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| Day of the Girl - Toronto Oct. 11 |
Creg Mortenson,
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time
Module 4: Developing a Grammar Lesson
I believe when there are clear goals established in your lesson plan it creates a path to learning that flows. When the objectives are focused on what adult students need and want they are more engaged in the process. It is very important to know students' backgrounds, prior learning and reasons for wanting to learn a second language because it determines the context you use in planning lessons. Participants appreciate when goals are introduced at the beginning of the lesson plan. When both teacher and students are heading towards the same goals learning becomes a joint effort. For adults the lesson plan activities need to be relevant and authentic to hold meaning for them. Students want to transfer their learnt skills and be able to communicate with others in the real world.
As a new teacher in grammar I would use a lesson plan checklist to conduct a grammar lesson that flowed. I find a plan would be a better way for me to go instead of facilitating a project then finding the teachable moments for grammar points. My knowledge of grammar isn't high enough to go that route. I liked the format: Background Information - Presentation Phase - Focused Practice - Communicative Practice. I found there were several activities for learners to practice the language both in a structured-focused and communicative-focused methods. I like the way the form precedes the function giving students a base to build from. With this plan there is a variation of activities which keeps the interests of your participants. By applying different learning styles and by using a variety of single, pair and group work you are bound to involve your students and their preferred method of learning. You may even introduce learners to new ways of learning communication skills, which they might appreciate instead of only the grammar translation method.
I find immediate feedback valuable but you must consider the timing. I think the most practicable time is during the Focused Practice phase. First you don't want students to carry over repeated mistakes into the next phase. Fellow students can be part of feedback during this phase and correct each other. During the communicative phase I don't believe feedback should be given during the activity. When you interrupt to give feedback you are interrupting the flow of the activity and learning. Since the goal is for the use of communicative language at this stage it seems counterproductive and maybe even discouraging for the participants. When I instruct safety training and we are at the final activity of role plays during emergency response procedures, I never interrupt the flow of their role plays. I wait until they are finished and then we begin feedback. I begin with the person giving themselves feedback, the group and lastly myself if I need to clarify any points. I don't know what a person is thinking while they are problem solving and acting in their emergency situation. I don't want to interrupt their train of thought while they reach for their goal. In language class I would give general feedback at the end of the activity as a group and not target any one individual at this stage.
I think an activity becomes "autotelic" when the students are stimulated and the activities challenge their skill level. The teacher needs to know the skill level of students to arouse their interests but not so high as to frustrate learners. That is why I like the lesson plan checklist since students' backgrounds are the first on the list. This information would be acquired during a needs assessment for the course.
Hi Josanne,
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of using a checklist when constructing lesson plans and feel this strategy is useful to both new and seasoned instructors. A checklist is a simple way of ensuring that important components have been included and that the lesson sequence aligns with communicative principles. I have used the checklist from the Manitoba Adult EAL Curriculum Framework in the past, so thought I would share it here: http://www.ealmb.ca/pluginfile.php/31/course/section/4/mb-curriculum-foundations-2009.pdf p. 36-38). Perhaps you will find it useful when developing lesson plans for this course and beyond.
Thanks,
Terena
Thank you Terena for the checklist, I liked that the focus was on the learners. Have more student talk than teacher talk, I prefer this teaching style even in the corporate world. A new concept for me was to build on prior experience, activities should be structured so that students hear new language before they say it, say it before they read it, and read it before they write it. Simple yet makes sense.
ReplyDeleteIt mentions at CLB Level 1 students should be introduced to no more than 5 or 6 new vocabulary items a day. In reference to grammar at this level should there be only 1 grammar point introduced a day?
When teaching grammar in multilevel classes is it best to group students as same-ability or cross-level and what kind of activities suit these groups?
I liked that this checklist also emphasized background, lots of practice, authentic materials and that teachers should derief activities to show how students can use their new skills outside of the classroom.
Hi Josanne,
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you found the checklist to be useful.
In terms of how many new vocabulary terms to introduce to learners each day, the answer really depends on your students and on the structure of our class. There has been extensive research on the topic, and some studies suggest that 10-12 new words per week is about right. In terms of grammar, because scaffolding is so important, when introducing new forms it is vital that students have understood one structure before progressing to another. Some forms are more complex than others and demand more time and attention, so this can also dictate pace. For both grammar and vocabulary there really is no hard and fast rule.
Finally, you asked about whether to use same or mixed-ability groups when teaching grammar. Again, there is no concrete rule to follow , but generally, when focusing on accuracy, same ability groups works best, whereas mixed ability groups lends themselves well to fluency-focused activities. How to differentiate for EAL learners can be quite complex, but a webinar that I did recently on the Teachers Exchange Network might be of some use. You can find it by clicking on the link below if you are interested in learning more.
http://bestmbteachers.ning.com/
Thanks!
Terena