Ⅰ. Overview of the Lesson
My students proficiency level is intermediate-low and they are elementary school students. The number of students is 12 and the time is 40 minutes. The class is vocabulary class, so the purpose of the class is to practice new words. The target language is VACATIONS. There are many words, about 10 to 20 words.
In warm-up stage, I ask a personal question to my students. The personal question is this: "What will you do in this winter vacation?" I let my students answer using future tense. At this moment, I ask individually and write their answers on the board.
In presentation stage, I activate their linguistic schema related to the target language, by using drawing a mind-map. At this moment, I don't ask individually, but I just gather their answers spontaneously. The next, I give them some examples including the target language.
In step 9 and 10, I used two different ways for my students to practice the target language. One way is to understand the definitions of the words and make new definitions with their own words. The other way is to draw a picture related to the target language and make sentences related to the picture.
Ⅱ. Theoretical Justification of the Activities
They are elementary school students, so their attention period is a little short. Therefore, I motivate them by asking a personal question. They already learned the future tense, so they can use it when answering the question. In addition, this question is authentic and meaningful question. Therefore, their motivation or interest can be higher, and they can participate in the lesson more actively. I ask this question individually because I should focus on their output. If many students answer at the same time, I cannot concentrate their speaking, so I cannot help them fix their errors. The students cannot also focus on their production. It means that they cannot notice the gap. Eventually, they don't have an opportunity to fix it.
Furthermore, they try to answer correctly with anxiety. Proper anxiety can be helpful for students. With proper anxiety, they can answer more correctly and have a chance to focus on the form. I also write their answers on the board, in order to make them pay attention to their answers. Moreover, that is helpful for them because they can use their right hemisphere, visualizing.
In presentation stage, I also use the board when drawing a mind-map. Students can draw the whole picture of the new words in their own mind. It makes new input more comprehensible. At this moment, I don't ask individually, in order to lower their affective filter and I just gather all of their answers, not judging them. I help them speak with confidence. Some students without confidence can answer at the same time when other students answer. Doing this, they can have confidence gradually. And then, I give some examples including the target language. I give them comprehensible input by using examples, not isolated words.
In step 9 and 10, the first way is to let students understand the definitions of the new words. As doing this, they can make new definitions with their own words. I can check their comprehension of the new words. Moreover, they can have confidence and positive self-image by making new definitions. They have a chance to produce their comprehension. The second way is to let students draw a picture by using their right hemisphere. And then, they should make sentences related to the picture and I can check their output. They also notice their ability to make sentences or the gap which they have to fix.
Ⅲ. Conclusion
When planning a lesson, teachers should consider not only the method or material of the lesson, but also student's motivation, cognition, affective parts, and so on. A teacher is a provider of the language, not only a provider of comprehensible input. Therefore, he or she must focus on students' output. When the teacher teaches students a language, he or she can use students' right hemisphere. Students can practice and master the language more meaningfully and effectively by using their right hemisphere. The teacher should improve students' confidence and help students have positive self-image by giving feedback. In addition, the teacher makes students take a risk. It means the teacher helps students not to be afraid of making an error. The teacher also needs to use helpful anxiety, so he or she makes students pay attention to and participate the lesson. Finally, students can be interested in the lesson when motivation is authentic and meaningful for them.
Submitted by Belle.
Posted by James Trotta at December 9, 2006 6:21 AMESL blog is one of many Blogs for learning English & teaching English. Translation services information.