What teaching methods are effective for Chinese learners of English tense rules

Effective teaching methods for Chinese learners of English tense rules include a combination of communicative and explicit instruction approaches tailored to their specific linguistic background and learning challenges.

Teaching Approaches for Chinese Learners

• The communicative approach is highly regarded for improving oral proficiency and fluency by engaging learners in meaningful communication through activities designed around the “create-experience-practice-achieve” framework. This approach supports real-life use of tenses in context rather than isolated memorization of rules. ¹
• Explicit grammar instruction remains critical, especially for Chinese learners who struggle with inflectional morphology and tense agreement. Clear presentation and focused practice on specific tense forms such as the third-person singular and past tense verb inflections help overcome common error patterns. ^{2, 3}
• Task-Based Learning (TBL) can develop verbal competence by giving learners practice in fluency and syntactic complexity, though it may be less effective in accuracy without supplemental focused grammar instruction. ⁴

Pedagogical Strategies

• Use story-telling and context-driven grammar teaching to make tense rules more relatable and communicative rather than purely rule-based. This method supports beginner learners by linking tense usage to social communication scenarios. ⁵
• Include pre-speaking, while-speaking, and post-speaking stages in teaching activities to scaffold learning and ensure multiple exposures and practice of tense forms in speaking tasks. ⁶
• Incorporate learner-centered, culturally responsive methods that respect Chinese learning preferences, employing memory aids, note-taking, previewing lessons, and revision strategies to enhance grammatical uptake. ⁷
• Emphasize error analysis and correction with attention to frequent tense misuse, especially in writing tasks, to improve both accuracy and confidence in using tenses. ⁸

Integration of Technology and Methods

• Leveraging MOOCs, flipped classrooms, and cooperative learning under the “Internet+” teaching model can provide diverse opportunities for grammar learning including tenses in flexible and interactive formats. ⁹
• Combining communicative methods with explicit grammar instruction offers balanced development of fluency and accuracy, addressing the dual challenges Chinese learners face in tense acquisition. ¹⁰

In summary, effective teaching of English tense rules for Chinese learners involves blending explicit focus on tense forms with communicative practice and culturally attuned strategies that promote both understanding and fluent use in context. ^{3, 1, 5}

References

• Enhancing English Oral Proficiency of Chinese College Students: Curriculum Design Through the Communicative Approach Perspective

• English Grammatical Problems of Chinese Undergraduate Students.

• The Use of Inflection Morphology of Tense and Agreement in English Among Chinese Second Language Learners in College

• Efficacy of Task-Based Learning in a Chinese EFL Classroom: A Case Study

• Grammar and Grammaring: Toward Modes for English Grammar Teaching in China

• Developing Accuracy and Fluency in Spoken English of Chinese EFL Learners.

• Strategies for Better Learning of English Grammar: Chinese vs. Thais

• Frequent Errors in Chinese EFL Learners’ Topic-Based Writings

• On Teaching Patterns of English Grammar under the Background of “Internet+”

• A Study of Chinese Language Teaching at British Universities: How Communicative are Chinese Teachers’ Methods?

• A Review of English Learning Strategy in China

• Walking out of the light verb jungle: Exploring the translation strategies of light verb constructions in Chinese–English consecutive interpreting

• Culture Differences and English Teaching

• Classroom Activities in Chinese Secondary EFL Classes: Teachers’ Uptake of the Learner-centred Curriculum Reform

• The Application of Communicative Approach in English Teaching

• Challenges of Developing English Education in China A Comparison between PPP and TBLT