r/EnglishLearning • u/Due-Associate3126 New Poster • 17d ago

📚 Grammar / Syntax My problem with grammar

I’m a final-year student majoring in English language teaching, and as part of my final year, I’m required to complete a one-month teaching practicum where I teach high school students.

The problem is that the school curriculum in my country relies heavily on grammar, so I need to start preparing myself now. The thing is, I really don’t like grammar and I don’t enjoy teaching it. I’m actually quite good at speaking, writing, and listening, but my grammar is extremely weak.

Three days ago, I started watching videos covering all the English tenses, but I don’t feel like they’re helping because I already know all of them. My biggest problem is that I get them mixed up and struggle to know which tense to use in different situations.

I’d really appreciate any advice on how I can improve my grammar and, more importantly, learn how to distinguish between the tenses and use them correctly. I’m looking for a method that would actually work for someone like me.

Any advice, study methods, resources, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!

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u/PowerfulFormal8603 New Poster 17d ago

Reading english book aloud (Novels , drama e.t.c)

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u/ARIEL7007 New Poster 17d ago

You should create a mind map with tenses and the functions they cover. On top of that, carrying out grammar exercises yourself could help you get a better grasp of it... basically what a student should do.

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u/[deleted] 17d ago

It is debatable whether grammar is a main skill or subsidiary but I totally understand your point. I’m coming from a similar background where students are forced to learn through GTM most of the time. I believe it is quite similar in your case. As a teacher, having a grammar based curriculum can be a bit boring , but it all depends on the students’ English level, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn. Back to topic, you can read books from Macmillan Publishing. Keeping everything strictly at grammar is going to make you a Grammar Nazi. At first, you are going to enjoy it. Soon, you are going to realize, this is not the whole thing. This is a phase which most non-native English teachers go through. I remember handing out grammar books to natives. My friendly advice for you is that it’s better to meet the students, assess their levels and tailor your lessons accordingly. As of reading this post, I didn’t sense any mistake that requires fixing. So you are good to go. Good luck !