I like to think of grammar as a connected system. The map above shows students many common grammatical phrases. In class, we use it as a quick reference for students to find the words they need to make their sentences grammatical.
To give feedback, I simply point to the area that students need to pay attention to.
What Students Think
After using the map in class over a semester at university, I asked students for their comments and feedback. All students responded positively, with many comments saying that the map is “easy to understand” and “very good.” Their comments were written in Japanese; below are some translations.
“It is very easy to understand and an essential tool for lessons.”
“Basic grammar is illustrated in a way that is clear and easy to understand, on one page. So, it feels easier to view compared to grammar books.”
“When writing sentences or when I don’t know the answer to a cloze question during lessons, I look at the context of the sentences and the map and find appropriate expressions.”
“The map allows you to find the answer right away and explains it well with pictures.”
“The textbooks I’ve used up until now covered “I,” then “he” and so on, presented separately so I had to organize things myself. But this map groups all the expressions together, making it easier to understand, which is a big difference compared to other materials.”
“It summarizes the basics of writing sentences.”