Discussion Groups / ESL Teaching / April 2005

One of my favorites. Teaching this, especially in an opportunistic
setting, is a blast.

The general rule of thumb for -ing/-ed (participle) adjectives is
pretty simple. It helps if you know that the more formal names for the
present and past participle are the active and passive participle. A
"terrifying film" reaches out and scares you. "A terrified viewer" has
been terrified BY something (emphasize the preposition, as it names the
agent in the passive and will help solidify the link in your learner's
minds).

Generally speaking, the number of students who have the analytical
ability and/or the desire to pick this up by means of a straight-up
(even with examples) grammar explanation is low, especially when you're
dealing with unmotivated/suspicious/hostile teenagers.

Run through it once orally, and ask some check questions, as the
majority of the learner's failures (both strong and weak learners) to
pick it up will encourage them to listen to you a little more carefully
when you orally explain grammar in the future. If you can, translate it
into L1. They still won't really get the principle, thus encouraging
weak learners to think again about the translation of grammar points as
the best possible means of knowledge transmission.

When they don't get it, show NO hostility/impatience/disgust
whatsoever. At other times, perhaps, letting SOME students know that
you feel upset with them is a viable teaching tool. It is most
definitely NOT one here. Nod, smile and get the chalk out.

I write out "terrifying" and elongate the tail on the g, adding ghosts
and fangs and disembodied, bloodshot eyes for "terrifying." Then, I do
a stick-figure at the receiving end in a state of shock (hands down,
lines radiating outward).

You then expand the rule to include the notion of
purpose/cause-and-effect. Draw objects, an arrow with a big loop in it,
and the object's name. Write purpose in the center of the loop. Why
does the glass or the knife exist? I start off with "dining room" and
then move into the more confusing variants, drinking glass, cutting
knife, etc.

Next, we have things that are in progress:

falling bricks (sidewalk, two bricks in the air with a vertical line
above them, stick figure looking up)

versus completed:
fallen bricks (sidewalk, bricks on sidewalk, stick figure looking down)

And finally, rounding off the progression, things that are just, in
general, active.

working parents (father in one easily-illustrated profession, mother in
another)

dripping water (pipe with water drops falling downward)

Check questions and voila! In a real-world, teacher-centered classroom
(minus ages for prep and fancy supporting equipment) we have...victory!

Noted your correction.  Of course you dont see what is interesting, as I
think you misunderstood what I wrote.  But never mind.

John