Copy of Teaching Practice 6
Elementary level

Description

In this lesson, the students learn the grammar point (The past simple: be) by a 'Guided Discovery' lesson shape to be better able to talk about when they were thirteen (What they were like or what their interests were) in this lesson, the Ss participate in the process of teaching and learning. They work in pairs and firstly, they need to answer some questions about two sentences included by the target grammar point which is extracted from the previous listening task to understand the meaning, pronunciation and form. I ask some CCQs to make sure the Ss find out the meaning of the past simple: be and then move on to the clarification of the form. Like the previous stage, the Ss figure out the patterns (positive, negative, questions, short positive and negative answers) in pairs and also by the help of the recording on CD and some questions related to weak and strong form of 'was' and 'were', the Ss and I clarify the pronunciation as well. After the clarification stage, the Ss do a controlled practice in which there is short text about Helen's thirteenth birthday (face2face SB, ex 5, p. 45) and they have to choose was or were in each sentence. To do a freer practice, the students work in pairs of A/B. They are provided by different key words (face2face SB, ex 5, pp. 111&119) that they have to make questions via using them and then answer them about when they were thirteen. Then, they ask and answer the questions in pairs. As a result, the Ss are able to personalize the target grammar point in this lesson.

Materials

Main Aims

  • To provide clarification of the past simple: be in the context of the thirteenth birthday party.

Subsidiary Aims

  • To provide accuracy and fluency writing and speaking practice in the context of when the Ss and their partner were thirteen.

Procedure

Lead-in (0-1 minutes) • To generate transition and interest in the context of when people were thirteen.

- 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.

Highlighting target grammar point (0-1 minutes) • To highlight the target grammar point so that learners are focused on it.

- 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).

Clarifying the meaning (2-3 minutes) • To clarify the meaning so learners understand it.

- 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.

Clarifying the form (3-4 minutes) • To clarify the form so that learners know how to construct it.

- 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.

Clarifying the pronunciation (8-9 minutes) • To clarify the pronunciation so learners know how to say it.

- 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.

Controlled language practice (7-8 minutes) • To provide controlled written practice focused on using the language accurately.

- 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.

Semi-controlled and freer language practice (13-15 minutes) • To provide a semi-controlled written practice and a freer oral practice focused on using the language accurately and productively.

- 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.

Peer error correction (3-4 minutes) • To get the Ss understand their weaknesses.

- 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.

Extra activity (9 minutes) • To provide another semi-controlled written practice and freer oral practice.

- 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.

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