Universite d’antananarivo ecole normale superieure

1.2.3.1- The presentation stage

The first and the most important stage in teaching conditional sentences is the presentation. This is the stage when the teacher first introduces the conditional type to the students. Ellis (1997) believes that learners can acquire a new grammatical structure only very gradually and slowly. Owing to this reason, teachers should not always expect immediate success after giving grammar instruction, no matter how well designed it is. Repetition of explanation is sometimes necessary.

In the presentation stage, the teacher explains the form and the use or meaning of the type of conditional. When we present a structure, it is important to show what the structure means and how it is used by giving examples, show clearly how the structure is formed, so that students can use it to make sentences of their own (Doff , 1990). Thereby, Doff suggests a deductive approach to the teaching of grammar. If a teacher applies the deductive approach to the teaching of conditional sentences, s/he will have to present the rules first and show

some examples of sentences where those rules are present. Deductive approach does not give students the opportunity to communicate during the presentation stage as they are spoon-fed with pre-fabricated rules. As such, inductive approach is the best approach for communicative grammar teaching. It means that the teacher shows the examples first and elicits the form and the use from the students. The use or meaning will be easy to elicit if the conditional sentences are put in a clear and meaningful context. One advantage of using this approach is that rules learners discover themselves are more likely to fit their existing mental structures than rules they have been presented with. This in turn will make the rule more meaningful, memorable, and serviceable (Thornbury, 1999). We will see later the techniques for having a communicative presentation of a lesson on conditional sentences.

The purposes of the presentation stage in a lesson on conditionals are:

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  To give the students the opportunity to realize the usefulness and relevance of a conditional type by showing it in a clear and motivating context
  
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  To present the meaning and form
  

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  To check understanding