I have started applying the knowledge gained during the course “Resources Development and Integration” and would like to share with you the lesson plan for one of my online IELTS speaking classes.
When planning this lesson, I have applied two principles of language acquisition by B. Tomlinson:
1. Principle of language acquisition No.1 “A prerequisite for language acquisition is that the learners are exposed to a rich, meaningful, and comprehensible input of language in use”
I have added an article from the Metro newspaper about Michael Jackson’s death and an You Tube video from his live concert. I have noticed that the video brought a lot of positive emotions and the student was eager to share some facts that he knew about the show!
2. Principle of language acquisition No.2 “In order for the learners to maximize their exposure to language in use, they need to be engaged both affectively and cognitively in the language experience”
I have chosen the topic that is of interest to my student and it helped initiate discussions as the learner was feeling more confident and knowledgeable about the topic. I have tried the “think aloud strategy” ( which is a new thing for me) during the reading exercise when I asked the student to think and express his opinion while reading and he was happy to discuss points that were related to other areas of knowledge, like moonwalk
My student:
Male adult from Moscow, Russia.
39 years old
CLB 7
Occupation – programmer
Goal – to pass IELTS exam to be able to apply for one of the immigration programs to Canada
Very proficient in computers and prefers using latest technologies rather than paper worksheets
Lesson topic – A singer or a musician you admire
General objective – to continue developing the student’s speaking skills and practice the grammar
By the end of the class, the student will be able to:
· Identify the vocabulary related to the topic
· Use the new words to talk about his favorite singer
· Use second conditional tense when talking about unrealistic things
The student has shared with me before that his favorite singer is Michael Jackson. The student’s home task was to search for some facts about MJ (when was he born? Did he have a nickname? What was his nationality?) and watch a video of other people talking about him (What do they say? DO they like his music or not? How could you tell?)
These are the materials I will be using during the lesson:
· ESL Library lesson about Michael Jackson
· Excerpt from the YouTube video of MJ’s song “Billie Jean”
· Images of other famous to initiate discussions on what they are famous for and their signature attributes like smile, mustache ( my student came up with a lot of examples of Russian singers and actors and their iconic trademarks)
· Metro newspaper article about MJ’s death
Class activities
1. Warm-up activity – I try to ask questions using Past, Present and Future tenses. My student shares his findings from the internet. We then watch the video excerpt showing how MJ is putting on his signature glove and hat. My student loved that part, he wanted to share with me that this is one of his favorite songs and that he thinks this was one of MJ’s best live performances!
My questions:
What words come to your mind when you hear the name Michael Jackson?
Do you remember how you first learned about him?
DO you believe future generations will be listening to his songs? Why?
How often/ When do you listen to his songs?
DO you think he was a controversial figure? Why?
What would you say if you met Michael Jackson? ( we discuss that this is an imaginary situation and we need to use past simple in the if clause and would in the main clause) We have learned the second conditional before, so it is only a revision. I ask my student a couple of more questions – Would you still be his fan if you found out MJ was guilty of a crime?
2. Vocabulary exercise – the student matches the words with their meanings ( some of the new words are celebrity, admirer, renowned, legendary, well-known and others) Before the course I’d normally just explain the meaning of the word to the student if he can’t guess it right away, but now I try to gesture it first or try to explain in other words without translating into the student’s native language. When possible, I try to find some flash cards or just simply images to show the student.
3. Reading activity
Now, that we have gone over the new words and know their meaning, we will be reading the text about Michael Jackson.
The student reads one paragraph at a time ( if it is a sentence with a new word, we stop after it and discuss, I want to make sure that the student understands the meaning of the sentence; I also ask to think of synonyms/antonyms). If the student struggles with the pronunciation of the new words, we take time to practise pronouncing them correctly.
I like to practise a think-aloud reading. Here is an example of it.
“In 1983, Michael Jackson debuted his signature dance move, the “Moonwalk” ( Hmmm, I wonder why it’s called “Moonwalk”. The students makes some guesses – maybe because on the moon you can’t walk as on earth lifting one foot move forward and then lift the other foot?)
4. Post-reading discussion
We take time to discuss questions related to the text. I prepare questions that would require the student to use the new vocabulary and key phrases.
When did Michael Jackson start his solo career?
What is his signature attribute?
Why do you think MJ has so many admirers?
When answering the questions, I have a possibility to check again if the students can use the new words correctly, if he feels more comfortable expressing his opinion.
5. The assignment for the next lesson will be to compose a short story about MJ using the new words and phrases. I would also ask the student to complete the comprehension quiz from the ESL Library lesson and do some more research about Michael Jackson’s “glitter glove” and share his findings with me next time.
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