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TESOL/TEFL Lesson Plans

April 9, 2012

Integrated Skills TESOL Lesson Plan Using Video

Filed under: Authentic Material, Listening Lesson, Speaking Lesson
Tags: , , , , , ,
—Ontesol @ 5:13 pm

TESOL Lesson Plan Using The Communicative Approach. Authentic Material: Friends

Level: High Intermediate

Lesson Aims:
• To give students practice with developing their speaking and listening skills.
• Revision of phrasal verbs, by scanning the video for the verbs, and using them in sentences.
• Guessing the meaning of vocabulary through synonyms, answering questions, gap filling activities.

By the end of the lesson, students should have improved their speaking and listening skills, and feel confident using the phrasal verbs introduced in the video episode.


Assumptions: Students at this level should have knowledge of all basic tenses, including the past perfect. This tense was used in the first scene of the Friends episode, and used in the introductory questions as well.
Students should have the ability to imagine and describe what they think their lives would be like if they had made different decisions. They should be familiar with conditional forms.
Students should have the ability to understand informal English, sarcasm and humour; all of which are used in the television show.

Anticipated Problems and Solutions: Students may have forgotten the definitions of some of the phrasal verbs used by the Friends characters. If this is the case, the teacher will have an extra exercise prepared just in case. The handout will have all the phrasal verbs from the video, along with some other common phrasal verbs, with definitions. However, students will have to match the best definition to the phrasal verbs.

Time: Approximately two hours and ten minutes (for entire lesson)

Material: Friends Episode 6.15, Whiteboard, Markers, Handouts
clicker.com/tv/friends/the-one-that-could-have-been-part-i-330330/
friends-tv.org/zz615.html

PRESENTATION STAGE

Step 1: Introduction to the topic of “what if?”
Aim: Speaking skill
Technique: Personalization.
Interactive pattern: T-S; S-S-S
Time: 10 minutes
Aids: None
Student Activity: Students will discuss their ideas and exchange information
Teacher Activity: Teacher will suggest the topic and walk around the room if students have questions.

Teacher will ask students: Have any of you ever wondered how different your lives would be if you had made different decisions or life choices?
What if you chose different friends?
What if you didn’t go to school?
What if you didn’t choose the profession (if you have one) you are in now?

If you had done things differently, how different would your life be?

Feedback: Allow students some time to discuss this idea, and to tell one another some ideas they had about what could have been different.

Step 2: Introduction to Vocabulary needed for Comprehension
Technique: Find a word that means…. (synonyms)
Interactive Patterns: S-S, T-S
Time: 10 minutes
Aids: Vocabulary Handout, Whiteboard
Student activity: Students work in pairs and try to think of synonyms. In order to illustrate the meaning of the words, they will also make sentences.
Teacher Activity: Teacher will walk around classroom to answer any questions

Teacher will tell students that they are going to watch a popular television show, but that they will need to know some vocabulary before watching, to ensure comprehension.

Teacher will give students a handout with synonyms. Students try to think of as many words to match the synonym. Students will be given the synonyms in the right hand column only.

cheating………. unfaithful
shallow……….. superficial, fake
divorced……… when someone is not married anymore
karate………… Japanese self defense
stocks………… financial market investments, trading
rejection…….. a refusal to accept an offer
assistant…….. a person who helps with daily activities
wear in………. to make something more comfortable

Feedback: Students will check their answers with the other pairs in the classroom. Teacher will circulate the room to see how students are doing. Teacher will elicit answers from students, and insure the correct answers are put on the whiteboard. If they do not mention the vocabulary in the left hand column, teacher will suggest them.

PRACTICE STAGE

Step 1: Listening for details. (Scanning)
Technique: Answer comprehension questions
Interactive Patterns: S-S-S
Time: 10 minutes
Aids: Video Clip, Scene 1, Whiteboard
Student Activity: Students answer comprehension questions about the FRIENDS episode
Teacher Activity: Teacher gives out handout with comprehension questions for students to discuss. (See below)

Scene 1: Characters from the show FRIENDS are talking about how different their lives would have been if they had done things differently.

Ask students to take notes on the information they think is important. Have students look at the comprehension questions and see if they understand what they have to do. Show students the opening clip.

Once students have seen the first scene, ask them to discuss the following questions:

• What are the friends talking about?
• What did Ross wonder? (how different his life would be if he didn’t get a divorce)
• What did Rachel wonder? (how different her life would be if she married Barry)
• What did Monica wonder? (how different her life would be if she wasn’t fat)
• What did Joey wonder? (how different his life would be if he wasn’t fired from his job)
• What did Phoebe wonder? (how different her life would be if she had worked for Merrill Lynch)
• What did Chandler wonder? (how different his life would be if he had quit his job)

Script:
Rachel: Well, apparently she caught him cheating on her with someone else. Isn’t that sad? (Giggles.) God, could you imagine if I actually married him?! I mean how different would my life be?

Ross: I know what you mean, I’ve always wondered how different my life would be if-if I’d never gotten divorced.

Phoebe: Which time?

Ross: The first time! No seriously, imagine if Carol hadn’t realized she was a lesbian.

Joey: (starts to imagine it) I can’t. I keep seeing it the good way.

Ross: I’d bet I’d still be doing my kara-tay. (That’s karate, he’s just saying it that way.) Towards the end of our marriage I was doing a lot of kara-tay as a way of releasing the tension from y’know, not doing anything else physical.

Chandler: Maybe the problem was you were pronouncing it kara-tay.

Monica: And what if I was still fat? (To Chandler) Well, you wouldn’t be dating me, that’s for sure.

Chandler: Sure I would!

All: (simultaneously) Oh yeah! Come on! Yeah right!

Chandler: What, you guys really think that I’m that shallow?

Ross: No, I just think Monica was that fat.

Joey: Hey, imagine if I never got fired off Days Of Our Lives! (Closes his eyes to do so.) Oh-hey, there’s Carol again!

Chandler: What if I had had the guts to quit my job? I’d probably be writing for the New Yorker, getting paid to be funny. But my job’s fun too! I mean tomorrow, I-I don’t have to wear a tie.

Phoebe: What if I had taken that job at Merrill Lynch?

Ross: What?!

Rachel: Merrill Lynch?

Phoebe: Yeah, I had a massage client who worked there and-and he said I had a knack for stocks.

Rachel: Well why didn’t you take the job?

Phoebe: Because at that time you see, I thought everything that rhymed was true. So I thought y’know that if I’d work with stocks, I’d have to live in a box, and only eat lox, and have a pet fox.

Ross: Hey, do you guys think that if all those things happened, we’d still hang out?

Step 2: Speaking
Technique: brainstorming and prediction.
Interactive Patterns: S-S
Time: 5 minutes
Aids: None
Student Activity: Predicting how the characters’ lives would be different if they had made different choices.
Teacher Activity: Monitoring, answering questions

Teacher will ask students to discuss and predict how the characters’ lives would be different. What would Rachel’s life be like, if she had married Barry, etc.

Feedback: Allow students time to discuss and brainstorm. Have them predict the lives of each character, then share ideas with the entire class.

Step 3: Listening for details (scanning); speaking (discussion)
Technique: note taking; asking and answering questions;
Interactive Patterns: S, S-S
Time: 20 minutes
Aids: Video, Scene 2
Student Activity: Students take notes while listening to the video. When finished, compare information with other students.
Teacher Activity: Monitoring, answering any questions

Scene 2: This scene shows the lives of the friends if their predictions had come true.

Students to scan the television scene and take notes on the differences.

Once the scene is shown (probably more than once, since it is a few minutes in length), students work in pairs to discuss the characters’ lives. In order to do so, students will be asked to create questions, and then ask the questions to a partner.
Give an example of a question as a guideline:

Why was Chandler unhappy? (because someone rejected his comic)
How was Phoebe’s life different? (She is a very stressed corporate woman)

Script:
Chandler: (entering, depressed) Hey.

Joey: Hey.

Monica: Oh no! What’s the matter?

Chandler: Oh I just got another rejection letter. They said my writing was funny, just not “Archie Comic funny.”

Joey: Hey man, look sorry about that Archie thing. Do uh, do you need me to give you some money?

Chandler: Hey, I may have no money, but I still have my pride.

Joey: Really?

Chandler: Ehh.

Monica: Maybe Joey doesn’t have to give you the money, TV stars have assistants right?

Joey: That’s an idea! (To Chandler) Hey, if I hired an assistant, would-would you take money from her?

Monica: No Joey! Chandler could be your assistant! See, he could answer all of your fan mail and stuff!

Joey: That’s great! That would be great! Let’s do that!

Chandler: I could use the money; it could give me time to write.

Joey: Oh right great! Welcome aboard!

Chandler: Okay!

Joey: All right! Now hey, I need to use the bathroom. Since I don’t need any assistance in there, take a break!

Chandler: All right!

(As Joey goes to the bathroom, Corporate Phoebe enters. She’s wearing a business suit and carrying a briefcase.)

Phoebe: (entering) Hey!

Monica: Hey Phoebe! Guess what?

Phoebe: What?

Monica: Joey just hired Chandler to be his assistant!

Phoebe: Ohh that’s so sweet! (Her cell phone rings.) Oh! Hang on! (Quickly grabs a cigarette and starts to light it as her phone rings.) Hang onnnnnn!!! (Gets the cigarette lighted and answers the phone.) (On phone.) Go!! No! No-no! I
said sell when it hits 50! 5-0, it’s a number! It comes after 4-9!! No, it’s okay. It’s okay, you’re allowed one mistake. Just kidding, you are of course fired.

(She hangs up as Ross and Rachel enter.)

Ross: Hey Mon!

Monica: Hey!

Ross: Mon, look who I ran into! (Gestures towards Rachel.)

Monica: (gets up and gasps) Oh my God! Rachel!! (Rachel is stunned to see that her long lost friend is still fat.) (Monica goes over and gives Rachel a big bear hug, which is quite easy for her.) You look terrific!

Rachel: Ohh, so do you! Did you lose weight? (She’s not quite sure of that one.)

Monica: You are so sweet to notice! Yes, I lost three and a half pounds!

Ross: And, and uh, you-you remember my friend Chandler. (Points to him.)

Chandler: Hey.

Rachel: Oh yeah.

Ross: And that’s Phoebe over there! (Points to her.)

Phoebe: Hi!

Monica: Oh my God, sit down! Sit down! How long as it been since we’ve seen each other?

Ross: (answering it) 1987, the day after Christmas, at Sean McMahon’s party. I played you one of my songs, y’know Interplanetary Courtship Ritual.

Rachel: Oh yeah. Right. So now, are—do you, do you still do music?

Ross: Sometimes, you should come over (Joey returns from the bathroom) sometime! I’ll play you one of my other…

Rachel: (interrupting him and seeing Joey) Oh my God! Joey Tribbiani from Days of Our Lives, just walked in here!

Monica: Rach, he’s a friend of ours.

Rachel: (stunned) You are friends with Dr. Drake Remoray?

Rachel: He’s coming over! He’s coming over!

Monica: (getting up) Joey!

Joey: (holding a plate of what looks like Rice Crispies Treats) I know, here-here!! (Hands her the plate.)

Monica: Ohhh! (Takes the plate.) No! This is my friend Rachel, we went to High School together.

Rachel: (giggles and can’t look at him) Hi!

Joey: (shaking Rachel’s hand) Hi!

Rachel: (still not quite able to look at him) Hi! I love you on that show! I watch you everyday! I mean, when you took out your own kidney to save your ex-wife even though she tired to kill you…

Joey: Well, it’s always nice to meet the fans.

Rachel: Ah!

Joey: (turning and whispering to Monica) She’s not crazy is she?

Monica: No.

Joey: (To Rachel) So uh, how you doing’?
***

Joey: All right, here’s a list of things for you to do today. Man, this going to be so great! Thank you so much! All right, I got to go to work I’m delivering twins today, but only one of them is mine! (Exits.)

Chandler: (reading the list) Drop off my dry cleaning. Pick up my vitamins. Teach me how to spell vitamins. Wear in my new jeans.

Step 4: Listening for Details
Technique: Gap-fill
Interactive Patterns: S, S-S
Time: 25 minutes
Aids: Video Scene 2, Gap-fill handout
Student Activity: Listening for vocabulary to complete gap-fills
Teacher Activity: Monitoring, giving students the handout

Teacher will give class a handout with blanks; students must listen for details and complete the blanks. (Using Scene 2)

Teacher will split the class into two groups. Group A will be given a handout with different gaps than Group B. (Group A receives blanks in first part of the scene, group B receives blanks with the second part of the scene)

Handout A:

Chandler: (entering, depressed) Hey.

Joey: Hey.

Monica: Oh no! What’s the matter?

Chandler: Oh I just _____________________. They said my writing was funny, just not “Archie Comic funny.”

Joey: Hey man, look sorry about that Archie thing. Do uh, do you need me to _____________________?

Chandler: Hey, I may have no money, but I still have my pride.

Joey: Really?

Chandler: Ehh.

Monica: Maybe Joey doesn’t have to give you the money, TV stars _____________________?

Joey: That’s an idea! (To Chandler) Hey, if I hired an assistant, would-would you take money from her?

Monica: No Joey! _______________________! See, he could answer all of your fan mail and stuff!

Joey: That’s great! That _________________! Let’s do that!

Chandler: I could use the money; it could ____________________________.

Joey: Oh right great! Welcome aboard!

Chandler: Okay!

Joey: All right! Now hey, I need to use the bathroom. Since I don’t need any assistance in there, _________________!

Chandler: All right!

(As Joey goes to the bathroom, Corporate Phoebe enters. She’s wearing a business suit and carrying a briefcase.)

Phoebe: (entering) Hey!

Monica: Hey Phoebe! Guess what?

Phoebe: What?

Monica: Joey just _________________ to be his assistant!

Phoebe: ________________! (Her cell phone rings.) Oh! Hang on! (Quickly grabs a cigarette and starts to light it as her phone rings.) Hang onnnnnn!!! (Gets the cigarette lighted and answers the phone.) (On phone.) Go!! No! No-no! I said sell when it hits 50! 5-0, it’s a number! It comes after 4-9!! No, it’s okay. It’s okay, ___________________. Just kidding, you are of course fired.

Handout B:

Ross: Hey Mon!

Monica: Hey!

Ross: Mon, look ______________! (Gestures towards Rachel.)

Monica: (gets up and gasps) Oh my God! Rachel!! (Rachel is stunned to see that her long lost friend is still fat.) (Monica goes over and gives Rachel a big bear hug, which is quite easy for her.) ____________________!

Rachel: Ohh, so do you! __________________? (She’s not quite sure of that one.)

Monica: You are so sweet to notice! Yes, I lost ___________________________!

Ross: And, and uh, you-you remember my friend Chandler. (Points to him.)

Chandler: Hey.

Rachel: Oh yeah.

Ross: And that’s Phoebe over there! (Points to her.)

Phoebe: Hi!

Monica: Oh my God, sit down! Sit down! How _________________ we’ve seen each other?

Ross: (answering it) 1987, the day after Christmas, at Sean McMahon’s party. I played you one of my songs, y’know Interplanetary Courtship Ritual.

Rachel: Oh yeah. Right. So now, are—do you, ______________________?

Ross: Sometimes, you should come over (Joey returns from the bathroom) sometime! I’ll play you one of my other…

Rachel: (interrupting him and seeing Joey) _________________________________________, just walked in here!

Monica: Rach, he’s a ______________________.

Rachel: (stunned) You are friends with Dr. Drake Remoray?

Rachel: He’s coming over! He’s coming over!

Monica: (getting up) Joey!

Joey: (holding a plate of what looks like Rice Crispies Treats) I know, here-here!! (Hands her the plate.)

Monica: Ohhh! (Takes the plate.) No! This is my friend Rachel, we went to High School together.

Rachel: (giggles and can’t look at him) Hi!

Joey: (shaking Rachel’s hand) Hi!

Rachel: (still not quite able to look at him) Hi! _____________________! I watch you everyday! I mean, when you took out your own kidney to save your ex-wife even though she tired to kill you…

Joey: Well, it’s _______________________.

Rachel: Ah!

Joey: (turning and whispering to Monica) She’s not crazy is she?

Monica: No.

Joey: (To Rachel) So uh, _______________________?

Step 5: Listening for Details- Student Reading

Technique: Information exchange; gap fill
Interactive Patterns: S-S, S-S-S
Time: 15 minutes
Aids: Gap-fill handouts
Student Activity: Students exchange information from previous exercise
Teacher Activity: Monitoring, going through correct answers when students finish

Teacher will give students from Group A the gap-fill that Group B had, and vice versa.
Teacher will ask students to form pairs, but the pairs must be one student from Group A with one student from Group B. The two students will exchange information, so that they are able to fill in the blanks on the new handout. In order to do so, the student in Group A will read the script (the one that they filled out already) to the Student from Group B. The student from Group B will listen, then fill in the gaps. They will switch roles until both partners have the full script completed.

Feedback: When students finish reading to one another, they will look at one another’s original gap-fill from the video to check their answers. As a class, we will go through all the gaps from the entire script to ensure all answers are correct.

Step 6: Listening for Details; Grammar Review, Phrasal Verbs

Technique: Identifying information
Interactive Patterns: S, S-S-S
Time: 20 minutes
Aids: Video Scene 2, Whiteboard
Student Activity: Students scan the episode for phrasal verbs
Teacher Activity: Monitoring, checking for accuracy

Teacher will play Scene 2 again, but will ask students to listen and scan for the use of Phrasal Verbs. Ask the students to write down all the phrasal verbs they hear in the video.

Teacher reminds students of the structure of phrasal verbs: verb + particle

Phrasal Verbs: hang on, ran into, sit down, come over, walked in, drop off, pick up, wear in

Feedback: When students have finished watching and writing down, they will compare their answers in groups. Teacher will then ask volunteers to come up to the whiteboard to write down the phrasal verbs.

Step 7: Grammar Practice, using Phrasal Verbs in Sentences
Technique: writing sentences using phrasal verbs
Interactive Patterns: S-S-S
Time: 10 minutes
Aids: Strips of paper with phrasal verbs, one die
Student Activity: Creating sentences using phrasal verbs
Teacher Activity: Explaining activity to students, then monitoring progress

Teacher will ask students to create sentences from the phrasal verbs introduced in Scene 2.

Activity: teacher will have small strips of paper with phrasal verbs written on them. Teacher will arrange the papers into a circle, then will tell students to roll a die. Each student will take turns rolling the die, and landing on the corresponding phrasal verb. When they land on the verb, they must create a sentence using the phrasal verb.

This will be a very good activity, as it is good review of phrasal verbs, and will ensure students understand the meaning of the phrasal verb and how to use it.

PRODUCTION STAGE

Technique: Role play; speaking skill
Interactive Patterns: S-S-S
Time: 15 minutes
Aids: None
Student Activity: Creating a Role Play
Teacher Activity: Monitoring, then watching the performances of the role plays

Teacher will ask students to create their own role play, as if they are the “Friends” from the television show. They can include anything in their role play, but the theme should be “what if..”

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March 2, 2012

TESOL Lesson Plan Using a Movie (Spanglish)

Filed under: Authentic Material, Listening Lesson
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
—Ontesol @ 12:01 am

Free TESOL Lesson Plan

Type of lesson: Listening integrating speaking and writing (Movie: Spanglish) by Janine.

Level: Intermediate +

Aims:
To practice listening for details (scanning)
To introduce vocabulary that is essential for understanding the listening tasks
To allow students to practice the skill of writing in reported speech
To encourage discussion and class debate
To practice writing skills

Assumptions: Students have acquired basic related vocabulary
Students understand the concept of direct speech and reported speech
Students have basic comprehension skills
Students have basic writing skills

Aids: DVD player
Movie: Spanglish
Handouts

Time: 90 minutes

PRESENTATION STAGE

1) Creating interest in the topic
Technique: Discussion and personalization
Interactive pattern: T – S
Time: 5 minutes

T: When I was in Congo, I had trouble ordering food in the restaurants there, because I could not speak much French. I found it difficult to communicate with the people there, because I could only speak a few French words. I am sure that you have been in a situation where you have battled to communicate because you do not speak a language. Can any of you tell me about a situation where you couldn’t communicate because of a language barrier?

Give students time to answer.

T: Good! I am sure that everyone has had such an experience, and as ESL students, you can relate to this problem. Today we are going to watch a few scenes of a movie called “Spanglish”. It is a movie about being in a foreign country and not being able to speak the language. Has anyone seen this movie? (If so, T will ask if they enjoyed it, etc.)

Give students time to answer.

T: We will watch part of the movie only. We will first watch all of the scenes I have chosen, and then we will watch each scene while we answer the questions on the handout.

2) Pre-teaching vocabulary that is essential for understanding the listening tasks
Techniques: Matching words to their definitions; explaining their meanings; making sentences.
Interactive pattern: group work
Time: 10 minutes

T: Ok class. I am going to divide you up into two groups. Each group will have 5 word cards, and 5 definitions. Your job is to match the correct definition to each word, and then make up a sentence using that word. Once you have completed your four sentences, each group will explain their words to the others.

Words and Definitions:

influential: some one that has considerable importance
alien: something that is very different to what you are used to
ventured: to take a risk or a dare
evident: something that is easily seen or understood, or is obvious.
intimidated: to be made timid, or to be filled with fear
beckoned: to be inviting or exciting
accusation: a charge of wrongdoing that is made against a person
downsized: to be dismissed or fired from work
meticulous: to be extremely careful and precise
unburdened: to free from trouble

Feedback: students give examples with the new words. T checks meaning and structure is correct.

T: Ok class. We are now going to watch the first few scenes of the movie. After that, I will hand out the exercises we will be doing today. I will replay the scenes on at time, and stop after each task so that you can complete it.

PRACTICE STAGE
1)Listening for detailed information (scanning)
Technique: Answering questions
Interactive pattern: Pair work
Time: 10 minutes

T: For the first activity, I want you to get into pairs and answer the following questions about the first scene in the movie. We will watch the scene again, and then I will give you a few minutes to answer the questions. We can then discuss the answers as a class.

1) Who is narrating the story? (Cristina Moreno)
2) Why is the mother so upset? (Because her husband has left her)
3) Why does the mother not want the little girl to see her cry? (So she doesn’t see how upset she is, to protect her from the sadness of her father leaving)
4) Why do you think the mother decides to go to America? (Better opportunities, to get away from the sadness of her father leaving)
5) Why did they decide to settle in Los Angeles? (Los Angles has lots of Hispanic people, so they will still be able to experience their culture)
6) Why did the mother decide to look for a new job? (To look after her daughter and earn more money.

Feedback: As a class we will go through the exercise to make sure all the students have the right answers.

2) Listening for detailed information (scanning)
Technique: Identifying the wrong words
Interactive pattern: Individual
Time: 10 minutes

T: OK class. Let’s move on to task 2. This is based on the same scene in the movie. I want you to watch it again, while reading the paragraph taken from the movie. You must listen carefully and underline the words in the paragraph that are wrong, based on what you hear in the movie.

Because this admissions essay is closed record, let me just say that our transportation into the United States was “first class”. In order to raise me properly, my father need as much of the security of her own culture as possible, so we rolled through Texas, just 34% Mexican, to Los Angeles, 48% Hispanic. A few hours adrift in an alien environment, and we turned a corner and we were right back home. My Mother’s favorite aunt Monica gave us shelter. For the next five years, neither of us ventured outside our new community. Mom worked three jobs, paying a total of 500 dollars a week. Each of us doing everything we could, to make things work. We were safe and unhappy. If only I could have stayed seven, but I was blossoming, and during my very last dance, in the time that it took a boys hand to go from my head to my bottom, it was evident that she would have to leave her day job to keep a watchful eye on me. Within months, she was on her way to a job interview. She needed $700 from one job and that meant, after all her time in Canada, finally entering a foreign land.

Feedback: As a class we will go through the exercise to make sure all the students have the right answers.

3) Listening for detailed information (scanning)
Technique: Who said what?
Interactive pattern: Individual
Time: 10 minutes

T: Ok class. We will now watch the second scene and then I will give you time to complete task 3. You need to listen for the sentences I have written down, and tell me who said them.

1) “The front door is open and we’re out back ok?” (Deborah)
2) “White America beckoned, she stepped across the cultural divide” (Narrator)
3) “Now you got it, Mom” (Bernice)
4) She is my cousin (Monica)
5) “So who am I interviewing?” (Deborah)
6) “She didn’t mean it as a compliment” (Evelyn)
7) “Is there some school of the ear that I’m flunking out of right now?” (Deborah)
8 ) “Goodbye. Look forward to seeing you” (Bernice)
9) “One thousand dollars” (Flor)
10) “Six hundred and fifty dollars” (Monica)
11) “Welcome to the family” (Deborah)

Feedback: As a class we will go through the exercise to make sure all the students have the right answers.

4) Listening for detailed information (Scanning) and Grammar: Reported Speech –
Technique: note-taking and transformational exercise.
Interactive pattern: Individual
Time: 10 minutes

T: Ok class. We are now going to watch the third scene, and complete task 4. For this task, you need to rewrite the sentences from the film in reported speech. You will need to watch and listen to the scene carefully to make sure that you write the sentences so that they make sense in the movie. We will then go through it as a group to check the answers.

1) NARRATOR: I had never known that my mother had been chronically worried about money, until the first glimpse of her as financially unburdened (The narrator said that she had never known that her mother had been chronically worried about money, until the first glimpse of her as financially unburdened)
2) CRISTINA: Can we have a table for two, please? (Cristina asked if they could have a table for two please)
3) HOSTESS: Those men would like to buy you a drink. (The Hostess told them that those men would like to buy her a drink)
4) HOSTESS: She says ““I’m with my daughter for God’s sake!” (The hostess said that she was with her daughter.)

Feedback: As a class we will go through the exercise to make sure all the students have the right answers, discussing the changes in tense, pronouns, etc that are needed when transforming sentences into reported speech.

5) Listening for specific details
Technique: Sequencing
Interactive pattern: Pairs
Time: 10 minutes

T: Ok class. I want you now to get into pairs and complete task 5. For this task you need to read the sentences and then number them to show the sequence of events as they happened in the movie. We will then go through it as a group to check the answers.

__4___ Flor and Monica went together to the interview
__7___ Deborah introduced her family to Flor and Monica
__1___ Cristina’s father left her and her mother
__9___ Flor and Cristina went to a restaurant to celebrate
__5___ Monica ran into the glass door
__2___ Flor and Cristina left for America
__6___ Deborah got some ice for Monica to put on her nose
__10__ The men at the bar wanted to by Flor a drink
__8___ Deborah asked how much Flor wanted to get paid
__11__ Flor refused the drinks offered by the men
__3___ Flor worked two jobs to earn money

Feedback: As a class we will go through the exercise to make sure all the students have the right answers

PRODUCTION STAGE
1) Speaking: Discussion
Interactive pattern: groups
Time: 10 minutes

T: Ok class. I want you to get into groups. In your groups you are going to discuss the following questions. Feel free to add anything to the questions or to the discussion.

1. Could you relate to Flor and the way she felt about arriving in a foreign country?
2. Could you relate to her battle to speak English and the trouble she had communicating?
3. How do you feel about trying to surround children with their native culture?

Feedback: Can ask a few people individually to share their feelings about the discussion topics.

2) Narrative Writing
Interactive pattern: Individuals
Time: Homework

T: Ok class. For homework I want you to write about an experience you as a foreigner have had while trying to communicate in English. It could be a funny story of how you said the wrong word, or more serious story of a struggle to communicate to someone.

SCRIPT
Beginning of scene I: Dean of admissions office

NARRATOR: To the Dean of admission, Princeton University. From Cristina Moreno. Most influential person, my mother, no contest.

I think I have been pointing towards this essay ever since the day twelve years ago in Mexico, when my father left.

Scene: House in Mexico

Such was my mother’s need to protect me, that she would not let me see her cry. The trick was, get over it as quickly and privately as possible. Such was my need to protect her that I never let on that I could hear her. My mother kept us in Mexico as long as possible to root me in all things Latin. Finally, she sensed our last opportunity for change, we would leave for America.

“One tear, just one. So make it a good one” she said. She would be my Mexico.

Scene: Leaving Mexico

Because this admissions essay is open record, let me just say that our transportation into the United States was “economy class”. In order to raise me properly, my mother need as much

of the security of her own culture as possible, so we rolled through Texas, just 34% Hispanic, to Los Angeles, 48% Hispanic.

A few minutes adrift in an alien environment, and we turned a corner and we were right back home. My Mother’s favorite cousin Monica gave us shelter. For the next six years, neither of us ventured outside our new community.

Scene: Living in their new community

Mom worked two jobs, paying a total of 450 dollars a week. Each of us doing everything we could, to make things work. We were safe and happy. If only I could have stayed six, but I was blossoming, and during my very first dance, in the time that it took a boys hand to go from my back to my bottom, it was evident that she would have to leave her night job to keep a watchful eye on me.

Within days, she was on her way to a job interview. She needed $450 from one job and that meant, after all her time in America, finally entering a foreign land.

Scene II: Outside big house

DEBORAH: Hello?

MONICA: uh yeah, hi. We are here for the interview with Mrs. Clusky?

DEBORAH: Oh, great, great, you made it. Come on in. The front door is open and we’re out back ok? Oh, and call me Deborah.

MONICA: ok

Scene: Walking through house

NARRATOR: Holding out had helped though, she was no longer intimidated. Working for Angelo’s now posed no problems; it would just be a job. White America beckoned, she stepped across the cultural divide.

Monica walks right into the glass door.. Everyone rushes to help her.

BERNICE: Gee whiz in heaven…are you ok?

DEBORAH: Oh no don’t worry..I’m not mad…I’ve been looking for decoration to put up on the glass so people would stop walking into it and instead of taking what they had in stock, which was awful, I special ordered. And you know what, I’m just going to design something myself which I should have done in the first place and what does that matter when your nose is bleeding. Shut up, Deborah.

BERNICE: Now you got it, Mom.

DEBORAH: There’s no ice pack! (handing Monica some frozen peas) Pressure, pressure, just pressure. Take this (She hands Monica some money). Is it strange that I just gave you money..I just, I just felt really badly.

MONICA: It’s okay (Monica takes the money).

Scene: Back yard

DEBORAH: Chum knock it off! (to the dog) Um, I’m sorry about the way the place looks, you know I’m hosting a fundraiser for the school tonight and it’s a big mess. But just come and sit right here. There you go. Yeah just, that’s great. Yeah just, just toss it.

MONICA: Well, um um. She is my cousin. She has been here for a while. And she understands some, but doesn’t really speak English, but well, Anyway. She lives in the apartment I manage.

DEBORAH: So who am I interviewing?

MONICA: ohh. Her.

DEBORAH: You’re gorgeous. You’re gorgeous.

Monica translates for Flor

EVELYN: She didn’t mean it as a compliment. It’s more of an accusation.

DEBORAH: Mother!!!

EVELYN: Go ahead!

DEBORAH: I’m sorry, this is my daughter Bernie and my mother, Evelyn Wright (Monica translates and introduces the family). Do you guys want to come in out of the sun? You need some sunscreen? I’ve got a seventy here (Monica translates for Flor).

MONICA: She loves the sun.

DEBORAH: Oh look, we are wearing the same sweater. That’s good “booga boog” You guys want some lemonade maybe? Lemonade please, would you like to take some? Ok. Let’s just talk. Well, I have two children and my husband is a chef, a top chef, that makes me something. Anyway, he works nights so…

MONICA: Do you work?

DEBORAH: Yes. No, not right now. Why? How do you know to ask that? Well, it’s ok I mean I can talk about it. I helped run a commercial design company up until four months ago when it was downsized to zip. But now I’m a full time mom, gulp.

BERNIE: Double gulp!

DEBORAH: I have two children. My son, George is nine, Bernie you know, and I like the house, I like the house to be like me you know, in that I’m very loose and meticulous you know, at the same time. But, it’s all about first names and closeness here let her know absolutely. But do I care about the place. I’m so sorry, I’m not leaving you time to translate here (Monica translates a few words). What’s your name? Llamo? It’s one of my five Spanish words..

FLOR: Flor Moreno.

DEBORAH: Floor?

FLOR: Flor

DEBORAH: Floor?

FLOR: No. Florrrrrrr

DEBORAH: Floor?

FLOR: Florrrrrrr (lots of rolling R’s)

BERNICE: It means flower, right?

MONICA: Yes. Flower. Yes

DEBORAH: Floor? what I walk on right?

FLOR: Florrrrr.

EVELYN: Florrrr

ALL : Florrrrr.

DEBORAH: Is there some school of the ear that I’m flunking out of right now?

Flor begins to explain how to pronounce her name in Spanish

DEBORAH: What did she say? (To Monica, who translates)

MONICA: She says..If you curl your tongue and then let it be loose that you will get it.and that it’s really hard for Americans and that it’s great that you try so hard because most people wouldn’t bother.

DEBORAH: She gets me…. Florrrrr.
.
FLOR: Perfecto!!!!

DEBORAH: Dense but stubborn right? Oh now see. What you just did for me that is just what kids need..patience and encouragement. Alright, money…

Monica translates

BERNICE: Goodbye. Look forward to seeing you.

DEBORAH: (absently to Bernie) Love you…So the job is six days a week, seven to eight, all housekeeping and driving the kids, how much a week do you want?

Monica translates. Flor is nervous about the money, so says whatever.

MONICA: Whatever you say.

DEBORAH: No.. No!. This is a very important question, because if you ask for too little it means you don’t value yourself..you ask for too much it means you’re taking advantage. So?

Monica translates

FLOR: One thousand dollars.

Silence. Then Monica and Flor start to laugh.

MONICA: She is kidding.

Evelyn starts making hand gestures of a six behind Deborah’s back.

MONICA: Six hundred and fifty dollars.

DEBORAH: Welcome to the family (Gets up and kisses Flor). Come on, I want to show you around.. Come on come on!

Scene III: Restaurant

NARRATOR: I had never known that my mother had been chronically worried about money, until the first glimpse of her as financially unburdened.

CRISTINA: Can we have a table for two, please? We’re celebrating.

HOSTESS: Ok. Right this way. Is this good? (Pointing at a table). Enjoy!

CRISTINA: Wow, expensive.. (Flor covers up the prices)

HOSTESS: Excuse me, uh, those men would like to buy you a drink.

Christina translates as the hostess points to two business men at the bar.

CRISTINA: Thank you! (To the men)

FLOR: No thank you!

As the hostess moves off, Flor calls her back and speaks to Cristina in Spanish. She urges Cristina to translate what she has said back to the hostess.

CRISTINA: This is so embarrassing! My mother said to tell them “Who do you think you are? Can’t you see I’m with my daughter for God’s sake!”

HOSTESS: Good!

Hostess goes to the men at the bar and says

HOSTESS: She says ““Who do you think you are? I’m with my daughter for God’s sake!”, Her young daughter.

Flor and Cristina smile and carry on their dinner.

Take an accredited TESOL course and learn to create professional lesson plans using the communicative approach. Ontesol’s 250-hour TESOL Diploma is recognized by TESL Canada upon completion of a 20-hour Practicum. This program is an extended version of Coventry House International’s Trinity CertTESOL and covers more than any 4-week on-site TESOL course, including CELTA.

February 23, 2012

Listening TESOL Lesson Plan

Filed under: Listening Comprehension
Tags: , , ,
—Ontesol @ 10:13 pm

Level of the students: Intermediate +

Type of lesson: Listening comprehension

Aims: To provide students with listening practice for the gist (skimming) and
details (scanning).
To present and give practice with vocabulary related to jobs.
To present vocabulary that is essential for understanding the task.
To integrate listening into speaking and writing skills.
To provide students with practice in summarizing and retelling.

Time: Approx 90 minutes

Assumptions: Ss have experience with listening comprehension activities and writing paragraphs. They are familiar with skim and scan-listening. Ss are familiar with the vocabulary used in the first speaking activity: résumé, some vocabulary related to jobs.

Anticipated problems: Ss may find it difficult to understand the recording. Play it as many times as needed for them to complete their tasks. Ss may not be able to match the words to the definitions. Explain the words that they do not know or have other students to explain them to their peers.

Aids: Recording of dialogue “Smart Jobhunter”; handouts with listening tasks

The script : “Smart Jobhunter”
The students will listen to the following conversation

Host: Welcome to JOBHUNTER. Today we have a special guest, Darcey Saner, a 31-year-old woman from Dover, who has an usual story to tell us. Hi, Darcey and welcome to tonight’s show.

Darcey: Hi, and thank you for inviting me to your show.

Host: Darcey, how did you come up with the idea of advertising your resume on a billboard?

Darcey: Well, I wanted a big job so I put up a billboard. And it worked! I‘ve got my dream job!

Host: Yes, but isn’t it something unusual? Why didn’t you do what all people do, er … sending their résumé?

Darcey: Let me tell you. I made a decent living as a marketing director, but I had bigger dreams. You know, some folks earn $100,000 a year. Why shouldn’t I? I had been a waitress, bookkeeper and housecleaner. And
with every job, I’d learned the business inside-out. I’d even taken night classes and received a degree in marketing. I know I could handle a top position! Then one day, noticing the billboards along Santa Fe Drive, I had an inspiration. To get a big job, I needed big advertising. So I thought “Why not a billboard?”.

Host: So, what did you do then? Wasn’t it expensive?

Darcey: Very! $8,500 for 33 days. But if I landed, I would make all that money back, I thought. So I took an advance on my credit card and rented a giant purple billboard with my photo. I phrased it simply: “Hire the best. $100 K minimum. Benefits, perks and incentives employs me.” To tell you the truth, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I got more than 300 responses. Everyone from construction companies to medical companies called.

Host: I guess that they felt that anyone with such an original idea would make a great employee.

Darcey: I was sure that something great would happen. So, one morning, the best offer came from a firm that sells telecommunications systems. Not only did they offer me more than my requested salary, but a bonus that covered the cost of the billboard!

Host: Amazing! (Music) Darcey, that music is telling me we have a commercial now. We will come back in a few minutes. Some members of our audience have questions for you. (Host looks to the camera…) Stay with us, do not miss the world of job hunters and their incredible, encouraging stories, We’ll be back…..

PRESENTATION STAGE

Aim: Speaking skill: Create interest in the topic of jobs using the personalization technique. Pre-teach vocabulary through a matching activity
Interactive patterns: T-S – SS
Time: 30 minutes
Aids: Handout with matching exercise.

Procedure:
Step 1- Speaking skill – Discussion
Teacher asks:
- What do you do for a living?
- What was the best job you’ve ever had?
- What was the worst job you’ve ever had?
- How did you get your current job?
- Have you ever written a résumé?
- Describe your résumé. What did you include on your résumé?

Step 2- Pre-teaching and reviewing Vocabulary

Students work in pairs matching the new vocabulary words with the meanings on the side. (The definitions will be mixed up). After, discuss it as a class to make sure that everyone understands the meaning of each word)

billboard …… large sign on the side of the road
marketing …… selling or promoting a product
business …… a money-making organization
inside-out …… thoroughly or completely
advertising …… trying to sell something by making it seem appealing
landed …… succeed in doing something
employee …… a worker
firm …… a commercial partnership
salary …… the wage, or amount paid for each worker
bonus …… an extra amount of money given to a worker
top position …… the highest or best position in a company
benefits …… extra services given to workers
incentives …… rewards that encourage people to work hard
perk …… a benefit offered to employees of certain jobs
telecommunications ….. technology of communication at a distance using electronic means

Step 3- Feedback: Eliciting vocabulary – Checking comprehension
Facilitate a discussion using these new terms by asking the students questions. Have them respond in full sentences using the new vocabulary words.

- Does your work have any incentives?
- Do you work for a company or have you ever worked for a company?
- If you could pick any perk for your job to have, what would it be?
- What do you think the most important benefit for a company to offer to workers would be?
- Describe the last billboard you saw.
- Have you ever learned something inside-out? What was it?
- Do you remember the first salary you ever earned? What were you doing?
- Do you or anyone you know own a small business? What is it?
- How did they advertise their business?
- What is the biggest company you are aware of?
- What is one goal that you have landed in the past?

PRACTICE STAGE:

Aim: Skim and Scan listening comprehension
Interactive patterns: S (individual); SS (pair work)
Time: Approx. 30 minutes
Aids: Handouts with listening tasks.

Procedure:

Step 1- Listen for the gist (skimming) – Answer questions

T: “Listen and find out …
• where the conversation takes place;
• how many people are talking;
• what they are talking about.”

Play the tape again if the students did not get the answers or if they are doubtful
Answers:

• It is on a TV show.
• There are two people talking (the host and the guest: Darcy).
• They are talking about how Darcy got hired for a great new job.

Step 2- Listen for details (scanning) – Technique – True/False statements

Say whether the following statements are true or false:

a- She got her wonderful job by using a billboard to post her résumé.
b- She used to be a secretary.
c- She received 200 replies with the billboard ad.

Play the tape again if the students did not get the answers or if they are doubtful
To elicit answers from students, pair them up for them to check their answers.

Answers: a- True b- False (a marketing job) c- False (300 replies)

Step 3- Listen for details – Listening to check for mistakes

Present the students with sentences from the text with wrong information. Students must listen to the dialogue and decipher which words are not consistent. They should underline all words that are not in the dialogue that they hear. They should also write in the correct word, based on what they hear.

Example sentences to hand out are given below, with the wrong words underlined.

1- I made a poor living as a marketing director but I had bigger dreams.
2- I’d even taken night classes and received a degree in management.
3- I had been a waitress, housekeeper and housecleaner.
4- So I took an advance on my credit card and rented a giant blue billboard with my photo.
5- The billboard was very expensive. It was $ 8,550 for 33 fays
6- But I got more than 300 responses. Everyone from accounting companies to medical companies called.
7- I guess that they felt that anyone with such a ridiculous idea would make a great employee

PRODUCTION STAGE:

Aim: Speaking and writing skills. Summarize the story
Interactive pattern: S (individual); SS (Pair work) or SSS (group work)
Time: Approx. 30 minutes
Aids: none

Procedure:

Step 1-Speaking and writing skill – Summarizing and reporting

Have the students summarize the story of the job hunter as if they are describing the story to someone else. Include as many details as possible. Students should write their responses and share them with a partner. Compare the stories. See what details their partner remembered that they didn’t. Add detail to the responses if necessary.

Step 2- Speaking skill: Personalization

Have the students tell their own stories of job hunting. Tell about their most interesting job hunting experience. Give the students some time to discuss; then take volunteers for presenting stories to the class.

Learn to create professional lesson plans using the communicative approach. Take an accredited TESOL course!

February 16, 2012

Grammar Lesson Plan Using Storytelling

Filed under: Grammar Lesson Plan
Tags: , , , , ,
—Ontesol @ 6:17 pm

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Type of Lesson: Grammar using storytelling- Task-based lesson based on the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

Level: Low Intermediate, 10-11 years

Time: Approx. 90 minutes

Aims: To introduce the students to the vocabulary used to describe emotions; to review the concept of the comparative (-er) and present the superlative (-est);to give students an opportunity to practice listening for specific information; to give students an opportunity to practice speaking and writing using the comparative and superlative

Assumptions: Students are familiar with the story of Snow White in their own language; students have been exposed to adjectives and the concept of comparatives, but have not yet been introduced to the superlative; students have been exposed to the concept of a syllable and have practiced counting syllables.

Anticipated Problems and Solutions: Students who already know the story of Snow White may get bored. In order to maintain the interest of all students, the teacher should read the story in a compelling, dramatic fashion. This will also help students who do not completely understand the story. The teacher should also involve students in the repetitive phrases of the story (“Mirror, mirror on the wall…”) and should act out each of the emotions of the dwarves himself. Students may bring up exceptions to the syllable-rule for most/-est. The teacher should approach exceptions on a case-by-case basis and should stress that there are some exceptions that have to be memorized.

Aids: blackboard, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves story, handout, optional: “talking mirror” (a colourful painted picture frame to use as a prop)


Pre-Task Phase:

Aims: To introduce the title of the story; to review vocabulary for emotions and to pre-teach new vocabulary for emotions.

Interactive Pattern: T-S, individual work, pair work

Time: 15 min.

Aids: blackboard

Pre-task One: Brainstorming Task

The teacher should introduce the title of the story and ask the class if they know what Snow White’s name means. Review colour adjectives and brainstorm other adjectives that the class knows. Explain that in the class, the children will be learning more adjectives related to emotions that people might experience. They will also learn how to compare. Brainstorm some emotions with the class and write the words on the board. Have the children act out some of the emotions.

Activity One: Charades

Working in pairs, the students will mime one of the emotions to their partner and their partner must guess which emotion they are acting out. Both kinesthetic learners and interpersonal learners will benefit from this activity.

Feedback: While the students work in pairs, the teacher will circulate to help students with the adjectives they do not understand.

Task Phase:

Aims: To give students an opportunity to practice listening for descriptions (detailed listening) in the story Snow White; to tell students the story of Snow White in a dramatic, engaging and fun way; to give students an opportunity to practice describing a person.

Interactive Pattern: T-S, S-S, individual work
Time: 20 min.
Aids: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves story, handout

The teacher will distribute the first handout.

Main Task
The teacher will read the story in a very dramatic fashion, making different voices for each of the characters. He will also include the class by having them say the phrase “Mirror mirror on the wall…” out loud. He will explain that as the students listen to the story, they must draw the dwarves based on their description in the story. Both visual, kinesthetic and intrapersonal learners will benefit from this activity.

Planning and Report
The students will describe their drawings to their partner, helping them fill in the descriptions that their partner missed. The teacher will check their answers with the whole class, asking students how they drew each of the dwarves and what they are like.

Language Focus:
Aims: To introduce the grammatical concepts of the superlative and review the comparative; to review syllable counting; to link the number of syllables with use of most/-est

Interactive Pattern: T-S
Time: 20 min.
Aids: none

Language Focus One: Superlatives and Comparatives
The teacher thanks the students for their great descriptions of the dwarves. To introduce the topic of superlatives and comparatives, the teacher asks the students which characters in the story were pretty. The teacher listens for the answers and writes down the names on the board. Then, the teacher will ask the students who the prettiest character was. If the students have forgotten, the teacher can remind them of the phrase that they repeated together: “Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the prettiest of them all?” The teacher should also point out that snow white was prettier than the queen. If need be, the teacher can ask the students about different adjectives until most students understand the concept of the superlative and comparative. For example, which characters were sleepy or angry?

Language Focus Two: Syllable Counting Review
The teacher will demonstrate ways to compare more than two people or two things—using more and most. He will demonstrate through examples in the context of the story that more and most are used for words that have more than two syllables.

Practice:

Aims: To give students an opportunity to practice using the superlative and comparative, to give students an opportunity to practice counting syllables to determine if words should take –est or most; to give students an opportunity to write about and describe an invented character of their own imagination

Interactive Pattern: T-S, individual work

Time: 35-40 min.

Aids: list of adjectives on the blackboard; optional: “talking mirror” to use in task one

Task One: Mirror Mirror…

Using the phrase “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the ______est of them all?” The teacher will ask the students to identify who among them has the specific quality. For example, if the teacher asks, “Who is the tallest of them all?” all of the students who think they are the tallest will come to the front. The class will vote on who they think is the tallest. This is a good activity for kinesthetic learners.

Task Two: Syllable Counting Practice

Using the adjectives on the blackboard, the teacher will ask the students to clap out the number of syllables to determine if they should use more/most or –er/-est. The students will work on their own to list the two types of words. This is a good activity for musical-rhythmic learners. Logical/mathematical learners will also benefit from classifying the word types.

Task Three: Invent a dwarf

The students will choose an adjective that they have learned and create a dwarf based around that adjective. The teacher will use an example like ticklish dwarf. Whenever someone comes close to him, he is always afraid of being tickled. He doesn’t like feathers. He wears metal armor so that he is not tickled by his shirt. The funnier the invented dwarf the better! The students will write their description of an invented dwarf in their notebooks. This activity works best for verbal-linguistic learners. Time permitting; students can come to the front of the class to act out their dwarves, while their classmates guess the names.

February 6, 2012

Integrated Skills TESOL Lesson Plan

Filed under: Listening Comprehension, Speaking Lesson, Vocabulary Lesson Plan, Writing Lesson
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
—Ontesol @ 4:29 pm

Written by 100-hour TESOL certificate course graduate

Lesson type: Listening comprehension integrating vocabulary, speaking and writing skills.

Level of the students: High intermediate

Aims:
To provide students with practice in developing their skim and scan listening skills.
To review and present vocabulary essential for understanding the article as well as to provide practice in use and pronunciation thereof.
To integrate listening into writing and speaking skills and provide practice in summarizing.

Time: Approx. 90min

Assumptions:
Students have experience with listening skimming and scanning techniques.
Students are familiar with most of the vocabulary in the article.
Students are familiar with classroom discussions and summarizing.

Anticipated problems and solutions:
-Students may have difficulty following and understanding the recording. I will play it as many times as is required for them to complete the listening comprehension tasks.

-Students may struggle with quite a bit of the vocabulary in the article. The more difficult vocabulary will be presented and practiced before the listening task.

-Students might struggle to imagine the situations presented in the first speaking activity and to convey their resultant feelings. I will show them various pictures of beautiful, tranquil scenes of nature and pictures of the mentioned animals to elicit responses.

Aids: Authentic material (audio recording of newspaper article): ‘Swim with dolphins to reduce stress’ (see transcript below); pictures of nature and animals; handouts with the vocabulary exercises; handouts with the listening comprehension activities; blackboard.

Source: bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/331/7527/1231

Article: Swim With Dolphins To Reduce Stress

A newly published study conducted in Honduras reports that swimming with dolphins helps alleviate stress and lifts depression. Researchers from Leicester University in England found that patients suffering from depression became happier after they swam with dolphins. Time spent in the water with the aquatic creatures led to falling levels of depressive symptoms in 15 patients diagnosed with mild or moderate depression. None of the participants took antidepressants or had psychotherapy for four weeks before taking part in the study. Researchers reported a noticeable lifting of depression after just two weeks of the dolphin therapy. They say this supports the theory of biophilia – or how human well-being is dependent on interacting with the natural environment.
The study entailed observing two groups of patients – one played with dolphins, the other simply swam alone in a pool. The dolphin therapy lifted depression considerably quicker than is the norm for counseling sessions: Researchers said: “Depressive symptoms improved after two weeks….In conventional therapy – psychotherapy or drug therapy – symptoms usually improve substantially after four weeks.” Researcher Michael Reveley attributed this to positive therapeutic feelings created by playing with dolphins. He said the creatures are “highly intelligent animals who are capable of complex interactions, and regard humans positively.” He also said animals could be used to treat other psychiatric illnesses. He added: “We need to remember that we are part of the natural world, and interacting with it can have a beneficial effect on us.”

PRESENTATION STAGE

Aim: Speaking skill: Create interest in the topic using discussion and the personalization technique. Pre-teach and practice vocabulary through matching and comprehension exercise.
Interactive patterns: T-S, SS
Time: Approx. 30min
Aids: Handouts with vocabulary exercises, blackboard.

Procedure:
Step 1: Speaking skill – Discussion and personalization

Teacher asks the following questions of the students to facilitate short discussions.

a. Do you find that your fast-paced lifestyle in the city makes you stressed?
b. How often and in what ways do you interact with the natural environment?
c. Do you think that animals can help us to feel good? Could animals be useful in treating mental illness?
d. How do the following animals make you feel: dolphin, dog, horse, rabbit, kitten?
e. Imagine swimming with a dolphin in a tropical paradise. Would you like to do this and how do you think this would make you feel?

Step 2: Vocabulary
Students work in pairs to match up the new vocabulary words with the scrambled definitions alongside on the handout. They should be familiar with some of the words and should be able to complete the exercise through the process of elimination. After the exercise, go over the answers and ensure that everyone understands the meaning of each word.

Answer key:

conduct- carry out
alleviate- to make something less painful, severe or serious
depression- a feeling of extreme unhappiness and gloom
aquatic- of, in or related to water
symptom- a sign or indication of something
diagnose- to determine the cause and nature of a problem from examining the symptoms
moderate- neither very great or very small in size, amount, strength or degree
well-being- a good or satisfactory state of existence, characterized by such things as
health and happiness
entailed- involved
therapy- a form of treatment for an illness or medical condition
session- a period of time used for a particular activity
conventional- of the usual, traditional, accepted type instead of being new and different
substantially- by a large amount or degree
attributed- to believe that something is the result of a particular situation, event or
action
psychiatric- relating to mental illness

Step 3: Checking comprehension of vocabulary and practicing pronunciation.

Remove the previous exercise from the students and write a list of the new vocabulary words on the blackboard. Get students to individually complete the following vocabulary exercise by inserting the correct word. Check answers and model each new vocabulary word, getting the students to chorally drill pronunciation thereof.

(Answer key in brackets)

a. After examining her ………., the doctor ……….Mary with influenza (symptoms; diagnosed)
b. She suffered a lot from…………after the death of her husband. (depression)
c. As he could not make it in person, the interview was……………by phone. (conducted)
d. You can cook meat either in a microwave or in a ……………..oven. (conventional)
e. Since completing her degree, landing her dream job and finding true love, Sally’s…………..has improved………… . (wellbeing; substantially)
f. Success ………….hard work and determination. (entails)
g. During our trip to the seaside, we saw many……………birds. (aquatic)
h. A question-and-answer………..will be held after the class. (session)
i. His teacher…………his learning difficulties to emotional problems he was having. (attributed)
j. After trying every other type of……………..for her mental illness, she was admitted to a……………..hospital. (therapy; psychiatric)
k. The doctor prescribed some medication to……………Tom’s pain. He stopped taking the medication after a week as his pain was now only…………. . (alleviate; moderate)

PRACTICE STAGE:

Aims: Listening comprehension: Listening for the gist and listening for specific information (scanning).

Time: Approx. 25min

Interactive patterns: S

Aids: Audio tape of the newspaper article, handouts with the 3 listening tasks.

Procedure:
Step 1: Listening for the gist and answer the following questions.
Provide students with the handout with the listening tasks and allow them to read through them. Tell them that they will listen to the tape to find the answers to the questions in the first and second activity.
1. What animals were used in the study?
2. What was the general finding of the study?
3. Can it beneficial for humans to interact with animals and the natural environment?
Play the tape again if the students weren’t able to answer the questions with certainty.

Answers:
1. Dolphins
2. That swimming with dolphins helps to reduce depression.
3. Yes.

Step 2: Listening for specific information (scanning) – True / false statements.
Say whether the following statements are true or false.

1. The depressive symptoms in 12 of the patients diagnosed with depression decreased.
2. No antidepressants were taken by the patients in the lead up to the dolphin therapy.
3. The study suggests human wellbeing is intertwined with nature.
4. Depressive symptoms disappeared overnight after dolphin therapy.
5. Dolphins generally regard humans with suspicion.
6. A researcher recommends using animals to treat psychiatric illnesses.

Play the tape again if the students weren’t able to answer with certainty.

Answers:
1. F (15 patients)
2. T
3. T
4. F (improved after 2 weeks)
5. F (dolphins regard humans positively)
6. T

Step 3: Listening for specific information – Listening for mistakes.
Provide the students with the handout of the following sentences from the article. Instruct them to listen to the article, underlining any words which are inconsistent with the article and writing the correct word in its place. Check answers.

1. A newly published study conducted in Havana reports that swimming with dolphins helps alleviate stress and lowers depression.
2. Time spent in the water with the aquatic animals led to falling levels of depressive symptoms.
3. They say this refutes the theory of biophilia.
4. The study entailed observing three groups of patients.
5. In normal therapy-psychotherapy or drug therapy-symptoms always improve substantially after four weeks.
6. Michael Revely attributed this to positive therapeutic emotions created by playing with dolphins.
7. Interacting with it can have a positive effect on us.

PRODUCTION STAGE:

Aim: Writing skills: summarizing the article. Speaking skills: discussion

Interactive pattern: S; SS; SSS

Time: Approx. 35min

Aids: Board

Procedure:
Step 1: Writing and speaking skill – Summarizing

Have the students summarize the newspaper article in as much detail as they can remember. After this, have them work in pairs to compare what they have written and to check what details they have omitted.

Step 2: Speaking skill – Group discussion

Divide the students into groups of 3 or 4 and get them to discuss their opinions of the contents of the article. Tell them to discuss the following points written up on the blackboard:

• Their opinions on human well-being being dependent on interactions with the natural world.
• Relate personal accounts of how their moods or stress levels are affected by being in nature.
• Their opinions on the use of conventional therapy, such as drugs, versus animal/natural/alternative therapies.
• Do they have any personal stories or know of any situations in which animal interactions have been beneficial.

February 1, 2012

TESOL Lesson Plan Using a Song To Review Grammar

Filed under: Grammar Lesson Plan
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
—Ontesol @ 6:58 pm

Free TESOL lesson plan !
Ontesol – Online TESOL Courses Recognized by TESL Canada and ACTDEC UK

Type of lesson: Listening comprehension using a song to review a grammar topic.

Aims:
To review the use of perfect modals (must have + past participle) to speculate about past events, i.e., guess what happened.
To practice pronunciation of past participles and simple past regular verbs (-ed) /t/ or /d/ and the weak forms of ´must´ and ´have´.
To integrate listening comprehension to speaking, reading and writing skills.

Level:
Upper Intermediate

Assumptions:
Students should be familiar with the majority of the vocabulary presented in the song. They are familiar with the use of perfect modal verbs and past participle forms. They know the rules of pronunciation for the ´ed´ but they still have trouble pronouncing them correctly. They know how to write descriptive and narrative paragraphs.

Anticipated problem and solutions:
Students may find difficulty with some vocabulary. The few words that are unfamiliar will be explained before they listen to the song. They may still have problems pronouncing ´ed´ regular verbs. The pronunciation rule of voicing will be reviewed.

Time:
Approx. 90 minutes

Material:
Handouts with activities, the CD with the song ´The day before you came’, sung by Abba.

Note:
The lyrics below show the repetitive grammatical pattern that is the focus of the lesson: perfect modals expressing speculation of past events. Most of the past participles are irregular. However, the ones ending in ´ed´ will be the focus of the pronunciation section of this lesson.

I must have left my house at eight because I always do
My train I’m certain left the station just when it was due
I must have read the morning paper going into town
And having gotten through the editorial no doubt I must have frowned
I must have made my desk around a quarter after nine
With letters to be read and heaps of papers waiting to be signed
I must have gone to lunch
at half past twelve or so The usual place the usual bunch
And still on top of this I’m pretty sure it must have rained
The day before you came
I must have lit my seventh cigarette at half past two
And at the time I never even noticed I was blue
I must have kept on dragging through the business of the day
Without really knowing anything I hid a part of me away
At five I must have left there’s no exception to the rule
A matter of routine I’ve done it ever since I finished school
The train back home again
Undoubtedly I must have read the evening paper then
Oh yes I’m sure my life was well within its usual frame
The day before you came
I must have opened my front door at eight o’clock or so
And stopped along the way to buy some Chinese food to go
I’m sure I had my dinner watching something on TV
There’s not I think a single episode of Dallas that I didn’t see
I must have gone to bed around a quarter after ten
I need a lot of sleep and so I like to be in bed by then
I must have read a while
The latest one by Marilyn French or something in that style
It’s funny but I had no sense of living without aim
The day before you came
And turning out the light
I must have yawned and cuddled up for yet another night
And rattling on the roof I must have heard the sound of rain
The day before you came

PRESENTATION STAGE:

1- Creating interest in the topic of speculating about past events
Structure: must have+ past participle.
Skill: speaking and listening
Interactive patterns: T-S; group work – Timing: 10 minutes

T hands out a card with different actions and objects, and explains to the students that they have to guess or speculate about what she must have done on the weekend by looking at the clues in the cards. Students in pairs make their guesses, and then share their opinion with the class.
Expected performance: You must have seen a movie because there is a movie ticket in the picture. But you must have gone alone as there is only one ticket.

Feedback:

T listens to all the students´ ideas and confirms who was right. Then, she encourages students to talk about the type of weekend she had: Was it boring? Was it interesting? What about theirs? After a brief discussion, they have to choose the most exciting and most boring weekend. This is to present the theme of the song, which is related to routines and boredom.

2- Revision of the function and structure of the target language
Skill: listening and speaking though elicitation
Interactive patterns: T-S – Timing: 5 minutes

T writes some of the examples of the target language on the board, and asks students to analyze the main structure of the verb phrase. T elicits the parts of speech that form the perfect modal phrase (modal ´must´+ auxiliary ´have´+ verb in past participle form), as well as the function, i.e., the intention of the speaker: speculating about past events, guessing what must have happened. T systematizes all this on the board, and explains that today they are going to listen to a song sung by Abba, which is called ´The day before you came´. T asks if they know the song or anything about Abba.

3- Pre-teaching vocabulary
Skill: reading and speaking through guessing the meaning of the words
Interactive patterns: T-S; pair work – Timing: 5 minutes

T explains that before they listen to the song, they will learn the meaning of some words. She writes the following words on the board: editorial, frown, drag, heaps, cuddle, and yawn. She hands outs cards with sentences illustrating the meaning. In pairs, the students have to decide which sentence describes each word on the board, and present their ideas to the class.

The words will match the following sentences:

editorial: I love reading the section in the newspaper that expresses the opinion of the publisher.
To frown: Marion contracted her brows when she heard the bad news. She clearly showed her anger.
To drag: She has been smoking like a chimney all day. (This is meaning of drag in the song)
heaps: The lawyer had tons of documents to read before the trial.
To cuddle: The kid slept cozily with his teddy bear.
To yawn: He opened his mouth widely and showed how tired he was.

4- Vocabulary reinforcement
Skill: Speaking- Speculating on the meaning of the song
Interactive patterns: group work– Timing: 10 minutes

T explains that before they listen to the song, she would like them to speculate on the theme of the song by deciding what the words in the previous exercise have to do with it, how they think the singer feels like. If they think it is a happy or a sad song.

PRACTICE STAGE: Listening comprehension

1- Listening for the gist (skimming) and discussion
Interactive pattern: T-S; S – Timing: 3-5 minutes

T explains that they will listen to the song once and that they have to decide if this is a happy or a sad song. (Other questions to guide them could be: Is it about love? Is it about loneliness?) They have to give reasons for their choices. If they say it is a sad song, they have to say why they think so. Is it the music, the singer, the lyrics that show signs of sadness?

2- Listening for specific information- Choose the right word
Interactive patterns: S; T-S – Timing: 5 minutes

T hands out part of the lyrics. In this section the students will listen to this first chunk and have to choose one of the words in between brackets. T plays the song twice if necessary.
Feedback: T checks the correct answers. T makes a list of the students´ choices and gets them to pronounce the words. T explains the meaning of the words they do not know, if necessary.

I must have (left/kept) my house at eight because I always do
My train I’m certain left the station just when it was due
I must have (led/read) the morning paper going into town
And having gotten through the editorial no doubt I must have (drowned /frowned)
I must have (made/named) my desk around a quarter after nine
With letters to be read and heaps of papers waiting to be signed
I must have (gone/conned) to lunch
at half past twelve or so The usual place the usual bunch
And still on top of this I’m pretty sure it must have (drained/ rained)
The day before you came

Answer key: left-read-frowned-made-gone-rained

3- Listening for specific information- Match the parts
Interactive patterns: S; T-S – Timing: 5 minutes

T explains to the students that they will listen to the 2nd part of the song and that they will have to match the beginning of the lines to the second part.

I must have lit …………………………….. my front door at eight o’clock or so
I must have kept ……………………………… the evening paper then
I must have left …………………………… my seventh cigarette at half past two
I must have read …………………………. there’s no exception to the rule
I must have opened ………………………….. on dragging through the business of the day

Answer key: I must have lit my seventh cigarette at half past two; I must have kept on dragging through the business of the day; I must have left there´s no exception to the rule; I must have read the evening paper then; I must have opened my front door at eight o´clock or so.

4- Listening for specific information- Put the lines in order
Interactive patterns: S; T-S – Timing: 5 minutes

T explains to the students that they will listen to the last part of the song and that they will have to put the lines in order.

a. And turning out the light
b. The latest one by Marilyn French or something in that style
c. I must have read a while
d. I need a lot of sleep and so I like to be in bed by then
e. I must have yawned and cuddled up for yet another night
f. And rattling on the roof I must have heard the sound of rain
g. The day before you came
h. It’s funny but I had no sense of living without aim
i. The day before you came
j. I must have gone to bed around a quarter after ten

1.¬¬¬¬____ 2._____ 3._____ 4._____ 5._____ 6._____ 7.______ 8.____ 9._____ 10._____

Answer key: 1: j; 2: d; 3: c; 4: b; 5: h; 6: g; 7: a; 8: e; 9: f; 10: i

5- Listening for specific information- Pronunciation of ´ed´ and weak forms of modal ´must´ and auxiliary ´have´.
Interactive patterns: S; T-S Timing: 5-7 minutes

T asks the students to read the lyrics and underline all the regular verbs they can find (simple past and past participle forms). Then, T plays the whole song again, and students will have to listen for those verbs and put them in the right column according to the pronunciation of the suffix ´ed´ as in the example.

/d/ /t/
frowned noticed
signed finished
rained stopped
opened
yawned
cuddled

Students repeat the words in each column. T reviews the rule of voicing: ´ed´ verbs ending in a voiced sound are pronounced with a final /d/, and ´ed´ verbs ending in a voiceless sound are pronounced with a final /t/.

T reviews the weak forms of ´must´ and ´have´ and explains that as weak words they are not stressed. The stress lies on the main verb, the past participle. Students underline all the examples containing must have in the lyrics. Once the list is ready, T explains that in rapid speech the sound /h/ is left out so the two words together sounds like mustav.

Students drill all the examples in the song.

I mustave left
I mustave read
I mustave frowned
I mustave made
I mustave gone
It mustave rained
I mustave lit
I mustave kept
I mustave left
I mustave read
I mustave opened
I mustave gone
I mustave read
I mustave yawned
I mustave heard

6-Reading comprehension -reading for specific information (scanning)
Interactive pattern: S – Timing: 10 minutes

T asks the students to read the lyrics silently, and choose the sentence that they think best describes the meaning of the song.

1- This song is narrating a boring day before her love came.
2- This song carries the sadness of going through life the day before one meets their true love.
3- Do you have a different point of view? What is it? Write down some of your thoughts to prepare for a discussion with the class.

PRODUCTION STAGE

1- Speaking: Discussion
Interactive pattern: S-S – Timing: 15 minutes

T asks the students to discuss the following points with their partner:

a. Exchange your opinion on the questions in the previous activity.
b. How can we tell the singer was not happy with her life?
c. Who is she speaking to? Herself? Her best friend? Her therapist?
d. Did her love ever come? Or is she still waiting for him?
e. Do you think the singer´s life has changed, or is she still doing all those things she describes in the song?

2- Writing
Interactive pattern: S – Timing: 15 minutes

T asks the students to write about the story in the song in their own words. They should include what they think happened, why they think that happened and what they think is the end of this story.

Students share their ideas with the group. A discussion comparing ideas may follow.

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January 13, 2012

Vocabulary and Grammar Lesson Using The TBL Approach

Filed under: Grammar Lesson Plan, Vocabulary Lesson Plan
Tags: , , , , ,
—Ontesol @ 8:00 pm

Level: Intermediate
Aims:
➢ to teach adjectives referring to being “easygoing” or “strict”
➢ to present the function of talking about permission and prohibition using the structure: Make sb do sth; let sb to sth; allow sb to do sth
➢ to provide practice in speaking, reading and writing skills

Context used to present the above topics: How strict or easygoing upbringing affects future attitude.

Time: 60’

Assumptions: students will probably use ‘can’/’can’t at the beginning of the task to talk about permission and prohibition.

Anticipated problems: They will probably tend to say “make sb TO do sth” and they might try to use “be allowed to” in active voice.

Aids:
➢ Ideas taken from “ How to teach grammar “ by Scott Thornbury
➢ Tape script passages from “Language in Use” by Adrian Doff and Christopher Jones
➢ A short passage written by the teacher

PRE-TASK PHASE
Introduction to the topic and task:

The teacher introduces the theme by handing students a copy of her personal diary when she was a teenager and invites them to read handout # 1. (She uses this to check the meaning of easygoing and strict). After reading, she will invite one or two students to recount related experiences and will suggest that many people react to strict upbringing by adopting very easygoing attitudes as parents and vice versa. (Arguments about this will probably arise). The teacher will then give instructions for the task and check that they were understood.

TASK PHASE

The task: Students gather into pairs and prepare questions to conduct a survey to see if there is any correlation between previous experiences and present attitudes. Pairs are then grouped into fours to try out their questions and make mental notes of the answers. The teacher monitors the interaction and checks production without correcting at this stage;

Planning: Students are asked to read a text (Handout # 2), in which three different people are retelling personal experiences about punishment they received when they were at school. The teacher checks comprehension through some questions. With this new piece of information, students return to their survey gathered into pairs different from those at the beginning of the class, to refine their questions. This time, the teacher stands by to offer language advice if necessary.

Report: Students go back to original pairs to draw conclusions and write a report on their findings to try and answer this question: “Does upbringing affect attitudes? Then each pair will read their report to the whole class and they could discuss about differences if any.

LANGUAGE FOCUS
Students examine handout # 2 with a view to finding language related to the notions of being strict or easygoing. Board is now used to elicit their findings in two columns: adjectives and verbs

ANALYSIS

Adjectives
tolerant
patient

Verbs
I was allowed to…
He made me…
They let me…..

Teacher will also elicit interrogative and negative forms of each.

PRACTICE

Students will provide examples of their own using every structure in all its forms. Then, they will have a discussion about upbringing and attitudes using the target language.

STUDENTS’ HANDOUT # 1

Dear diary,

Today is one of those days in which I would hide in my bedroom and never go out again.
At school they made me go outside the classroom just because I was talking to a mate instead of listening to the teacher. I was not allowed to go back in, until the class was over. On top of this, they sent a note to my parents for an interview on Friday to talk about my “disruptive behaviour.” How can they be so intolerant?

Though my parents are really easygoing and patient and they never tell me off for stupid stuff, I know they won’t let me go to a party this Saturday. Guess what? Claudio, the lad I fancy, will be there! Cringe!

When I have my own children I will let them do whatever they want to and, I’ll send them to a school where they can feel really at ease and nobody will make them think that they are problematic students.

STUDENTS’ HANDOUT # 2

PUNISHMENTS

1- The worst punishment I can remember was when I was at primary school, and I’d stayed in the school building at lunch time, because I felt it was too cold to go out. And for that they made me go down to the class below and do all their lessons for a whole week. And I wasn’t even allowed to see my own friends during the break times.

2- I remember I was about seven and I got punished because I held my prayer book too low in morning prayers. They made me stand up in front of the class and recite a player in from of everybody, and I was terribly embarrassed.

3- When I was about eight years old and I was at school, I remember we were having a Latin lesson, and the teacher asked me something, and I was extremely rude back to him. And to punish me, he made me write out “I must not be cheeky” something like 500 times in Latin on Saturday afternoon.

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January 4, 2012

TESOL Speaking Lesson on Socializing

Filed under: Speaking Lesson
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—Ontesol @ 12:49 am

Free TESOL lesson plan.

Level: Upper-intermediate (multilingual class)
Time: 55 minutes approx.
Assumptions: Students are familiar with the topic of informal and formal introductions, questions tags, making offers, and keeping a conversation going on varied topics such as likes and dislikes, jobs and occupations, music, travel and hobbies. They are also familiar and fluent with all tenses.
Material/aids: Handouts with activities and cue cards for role-playing

Procedure:

ENGAGE
Aim: Introducing the topic of socializing. Talking about personal experiences.
Time: 5 minutes – Interactive pattern: T-S; S

Introduce the students to the topic of socializing and ask the students if they have found it easy or difficult to start a conversation with a stranger in English. Allow the students to talk about their experiences, if any. Then, tell the students that in this lesson they will review different ways of starting a conversation.

STUDY
Aim: To present different ways of starting a conversation. Identify appropriateness.
Time: 20 minutes – Interactive pattern: S-S; Group work

Step 1: Pair students up and get them to brainstorm different ways of starting a conversation when meeting someone at a party or social event. Write the following headings on the board and have them categorize their answers. Give at least one example for each category.

Introducing yourself for the first time: How do you do. I’m Sherry Thomas. Nice to meet you.

Checking if you know someone: You’re Susan’s husband, aren’t you?

Offering something to drink/eat: Can I get you something to drink?

Comments on the party/social event: Isn’t it lovely music?

Step 2: Elicit their answers and add more examples if necessary. Write them on the board and discuss them with the class as a whole. (Note: You may need to review question tags structure and their appropriate intonation.)

Example:

Introducing yourself for the first time formally or semi-informally
How do you do. I’m Sherry Thomas. Nice to meet you.
Hello. I’m Pat.
My name is John, by the way.
Hi. I am Dustin. I’m a friend of Lilly’s.

Checking if you know someone:
You’re Susan’s husband, aren’t you?
Your name is Aaron, isn’t it?
I think I’ve seen you somewhere before.
I think we’ve met at John’s party last year.
Haven’t we met before?
Aren’t you a friend of Vilma’s?

Offering something to drink/eat:
Can I get you something to drink?
Would you like one of these cup cakes?
Do you want a coke?

Comments on the party/social event:
Isn’t it lovely music?
It’s a fantastic party, isn’t it?
I loved the documentary they showed. Great job!

Step 3: Hand out the following list of conversation openings and have the students give their opinion on what is acceptable or inappropriate when meeting people for the first time in a formal or semi-informal situation. Have them discuss why they are not appropriate.

a. Hi, babe! You look great! My name is Mark, by the way.
b. Pleased to meet you. My name is Alex McDonald.
c. Hi. I like your shoes. Where did you buy them?
d. Who are you?
e. Hello. What’s your name?
f. Your jacket is gorgeous. How much did you pay?
g. Hi! What’s up?

(Note: It is not polite to use very direct or intrusive conversation openings as well as asking a stranger how much he earns or paid for something.)

ACTIVATE

Aim: To develop the students’ speaking skills by role-playing and discussion.
Time: 25 minutes – Interactive pattern: S-S; Group work

Step 1: Role-play

Give each student a card with personal information. Choose names and details of famous people and who are still alive. Students go around the class, pretending they are at a cocktail party and making conversation with at least 3 other people. Tell them they have to use some of the phrases discussed in the Study Phase of this lesson, and that they have to make sure that the conversation flows and does not stop at the first few exchanges. It may take the direction they want.

Step 2: Discussion

Students discuss the following questions in pairs or mini groups:
a. How do you greet your elders in your country?
b. How do you greet people of your own age?
c. Are there any questions/topics that should be avoided when you meet someone for the first time? Are there any questions/topics that you should not forget to mention when you meet an acquaintance?

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December 5, 2011

Low Intermediate Grammar Lesson Plan

Filed under: Grammar Lesson Plan
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—Ontesol @ 10:48 pm

Level: Low intermediate
Aims: To present the present perfect tense (have + past participle) with the function of talking about past actions that relate to the present time; to present some time expressions used with the present perfect ( since, for, always, so far); to provide controlled and semi-controlled spoken and written practice of the present perfect tense.

Time: Approx. 60 minutes
Assumptions: Students are familiar with the present simple tense and the past simple tense as well as the most common regular and irregular verb forms in the past (go-went; be- was/were; stay- stayed); students are familiar with different types of sentences (affirmative, interrogative and negative) in the tenses mentioned above.
Aids: handouts, cards and board.

Presentation Stage
Step 1: Warm up
Aim: review the use of the simple past tense (actions that finished in a definite time in the past as in I went to Cuba in 1999. I had a great time there.)
Time: 10 minutes; interactive pattern: S-S

Pair the students up and get them to talk to their partners about three things they did yesterday, on the weekend, last month, or at Christmas (the teacher chooses the most convenient time for this activity depending on the time of the year for this class. If it is a time close to a particular festival or celebration, they can refer to that.) Each pair records the action verbs discussed and shares their findings with the class. As a class they have to decide who had the most interesting, fun, or boring time.

Review the use of the simple past and the function of talking about actions that finished at a specific time in the past. Ask the students to identify if the verbs they used in the activity were regular or irregular past verbs.

Step 2: Introduction to the target language
Aim: Present the present perfect tense and some of the adverbs used with this tense through a text.
Time: 5 minutes; interactive pattern: T-S; S; S-S
Aids: Handout with text to read

Introduce the text and tell the students that they have to read it and find the answers to the questions below (at this point, do not mention the new tense or the adverbs that they will be discussing later).

1- Where is Amira living now?
2- Does she like it?

Now read and find out:

Hi! My name is Amira. I am from Venezuela, but I live in Dallas. I have lived in Dallas for five years. I like it here very much because I can improve my English. I have always loved the English language. I have learned English since I was in high school. Living in the States has been very interesting! I have met so many nice people. They are from all over the world. It has been a great experience so far.

Get students’ answers. (Amira is living in Dallas. She likes it very much)

Step 3: Elicitation
Aim: to elicit the function of the present perfect from the students using concept questions.
Time: 2-3 minutes; interactive patterns: T-S
Guide the students toward the new tense and its function through the following concept questions:

T: Go back to the text. We know that Amira is living in the States now. But, did she live in another country before?
S: Yes. In Venezuela.
T: Correct. She is from Venezuela. When did she move to Dallas? Do you know?
S: (They may come up with 5 years ago, as they are familiar with the simple past tense and the adverbs in the past time. If not, make sure you guide them toward that answer.)
T: Very good. She has lived in Dallas for 5 years. That means that she moved to Dallas 5 years ago. (Make sure the verb is emphasized as well as the period; a time line can be drawn on the board to show when Amira was in Venezuela, and for how long she has been in Dallas. Time lines are good to show time periods visually). Is she still living in Dallas?
S: Yes.
T: How many years?
S: Five years.
T: Did she learn English when she was in Venezuela?
S: Yes. In high school.
T: Is she still learning English in Dallas?
S: Yes.
T: Did she like learning English in the past? Does she like English now?
S: Yes.
T: Great. So, in this text, Amira tells us about some of the things she started in the past and she is still doing in the present, and to express that she uses a new tense. We call this tense the present perfect. (Write the name on the board). Let’s see how we use this tense. Do we use the present perfect for actions that finished in the past? Listen: Amira has lived in Dallas for 5 years. Does it mean she is living in Dallas now?
S: Yes.
T: Correct. So, we use it to talk about actions that started in the past and still continue in the present. (Write the function on the board. Use the time line to show the connection of the past action in the present time.)

Step 4: Checking comprehension
Aims: Students find the verb phrases and time references by themselves. (Collaborative learning)
Time: 5 minutes; interactive patterns: S-S

I want you to look at the text again and see if you can find all the action verbs that show that Amira is still living in Dallas, learning English and having fun. Underline the verbs and the time reference. Do this with your partner.

Feedback: Take up their answers and write them down on the board. Guide them if they have not found all of the verbs or time references. Categorize their answers under the following headings:

Action Time reference

have lived for five years
have (always) loved always
have learned since I was in high school.
has been
have met
has been so far.

Focus on the action verbs and the time references. Explain the use of the present perfect tense making reference to the time line to help the students grasp the concept. Draw the students’ attention to the adverbs used with this tense: for +a period of time, since + a point of time in the past until present, always and, so far. Draw their attention to the structure of the tense: the auxiliary have + verb in the past participle form. Have them identify which verbs are regular and if they are the same as in the simple past tense (loved, lived, learned) and which ones are irregular and if they are similar or not to the simple past tense (meet- met (past) – met (past participle); be – was/were (past)- been (past participle)
Elicit the interrogative and negative forms and give examples.

Practice stage

Step 5: Mechanical practice
Aim: identify the verbs in the past participle through a matching activity.
Time: 5 minutes; interactive patterns S-S
Aids: cards with simple past verbs and cards with past participle verbs.

Provide the students with colour-coded cards (red cards for simple past verbs and blue cards for past participles). Students in pairs have to match the cards. They may have to guess some of the past participles forms, especially those of the irregular verbs. (went- gone). Once the cards are matched, student A has to say the simple past out loud while student B says the corresponding past participle form.
Examples of verb cards:

has/have+

ate eaten
was been
went gone
lived lived
open opened
get up got/gotten up
had had
drove driven
stayed stayed
made made
loved loved
danced danced
invited invited
met met
bought bought

Step 6: Mechanical practice
Aim: practicing fluency with a substitutional drill.
Time: 5 minutes; interactive patterns T-S
Aids: cards with past participle verbs.

Choose one of the cards, and make a sentence. Example: I have lived in Dallas for five years.
Have students repeat: I have lived in Dallas for five years.
Then, change the time reference, for example: for two years. Students have to substitute the new phrase: I have lived in Dallas for two years. Then, change the verb. Example: have danced salsa. Students have to substitute the new verb: I have danced salsa for two years Give students different prompts (verbs, or time references) alternatively.

Step 7: Mechanical practice
Aim: practicing different types of sentences with a transformational drill.
Time: 5 minutes; interactive patterns T-S
Aids: cards with past participle verbs.

T: Amira has met nice people. (Question)
S: Has she met nice people?
T: (Negative)
S: She hasn’t met nice people.
And so on with more examples.

Step 8: Communicative practice
Aim: practicing asking and answering questions using the present perfect tense and adverbs.
Time: 10 minutes; interactive patterns S-S
Aids: Paper and pen

Students ask one another questions to find out about what their classmates started in the past and are still doing in the present.
Example:
S1: Have you lived in this town for a long time?
S2: Yes. I have lived here for ten years.
S1: Have you made many friends here?
S2: Not really. I have not made many friends.

Production Stage

Aim: The students write a paragraph in a less-controlled way using the present perfect tense with the function they have learned in this lesson.
Time: 20 minutes; interactive pattern: individual work; group work.

Students are encouraged to write a paragraph using the present perfect to describe actions that they have started in the past and they are still doing in the present. It could be about their present hobbies, jobs, studies, etc.
Then, students will pick the activity they prefer the most and share it with the class. The other students give feedback explaining if they have also done the same or not, how often they do it, when they started it, etc. They may use the simple past as well as the simple present if necessary.

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November 24, 2011

TESOL Lesson Plan Vocabulary (Similes)

Filed under: Vocabulary Lesson Plan
Tags: , , , , ,
—Ontesol @ 10:45 pm

Ontesol – Introductory & advanced TESOL courses.
Recognized by TESL Canada and ACTDEC UK.

Type of lesson: Vocabulary – Similes (through reading comprehension)
Level: Intermediate +

Aims: Presenting figures of speech (similes) in context; guessing the meaning of the similes in context; reading for the main idea (skimming); reading for specific information (scanning)

Time: Approx. 90 minutes
Assumptions: Ss are familiar with reading comprehension (skim and scan reading), and guessing meaning of words in context. Ss may be familiar with the concept of similes and know some.
Aids:
• A story. Source: theblcblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/more-simile-stories.html
• Handouts with text and activities

Note: for a list of similes check this link phrases.org.uk/meanings/36400.html

This is the story the students will read:

My friend Daniela told me the most incredible story last week. Of course, she’s as mad as a hatter, so you have to take everything she says with a grain of salt.

Now, the first thing you need to know is that she and her boyfriend Jeffrey are as different as chalk and cheese. He’s as sweet as pie, and she’s as happy as a cat with two tails to be with him. They were hiking in a national park when they suddenly came across a bear standing in their path as bold as brass.

As Daniela was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, it’s not surprising that she turned as white as a sheet and ran off as fast as greased lightning. Jeffrey, however, remained as cool as a cucumber, and just stood there on the path as quiet as a mouse. And wouldn’t you know it, as sure as God made little green apples, the bear slowly walked up to him. Jeffrey was as pleased as punch that the bear only sniffed him a bit, cuffed him hard across the head as playfully as a kitten, and ambled off. Jeffrey had been as helpless as a baby in the situation, but luckily he survived.

PRESENTATION

Step 1 – Introducing the concept of descriptive language and comparisons.
Technique: brainstorming – Interactive patterns: T-S; SSS (group work) – Time: 5 mins.

T writes the following words on the board and asks students in groups to brainstorm adjectives that describe the words.
pie cat kitten

Step 2 – Feedback and elicitation of the concept of descriptive language:
Technique: elicitation and discussion – Interactive patterns: T-S – Time: 5 mins.

Each group presents their adjectives to the rest of the class. Then T encourages a discussion on the function of adjectives and how they are used to describe nouns. T asks if those nouns can be compared: Are there any adjectives in the lists that can describe a cat the same way as a kitten? The concept of comparisons and how adjectives can be used to compare people or things is elicited from the students.

Step 3- Presenting the concept of similes through reading comprehension

Technique: skim reading – Interactive patterns: T-S; S (individual); SS (pair work) – Time: 10 mins.

Part A:
T tells Ss they are going to read a story, and while they read it they have to focus on the following:
• underline the words they have described in the previous step (cat, pie and kitten)

T reminds Ss to read the text fast (skim through it) and that it is not necessary to focus on unknown words at this point. T checks answer.

Part B:
T asks students to look at the text again and find the phrases that contain the words pie, cat, and kitten. T elicits the answers and writes them on the board.

as sweet as pie – as happy as a cat with two tails – as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs – as playfully as a kitten

T asks students what they think these phrases are (possible answers: descriptive phrases, comparative phrases), what they have in common (as…as), and if they know what they are called. T introduces the word simile and explains what a simile is (a way of describing an image so that the listener or reader can get a mental picture of what one is describing; it is a kind of comparison) and how it is formed (similes are comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’; note that the similes in this text all follow the following structure: as + adjective + as to describe nouns, or as + adverb + as, to describe action verbs.)

PRACTICE

Step 4 – Guessing the meaning of similes in context

Technique: scan reading through discussion and guessing the meaning of the phrases – Interactive patterns: SS (pair work); SSS (group work) – Time: 15 mins.

T explains that there are more similes in the story they have just read. Students have to read the story, identify all the similes and discuss with their partners what they think the phrases mean. Then, they have to present their ideas to the class.
as mad as a hatter
as different as chalk and cheese
as sweet as pie
as happy as a cat with two tails
as bold as brass
as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs
as white as a sheet
as fast as greased lightning
as cool as a cucumber
as quiet as a mouse
as pleased as punch
as playfully as a kitten
as helpless as a baby

As an optional activity, the students can scan read again and identify which words in the text are being compared or being referred to. For example,

as different as chalk and cheese is comparing Daniela and Jeffrey; as playfully as a kitten is comparing the way the bear cuffed Jeffrey across the head to a kitten doing the same in a playful way. Thus, the word ‘playfully’ is an adverb, describing a verb.

Step 5 – Understanding the story

Technique: scan reading through questions- Interactive patterns: S (individual); SS (pair work) – Time: 15 mins

T asks students to read the story and answer the following questions individually. Then, they can compare their answers to their partners’.
1- What did the writer mean by “take everything she says with a grain of salt”?
2- What did the writer mean by “And wouldn’t you know it, as sure as God made little green apples…”?
3- How did Daniela react when she saw the bear?
4- How did Jeffrey react?
5- What did the bear do?

The students present their answers to the whole class. T checks comprehension and corrects mistakes if necessary.

PRODUCTION

Step 6– Speaking about similes in other languages

Technique: discussion – Interactive patterns: SSS (group work) – Time: 10 mins.

T groups the students and asks them to discuss if they know of any similes in their own language and if there are some similarities with the similes they have learned in this lesson.

Step 7– Writing

Technique: Collaborative writing – Interactive patterns: SSS (group work) – Time: 20-30 mins.

Students in groups have to write a story using the similes they have learned in this lesson or any others that they may know. They can also look for more similes if they need them for their writing. Here is a good link for a list of similes phrases.org.uk/meanings/36400.html

Each group reads their stories to the class. They can compare their stories and identify how many new similes each group has used.

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