CELTA

Lesson planning
Questions to ask yourself
Before you do anything else:
Which part of the lesson plan do you need to prioritise?
For example, if language presentations are difficult for you, spend time on your
language analysis first, before writing your procedure. If your lessons are very T-
centred, focus on the interaction patterns for each activity.

Aims
! Is my aim written from the students perspective?
! Is it measurable, achievable and realistic in the time I have available?
! Does it include a context for the language?

Personal aims
! Have I prioritised one or two things that I will really focus on in this lesson?
! Have they changed based on feedback from my previous lessons?
! Was I thinking about these aims while planning so that they are achievable?

Class profile
! Have I included information about?
o the number of students
o strong/weak students
o gender ratio
o students interests
o nationalities
o class dynamics
o motivation

Assumptions
! What do I think the students already know that will help them in this lesson?
! Is there any specific vocabulary/grammar which I think they know?
! Are my students likely to be interested in the topic/context? Why? Do they know
anything about it already?

Classroom management: anticipated problems and solutions
! What problems do I think there might be during the lesson?
! Have I thought of a specific solution for each problem?
! Have I made the problems specific to this lesson based on my observations of other
lessons? For example, if you had a problem with fast finishers in previous lessons,
have you thought about how to deal with them in this lesson?
! Have I thought about the following areas?
o latecomers
o TTT
o odd number of SS
o instructions
o pair/groupwork
o running out of time
o interaction patterns
o technology

Sources of materials
! Have I included all of the materials Ive used?
! Is the copyright information correct?

CELTA
Lesson planning
Questions to ask yourself
Anticipated problems and solutions with skills work
! What language do students need to complete the task?
! Do I need to pre-teach any of it?
! Are my students all at the same level in this skill?
! How difficult is the text (in relation to my students level)?
! Will my students be interested in the topic?
! How will I group the students?
! For productive skills, will my students have enough ideas?
! For receptive skills, how long is the text?
! Have I thought of a specific solution for each problem?

Materials
! What materials do I need for the lesson?
! If Im making them myself, how long will it take me?
! How long will the students be using them for?
! Is it worth the amount of time Im spending on making the materials?
! Is there something in the course book that will do the same job and save me
preparation time?
! Have I included copyright information on all of my materials?
! What is the best way to present my materials?
! Do I need to print everything?
! Can I use a projector for any of it?
! What other things do I need for the lesson? For example, dice, blutack

Stages
! Have I included the correct stages for my lesson type?
! Are ALL of the stages there?
! Can I elicit any of the language? How will I do this?

Language
Lead in
Language presentation, inc. focus on:
! Meaning
! Meaning
! Form
! Pronunciation
! Pronunciation
! Form
(grammar/functions)
(vocabulary)
Controlled practice
Freer practice
! How will I create the context?
! How will I convey the meaning?
! How will I check the meaning? Are CCQs the best way to do this?
! Do my pictures really represent the vocabulary?
! Do I need to drill? What? How?

CELTA
Lesson planning
Questions to ask yourself
Receptive Skills
Lead in
Pre-reading/listening (including pre-teaching vocab if necessary)
While reading/listening
Post-reading/listening follow-up speaking/writing/exploiting text for language
! How will I create the context?
! Do I need to pre-teach blocking vocabulary?
! Exactly which words?
! What is the most efficient way to do this?

Productive Skills
Lead in
Pre-speaking/writing what preparation do my students need to do this?
While speaking/writing
Post-speaking/writing
! Is there a clear reason for my students to communicate?
! Do my students need a model or a framework to help them?
! When/how will I provide it?

Instructions and task set-up
! What EXACTLY do I expect the students to do/say in this task?
! What instructions will I give?
! Can I give my instructions in a maximum of 3 sentences of 3 words each?
! How will I check my instructions?
! Do I need to give an example/demonstration? How?

Feedback
! Have I included it in my lesson plan?
! (For exercises with specific answers, for example, a gap fill)
o How will I make sure students have the answers before whole-class
feedback?
o How will I make sure students all have the correct answers by the end of the
exercise?
! (For exercises with non-specific answers, for example, discussion tasks)
o How will I give feedback on content?
o How will I give feedback on language? How?
! Can I make my feedback more student-centred?

Stage aims
! Have I used To to write my aims?
! Are they aims or procedures? If theyre procedures, how can I rewrite them?
! Do my stage aims show all the steps I need to reach my main aim?
! Are the aims different for the teacher/students? For example: For the students to
For the teacher to

CELTA
Lesson planning
Questions to ask yourself
Interaction patterns and the teacher
! What is the best interaction pattern for this activity?
! If necessary, how will I put students into pairs/groups?
! When/how often will I change pairs/groups? How?
! If its a mingle, how will I set it up?
! Can the students do the work instead of me? (more SS-centred)
! Can I remove myself from this activity? (less T-centred, time to monitor!)
! Should I sit or stand at this point? Where?

Timing
! Is my timing realistic?
! How much time will students need to do the activity? For example, if theyre writing,
they probably need about 1 minute per sentence (but you know your students, so
adjust this as necessary!) Try the exercise yourself, then double the time.
! Do my students need thinking time before doing this activity?
! How much time will feedback on this activity take?

Whiteboard
! Do I need the board for this activity/feedback?
! Have I thought about?
o layout
o colours
o what information to show

Language analysis
! Are the examples the ones I will use in my lesson?
! How will I convey the meaning?
! How will I check the meaning? Are CCQs the best way to do this?
! Are pictures the best way to do this? Will they really represent the vocabulary?
! Do I need to drill? What? How?
! Have I included references to my background reading?
! Have I anticipated problems with?
o form
o meaning
o pronunciation

Observations
! What do I want my peers to watch out for in my lesson? For example, TTT,
monitoring.
! What should I look for in my peers lessons to improve my own?

Input
! Which input sessions should I look at again to help me plan my lessons?