Dummy's book Teaching Foreign Languages

TEFL Lesson Plans (A Wiley Brand)

Ch2:

Helping successful language learning

In the classroom

·      Make new language relevant to leaners

·      Ensure students feel relaxed

·      Grade lessons to become progressively more challenging

·      Give students encouragement and motivation

·      Repeat language items several times so that they’re truly learnt

·      Use non-verbal communication, such as mime and facial expressions, to reinforce meaning

·      Employ regalia to clarify meaning and crate interest

·      Set new language within a clear context

·      Follow this order for students listen, speak, read and then write

·      Don’t correct every single mistake, which inhibits communication, but correct select ones to help students improve

·      Make sure students know the grammatical principles of the language in order to construct sentences

·      Teach culture, language and content together

Outside the classroom

·      Get some good learning materials, such as a dictionary and a grammar book

·      Practice frequently

·      Read sentences or at least individual words aloud to get used to pronouncing the language

·      Try some of the same enjoyable activities in English as in their own mother tongue

·      Use memory aids such as flashcards

·      Set short-term and long-term learning goals

·      Be willing to make mistakes

Applying the silent way to your course

·      Limit Teacher talking time. Don’t always jump in when your students need a little thinking time

·      Use visual prompts in the classroom including color and shape.

·      Have useful chats on the wall

·      Remain silent while the students are working so that you can observe more. Then you’ll know their strengths and weaknesses

Allowing students to acquire, not lean, with the natural approach

Learning is very much a conscious process. You sit with a teacher and pay attention to the rules, structure and vocabulary. However, acquisition is basically picking up language, allowing the brain to do what it did naturally when you were an infant

Typically, you speak to the class about a given topic, or play an audio recording, while the students listen. Then the students do an activity based on what they’ve heard, such as filling in a gapped txt or labeling a diagram. You correct the students according to the meaning they’ve conveyed, not their grammar. Then you set a more challenging communicative activity on the topic.

·      These are some of the basic principles”

·      The main focus is communicative ability

·      Vocabulary is the most important part of the language, not grammar

·      Language is all about meaningful messages

Applying the natural approach to your course

·      Get students responding to a listening text by following a map, filling in a grid, or putting information in order?

·      If you have periods of speaking about a chosen topic, students can acquire expressions in English very naturally from you

·      Don’t over-correct students. Allow them to continue during a communicative activity for as long as they’re able to convey the right meaning (despite dodgy grammar)

·      Use closed questions before open ones. For example, give students multiple choice or yes/no questions before expecting them to be comfortable enough with the vocabulary to express and opinion

Teaching playfully with Suggestonpaedia

It’s believed in the power of both conscious and non conscious influences on the mind. The method uses carefully selected music, art, decorations, and furniture in the classroom.

·      The introduction stage

·      The concert session

·      Practice  time

·      Discussion time

Chapter 3: Getting down to planning

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