Using a Video Clip to Teach Nouns
Teaching the grammar PRIOR TO Skills Work
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Show list of nouns related to the video clip
Ask students if they know the meanings of all the words
If not, either explain them or do dictionary work; make sure this leads to the discovery that all the words are Nouns.
Ask students to group the words under the four noun group headings. Indicate that all nouns fall into one of these
groups.
Discuss any issues (pronunciation, incorrect/multiple grouping etc.).
(Optional) Highlight all the uncountable nouns and ask if anyone knows what is special about these. Show clip from
The Grammar Disc; then ask again about the underlined nouns
(Optional) Ask: what pronouns could replace each noun? Place these next to each noun.
Say to students: If all these words are used to describe people and things in a video clip, what do you think the clip is
about? Brief general discussion. (prediction)
Ask students to develop a scenario in pairs (free-writing)
Listen to / act out scenarios (practice of vocabulary)
Ask students to edit their writing by checking:
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Correct spelling of all nouns
Check plural and singular noun forms (if taught)
Correct usage of uncountable nouns (if taught)
Correct usage of pronouns (if taught)
Inform your learners that as the editing focus is on nouns and pronouns, they should ignore all other language errors.
Watch the video clip
Discuss how the story in the clip varies from their own scenarios
Teaching the grammar DURING / AFTER Skills Work
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Show video clip at least twice
Brainstorm with students words that would help describe the scene; prompt with: Who was involved? What objects
and things were present? Where did it take place? When did it take place? What feelings, sounds, smells, thoughts,
attitudes, reactions did the people experience? (vocabulary check)
Board all suggested words in five groups: the four noun groups plus “Other Words” (do not give the groups headings)
Ask students to retell the story of the sketch verbally in pairs using the words on the list (oral practice; structure
practice) With Deaf learners, request them to retell the story in Auslan, finger-spelling any words drawn from the list.
Then ask students to retell the story individually in writing using the same words (writing practice)
Ask students to suggest a label / heading for each of the first four groups of words on the board (classification)
Now ask if anyone knows the grammatical term for all the words in these first four groups on the board
Ask students to look up the “Other words” in the dictionary to show they are not nouns (dictionary work)
(Optional) Highlight all the uncountable nouns and ask if anyone knows what is special about these. Show clip from
The Grammar Disc; then ask again about the underlined nouns
(Optional) Ask: what pronouns could replace each noun? Place these next to each noun.
Ask writers to now edit their writing by checking:
o
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Correct spelling of all nouns
Check plural and singular noun forms (if taught)
Correct usage of uncountable nouns (if taught)
Correct usage of pronouns (if taught)
Inform your learners that as the editing focus is on nouns and pronouns, they should ignore all other language errors.