Lecture-style instruction involves the teacher presenting material to the class. She gives a presentation, writes notes on the board, passes around hand-outs and expects students to listen and retain the information. Beyond answering questions to reinforce what students just heard, there is little student input involved in the lesson. In an interactive grammar lesson, the teacher still creates the lesson structure and organizes the material, however, instead of lecturing, the teacher arranges an activity that appeals to the senses of the students. The teacher leaves room for the unknown as students lead the activity and provide input that alters and contributes to the original structure.
Interactive lessons are often structured so students observe and interpret information. Observation and interpretation are distinctly different than a question and answer format, which asks one specific thing that aims to produce one specific answer. For example, in a grammar lesson, a question and answer segment might ask students the definition and use of a noun versus a verb. In contrast, an observe and interpret segment would show several sentences or paragraphs that use nouns and verbs in a well-written manner and ask the students for general observations on each sentence or paragraph. These observations can include a variety of opinions, and the teacher seeks to take something from what each student observes.
Interactive activities prompt students to brainstorm. Other, more traditional, lessons ask for a definitive answer to a question, making brainstorming irrelevant. Brainstorming produces many types of answers, including concrete or abstract. In a grammar lesson involving brainstorming, students would not only know why an English sentence takes a certain structure, but why that structure worked better than others. They would learn how the sentence looks, flows, sounds and fits in between other sentences.
Give students a list of words to use, including several nouns, verbs and adjectives. Have students write a two-page short story using each word at least once. Students read their stories aloud, sharing their choice in using those words with the entire class. Students also get to hear how sentences sound and can compare good sentences with sentences that use the words in a uniquely well-written manner. Ask students to listen closely as others read and write down any sentences they particularly like. Hold a student-led class discussion about these well-written sentences.