some time for the student to adjust. good-luck.
It is very important to let non-English speakers know what type of message they (tenses) deliver beyond the words. As an example, when someone says "I had eaten pizza", non-English speakers should be taught that it also means the person might be hungry or want pizza. After that, the students can practice the narrative tenses by imagining different scenarios and trying to deliver different messages and "subliminal" messages by utilizing the correct tense. Lastly, when students are well aware of the tenses and their open and hidden messages, they can practice narrative phrases by adding phrasal adverbs of time and/or sequence of events to their sentences. as a side note, please avoid teaching literary utilization of tenses before the full mastery of the subject by students (such as using past perfect + adv. of time pointing to a recent time; used to create a sensation of being distant or oblivious to a recent event).
For intermediate level, consider using engaging stories or texts that naturally incorporate different narrative tenses. Provide examples and guide them in identifying past simple, past continuous, and past perfect tenses within the context. Interactive activities like role-playing or storytelling can also enhance their understanding and usage of narrative tenses.
The sense of immediacy inherent in a present-tense narrative can be particularly effective when writing fiction in the thriller genre, helping the reader feel close to the action of every plot twist.
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Hi My first advice is watching TV series and listening podcasts. In addition buying favourite books in English Best regards
