Transforming Language Education: From Grammar Rules to Natural Fluency
How to Keep Your Language Students Interested
By Les Huysmans
Many educators have explored new methods to enhance language education in classrooms. Traditional approaches often involve introducing grammar rules, practicing them, and asking students to write sentences based on those rules. These steps do promote understanding, but often lead to boredom, disengagement, and very little actual communication. Students may know the rules but hesitate to speak.
What's the goal?
We want learners who use the language — confidently, spontaneously, and creatively. We want them to make mistakes, correct themselves, and carry on with ease. But this doesn’t happen when we spend too much time filling in blanks or translating disconnected sentences.
What can we do instead?
1. Focus on communication, not perfection
Create lessons that require students to express opinions, solve problems, or respond to real-life situations. Grammar will still be used, but in context.
2. Introduce grammar through patterns, not rules
Instead of starting with "Today we learn the past tense," try using a story, a video, or an experience in the past. Let students hear the tense repeatedly, then discover the pattern. Grammar taught this way is felt, not forced.
3. Reduce the fear of making mistakes
When accuracy is always the focus, students become afraid to speak. Make room for risk-taking. Celebrate effort, not just correctness.
4. Recycle language
It’s not enough to teach a structure once. Use the same grammar or vocabulary in different contexts — reading, speaking, games, writing. Each layer adds depth.
A quick classroom example
Instead of giving students a list of irregular verbs to memorise, give them a photo diary of "My Weird Weekend." Let them create short stories using past tenses (e.g., "I rode a buffalo" / "We lost our dog in the mall"). Make it fun, weird, and personal. They’ll naturally use grammar that sticks.
Final thoughts
Grammar isn’t the enemy. But how we teach it can either open or close the door to language use. Let’s build classrooms where grammar supports fluency — not where it replaces it.
Well, if you’ve made it this far, I must’ve done something right, or you’re just procrastinating from doing something far more important! Either way, I do hope you pinched a nugget or two of ‘wisdom’. Fancy a chat? Shuffle on over to the About Les page to hunt down my details. Cheers!