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Teaching ESL grammar lessons can feel intimidating at first. Grammar rules may seem complex, but with the right grammar lessons for ESL students, you can break them down into simple, engaging, and even fun activities. Whether you’re teaching ESL intermediate grammar lessons or grammar lessons for ESL beginners, a structured approach makes all the difference!
If you’re new to teaching, you’ll want to get initial training and qualification with a TEFL certificate. You can explore our online TEFL courses to get started!
How do you teach ESL grammar lessons?
Teaching ESL grammar lessons doesn’t have to be overwhelming! Follow these five tips to keep your lessons engaging, effective, and stress-free. Whether you’re teaching grammar lessons for ESL beginners or designing advanced ESL grammar lessons, these strategies will help you create well-structured and enjoyable classes.
- Make grammar fun and interactive. Use games, role-plays, and real-world examples related to students’ interests – like music, movies, or video games – to make learning engaging.
- Refresh your grammar knowledge before class. If you’re unsure about a concept, do a quick review. If you’ve taken a Professional Bridge TEFL course, you can log into Grammar Advisor for a refresher. Otherwise, a quick search will help you recall key grammar rules.
- Keep it simple. Avoid overwhelming students with too many technical rules at once. Focus on the most important aspects of the grammar point, especially for ESL intermediate grammar lessons and beginners.
- Provide real-world context. Explain why a specific grammar rule matters. For example, when teaching the present perfect, highlight how it’s used in daily conversations or professional settings. This helps students see the relevance and retain what they learn.
- Be honest when you don’t know an answer. If a student asks a tricky grammar question, it’s okay to say, “Great question! Let me double-check and get back to you next time.” This builds trust and models lifelong learning.
These strategies help you create effective grammar lessons for ESL students, boosting their confidence and improving language retention.
How do I start teaching English grammar to beginners?
If you’re looking for help in delivering grammar lessons for ESL beginners, these tips will set your students up for success.
Teach essential grammar vocabulary
Before diving into grammar rules, ensure students understand key terms like noun, verb, adjective, and sentence. Without this foundation, they may struggle to grasp new concepts. Scaffolding their learning this way prevents confusion and builds confidence.
Use visual aids to reinforce learning
Beginners may not have the vocabulary to describe grammar points yet, so visual aids can be a game-changer. Use charts, diagrams, and color-coded examples to clarify concepts and make lessons more engaging.
Get ideas for creating materials for the EFL classroom here!
Plan lessons in advance
For beginner grammar lessons, preparation is crucial. Avoid “winging it” with a new grammar point – take time outside of class to create structured lesson plans. This ensures clarity, confidence, and smoother lesson delivery.
Seek support from fellow teachers
Writing ESL grammar lesson plans for beginners can be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. If you work in a school, ask experienced teachers for advice. If not, join online teaching communities to exchange ideas and strategies.
Introduce grammar gradually to avoid overwhelm
Break grammar concepts into small, digestible steps. For example, before teaching the past tense, ensure make sure your learners know their parts of speech. A gradual approach reduces frustration and increases retention.
Create a supportive learning environment
Encourage students by normalizing mistakes as part of the learning process. Provide constructive feedback, and use effective error correction strategies to help students learn without discouragement. Consider making “It’s okay to make mistakes” a classroom rule to create a positive and supportive atmosphere. This builds confidence and motivates students to participate.
These strategies will help you create beginner-friendly grammar lessons that build a strong foundation for future learning.
Find the materials that will benefit your students the most with the free
ESL Teacher’s Guide to Lesson Planning Resources
downloadWhat are the components of an ESL lesson plan for teaching grammar?
A strong ESL grammar lesson plan should include several key components to ensure effective learning. Below is a breakdown of essential elements to consider when designing grammar lessons for ESL students.
Great grammar lesson plans are…
Appropriate
Tailor your lesson to the age, culture, skill level, and background of your students. For example, using children’s songs in a Business English course wouldn’t be suitable. Avoid materials that might alienate or confuse students by ensuring your ESL lesson objectives are appropriate and engaging for your audience.
Relevant
Grammar instruction should be useful and practical for students’ real-world needs. A business professional and a middle schooler learn English for different reasons, so make sure your lessons align with their goals. Ask students about their English learning objectives to ensure your grammar instruction remains relevant.
Progressive
A structured lesson flow improves comprehension and retention. Many experts recommend this three-step approach for ESL grammar lessons:
- Presentation – Introduce the new grammar concept.
- Guided practice – Use structured activities to reinforce learning.
- Student-led activities – Allow students to apply the grammar point independently.
Using this progressive lesson structure makes planning more efficient and ensures consistency across lessons.
Quantifiable
How will you measure student understanding? Avoid the common mistake of asking, “Do you understand?” Instead, use concept checking questions (CCQs) to assess comprehension.
Additionally, set clear, measurable objectives for each lesson. Use this formula:
“By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to…[specific goal].”
For example:
- “Identify at least five past participles in English.”
- “Write three sentences using the present perfect correctly.”
This ensures students and teachers can track progress and build a strong foundation in ESL grammar.
Find out how to use concept checking questions (CCQs) in the ESL classroom.
Enjoyable
Grammar lessons should be engaging and interactive, not just memorization drills. A small shift in how you present information can make a big difference in student engagement.
- DON’T: Say, “Memorize this list of verbs over the next ten minutes.”
- DO: Give students five minutes to review a list of verbs, then take the list away and use those verbs in a fun game.
This subtle shift from rote learning to an interactive challenge makes grammar lessons more enjoyable. Sometimes, the best way to teach is to “trick” students into learning through engaging activities. The more fun they have, the more likely they are to retain the material!
Check out these last-minute ESL lesson plans that can be adapted for any class.
Example grammar lesson plan
Now, let’s look at a sample ESL grammar lesson plan designed for beginners. This plan focuses on teaching regular past tense verbs but can be adapted for other ESL grammar lessons. As you read through it, see if you can spot the five key components of an effective grammar lesson plan discussed earlier.
Regular Past Tense Verbs
- Lesson Duration: 40 minutes
- Level: A1 CEFR
- Age group: Primary school-aged students
Note: If you’re teaching English online and can’t use breakout rooms, modify the pair work activities for individual practice.
Lesson Objective: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Use three regular past tense verbs in a sentence of their own.
- Explain how to form the past tense using -ed and -d endings in English.
Investigation (5 minutes) – Discovering the grammar point
- Display a PowerPoint slide or write several present-tense verbs on the board. Only include verbs that form the past tense regularly (avoid irregular verbs like go or be).
- Have students work in pairs to identify what these words have in common. They should write down their ideas.
- Set a timer for two minutes, then share findings as a class. (This follows the Think-Pair-Share (TPS) method.)
Presentation (10 minutes) – Introducing the past tense
- Explain what verbs do (verbs = actions).
- Have students form sentences in pairs using the present tense verbs provided.
- Monitor student work, noting good examples and common mistakes for later discussion.
- Students share sentences with each other, and a few examples are written on the board.
- Guide students in transforming present-tense verbs into past tense by adding -ed or -d endings.
Formula for regular past tense verbs:
- Verb + ed → walk → walked
- Verb ending in e + d → move → moved
- Verb ending in y (change y to i + ed) → study → studied
- Drill the formulas with students and ask concept checking questions (CCQs) to confirm understanding.
- Discuss real-life situations where the past tense is used, encouraging students to contribute examples.
Guided Practice (10 minutes) – Reinforcing learning through activities
- Play a song with a lyric gap-fill exercise using only regular past tense verbs.
- Students listen and read along in small groups.
- Set up a competition—who can fill in the blanks correctly the fastest?
- Play the song twice, allowing students to check their work.
- If time allows, have groups swap papers for peer correction.
Review and Error Correction (5 minutes) – Strengthening understanding
- Using verbs from the song, present incorrect past tense sentences orally.
- Have students correct you out loud. If needed, provide written sentences with mistakes crossed out (e.g., I walk to the store → I walked to the store).
- Ask comprehension checking questions to reinforce understanding.
Student-Led Production (10 minutes) – Applying new knowledge
- Show students pictures that tell a story, and review the storyline together.
- Elicit 5-10 verbs from students that fit the story and write them on the board.
- In small groups or pairs, students write their own past-tense stories using complete sentences and drawings.
- Set a timer to keep the activity focused. To make it more fun, turn it into a competition for the funniest story!
- Students swap stories and read them aloud, then vote on the best one.
This interactive and engaging grammar lesson plan ensures students understand and practice the past tense in a structured and enjoyable way. With slight modifications, you can use this template for other ESL intermediate grammar lessons or grammar lessons for advanced ESL students as well!
Get more ideas for using ESL songs in your classroom.
Where can I find more grammar lesson plans?
Looking for more ESL grammar lesson plans? There are plenty of great resources available to help you create engaging and effective lessons.
One option is to take a Specialized Teaching English Grammar course. This type of training will equip you with essential skills and classroom strategies while providing inspiration for your lesson planning. After completing a grammar course, you’ll feel more confident designing structured grammar lessons for ESL students at any level.
Additionally, many websites offer free ESL lesson plans to support your teaching. If you’re unsure where to start, check out these helpful resources:
Having a solid lesson plan structure makes teaching grammar easier and more effective. Just remember to incorporate the five key components discussed earlier to ensure your students stay engaged and make real progress in their learning.
