Vol. 4 Issue 10 – Research Paper: ‘Teaching Tenses to ESL Learners: Task Based Approach’ by Dr. Krati Sharma

Abstract

The term ‘tense’ can be defined as a secondary grammatical category which serves to locate an event or a situation in time. It accounts for example for the difference in the sentences ‘John leaves’ or ‘John left’. It encompasses two aspects: a morphological aspect, namely a system of tenses encoded in the verb’s morphology, and a semantic aspect dealing with the temporal location of the event or events depicted in one or more sentences: the ‘meaning’ of the various tenses.

There is a difference between listening, reading, writing and speaking English Language this article discuss about the basic piece of grammar that is tenses and how it has to taught to the ESL learners, who are pursuing professional and technical courses. ESL learners have come from different backgrounds and different states but more of less they have already acquainted with the three stages of English language that is RWL (reading, writing and listening) at their elementary education. These ESL learners in order to complete their course must be good at English language as medium of teaching is more or less in English Language.

The challenge which is their in front of the facilitator is to draw their attention towards to teach the items of grammar. The first challenge is that they always think that what new they will learn as they are learning all these things in their elementary education. Secondly, it would not do any good to their writing or speaking skills. Facilitator has to develop an interacting session first with the learners before teaching tenses to the ESL learners. This interactive session includes some question which the learners have to answer like

What did you do last evening?

 What will you do today in the evening?

 Describe your daily routine?

The answers of the above question will provide them an opportunity to speak in English using all the three forms of the verb. Facilitator has to listened each learner and comment on his or her sentence structure highlighting the verb primarily. For illustration the answer of question number one given by the learner replied I prepared my food then me and my brother ate it. Here now facilitator will comment that instead of eat it is ate.  So the learners realize their mistakes and motivated to learn tenses again in fresh light. Facilitator should keep in mind that for ESL learners teaching Tenses via blackboard or dictates will not yield any result as this is being done to them by their elementary teachers. So keeping this in his mind facilitator has to teach learners tenses in a way that it should not be burdened by grammar. Secondly, it should be interactive and learning while teaching. Thirdly, tenses should be taught to them keeping in mind that conceptual clarity has to be focused.

Learners know the usage of tenses. Their types that is: Past, Present and Future. The best way to teach them tenses is to first make them aware about the be form of the verb in the form of the chart with it telling them I person II person and III person as they do not know the difference between me, myself and I so this concept is clear by the question number third where the learners starts the answer that is with I, My, Me ,Myself. After the interactive session facilitator will present the following chart and mentioning person and the ‘be’ form of the verb.

S.No	Past	Present	Future
I person (I, WE)	Was/were had	Am/are Have/been	Will/be
II person(You)	Were had	Are Have/been	Will/be
III person He she It They	Was   were	Is   are	Shall/be   Will/be

After the chart is being prepared the facilitators give some statement and ask the learner to correct them like

He go to class

She goes to class

They plays cricket

They play cricket.

He writes a letter

These statements are used to generate discussion among the learners keeping in mind the given chart. Facilitator has to keep in mind that tenses should be taught in interactive manner.

After explaining them the above chart facilitator will give task  to the learners to make sentences using the be form. In this process they will frame sentences applying the various forms of tenses like

 I read books.

 I am reading a book.

 I have read book.

 I have been reading book.

All the above example of present tense using the be form of the verb. Similar sentences should be constructed for past and the future tenses like.

I had completed the assignment.

I will come in the evening.

I will send her mail.

When you called me I was having my dinner.

This is the first stage where learners with the understanding of ‘verb’ frame small sentences and present it in the class in observance of the facilitator. In this way the theoretical part of the tenses will be clear by the chart presented by the facilitator and the conceptual part will be cleared by the learners when they prepare sentences using chart this activity help them to clear their usage of tenses in an interactive manner.

Now facilitator repeat the same question he asked before teaching them the tenses.

What did you do last evening?

 What will you do today in the evening?

 Describe your daily routine?

Now the learners in the new light of tenses will answer them correctly and understand the concept of tenses. This will make them understand the mistake they did earlier.

It is very essential that the ESL learners should acquaintance with the fourth aspect of English Language that is speaking. This pedagogy provides them an understanding to the tenses. Over all ESL learners will achieve the RSLW of English Language.

Note: The pedagogy was experimented on the Students of Mass Media in Jaipur National University, Jaipur.

References

Bourke, Kenna. English Verbs and Tenses.Oxford:OxfordUniversity Press, 2003.

Hinkel, Eli. Teaching Academic ESL Writing: Practical Techniques in Vocabulary and Grammar. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbuam Associates Inc Publishers, 2004. 150-55.

Radden, Gunter and Rene Dirven. Cognitive English Grammar.Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2007. 213-30.

Woods, Graldine. English Grammar for Dummies.  Hoboken: Wiley Publishing Inc., 2001.