Grammar Hunt - ESL 401 Z

Activity A: Introduction to ESL Service Courses Website (15 minutes)

As an initial activity, your teacher will introduce you to both the class website and ESL Service Courses Website and briefly show you what resources are available and how to navigate through the pages.

Activity B: Grammar Resources Scavenger Hunt (pair work) (30 minutes)

With a partner, complete the "Grammar Resources Scavenger Hunt" worksheet which your teacher provides. Only use the webpages which are linked under "Grammar Resources" off of the ESL Service Courses website. Otherwise, you will waste lots of time trying to find answers! Make sure to indicate the source if not already given (i.e. webpage address) for each of your answers. Work as quickly and accurately as you can. The first pair to finish "wins!" This activity will help you become aware of the various grammar resources that are available off the web. (Note: You will probably want to use 1 computer for this activity. Please make sure that you & your partner divide the time "at the controls" evenly!)

Grammar Resources on the Web Scavenger Hunt

With a partner, complete this "Grammar Resources Scavenger Hunt" worksheet. Work as quickly and as accurately as you can. Only use the webpages which are linked under "Grammar Resources" off of the ESL Service Courses website which is located at <http://deil.lang.uiuc.edu/deil/esl.service>. Otherwise, you will waste lots of time trying to find answers! The first pair to finish "wins!" This activity will help you become aware of the various grammar resources that are available off the web. (Note: "Web address" refers to the address of the page on which you found the information!)

1. Go to the "Guide for Grammar and Writing." Find and read the section which deals with possessive forms. According to the reading, what is the correct way to spell the possessive form of "Illinois?" Why? List 2 additional words which follow the same rule that are not listed on this page?

Web address: _______________________________

2. Go the "Purdue OWL Handouts" site. Find and read the handout which deals with parallel structure. What does parallel structure mean? What strategies can you use to avoid problems with parallel structure in your writing?

Web address: _______________________________

3. Go to the "ESL Quiz Center." Take the quiz on irregular verbs. How many did you get right?

Web address: _______________________________ Score: _________________

4. Go to "CNN Newsroom & World View for ESL". Find the grammar exercise dealing with articles/determiners which is entitled "Ecotourism." Take the quiz and check your answers. Write down the number of answers you got correct.

Web address: _______________________________ Score: _________________

5. Go to the "Grammar for English Language Learners" maintained by Ohio University. List the names of the sites that have grammar help services. Then, look at one of these sites to learn how to use the service. Discuss with your partner about whether you would ever use this service? Why or why not? Write your response(s).

Web address: _______________________________ (only write the address for the page evaluated!)

6. List the addresses of two sites that contain information on "logical connectors" or just "connectors." Take any notes you want to. Then, find a site that has a quiz or activity that deals with logical connectors and take it. List the address of this page and your score!

Sites with information on "logical connectors" or "connectors":

Web address: _______________________________

Quiz or activity on "logical connectors" or "connectors":

Web address: _______________________________ Score: _________________

7. Find a quiz dealing with "word forms." Take the quiz and report your score!

Web address: _______________________________ Score: _________________

8. Find a grammar page that you would recommend other students in class to look at. List the address, give a brief description of the site, and then explain in a few sentences why you would recommend this site!

Web address: _______________________________

Description of page content:

Explanation why you would recommend the page:

9. Find a non-grammar page that you would recommend other students in class to look at. List the address, give a brief description of the site, and then explain in a few sentences why you would recommend this site!

Web address: _______________________________

Description of page content:

Explanation why you would recommend the page:

10. Locate the definition for the phrasal verb "brush up on." Then, write down a definition for this term in your own words and write an original sentence using it! (Note: Although this isn't a grammar point, I thought you might enjoy locating sites dealing with phrasal verbs on the web! Please take notes, however, that phrasal verbs should be avoided in academic writing!)

Definition:

Original Sentence:

When you complete the quiz, tell your instructor!

--BREAK--

Activity C: Individual Research (30 minutes)

Now that you have caught a glimpse of what these grammar pages have to offer, you will have a chance to do some researching on your own. The following are a couple alternatives from which you can choose. Try the first 2 activities.

1. Do some additional grammar quizzes and activities (Maybe these are too easy, but try: http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/quizzes/js/).

2. Explore the other resource links off the ESL Service Courses webpage or elsewhere.

Web Grammar Resources

The following web addresses and descriptions are excerpted from Dave Sperling's book The Internet Guide for English Language Teachers, published in 1997 by Prentice Hall Regents. The addresses have been verified and updated. Items without descriptions are not listed in his book!

An Elementary Grammar
http://62.6.162.42/intro.html

Elements of Style, by William Strunk
http://www.bartleby.com/141/index.html

Online version of this classic text from 1918.

English Grammar Links for ESL Students
http://www.gl.umbc.edu/~kpokoy1/grammar1.htm

Good selection of links from Karen M. Hartman of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

ESL Help Center
http://www.pacificnet.net/~sperling/wwwboard2/wwwboard.html

Twenty-four hour help for ESL/EFL students from an international team of ESL/EFL teachers. Don't miss it!

Grammar for English Language Learners
http://www.ohiou.edu/esl/english/index.html

Grammar Help
http://www.hut.fi/~rvilmi/help/grammar_help/

Hints, rules, and exercises on English grammar from Ruth Vilmi. Highly recommended!

LinguaCenter's Grammar Safari
http://deil.lang.uiuc.edu/web.pages/grammarsafari.html

A great place for students to gather real grammar examples found on the World Wide Web. Highly Recommended!

On-line English Grammar
http://www.go-ed.com/english/grammar/index.html

Great resource!

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Adapted for use by Daniel Craig