Words
In this module, we’re going to explore the topics of words and punctuation.
It’s important to learn about these topics because an English teacher needs to have a good
understanding of the language itself. You should be familiar with the different kinds of words,
how words are constructed, and how punctuation is used in English.
Grammar isn’t the most exciting of topics to cover, but it’s essential to cover this at the start of
your TESOL course so that we can build on this understanding when it comes to planning
lessons and selecting suitable activities for your students.
Types of word
You’ll likely already be aware of some of the topics we’ll cover here – such as verbs and nouns
etc. However, when it comes to teaching them to students, there are certain techniques that are
useful to learn. For other topics, such as sentence structures and tenses, it may be daunting
how much there is to remember.
It’s important to note here that early on in your TEFL career, you won’t be expected to have full
mastery of every intricate detail about the English language. There are countless grammar
patterns, phrase structures, word roots, rule exceptions and more. Your knowledge of these will
build as you gain more classroom experience and will add to your value as a seasoned teacher.
What is vital, however, is that you’re familiar with the frameworks and foundations of the
language, and can use this understanding to prepare lessons for specific topics as you
encounter them in your syllabus.
The first parts of the English language which we’ll cover are the different types of words that
exist.
The English language is made up of nine different types of word, each with its own name, rules
of use, and roles. These are commonly referred to as “parts of speech” or “word classes”.
In the following pages we’ll explore these words, and address several useful approaches for
introducing them to students:
● Noun
● Verb
● Adjective
● Pronoun
● Adverb
● Preposition
● Conjunction
● Interjection
, 01.Nouns
Nouns are naming words and are used for things, places, people or ideas. They are often the
very first things taught to English learners and are the most basic type of word.
Here are some examples of nouns:
Pen/pencil
Home/street
Girl/boy
Love/hate
One of the great things about nouns is that they can be easily shown to students, and often
learned quickly. A great way to begin teaching nouns can be with concrete objects which can be
brought into the classroom, or with images on flashcards. This way, students can easily build an
association with the new word, and the object or idea which it represents.
There is also a subcategory of nouns known as ‘proper nouns’.
02.Proper nouns
Proper nouns are the names of specific people/places/organizations, and come with a
capitalized first letter.
Examples of proper nouns:
Jack, London, Asia.
Proper nouns will usually be taught after regular nouns, as they require additional instruction to
capitalize the first letter.
When introducing them, it can help to provide plenty of contrast between generic objects such
as ‘ball, cat, house’ and specific nouns such as ‘Lucy, China, Nike’.
03.Verbs
Verbs describe an action, or the state of a subject. There are several categories of verbs that
exist which we’ll cover later in this course.
Here are some simple verbs to start with:
Eat, sleep, jump, watch.
Think, feel, daydream.
One thing to note about verbs is that they often change to reflect time or duration – for example:
In this module, we’re going to explore the topics of words and punctuation.
It’s important to learn about these topics because an English teacher needs to have a good
understanding of the language itself. You should be familiar with the different kinds of words,
how words are constructed, and how punctuation is used in English.
Grammar isn’t the most exciting of topics to cover, but it’s essential to cover this at the start of
your TESOL course so that we can build on this understanding when it comes to planning
lessons and selecting suitable activities for your students.
Types of word
You’ll likely already be aware of some of the topics we’ll cover here – such as verbs and nouns
etc. However, when it comes to teaching them to students, there are certain techniques that are
useful to learn. For other topics, such as sentence structures and tenses, it may be daunting
how much there is to remember.
It’s important to note here that early on in your TEFL career, you won’t be expected to have full
mastery of every intricate detail about the English language. There are countless grammar
patterns, phrase structures, word roots, rule exceptions and more. Your knowledge of these will
build as you gain more classroom experience and will add to your value as a seasoned teacher.
What is vital, however, is that you’re familiar with the frameworks and foundations of the
language, and can use this understanding to prepare lessons for specific topics as you
encounter them in your syllabus.
The first parts of the English language which we’ll cover are the different types of words that
exist.
The English language is made up of nine different types of word, each with its own name, rules
of use, and roles. These are commonly referred to as “parts of speech” or “word classes”.
In the following pages we’ll explore these words, and address several useful approaches for
introducing them to students:
● Noun
● Verb
● Adjective
● Pronoun
● Adverb
● Preposition
● Conjunction
● Interjection
, 01.Nouns
Nouns are naming words and are used for things, places, people or ideas. They are often the
very first things taught to English learners and are the most basic type of word.
Here are some examples of nouns:
Pen/pencil
Home/street
Girl/boy
Love/hate
One of the great things about nouns is that they can be easily shown to students, and often
learned quickly. A great way to begin teaching nouns can be with concrete objects which can be
brought into the classroom, or with images on flashcards. This way, students can easily build an
association with the new word, and the object or idea which it represents.
There is also a subcategory of nouns known as ‘proper nouns’.
02.Proper nouns
Proper nouns are the names of specific people/places/organizations, and come with a
capitalized first letter.
Examples of proper nouns:
Jack, London, Asia.
Proper nouns will usually be taught after regular nouns, as they require additional instruction to
capitalize the first letter.
When introducing them, it can help to provide plenty of contrast between generic objects such
as ‘ball, cat, house’ and specific nouns such as ‘Lucy, China, Nike’.
03.Verbs
Verbs describe an action, or the state of a subject. There are several categories of verbs that
exist which we’ll cover later in this course.
Here are some simple verbs to start with:
Eat, sleep, jump, watch.
Think, feel, daydream.
One thing to note about verbs is that they often change to reflect time or duration – for example:
