Lesson plans Introduction

Getting started What are some of the things the teacher has to consider when planning lessons? What are the pros and cons of writing a formal, detailed lesson plan?

Quick review/ overview Approaches to lessons Quick review/ overview

Grammar Translation

Grammar Translation method It originated from the practice of teaching Latin; in the early 1500s It was one of the most commonly used methods until the 1950’s It is still common in classrooms today (especially in Korea) Students learn grammatical rules Students apply rules by translating sentences between the languages Advanced students translate whole texts word-for-word

The Direct Method

The direct method Developed in response to GTM The Direct Method was influential in the 1950’s and beyond Completely avoids the use of L1 Focuses on the development of oral skills. Inductive grammar (no explicit rule learning or drilling)

Audiolingual Method

Audiolingual method Based on behaviorist theory (Behaviorist learning theories of Pavlov's dog which Skinner applied to human learning) Conditioning and habit formation through a system of reinforcement Like the direct method, learning is directly, without using L1 to explain new words or grammar in TL (No L1 permitted) Focus shifted from teaching vocabulary back to grammar Implicit grammar via memorized forms

Communicative language teaching

Communicative language teaching Grew out of sociolinguistics in the 1970s Emphasis on the process of communication, interaction & language functions rather than forms Being able to communicate requires more than linguistic competence; it requires communicative competence (Hymes 1971)-knowing when and how to say what to whom to make yourself understood in socially appropriate ways L2 is learned best through interaction with others and through communicative usage of the language L2 is learned best when students try to say something that they really want or need to say

Post-methods era Eclecticism

Post-method era There is no single best method Each method has its own strengths and weaknesses There is still a major emphasis on communicative competence We can incorporate aspects from a variety of methodological approaches into materials development and teaching It is important to consider what fits best rather than choosing single approach to everything

Productive skills controlled, less-controlled, free Present the context Present the target language Students drill the target language through repetition activities Students do a less-controlled activity where they have a language guideline but may also use creatively use the language Students do a free activity in which they must naturally use the new target language for a specific purpose (without needing to reference it). Teacher gives feedback to learners highlighting any inaccuracies or issues

Receptive skills: Task Feedback Cycle Lead-in (Setting the context/ background information) Pre-teach key vocabulary/ grammatical structures 1st Listen/ Read – focus on general understanding 2nd Listen/ Read – focus on details Post-Listening discussion – Addressing problem/ questions Productive Activity – Speaking or writing activity that connected to the key topic or aspects of what they listened to.

Problems… In the past many programs separated classes by skill (Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking) so one could follow these blueprints Teaching is now seen by many as something that is complex and dynamic and therefore most newer textbooks and teachers these days take a more integrated approach. Some important questions to ask yourself when planning: What approach fits the content you are going to teach? What approach is best for the objectives you are trying to reach? Which approach suits you the most or works the best for you? Do different parts of the lesson require different approaches?

Writing lesson plans Formal lesson plans are not really necessary as they often are too rigid and do not account for the dynamic nature of the classroom and dynamic needs of the students and the teacher. Eclectic integrated lessons are common for expert teachers these days and therefore do not follow the specific set structures proposed in the past. Good teaching involves acting and reacting to the dynamic and adaptive needs of the class. HOWEVER…. If you are required to write a formal lesson plan, it should be detailed enough that a substitute teacher could understand the flow clearly without any help.

Components of lesson plans

Key Features of a lesson plan So what should be included in a lesson plan in the current era?

Problems with aims Writing “Students will be able to…” X By the end of the lesson students will have… i.e. By the end of this lesson student will have been introduced to lesson planning, will have critically thought about the pros and cons of formal lesson plans, will have been introduced to different lesson flows, and will have started to think about their own lesson designs. Students should be able to…

Key points Time should be flexible and represented as a range ex. 5-10 mins. Lesson aims can be broken into 3 components Content to be covered By the end of this lesson student will have… By the end of this lesson students should be able to … understand, use, explain, critically evaluate, etc. Think about problems you may encounter and how you would solve them if they arose Computer issues Forgetting materials Student behavior Timing

Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan

Sample lesson plan

Your Task Pick a lesson of your choice Choose which content from that Unit will be covered in the 50 minute lesson you are planning. Plan and write the lesson plan using the lesson plan template (profgwhitehead.weebly.com) *NOTE: you are not required to make the materials for the lesson, only write the lesson plan. Write a lesson plan based on a textbook unit of your choice. Your job is to plan and write a lesson plan for a 50 minute lesson based on the learners and textbook of your choice. The lesson plan should be clear enough for another teacher to understand what content will be included, and the lesson process clearly