No math teacher would try to teach math without using math terminology, right? You wouldn’t expect a physics teacher to explain gravity without ever saying “mass” or “acceleration.” A music teacher isn’t going to teach scales while avoiding the words “sharp” and “flat.”
So why don’t grammar teachers teach grammar vocabulary by using it right from the start?
You’re not teaching little kids. Your adult ESL students already have quite a few tools in their kit and can use what they already know about their own language when learning English. The thing is, they also need the words to TALK about learning English, especially grammar vocabulary words.
And here’s a secret…if you aren’t teaching them because you don’t know the terms yourself, learning them will make your life easier! I know. I’ve been there…standing in front of a classroom trying to explain why a sentence doesn’t sound right while talking in circles because I didn’t have the vocabulary to just say “you need the subjunctive mood here.” Once I learned the terms and started using them, everything got faster and clearer.
Why is grammar vocabulary necessary?
“I never needed grammar vocabulary to speak English, so why do my students?”
-a former co-worker of mine
This is such a common belief. Just because we never learned grammar terminology or don’t use it in our day-to-day lives doesn’t mean it wouldn’t benefit our students. They might not know the corresponding terms in their language, but having words in common to discuss rules makes sense. Here’s the thing: your students aren’t learning English as babies. They’re full-grown adults, and adults have questions.
Adults are going to ask you why.
Just like you would struggle to adequately explain to them why we have seasons without using specialized vocabulary, you’re going to find explaining the passive voice, the imperative mood, or the past perfect tense a challenge without grammar vocabulary. Don’t worry; it’s a relatively easy fix.
The moment I realized we had a problem
I still remember “Jorge” asking me why his sentence was wrong. I tried explaining that he needed a past participle for the passive voice. He stared at me.
“What’s a participle?”
“Okay, well, it’s the form of the verb that goes with ‘have’ or in this case gets used in passive voice…”
“What’s passive voice?”
“Right, so when the action is done TO the subject instead of BY the subject—”
“Wait, what’s a subject again?”
His previous teachers had skipped the foundation entirely. And there I was, trying to build a second floor on a house with no first floor. Or a foundation. The frustration, his and mine, was real.
If someone had been teaching Jorge grammar vocabulary from the beginning, he’d have had a structure in place to easily understand my explanation. But nobody had, and now here we were.
Here’s how to teach grammar vocabulary without adding another lesson to your plate
You don’t need a separate vocabulary lesson. You don’t need flashcards or quizzes or dedicated grammar vocabulary time.
Just use the terms when they come up.
Teaching present perfect? Say “past participle” every single time instead of “the third form” or “the one with have.” Point to it on the board. Write it above the column of examples.
Students ask what it means? “It’s this form of the verb…the one that goes with ‘have.'” Done.
They’ll learn it through repetition and context, not memorization.
Here’s what this looks like in practice:
When you write a sentence on the board, label the parts. Not every time, but regularly. “This is the subject. This is the verb. This is the direct object.”
When a student asks a question, use the proper term in your answer. “You need to move the auxiliary verb to the front.” Not “the helping word” or “the ‘do’ verb.” The auxiliary verb.
When you’re explaining a rule, use the vocabulary. “Adverbs of frequency go before the main verb but after the be verb.”
The first few times, they’ll look confused. Define it quickly, point to an example, and keep going. By the tenth time you’ve said “frequency adverb” they’ll know what you mean.
Start with the basics, even if your students aren’t beginners
Even if you only teach intermediate or advanced students, don’t assume they know the foundational terms. I’ve had high-intermediate students who couldn’t tell me what a noun was.
Start simple:
- Noun, verb, adjective, adverb
- Subject, object
- Singular, plural
- Present, past, future
- main clause, subordinating clause
Once they have those down, everything else gets easier. Teaching conditionals? They already know what a clause is. Teaching passive voice? They already know subject and object.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but that’s why it lasted. Yes, this takes time. But it sets up the framework for faster and more accurate learning from now on.
What if you don’t know all the terms yourself?
Here’s your chance to get a step ahead of your students and STAY THERE.
Start with a list of common grammar vocabulary terms and rate them from having confidence in explaining them to not having a clue what they are. This shows you where YOU are and gives you an idea of what you need to learn.
Then have your students rate the same list. Now you know where they stand and where you need to take them.
Run a google search for a list of grammar vocabulary terms or just subscribe to my newsletter (scroll down) and grab this one!
Grammar class doesn’t have to be that thing you dread
By teaching your students the words they need to use when talking about grammar, teaching it becomes so much easier. You can explain complex concepts quickly and concisely instead of talking in circles trying to avoid the actual terminology.
And your students? They’ll have the tools to ask better questions, understand your explanations, and talk about what they’re learning.
The Bottom Line
Start using grammar vocabulary terms in your next class. Just use them already.
That’s it from me. See you in the next post!
Read more about teaching adult ESL grammar!
Three Grammar Games Guaranteed to Get Them Speaking
How to Teach Coordinating Conjunctions to Adult ESL Students (Discovery Lesson Method)
