Chapter 4 Activities and lessons

Task 8 for Chooseone of the four activitiesyou lookedat in Task 7. Plana basic procedure using it in class, usingthe seven steps describedon pp 29-30. In your early lessonsas an English teacher you may find that'survivaf is your main priority. You would like to teach well and for your students to learn and enjoy what happens, but above even that you want something that you can prepare easily, something that is guaranteed (or nearly guaranteed) to work; something that will let you go into the classroom, do some useful work with the learners and get out alive. If you have a coursebook then you have an instant source of material. Many teachers 'recipe books', which do exactly what that nickname also use ideas books, known as suggests- give you everything you need to know to be able to walk into classwith the 'cook up' a good activity. right ingredients to As a starting point, a'survival lesson'could be simply a seriesof activitiesfollowing on from each other, one after the other. For one or two lessonsthis is probably workable. Clearly, though, it is soon going to be unsatisfactory as the basis of a whole course: where is the direction, the growth, the progress? \What about the students' needs, their personalities, their likes? Activities such as we have been looking at are the building blocks, but we now need to consider much more carefully how we connect them together.

Four kinds oflesson

A complete lesson may consist of a single long activity, or it may have a number of shorter activities within it. These activities may have different aims; they may also, when viewed together, give the entire lesson an overall objective. This section of the book looks at some ways in which activities can relate to each other and combine to make a complete lesson. Here is a description of four basic lessontypes: 1 Logical line

E-----@---+Eln this lesson there is a clear attempt to follow a'logical' path from one activity to the next. Activity A leads to activity B leads to activity C. Activity C builds on what has been done in activity B, which itself builds on what has been done in activity A' In work on grammar, for example, the sequence of activities might be: A - first we understand an item of languagi; B - we piactice it orally in drills; C - we get practice using it in more unresfficted, integrated speaking work; D - we do some written to consolidateour understanding. exercises In work on language skills, the sequence of activities often moves from an overview towards work on specific details. For example, the learners move gradually from a general understanding of a reading text to detailed comprehension and study of items within it. There is probably one clear overall objectiveto the whole lesson.The teacherhas predicted possible problems and difficulties and has prepared ways to deal with them when they come up in class.
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2 Four kindsof lesson The teacher is hoping to lead the learners step by step through a clearly programmed sequence of activities in the hope of them all reaching a specific, pre-determined end point. I imagine the classgoing down a long, straight roadr led by the teacher,who takes care that any stragglers catch up and that any wanderers find the right path again. Many teachertraining coursesencourageyou to prepare lessonsof this kind. This is partly becauseit is possiblefor trainers and traineesto sort out a lot of potential problems at the planning stageand partly becausethe lessonsare easierfor an observer to evaluate, though there is no particular evidence to suggestthat this type of lessonis any more successfulthan others in enabling effectivelearning. The following description of a 'logical line'lesson is subdivided into four distinct four separateactivities,but it is also clear that it all adds up to a total lesson. stages, 1 The teacher asksthe students which makes of cars they have heard of. Which ones do they like? Which don't they like? Why? 2 The teacher sayssome comparative sentences about cars.For example:. A Porsche is faster than a Mini. A Mini is cheaperthan a Rolls-Royce,etc. The students get a number of opportunities to repeat the teacher'ssentences and to make some new ones of their own. 3 Students are given a number of car advertisements and a blank grid to fill out using information from the ads:price, maximum speed,etc. The studentswork in pairs to find the answers. 4 Students then use this information to discuss which car they would like to have and giving reasons(ie using comparatives).The teacherencouragesand helps them to use comparativesentences accurately.

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Task 1
'logical M a k e a s i m p l ep l a n( s i m i l a r to the description above) for a l i n e ' l e s s o nw h e r e practise past the aim is to writingthe simple tense using a picturestory.

2 Topic urnbrella

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In this kind of lesson, a topic (eg rainforests or educationor weatherot good management)provides the main focal point for student work. The teacher might include a variety of separate activities (eg on vocabulary, speaking, listening, granunar) etc) linked only by the fact that the umbrella topic remains the same. The activities can often be done in a variety of orders without changing the overall success of the lesson.In some casesactivitiesmay be linked; for example,when the discussionin one activity usesvocabulary studied in a preceding activity. There may be a number of related or disparate aims in this lesson, rather than a single main obiective.

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Chapter 4 Actixities and lessons

Task 2 The class' level for an elementary lesson umbrella' of a 'topic is a description Here order' original given in their arenot activities on (eglistening). or skillfocused system withthe mainlanguage 1 Markeachactivity done? were activities the 2 In whatorderdo youthink andfindout for a sportscentre advertisement in pairsreada newspaper a Learners cost' it will much go how whattimetheymust and a sportthey choose In pairsthe learners out a list of sports. nanos b Theteacher that evening' wouldliketo do together what is centre. if theyhaveeverbeento a sports learners the asks c Theteacher discuss They Disadvantages? of a sportscentre? Whataretne advantages inside? for a fewminutes. the toPic centre' for a sports thattheywillheara radioadvertisement explains d Theteacher TheymustIistenandfindoutwhethertheirsportisavaiIab|e' the aboutsportsusing to makesentences asksthe learners e Theteacher prefer / can'tstandZ(egtlikesquashbutl preferYand t 1ikeXbutl construction (with practice getsomeoral Thelearners footba//). stand I can',t tabletennis, correction)insayingthesesentencesaccurate|yandwithgoodpronunciation' d - listening; c - speaking; Languageareafocusedon: a - reading;b speaking' . e - grammar. introducingthe topic of Either b or c would makea good introduction to the lesson, afterthepairshave come must ac-tivityd (followedby a) sport and sportscentres. chosentheirsport;therewouldbenopointindoingdafteraastheanswerwouldbe work ine could comeat any point; a suitableplace known already.The language the listeningand to be afterthe ,roLUJu.y in b hasbeenintroducedand before seems be possible would It a. e d b c or a e d b c be would orier work.Thus, a likely reading valueto better b e d a c (thoughit seems at the endof thelesson: to p.rtIh. discussion at the beginningasa way into the topic) ' I ,rr" th. discussion 3 Jungle Path Gommentary I r r

'logical line' and'topic umbrella' lessonsboth involve the teacherpre-planning a The predict what language areaswill sequence of activities; the teacher usually feels able to the students are likely to be worked on, what problems are likely to arise and what achievein the lesson. prepare so much but to create the An alternative approach would be notto predict and working with whatever is lesson moment by moment in class,the teacher and learners on13ns as they come problems a1d happening in the room, responding to questions, particular situations. to response up and finding new activities, mat;ials;nd msks in Thestartingpointmightbeanactivityorapieceofmaterial,butwhatcomesoutofit between this lesson will remain unknown until it happens. The essentialdifference with the people in the more is working teacher tfre and the previous lesson types is tirat plan' her or room than with her material

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2 Four kindsof lessot: I imagine a group of people hacking their way through the jungle towards new experiences, new learnings. Sometimes the teacher may lead, s=ometimes the students. Everyone would be encouraged to think, make connectio.rr, urt l.restions and drarv conclusionsfor themselves. The main pre-planning for a lesson of this kind would involve the teacher using her knowledge of the learners and of the available resources to choose some activities and materials that are likely to prove challenging and raise important questions and issues. She would have an intuitive senseof various potential links between actrvities, based partly on previous experiencesof the outcomes of lessons using similar activities. In classsome of theseactivities and materialsmay be used, some not. .fhe teacher may also feel the need to find other materialsas the lessonproceeds, some from a coursebook, some from her head, some from her staffroom library, etc. Although she may be clear about a number of possibledirections the lessonmijht take, it will be impossible for her to state the lesson's objectives until after it has"finished. Here is an example lessondescription: Lesson a 1 The teacher takes a communication game (concerning different attitudes to smoking) into class.The studentsdo this in pairs. 2 when they have finished, some students askabout a number of languageproblems they had. The students discussand work out some answersto the problems. 3 The teacher invents a quick practice exercise that will focus on oni of the language points. 4 when that has finished, a student asksabout the pronunciation of some words in the exercise. The teacher works through some examples on the board and then tells them to turn to a page in their coursebook where there is a game to help raise students' awareness of word stress.The classdecidesthat irey don't want to do this now, but will do it for homework. 5 Some students remind the teacher that they haven't yet discussed smoking as a whole classand they'd like to hear what some of the rest of the class thought... etc. Here are two common examplesof a'jungle path'lesson where the teacherstarts without any materials: Lessonb The teacher asksHozc, ztas the weekend? (or a similar question), and after listening to a number of answers,leadsthis into a discussionbasedo.r ro-.thi.,g a student said.At some point she selectsparticular items of language that a student h-as used, focuses on these (perhaps considering grammar or pronunciation), invents a simple exercisethat will help students work on this, etc etc. Lesson c A student asksa question at the start of the lesson.This leadsinto some work on the board (perhaps the teacher setsthe class a problem to solve that will help to clarify the language difficulty). while the students are working on the puzzle, the teacher goes to the staffroom and collects a further exercise on the iame language area. He returns and offers the students the new exercise, but they say they r."t.Lu. now about the language item. However, there is another question which has arisen ...

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35

Chapter 4 Activities and lessons

A fourth example lesson demonstrates how a competent and confident teacher might hand over responsibility and decision making entirely to the class: Lesson d The teacher starts the lesson by asking lY4tatshall we zlork on today? She then waits while the class decides, taking care not to manipulate them into deciding something that she wants them to do. Once the decisions are made, she does whatever she has been askedto do. The 'jungle pathl lessoncan look artlessto an observer,yet to do it successfully requires experience.It is not simply a'chat' or an abdication of responsibility,though in inexperienced hands it might well be simply a muddle and a'lazy' alternative to careful planning. In fact, a competent teacher is working minute by minute with her class, actively planning and re-planning as she goes, constantly basing the work around t}le students and their needs, statements, problems, questions, etc. A teacher doing this needs to be aware both of the people in the room and of the wide variety of options open to her. She needs to be able to make decisions, moment by moment, about which route is the best one to follow. She needs to be familiar with all the resources of material and information available to her. The need for teaching experience and awarenessof resources available suggeststhat lessons of this type are more appropriate for teachers who are already fairly competent 'logical line' or'topic umbrella'variety. For in planning and executing lessonsof the this reason it is the lesson you don't normally learn to do on teacher-training courses! 4 Rag-bag

etr

This lessonis made up of a number of unconnected activities.For example: a chat at the start of the lesson, followed by a vocabulary game, a pairwork speaking activity and a song. The variety in a lesson of this kind may often be appealing to students and teacher.There can, however, be a'bittiness' about this approach that makes it unsatisfactory for long-term usage. There will be no overall language objective for the lesson (though there might be a 'group-building' aim). Each separate activity might have its own aims.

36

______E
I

2 Fourkindsglcsmn

Lesson wFe
Logical llne

'Nlrune

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someoufcoues'
OF EFFECTIVEUSE

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Soilreourcomes : oi nspt oR rAzy us6 Limited responseito individual needs Atomistic:hardto see the overview

Straightline grdwth Programmed

Clearly visible prog.fess Focusestowards an atm Variety ,Framewsrk for learning

Tdplc umbrella

Topic

Tenuous links to boring topics Easily becomes ragsag

' Mitddled Aimless Anpscapefrom. planning and preparation Easilybecomes rag-bag Goingnowhere Students wait for t"acher's next surprise

path Jungle

Evolutionary

Personcentrddl I Responsive to immediateneeds personal " Powbrful

insights

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Rag-bag

None

Variety Surprise Entertainment

Fig. 4.5: Fourtypes oflesson

Task3
Ofthefourlesson types, which do youfeelmostcomfortable with?Which oneshave you nottried?Which wouldyoube.interested to try?

Task4
ls therea fifth lessontypethat you useor are aware sf?