In the Idea Swap in the last issue of Word of Mouth, I reviewed articles on counterfactual reasoning and discussed the types of conditional syntactic structures needed for counterfactual reasoning. In this Idea Swap, I present some strategies for teaching conditional structures. The following websites have excellent, practical suggestions for teaching conditionals:
Wishes and Dreams: Making Conditionals Magic in ESL Class http://www.fluentu.com/english/educator/blog/esl-conditionals/
Grammar: Teaching Conditionals http://www.onestopenglish.com/methodology/teaching-tips/grammar-and-vocabulary-tips/grammar-teaching-conditionals/146585.article
Ideas for Teaching Conditionals http://jobs.languagelink.ru/tefl_clinic/practical_teaching/teaching_grammar/conditionals.php
This video on YouTube has clips from 10 songs that include a conditional language structure:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qqlvg2LfOQ
The following are some general suggestions for teaching conditionals:
Raise consciousness of conditionals. Notice the use of conditionals in an academic reading. Call students’ attention to them and discuss why the author used the conditional there.
Matching exercises. Match the first part of a conditional sentence with its logical mate: “If it rains—“ and “I will take an umbrella.”
Student surveys: Students can survey each other about what they will and would like to do in the future, contrasting two kinds of conditionals.
Wish Lists: Students can interview each other and make up wish lists for their partners.
Advice columns: Students can write letters of advice to each other or famous figures using the conditional.
Journals: Students can write journal entries about plans and dreams for the future, using both the real and unreal conditionals.
Probability Discussions: Guess the probability of certain events, using the conditional, for example, whether or not it will rain on the weekend, if the war will end.
Music: Play the song “If I Were a Rich Man” from the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” or show a video clip. Discuss what the character Tevye would do if he were rich. Have students interview each other and write about what they would do if they were rich.
My Regrets: For more advanced learners, introduce the third conditional, the past conditional. Have students discuss their regrets to practice.
