Lesson Planning in Language Teaching

Leonardo David Sanchez

Cod.1049619195

Group: 551026_30

Angie Carolina Rojas

Tutor

Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia (Unad)

School of Education

Didactics of English

May 2019
WHAT IS A LESSON PLAN?

It is a map carried out by the teacher whose main goal is to set up what is to be

worked during a period of time. Upon developing some specific objectives, the

teacher can take students to fulfill some goals.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO PLAN A LESSON?

Mapping out a plan enables a teacher to blend theory with practice. It would be

essential that educators reflect upon those learning strategies which has had both

a positive and negative effect. In doing so, teachers could create an interesting

lesson plan that meets student’s needs.

If one does not ponder on what the activities will be done, students could find the

class aimless and disorganized, since they will not know what the main purposes

are for them to study.

As I said above, learners must know what are the steps they have to follow and

how are they are going to be evaluated. Having said that, teachers ought to plan as

a prior model but not as an obligation required by a coordinator. It is true that

although a teacher has a clear plan, it has sometimes to be changed due to

student’s level. However, it does not necessarily mean that the plan is not

convenient. The ideal thing is to modify it by analyzing the social context teachers’

work. Richards(1998) points out that lesson plans help the teacher think of the

lesson in advance to solve problems and difficulties to provide a structure for a

lesson, to create a follow –up regarding what will be taught " (p 103)

This leads to bolster teacher’s confidence, rather, if they are novice and do not

have enough experience to cope with difficult situations.

Another pivotal aspect is concerning the goals that teachers set out to do. If

teachers give a chronology of the activities, they will mentally prepare themselves

to do so, and students will see that there is no improvisation. To sum up, it is worth

considering that the need of planning lies in what kinds of aims educators want

students to attain.

WHAT ARE THE STAGES OR STEPS IN A LESSON PLAN DEVELOPMENT?

First and foremost, writing clear and concise objectives is an essential fact as

learners need to know what they are expected to do in order to achieve a specific

goal. Therefore, the teacher must use active verbs when writing the objectives

which will give students an insight as to what they will have to do. Some of which

are: to present, to identity, to describe, to explain, or to demonstrate.

Secondly, the teacher has to design the shape of a lesson. Shrum and Gisan s

(1994) adaptation of the Hunter and Russell (1977) have elaborated a plan that

has been widely accepted, and it comprises of five phases: Perspective, opening,

instruction or participation, closure, follow-up.

Moreover, the teacher could shift the focus of the plan, since there could be some

topics which must go into detail. It is essential that the educator ask himself as to

what he wants students to learn or if it will be worth doing the class in a specific

way or not.

The teacher has to take into account that although there is a written plan with clear

objective, sometimes it result in changes. For that reason, he must be aware of

making adjustments as soon as those arise.

As for lesson variety and lesson pacing, if the same topic is used in many classes

or has the same level or difficulty, it can lead to monotony; consequently, students
will lose interest and consider the class dull. That being said, the way students

perform the activities is crucial, and the teacher must often change the way they

work. Sometimes, they should work individually, or in pairs, or simply in big groups.

On the other hand, pacing is crucial since if students always spend a great deal of

time in an activity, it can wear them out. Brown (1994) suggests activities should

not be too long or too short.

Finally, the teacher must evaluate whether the lesson was significant for the

students or not. Ur (1996) says it is important to think after teaching a lesson and

ask “whether it was a good one or not, and why (p, 219). If a professor do not

reflect on this issue, he will not know what kind of adjustments must be changed

for the next class.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAT MUST BE INCLUDED IN

LESSON PLAN?

When planning a lesson, one must take into consideration some steps as follows:

1. Perspective or opening: Students are asked what they have learned in

previous lessons. Then they are given a preview of the upcoming lessons.

instance, by using the new topic, students are asked about experiences related to

their lives. It functions as a grabber, so they are wholly immersed in the content.

3. Instruction/participation. The educator puts forth the activity and tries the

students to get involved by working in groups. Likewise. The teacher oversees their

process and encourage them if necessary.

4. Closure. The teacher asked students what kind of things they learn, thus will

give him an insight of what has to be worked intensively. Moreover, the teacher will

inform students topics of the upcoming lessons.

 5. Follow-up. Teachers provide students other activities to reinforce what they

learn. A way to do so is by putting them some homework. Furthermore, after

reflecting on the lesson, the teacher must decide it is necessary to modify

something in the plan so that students can attain the goals.

Ste Time Task Teacher Task Students Interaction Purpose

p
1 4 min The teacher employess the To participate T-Ss -To grab
game “HANGOVER” as a Only students
grabber. Students attention.
The sentence is “HOW TO
DESCRIBE A PLACE”
-To create expectations.
2 10 The teacher introduces some -To listen and to T- Ss - To further
min new vocabulary focused on the draw on their communication
features of a place and the prior knowledge between the
weather. Some of the words in order that they teacher and
are: can guess the learners.
Mild, cold, hot, seedy, dodgy, meaning of the -Exchange
shabby, bustling, words. ideas
lively,secluded, peaceful, - To engage
cosmopolitan, students in the
quaint, touristy, touristic. topic by
drawing on the
-The teacher elicits information enviroment they
from the students regarding live.
what could be the meaning of - It is believed
these words. that by using
- The teacher explain in depth technology.
those definitions by showing Knowledge can
images in a screen. linger on
- The teacher asks them to students mind
locate some of these places in
the city where they live.

3 10 The teacher ask students to -To try to use T-Ss -To Absorb
min make a comparison between some of this Ss-Ss knowledge by
the place where they live with vocabulary. making
cities like Bogota. comparison.
-To reflect upon
They can think of both the place where
similarities and differences all they live. -To use
of which have. repetition in
 -To exchange order for
Moreover, In order for learners ideas students to
to employ this new vocabulary, embed
the teacher can ask them other information.
types of questions. -To relate the
new information
-To ask why a city is more to the
peaceful, lively, touristic, or enviroment they
bustling than others. live.

-To ask students to recognize

where those shabby, seedy,
dodgy places are located in the
place which they live.

-To describe a place students

have visited and point out the
possitive and negative aspects.

-What makes or why is a city

dodgy, peaceful and so forth?

4 7 min Students are given some Students Ss-Ss Work

worksheets in which according exchange ideas collaboratively
to the images they see, those as to what they
must be crossed out with the have discussed
definition of the words during the class.

-The teacher tells them to work

in groups of three
5 7 min The teacher tells the students Students share T-Ss Socialization
to socialize the work. their ideas Ss-Ss

6 10 Students write a short story Students work Ss – T Independent

min concerning a city they individually, try The teacher work
thoroughly like. So, it is to employ the is monitoring
necessary to employ the vocabulary of students to
conectors they have studied the topic and help them out
previously. deepen in the in terms of
explanation. vocabulary.
7 10 The teacher asks some Students Ss- Ss To learn from
min students to socialize what they express overtly Ss-T mistakes
wrote. At the same time, he their ideas
draws some conclusions.
8 -Before finishing the class, the Students work
teacher tells them to write both
another short story regarding Independently
other places they like, but as a and
homework. collaboratively
Also, students will make an for next class.
exposition by working in groups
of three and will describe some
cities in Colombia by putting
forth possitive and negative
aspects.

-Students need to type and

send it through email, since
some of which will be shown on
the screen next class.

The ideal thing is to analyze

mistakes in the sentences.

If teachers arrive at the

conclusión that after doing a
feedback students are facing
problems both to write and to
express their ideas, they could
do a review of some functions
of language concerning how to
express opinions and reasons
for the upcoming class.

Students can practice some

templates like:

1 What i like about Tunja is

the weather
because/as/since/ it …..

2 The reason why Bogota is

a seedy place... is
because / .......
3 The main reason why ... is
because / is that ...
4 One reason why ... is
because / is that …….
5 Another reason is
because. ……..
6 I think that……….. is
 peaceful, /shabby,/ dull/,
lively/ is because …….

Topic: How to describe a place Class: Eleventh grade Level: Intermediate

General objective: Students are able to describe places.
Specific objetives: Students know how to express an opinion both in writing and speaking
by using complex sentences, since they are using some linking words as follows: because,
although, however.
- They are able to use cleft sentences to expand their opinión.
- They employ descrptive vocabulary.
Materials: Computer, worksheet.
Prior Knowledge: Students know some language functions concerning giving reasons and
opinion which enables them to express clear ideas. Also they employ some connectors in
order to express addition, concession and contrast such as: also, although or however,
Time: One hour Number of students: 30
REFERENCES

 Murphy, R. S. (2018). The Concept of Syllabus Design and Curriculum

Development. In Faravani, A., Zeraatpishe, M., Azarnoosh, M., & Reza, H. Issues in
Syllabus Design. Sense publisher. The Netherlands. Available in:
https://www.sensepublishers.com/media/3359-issues-in-syllabus-design.pdf

 Farrell, T. (2002). Lesson Planning. In J. Richards & W. Renandya (Eds.),

Methodology in Language Teaching: An Anthology of Current Practice (Approaches
and Methods in Language Teaching, pp. 30-39). Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press. Available in:
https://bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co:2444/10.1017/CBO9780511667190.006