How to work with the grammar sections

In Trayectos, grammatical structures are always presented in terms of use from the very beginning of each module. For example, in all Introducción comunicativa sections, there are questions related to the structures presented (under the Lengua title). This is the first time students will be guided to think explicitly about the grammar they will learn in the instructional module, but in connection to use (i.e., the questions are based on the role that the structure plays in the communicative context of the section):

The next time students will explicitly learn about grammar will be in the sections Hablemos de gramática, where grammar is always tied to use. All structures are presented in a communicative context, and we guide learners through the discovery of how each structure works by providing them with questions to analyze the content presented:

After this guided discovery, we provide students with simple rules and explanations based on the comparison between Spanish and English (i.e., we always depart from what the student knows):

The rules are followed by two practice sections: ¡Manos a la obra! and Práctica individual.

This is the way we suggest this section should be used:

1. Do the first part of the section (i.e., the communicative context and the comprehension and lengua tasks that follow it) in class. You can put students in pairs to facilitate the task.
2. When preparing your lesson plan, go over the ¡Manos a la obra! activities that follow the rules and explanation part. Identify those that require students to work individually.
3. Assign those activities for homework. Students will need to use the new structures in order to complete them. This will provide them with the opportunity to continue learning the new structures through use.
4. Next class: Check one or two of the assigned activities, and clarify any doubts students might have about the new structures. Do not spend time in class repeating the rules that are already in the book. Instead, focus on students’ errors in the activities completed at home, and use them to elicit their source, making reference to the rules in the section.
5. Then do the pair and group activities in ¡Manos a la obra! in class.
6. Assign the exercises in Práctica individual for homework (more information on how to work with this section is provided on this page).