As English-language learners, one of the challenging aspects is being able to understand the order of related words in a sentence. For instance, in a simple sentence like “I eat a sandwich,” the order of the words is critical to understanding the meaning of the sentence. This is because the article “a” comes before the noun “sandwich,” and the verb “eat” comes before the subject “I.”
Fortunately, there are various activities that ESL teachers can use to teach students how to order related words based on meaning. Here are some of them:
1. Word Scramble
In this activity, the teacher puts words that are related to a particular theme or topic onto slips of paper. Then they scramble the words and place the pieces in a pile. Students take turns picking a slip and arranging the words in the correct order to form a sentence. For instance, if the theme is “food,” the words could be “the, pizza, eat, I.” Students can then rearrange the words to form a correct sentence: “I eat the pizza.”
2. Sentence Jumble
The teacher writes a sentence on the board, but the words are mixed up. Students work in pairs or small groups to rearrange the words to form a coherent sentence. This activity is beneficial because it allows students to practice how to interpret the correct order of words in a sentence. Teachers can use this activity to create sentences relating to topics that students are learning at that time.
3. Picture Order
In this activity, teachers provide students with pictures or images that depict a story. Students arrange the pictures in a logical sequence, and then they create a sentence for each picture. The objective is for students to reflect and use sequencing words, such as “first,” “next,” and “finally” to create a cohesive story. This activity is not only fun but also enables students to build a rich vocabulary of linking phrases that aid in the organization of related words in a sentence.
4. Word Sort
Word sort is an activity that involves sorting a group of words into different categories based on meaning. For instance, the teacher can provide students with a set of words like “pencil, pen, paper, book.” Students can then arrange the words into two categories based on their meaning, such as “things we write with” and “things we write on.” This activity is not only a great way to teach vocabulary but also allows students to explore and differentiate between words based on their meaning.
5. Sentence Building
Sentence-building involves providing students with sentence fragments that they can use to form a complete sentence. For example, the teacher can provide fragments like “I ate,” “last night,” and “spaghetti.” Students can then combine these fragments to form a complete sentence: “I ate spaghetti last night.” This activity helps students develop their writing and organization skills while building their understanding of sentence structure.
In conclusion, these activities are designed to teach students how to order related words based on meaning. Teachers must select activities that match the level of their students’ proficiency and adapt them accordingly. These activities offer an engaging and interactive way of teaching the proper ordering of words and in turn, assists students to communicate more effectively in English.
