Branching scenarios are one of the interactive forms of educational activities that can be used for various purposes, in particular for teaching students foreign languages [2]. Despite the fact that the first thought about using this form is to get students acquainted with new or practice already learned vocabulary as one of the two micro skills, as well as everything related to speaking or reading [1], branching scenarios can also be effectively used when working on the grammar block with students. In this paper, I offer to consider the main advantages of this form of task for teaching grammatical structures.
The first and most obvious advantage is the gamification of the learning process itself. Instead of the usual drills, such as paraphrasing sentences, filling in the gaps, repeating information using active grammatical constructions, and other tasks, students are faced with a nonlinear type of activity [2], where the choice of each element determines which option can be chosen next. Furthermore, each choice directly affects the overall result of the task completion.
An interactive learning activity of this type can help students focus on each individual part of the grammatical formula, consider each of their choices, choosing arguments for and against, and also feel like they are in a game where the character goes through an exciting quest, which can slightly romanticize the learning process and help find additional motivation to practice using a specific grammatical structure within the studied topic.
Besides, the branching scenario is somewhat reminiscent of a multiple-choice task, which can make students feel safe from the sense of familiarity and increase their confidence during the task execution. However, unlike the latter, the former activity allows students to learn different variations and the lecturer to explain both simple and complex grammatical constructions, such as Complex Object and Complex Subject, for instance. The lecturer can also easily and clearly explain the specifics of using grammatical constructions on a certain example of replacing one element of the cluster and the impact of this decision on the meaning of the entire message, in particular: the type of action, its continuity and independence of implementation, the number and person of the performer, voice, etc. It is no less important that in such a task, a specific context can be set, on which the final formula of the grammatical structure will depend. Not the main, but still a great positive feature of using branched scenarios is also the visual components – the lecturer or student (depending on the task and the set learning goals) can think over the scheme of the scenario, its branches, the connection of answers, the way to react to the correctness or incorrectness of the choice and the overall design of the activity – either on paper or on some interactive platform.
Having considered the positive features of branching scenarios described above, the question arises as to at what stage of learning the grammatical structure of applying this form of the task would be effective. Therefore, it should be noted that the implementation of the task into the studying process can be useful mainly for: familiarizing students with a certain grammatical element of the topic, for grammar revision in class, for self-study to practice using the grammatical structure, and in the format of the formative assessment.
Using the task for a summative test is also realistic and can be effective. However, it requires additional work on setting questions, linking answers, and including assessment blocks in the scenario. For example, while a regular branching scenario does not require the assessment of each individual answer, the final work should correspond to the chosen assessment system. The latter should be clear and transparent.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the usage of branching scenarios is as possible for teaching students grammar of foreign languages as getting them acquainted and familiar with the active vocabulary of a certain topic. According to the specifics of the taught language, the scenario can be introduced as a task at the beginning of the topic to familiarize students with the basics of constructing and using a grammatical cluster, to consolidate knowledge, to develop students’ skills and abilities in class and in the format of self-study, to prepare them for knowledge testing, as well as during formative assessment of the acquired grammar knowledge.
However, it is important to remember that this is not a universal form of the task. It must be carefully considered before preparation, although it can be quite creative and freeing, and the process of passing must be monitored so that the “discovery” of the next step of the questions or tasks occurs according to plan and really corresponds to the previous answer chosen by the student. Moreover, the constant use of such a task can overstimulate students and reduce their attention span and sense of responsibility in the lesson. It should be noted that this is not just a game that can magically teach students grammar, but, in the educational process, just one of many exercises that have to be used appropriately and thoughtfully to ensure positive results in teaching students foreign languages.
References
1. Вакуленко А. І. The use of branching scenarios in teaching English to future philologists. Світ наукових досліджень. Випуск 39: матеріали міжнародної мультидисциплінарної наукової інтернет-конференції. (Тернопіль-Ополе, 25–26 березня, 2025). С. 87–89.
2. Branching Scenarios: What You Need To Know. URL: https://elearningindustry.com/branching-scenarios-need-know. (Last accessed: 21.01.2026).
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