Teaching Practice 6
Elementary level
Description
Materials
Main Aims
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To provide clarification of the past simple: be in the context of the thirteenth birthday party.
Subsidiary Aims
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To provide accuracy and fluency writing and speaking practice in the context of when the Ss and their partner were thirteen.
Procedure (45-45 minutes)
- I start the lesson by transition from the previous listening task to the clarification of MFP related to the grammar point (The past simple: be) by getting the Ss to tell the class about what they can remember about Rebecca's thirteenth birthday party.
- I give the Ss the clarification HO. - I show them two sentences extracted from Rebecca's thirteenth birthday party listening activity in ex 3a which are related to the grammatical structure (the past simple: be).
- The Ss sit in groups of four. - To understand the meaning, I get the Ss to look at the sentences on their HO and answer the questions in pairs. As FB, I get the Ss to discuss their answers with another pair and then I check the correct answers with the class. - Then, to have a CCQ and to get the Ss to find out the function/use, they work in pairs and complete the rule by circling the correct word in bold and then I check the answers with the class.
- To clarify the form, the Ss work in pairs and complete the patterns with the missing words. As FB, I get the Ss to discuss their answers with another pair in their groups of four and then I get one of the early finishers to write the correct answers on the WB.
- To clarify the pronunciation, I show a table (i.e. strong/weak form of was/were) and then, I explain that there are two ways to pronounce was and were: the 'strong form' and the 'weak form'. I tell the Ss these two forms are important in pronunciation specially, when they make sentences, questions, short positive and negative answers. - I get the Ss to listen to the CD and decide if 'was' and 'were' have the strong or weak form. Then, I write the phonemic symbols of 'was' and 'were' for each sentence but I do not say the rules. - As the next stage, the Ss work in pairs and complete the rules with 'strong' or 'weak'. Then, I check the answers with the class. - Then, I get the Ss to listen to me (i.e. I read two sentences including the negative forms: wasn't/weren't). The Ss complete the rule in pairs and then, I check the answers with the class. - As the last stage, the Ss listen to the CD, repeat and copy the weak and strong forms of was and were and the sentence stress. * Anticipated Problem - The Ss may get confused about the terms 'weak' and 'strong'. They might think these terms are different from 'stressed and unstressed words in sentences'. * Solution: Clarifying that the weak forms of was and were are unstressed in a sentence and the strong forms are stressed.
- I get the Ss to find a new partner and sit near him/her. - I give the Ss a HO to do a controlled practice. The text on this HO is extracted from the ex 5 in the Student's Book. They read about Helen's thirteenth birthday party. They choose the correct words (i.e. was/were/wasn't/weren't). - I ask some ICQs to make sure that the Ss have got what to do. - Then, the Ss work individually and then check their answers with their partner. - As FB, one early finisher circles around the correct word on the WB.
- To do a semi-controlled and freer practice, I put the Ss into A/B: student A and student B. - I give the student As a HO extracted from SB p.111 and another HO extracted from SB p.119 to student Bs. I will check they are all looking at the correct exercise. - I get the Ss to work on their own and write questions with 'you' or 'your' about when they were thirteen using the prompts. - I give the Ss an example to make sure that they know what to do. - Then, the Ss write their answers in the 'you' column. - While the Ss are working, I check their questions for accuracy and help with any problems. - To provide the opportunity in which the Ss can ask and answer the questions, I get the student As to stand in a circle in the center of the classroom and then the student Bs stand opposite the student As. - The Ss ask and answer their questions and write their partner's answer in the table as well. - I monitors carefully and when most of the pairs have done their discussion I get the student Bs to take one step to the left and start asking and answering the questions with a new partner. * Anticipated Problem: Maybe, one group finishes soon while another group is still working so what happens? Solution: I monitor carefully whether the pace of speaking in all groups is the same or different. Whenever most of the Ss have done their discussion, I get the Ss to work with a new partner.
- While the Ss are asking and answering the questions, I monitor them carefully and I write some of their common errors specifically related to the grammatical structure they have just learnt. - Then, I write some of the Ss' common errors on the WB. I get the Ss to correct their errors in pairs. Then, I ask one of the Ss to come to the WB and correct the errors.
- If the Ss finished their discussion in ex 12, were fed up with the topics in this activity and there were enough time, I would assign the ex 11 on page 47 as well. - I get the Ss to work individually and make the questions using the key words (like the previous activity). - I do examples with the WC to make sure the Ss know what the instruction is. - When the Ss finish writing their questions then, they work in pairs and take turns to ask and answer the questions. I encourage the Ss to give more information.