Amber Amber

Listening Lesson: Schools
Intermediate level

Description

In this lesson, Ss will expand on the topic of schools and the information they learned about the schooling system in the U.K. in the previous lesson by listening to a radio program about a primary school in Essex. Ss will learn blocking vocabulary and read a short paragraph before completing the listening tasks. After completing two listening tasks related to the primary school, Ss will be asked to discuss whether or not the model of this all-boys school would work in Turkey for an all-girls school. They will also be asked to decide what they would keep or change about the school in order to design a version for Turkish female children.

Materials

Abc Photos: Gareth Malone's Extraordinary School for Boys (from English File Intermediate SB)
Abc Presentation: Vocabulary
Abc Listening HO #1 Answer Key (adapted from English File Intermediate SB)
Abc Listening HO #2: Chart (adapted from English File Intermediate SB)
Abc Listening HO #2 Answer Key (adapted from English File Intermediate SB)
Abc Listening HO #1: Specific Questions (adapted from English File Intermediate SB)

Main Aims

  • To provide listening practice for specific information related to a British primary school

Subsidiary Aims

  • To provide fluency speaking practice related to schooling systems

Procedure

Warmer/Lead-in (3-5 minutes) • To set lesson context (schools) and engage students in a brainstorming discussion about the focus of the listening activities

T pulls up colored photos of Gareth Malone's Extraordinary School for Boys from the SB and asks Ss to come up with ideas about the photos in pairs. With no prior information, the T asks the Ss to discuss in pairs: 1) what his job is 2) where his job is located and 3) what the man and kids are doing. After 2-3 minutes, the T facilitates a WC discussion, asking Ss to share their hypotheses.

Pre-Reading/Listening (7-10 minutes) • To prepare Ss for the listening and make it accessible by teaching blocking vocabulary and generating personalized ideas

T elicits and teaches the MFP of three vocabulary words (extraordinary, risk, and debate). After drilling the words and using CCQs, T asks Ss to read the paragraph. T facilitates a small discussion with the WC intended to elicit the fact that boys are behind girls in schools in this case. Once the point is achieved through CCQs (i.e. "Who is ahead in reading and writing?" Boys "In what type of school?" Primary school), T asks Ss to discuss in pairs whether or not this is true in Turkey. T asks a couple of Ss to share their ideas with the WC.

While-Reading/Listening #1 (10-12 minutes) • To provide Ss with less challenging gist and specific information listening tasks

T asks the Ss to listen to the text and answer the simple question about the main idea of the text: "What is the goal of the program?" T tells the Ss to discuss in pairs, and asks for some ideas. T tells the Ss his aim is "to improve the boys’ reading age by 6 months." T passes out the first HO and asks Ss to read the task, which includes one more question. T asks Ss to listen to the first part of the radio program and answer the question. Ss check in pairs and listen again. Ss check in groups of four (joining two side-by-side pairs without moving). T asks Ss to share answers with the WC, and passes out an answer key.

While-Reading/Listening #2 (10-12 minutes) • To provide Ss with more challenging detailed, deduction, and inference listening tasks

T passes out the second HO and asks Ss to read the task, which includes a chart asking for more specific, detailed information. T asks Ss to listen to the second part of the radio program and fill in the chart. Ss check in new, regrouped pairs and listen again. Ss check in groups of four (joining two side-by-side pairs without moving). T asks Ss to share answers with the WC, and fills them in on the WB as Ss share. T passes out an answer key.

Post-Reading/Listening (10-12 minutes) • To provide Ss an opportunity to respond to the text and expand on what they've learned by personalizing the information in a creative way

T asks Ss to discuss whether or not this primary school model would work in Turkey for a few minutes in groups of four. Then, T asks Ss to share some ideas. T prompts the WC with another question: Would this school work for girls? After taking a couple of responses, T asks Ss to design a similar school for girls in Turkey. Specifically, T asks the Ss to come up with a plan for what they would keep or change when designing their school.

Feedback/WC Sharing (5-7 minutes) • To allow Ss to share their work and to provide a time for error correction

T asks one or two groups to share their ideas, and for other groups to comment and provide feedback. T also provides feedback if necessary, especially if there are any errors in content or language usage.

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