Teaching Grammar Using The Simple PPP Method

When I started my TEFL journey, I very quickly discovered the many ways to present new grammar to students who did not speak English fluently. As a new teacher, you might be feeling as overwhelmed as I did at that point! 

Yes, there are many ways to teach grammar to English learners, many methodologies, lesson plan structures and techniques, so it can be quite daunting to identify which of these would work for your particular class or student. 

Also, some of us work privately or for language centres where we are expected to teach numerous different levels and various ages every day. You could be teaching Advanced students in the morning and Beginners later that same day. 

So, how do we navigate all these options? Breathe, and read on. 

Choosing a lesson plan structure is the first step. 

Let’s look at a structure that 

• simplifies planning, 
• is recognised internationally in the world of TEFL, and 
• is easily adaptable from one level and age group to the next. 

Read more: Top Tips For Effective Lesson Planning

The PPP lesson plan

What is the PPP teaching method? Basically, it’s a simple lesson structure commonly used to introduce new vocabulary or grammar to an ESL class.

While there are three core stages in this format – Present, Practice, Produce – there is usually also a warmer at the start, and a plenary at the end. So let’s call it five stages in total to keep it simple. 

Let’s have a look at what is required at each stage and how it all comes together in a doable, cohesive, user-friendly lesson plan that you can adapt and manipulate from one class to the next. And FYI, I got through my first year of teaching by having my lesson plan close by, on my desk to anchor and support me throughout. 

Before you start filling out the lesson plan, think about the level, and age group. If you have to teach an Elementary class a tense like the past simple (which is then called the target language), think about a context that would engage them. For Young Learners it might be activities they do after school, for adults it might be the past weekend. 

Now, let’s look at how it all gets started and how to use this context to fill out our lesson plan. 

The stages of a PPP lesson

WARMER

The warmer is where you introduce the context for the first time. 

You could do this through imagery, a simple anecdote, or a few questions related to the context. Either way, this introduction needs to engage students and get them thinking about a single topic – and indirectly gain an understanding of the kind of situation in which they will use the target language going forward. 

Keep your language graded – avoid using vocabulary and grammar that your students will not yet know – and remember that at this stage, this includes the target language. They do not know it yet, so avoid using it, or expecting it at this early stage.  

Tips for the warmer:

• Use imagery where appropriate.
• Avoid using the target language at this point.
• Keep the warmer short.
• Make the context relatable for the age and level you are teaching. 

PRESENTATION STAGE

This is the stage where the new target language is presented for the first time – hence the name! 

However, try do this without using it yourself. But how?  This can be achieved by using the warmer’s context to elicit model sentences. 

For older learners, ask questions using tenses and vocabulary they already know at this point to get them to piece together the model sentence in the target language eg, What do you usually do on the weekend? Do you do this every weekend? How do we change this into the past so that we are talking about last weekend? 

Then elicit the form of that model sentence by asking them questions related to the structures that make up the model eg, What tense is the verb? 

Address any pronunciation issues related to the form, and focus on consistent aspects of pronunciation. For example, with the past simple, it will be the /Id/ sound at the end of past simple verbs; this must be identified and practised. 

The final step to cover in this stage is to ask questions that test understanding of meaning or function. These are called Concept Checking Questions and their job is to test the overall grasp of why we use the new target language, when we use it, and how. A few examples for the past simple could include: Is the action in our sentence still happening? Is it finished? 

The idea is to cover these aspects of language with as little teacher talking time as possible to make the presentation of new grammar student-centred. 

Read more: Teacher Talk Time VS Student Talk Time

Once you have taken the steps mentioned above, you have addressed Meaning, Form, and Pronunciation (MFP). Well done! 

Tips for the Presentation stage:

• Extend your warmer’s context into this stage.
• Keep it student-centred with techniques like eliciting and concept checking.
• Cover MFP.

PRACTICE STAGE

Now that students have favourably responded to your eliciting and concept checking, it is time for them to have some practice time. 

This activity is often referred to as controlled practice, and needs to be just that: controlled, structured and confined to just the target language. 

What activities can we use in the Practice Stage of a PPP lesson?

My favourite here is a good ol’ worksheet- one where the questions are all based on the target language, and the answers are predetermined. Examples might be: gap-fills, matching tasks, multiple choice or even error correction. 

This gives students focus on accuracy and form, and the structured, rather restrictive nature of the task makes it easier to correct errors as a group. No more taking home worksheets to mark, teachers! – have them swap worksheets and peer check or even correct their own work. This encourages autonomy and provides a rather introspective and reflective view of their own understanding. 

Tips for the Practice Stage:

• Keep this practice really controlled. 
• Worksheets work well. 
• Encourage interaction through pair work or peer correction. 

PRODUCTION STAGE

Now that they have completed the worksheets, checked their mistakes and are feeling more confident with this new form, it’s time to practice this target language in speaking. This kind of practice is known as freer practice. 

Sure, this activity could also be a freer writing task, but I find that students need a verbal outlet at this point- ie a chance to speak. 

They now get to manipulate the target language, use it among other forms to communicate ideas, experiences and views. Make sure to create speaking tasks that encourage natural conversations that mirror those they would have outside the walls of the classroom. 

Consider role-plays where you assign roles/characters and a scenario, story-telling, discussions in pairs or groups, debates, simulation tasks – the list is long and fun to explore! 

Choose topics that are relatable, and where possible, connect the topic in the production stage to the context of your warmer. For example, if your context in the warmer was weekends, then the topic of the freer practice task could be ‘last weekend’ where they discuss all the things they did using the new target language. 

This stage is probably my favourite as it gives students the opportunity to verbally use the target language in context to better express their own ideas and personal experiences. They get to choose when, where and how during these conversations, and this freedom is what makes the task freer. 

Tips for the Production Stage: 

• Keep the topic relatable. 
• Choose a task that encourages natural conversation. 
• Consider extending your warmer’s context into this task. 

PLENARY

The plenary is where you summarise learning and consolidate the lesson. 

So think about activities like peer teaching, concept questions, or discuss homework projects. Nothing new must be introduced at this stage. Also, avoid recapping through lecture – this is a missed opportunity for engagement and interaction. Allow them, even at this stage, and as far as possible, to work in pairs or groups. 

Tips for the Plenary Stage:

• Avoid anything new at this stage. 
• Focus on activities that provide the opportunity to reflect.
• Keep it interactive. 

And that is it:  the 5-step grammar lesson based on the PPP model. 

Author’s note: See here for a PPP lesson plan example.

Of course, this is not the only lesson plan format available. You will come across others like TBL (Task-Based Learning), ESA (Engage, Study, Activate), Test-Teach-Test, or even more eclectic, dogme-style approaches. 

Each has its strengths and place in the classroom. However, PPP remains a simple, flexible and widely recognised format that many new and experienced teachers rely on. It provides security and structure, while still allowing plenty of scope for creativity with context, activities and student interaction, making it a reassuring and practical starting point. 

Author Bio

Written by

Luan Dreyden

Edited by Kirsten Colquhoun

Luan is a Language Practitioner and certified ESL instructor. Her love for the English language led her into the classroom. After gaining experience at the top language schools in Cape Town, she went on to become the Head Teacher of a well-known English institution. This is where she discovered and practised her passion for teacher training. She now runs the TEFL courses for The TEFL Academy in Cape Town and continues to teach second language learners – both in the classroom and online. Read Luan Dreyden's story →