לומדים אנגלית / קוראים ספרי ילדים

The first subject we will discuss is Tenses.

This is a subject many Israeli pupils find problematic, difficult and therefore, boring.

It is neither difficult nor boring if taught in a clear, interesting way.

We will start by presenting the Cycle of the Present.

In the Cycle of the Present we  have two kinds of Present:

     Present Simple and Present Progressive

and one Future:

      Future Simple.

I usually read novels, but now I am reading a detective story. I will probably buy a book of poems tomorrow. I feel I need a change.

I prefer to start with the Present Simple, explain the structure in context by eliciting relevant questions and in the following lesson move to the Present Progressive.

It is most important to simplify the situation. In relatively weak classes, it is enough to teach the basic level: Present Simple for actions that happen on a regular basis: usually, always, never… and Present Progressive for actions that are happening now or very soon. No need to bother them with long lists of Stative Verbs.

With more advanced classes, we can talk about verbs expressing feelings (e.g. love), senses (see) or processes of the mind (know, understand) which usually come in the Present Simple.

For further explanations, please see

      דקדוק אנגלי לדוברי עברית, p10-20.

And remember, we should always teach Grammar in context: present the new structure using a relevant, interesting text, elicit questions from the pupils, leading them to reach the answers.

Last but not least, oral and written practice and continuous review are mandatory.

In my next post I will complete the Cycle of the Present by focusing on Future Simple.