Unit 18 Identifying and selecting aims

Power Point Presentation Unit 18

Unit 18: Identifying and selecting aims

How do we identify and select aims?

Aims are what we want learners to learn or be able to do at the end of the lesson, a sequence of lessons or a whole course.

To identify and select the most appropriate aims, we need to ask ourselves two questions:

What do my learners already know?

What do they need to know?

Key concepts

Main aim

Describes the most important thing we want to achieve in a lesson or sequence of lessons.

For example:

we may want learners to understand and practice using new language

to reinforce or consolidate the use of language they already know by giving them further practice.

On a lesson plan the main aim should also include an example of the target language we are planning to teach.

Subsidiary aims

·        Show the language or skills learners must be able to use well in order to achieve the main aim of the lesson.

In a lesson plan:

·        Stating both main and subsidiary aims is a good way of making sure that our lessons plan focuses on what we want our learners to learn, or to be able to do.

·        It enables us to see how the lesson should be developed, from one stage (or part) to the next, building up our learners’ knowledge or skills in the best possible order.

Personal aims

Show what we would like to improve or focus on in our own teaching.

Examples:

·         To try different correction techniques

·         To remember to check instructions

·         To write more clearly on the board

·         To get learners to work with different partners

·         To get quieter learners to answer questions

·         To make more use of the phonemic chart

Steps in planning a lesson:

1.   Identifying and selecting aims

2.   Design or select the most appropriate activities

3.   Put activities in the best order

4.   Choose the most suitable teaching aids and materials

After the lesson:

ü  Reflect on whether we have achieved our aims

Key concepts and the language teaching classroom

The syllabus (i.e. the course program) and /or the course book will give us a general direction for planning our teaching. To decide on specific aims for a particular lesson, however, we should think about or learners’ needs and the stage they have reached in their learning.

We can identify and select appropriate aims in a similar way.

We should not confuse aims and procedures. Aims describe what the learners will earn or what they will be able to do with the language, while procedures are what the teacher and learners will do at each stage of the lesson.

Key concepts

·         Aims should not be too general.

·         We should not plan to do too much in a lesson. It will depend on the length of the lesson and the learners’ level.

·         Learners also need to know what the lesson is going to be about.

·         Learners of all ages find helpful to know why they are doing things. (For example, “Today we’re going to read a story and learn how to describe people in English”.)

Summary Unit 25

Selection and use of Aids

Aids:
Resources and equipment available to use in the classroom, as well as the resources we can bring into the classroom:

• Cassette recorders
• CD players
• Video recorders
• Overhead projectors
• Beamer
• Visual aids
• Realia
• Flashcards
• Puppets

Summary Unit 24

Selection and use of supplementary materials and activities

What are supplementary materials and activities?

• Books and other materials or activities we can use in addition to the course book to complement and enrich our class.
• They include skills development materials, grammar, vocabulary and phonology practice materials, collections of communicative activities and teacher´s resource materials.
• They may also come from authentic sources (newspapers, magazines, videos, etc.)

Why use supplementary materials and activities?

• To replace unsuitable material in the course book.
• To fill in the course book.
• To provide suitable materials for learners´particular needs and interests.
• To give learners extra language or skills practice.
• To add variety to our teaching.

Important:

• Before deciding to use these materials, you should check how appropriate the level is for your learners.
• Think about the language they will need to understand or to produce.
• If you are using supplementary materials with different procedures, you need to give special attention to the instructions.
• You can adapt many supplementary materials for use with classes at different levels.

Making materials.

• Choose a language point for which you want to make your own learner tasks, preferably having in mind a course or class you know.
• Make a sample worksheet or work card.
• Exchange your resulting materials and discuss.

Dictionaries

Here are some useful websites for dictionaries:

• www.thefreedictionary.com
• www.onelook.com
• www.merriam-webster.com
• www.langtolang.com
• www.freedict.com
• www.ectaco.com
• dictionary.reference.com
• dictionary.cambridge.org

Useful websites for teachers

Here are some useful websites, please add more.

• www.manythings.org
• a4esl.org
• www.englishclub.com
• www.bbc.co.uk
• web2.uvcs.uvic.ca
• www.onestopenglish.com
• www.teachingenglish.org.uk

Summary

Unit 22 Consulting reference resources to help in lesson preparation

 

What are reference resources?

• They are all the information about language and about teaching that we can refer to for help in lesson preparation.
  
• Reference material (dictionaries, grammar books, methodology books and articles, teacher's books, websites)
  
• People
  

Reasons for using reference resources:

1. Checking the form and use of grammatical structures (Grammar books)
   
2. Checking the spelling, pronunciation and use of Lexical items (Dictionaries)
   
3. Developing your own understanding of Language (Language Awareness Books)
   
4. Anticipating learners' difficulties (Common errors)
   
5. Looking for new approaches to teaching lessons and new classroom activities.
   
6. Finding out how to use the material in your course book (Teacher's books or Resources book)
   
7. Getting advice about particular lessons or teaching materials (Colleague's Approach)
   

Reference resources:

• Posters
  
• Flashcards
  
• CD ROMS
  
• Computer programs
  
• Games
  
• Songs and Chants
  
• Tongue Twisters
  
  
   
  Unit 23 Selection and use of course book materials
  

Course book materials are all the material in a course book package that we use in the classroom to present and practice language, and to develop learners' language skills:

• Student's book
  
• Teacher's book
  
• Audio
  
• Video
  
• Workbook
  
• CD-ROM
  

Which course book to use?

• Is the material visually attractive?
  
• Is it well organized?
  
• Is it culturally appropriate?
  
• Is it suitable for learner's age, needs and interests?
  
• Will the topics be motivating?
  
• Is it at the right level?
  
• Does it provide a clear enough context or explanations for learners to understand new language?
  
• Does it give learners enough opportunities to use the language?
  

When the course book is not appropriate:

• Replace the course book
  
• Adapt the course book
  

Important concepts:

• The course book will normally provide the main content for a lesson, while material that needs to be more personalized for learners will probably come from the teacher (or from the learners themselves)
  

Course book provide:

• Situation/context
  
• Pictures
  
• Dialogues and texts
  
• Tasks and exercises
  

Teachers can provide additional:

• Warmers
  
• Instructions
  
• Role-plays
  
• Homework tasks