Schematic layout of the structure of an ideal language lesson

CLIL per l’area umanistica: preparazione di materiali didattici / schede di riferimento

© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

Schematic layout of the structure of an ideal language lesson

Phase Step Purpose Skill Time available

Warm-up Elicitation of topic-related language To recall language which is already

known; to involve students

Recall 10 minutes (includes

taking the register)

Presentation Pre-teaching of topic-related language To introduce essential but

unfamiliar vocabulary

Deduction (+ memory) 20 minutes

Pre-task questions

“before you read / listen /watch”

To focus on the overall message

conveyed by the stimulus text

Skimming (fast reading for gist)

Stimulus text Global comprehension of the

stimulus text

Reading / listening (+ memory)

Post task questions

“after reading / listening/watching”

To identify specific information in

the stimulus text

Scanning (fast reading for focus)

Practice Focus on form task 1. Locate vocabulary

items

To notice and identify words Noticing 20 minutes

Focus on form 2. Locate synonyms To identify meaning in context Understanding meanings

expressed in different words

Focus on form 3. Manipulating language Phrasebuilding: to combine words

into chunks /phrases / sentences

Manipulation and transformation

of structures (requires higher-

order cognitive skills)

Production Semi-structured speaking/writing To re-use the language introduced Recycling 10 minutes

Free speaking/writing To re-use and extend the language

introduced; to encourage critical

thinking

Fluency; critical thinking

Follow-up Tasks to complete Use of language as tool for

communication about topic

Consolidation homework

Guidelines for length / duration of texts

Classroom activities proportion of new

vocabulary

Testing activities proportion of new

vocabulary Level Written text Audio Written text Audio

A2 200-250 words 2 minutes 10-15% 250 words 2– 2½ minutes <5%

B1 350-425 words 3½– 4 minutes 10-15% 400 words 3½– 4 minutes <8%

B2 400-500 words 4-6 minutes 10-15% 500 words 4½-5 minutes <10%

C1 500-700 words 5-8 minutes 10-15% 600 words 6 minutes <10%


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

Types of exercises for the different steps of the lesson Warm-up

Elicitation

1) Open question

a) Experience-based question (typically expressed in present perfect)

i) Have you ever…?

b) Knowledge-based question (typically expressed in present simple)

i) What do you know about…? Describe it in X words

ii) How many … can you remember? Write them down.

iii) Write a list of …

c) Observation-based questions (typically expressed in present simple/progressive)

i) Look at the picture.

a) What do you think … (is happening / the man feels) ?

b) Where do you think… (they are/ the picture was taken …) ?

c) Why do you think ... (the picture was taken / they people are smiling …) ?

2) Follow-up questions for specific information(typically expressed in past or present simple)

a) Experience-based question (follow-up questions typically expressed in past simple)

i) When did you…?

ii) Why did you…?

iii) Who did you … with?

iv) What did you …?

b) Knowledge-based question (Follow-up questions typically expressed in present simple)

i) Do you know any other…?

ii) What about…?

c) Observation-based questions (Follow-up question is typically “why?”)

Presentation

1) Pre-teaching of topic-related language

Pre-teaching usually has two stages: an explanation/ translation of new expressions, and a text-based

exercise to review and consolidate the meaning of the new words

a) The presentation (explanation, translation of new expressions) does not require particular exercise

types – words can be written on the board or supplied on a hand-out

b) The exercise (text-based exercise to review and consolidate new words) is designed to fix

definitions, so should be based on dictionary definitions (copy these from

www.macmillandictionary.com ). The typical exercise types are gap-fill (the target word is

eliminated from the definition) or multiple-choice (three words are supplied; the student has to

choose which is the target word). Gap-fill is preferable if you are working on paper, while either

type works well in computer-based tasks (the MC is presented as a pull-down list). A final option for

this stage is to ask students to complete a crossword based on the definitions. Try

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/free-puzzlemaker/

2) Pre-task questions: “before you read / listen /watch”

Pre-task questions are usually very few (1 for low levels; two for intermediate, three for upper-

intermediate)) and are also very simple: just Yes/No questions or True/False referring to statements.

3) Stimulus text

Independently of whether your text is written, audio or audio-video, you must expect that your

students will read/listen/watch twice, possibly three times. You must plan enough time for this.

a) The first time they read/listen/watch, they are skimming for information (c.f. pre-task questions).

It is very important that students understand that they must only carry out the task (=answer a

simple question), and that the purpose of the first reading/listening/viewing is NOT to understand

everything.


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

b) The second time they read/listen/watch, they are scanning for information so that they can answer

the post-task questions. Again, it is very important that students understand that they must only

carry out the task (=answer the questions), NOT understand everything.

c) If they read/listen/watch a third time, it is for detail, for vocabulary and for in-depth

comprehension.

i) If they are reading, you can encourage them to work in pairs and try to guess the meaning of

difficult passages before they consult a dictionary. You can also suggest that they read the text

aloud, taking turns to read and to listen. This gives them a chance to practice speaking in a

highly-structured and protected environment (no peer pressure, no performance anxiety).

ii) If they are listening or watching, it is at this stage that you can let them read the transcripts as

they listen. They may ask to listen to micro-excepts in places where they find it difficult to hear

(identify) words that they already know (this is the biggest problem for comprehension).

4) Post task questions: “after reading / listening/watching”

Post-task questions are designed to ensure that students have understood the main points of the text.

a) For low levels (<A2) five questions is the limit, and it is a good idea to remain with T/F or Y/N

questions. Alternatively, you can propose a gap-fill exercise, where the students have to complete

the information in a statement by inserting words from the text.

b) For intermediate (B1) learners, 5-8 questions is the norm. In addition to the two types proposed

for A2, you could also propose a matching exercise(e.g., provide a title for each paragraph – the

students have to decide which title matches each paragraph). The best matching exercises have

one or two extra titles, so students can’t simply rely on deduction and elimination.

c) For B2, 6-9 questions is the norm, and these follow the three types already described, and also

multiple-choice. For a multiple-choice in a teaching context, 3 possible answers are sufficient. For

testing, you need more – typically 4 or (preferably) 5.

Practice

1) Locate vocabulary items

Students have to identify the word forms in the text. These words can be highlighted (best for lower

levels) or not highlighted. Students develop the skill to scan the text for particular words and then work

out their meaning in context. Exercise types most suitable for this exercise are:-

a) Look/listen and identify. The words are listed (with line/paragraph numbers) and the students

have to locate them in the text.

b) Unscramble. The words are presented as anagrams which the students have to resolve and then

locate in the text. Use with B1+ learners.

c) Gap-fill. Dictionary definitions of the words are provided, together with line/paragraph numbers,

and the students have to locate the words in the text and complete the gaps.

d) Multiple-choice. Students have to locate the word in the text to select the correct meaning in that

context. Good for B2+ students, because it improves their ability to associate words with several

contextually-determined meanings.

2) Locate synonyms

Students have to identify meanings in the text by looking for synonyms. This develops vocabulary and

linguistic flexibility. Exercise types most suitable for this exercise are:-

a) Look/listen and identify. The synonyms/paraphrases are listed (with line/paragraph numbers) and

the students have to locate the original words in the text.

b) Match. Two lists are provided: the synonyms/paraphrases and words from the text. Line numbers

are not always given. Students have to match expressions with the same meaning.

c) Crossword. Similar to the gap-fill exercise in (1). Synonyms/paraphrases of the words are provided

as definitions, which are inserted into the crossword.

3) Manipulating language

Students have to locate expressions in the text and then manipulate them in an exercise. This kind of

exercise is particularly suitable to multi-word expressions (phrasal verbs, collocations) and grammar


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

structures (question forms, passives, transformation of word forms, e.g. noun to verb). Exercise types

most suitable for this exercise are:-

a) Match. Words are presented in 2 columns (up to 3 for B2 level). Students have to connect the

words which go together, checking the stimulus text for reference.

b) Category. Students are presented with a list of words or expressions and have to generate, or copy

from the stimulus text, the corresponding form of a different part of speech (e.g. noun is provided,

students have to find the corresponding adjective in the text and write it into the “adjective”

column of the table, beside the noun.

c) Gap-fill. Students have to complete sentences – or a short text – with a particular expression (or

grammatical form). Only the part to be manipulated is gapped.

d) Transformation. Students have to convert sentences so that they keep the same meaning but use

different words and/or grammar structures.

i) The simplest kind of transformation is done with a re-order exercise: all the words are

provided, but they are not in the correct sequence.

ii) To make the exercise a bit more difficult, you can gap-fill the part of the sentence that needs to

be re-written, providing a separate space for each word that has to be inserted.

iii) For B2 learners, it is expected that they can re-write the sentence (free response).

Production

1) Semi-structured speaking/writing

Task is structured around the 5-wh interrogatives (who – where – why – when – what). These can be in

a questionnaire format (closed-response),or simply listed as questions (open-response):-

a) Students first read and answer the questions individually (usually taking written notes, even if it is a

speaking exercise)

b) Students then work in pairs or groups (about 4 students) to share / compare answers, or

c) Students write short answers to the questions

2) Free speaking/writing

Building on vocabulary elicited in the previous production exercise, free production is built around

open-response questions and instructions, including:-

a) Describe...

b) Talk to your partner about...

c) Have you ever...? �What happened?

d) What do you think about...?

e) Discuss the pros and cons of...

Follow-up (optional)

Tasks to complete

1) Hands-on tasks

a) e.g. web-quests and library searches,

i) with or without the requirement to create a final artefact, e.g. essay, presentation,

demonstration, performance / re-enactment

2) Experiential learning tasks

a) Going out into the real world and documenting evidence

i) e.g. interviewing friends and relatives, to integrate and enrich the learning done in the lesson

ii) e.g. visiting places to “experience” them, to contextualise the learning done in the lesson

3) Problem solving tasks

a) Tasks which require students to think about alternative viewpoints and how to address them

i) e.g. role-play cards with prompt questions

ii) e.g. conversation maze.


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

Examples of the types of exercises for the different steps of the lesson Warm-up a) Experience-based questions

Work in pairs. Discuss the questions.

1 When was the last time you bumped into someone that you hadn’t seen for ages?

2 What did you talk about?

3 Had they changed a lot?

Life Upper-intermediate Unit 1 (p16)

1 Work in pairs. Read the quotation. Do you think this is good advice? Is it easy to act on? Discuss

with your partner. “ Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all

yourself”. Eleanor Roosevelt, Diplomat

Life Advanced Unit 1 (p12)

b) Knowledge-based questions

Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). Then check your answers in the text.

1. Everest was first climbed in 1853.

2. Kenton Cool was the first man to reach the summit of Everest.

3. It can cost climbers $85,000 to climb Everest.

4. Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal.

5. The west ridge of Everest was first climbed in 1963.

6. It is not possible to reach the summit of Everest in the hours of darkness.

GEO-everest-adv.pdf

1 How many sports teams can you write down in one minute? What are their team colours?

Which are the most successful teams of those on your list?

Life Intermediate, Unit 1 (p14)

1 Work in pairs. Discuss the questions. 1 Who are the great writers in your country’s history? Do you know any famous quotations

from their work?

2 Is Shakespeare well-known in your country?

3 What Shakespeare plays do you know the names of? What do you know about them?

4 Do you know any famous quotations from Shakespeare plays?



© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

1 Choose the correct answer.

1. Bansky is …

a. … a fashion designer.

b. … a musician.

c. … a street artist.

2. Banksy …

a. … chooses to keep his identity secret (no one knows who he is).

b. … is a university lecturer.

c. … lives in a cave.

3. Haringey is …

a. … a large house.

b. … a part of London. c. … an island off the north of Scotland.

ART-banksy-ele.pdf

1 Work in pairs. Why do you think people emigrate? What difficulties do you think they face when they settle in a new country? Compare your ideas with another pair.

Life Upper-intermediate, Unit 1 (p 14)

c) Observation-based questions



© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018


Life Intermediate Unit 1 (p10)


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018


1 Work in pairs. Look at the photo accompanying the

article. Discuss the questions.

1 What does it show?

2 What do you think the matter is with the young

girl?

3 Is this situation familiar to you?

2 Discuss what effects you think China’s recent

economic boom have had on the attitudes of the

younger generation and the older generation?

3 Read the article and compare your answers.

Life Upper-Intermediate, Unit 1 (p 12)


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

Presentation

Pre-teaching of topic-related language

GEO-everest-ele.pdf

GEO-everest-int.pdf


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

2 Choose the correct word for each definition. Check that you understand the meaning of the

other words. Use a dictionary if necessary. 1 passion / prosperity financial success

2 love / luck when things go well without planning them

3 courage / anger the ability to face dangerous situations without being afraid

4 happiness / wisdom the ability to make good decisions based on experience

5 knowledge / sorrow information and facts that a person has

6 power / sadness a feeling of being unhappy

7 joy / mourning a feeling of great sadness when someone dies

8 pride / envy a feeling of wanting what someone else has

Life Intermediate Unit 1 (p12)



© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

Pre-task questions: “before you read / listen /watch”

Find the information

Find the answers to these questions in the text.

1. What is the capital of Nepal?

2. What are the names of the three summits in the Everest “horseshoe”?

3. When was the first time someone climbed Everest?

4. How high was the highest rescue on Everest?

5. How much does a climber spend to climb Everest?

6. What kind of weather often closes Lukla Airport?

GEO-everest-int.pdf

2 Read the article. Match the people with the types of lesson they taught (a–c). There is one extra type of lesson.

1 Confucius 2 Nelson Mandela a a lesson that is difficult to act on b a lesson that has been misinterpreted c a lesson that has been forgotten


Decide whether these statements are true or false and then look in the text to check your answers: 1. The Amazonian forest is the world’s largest continuous forest. 2. Most of Brazil’s beef is exported to the United States. 3. Brazilian beef is popular in Europe because people are afraid that European cattle are diseased. 4. Logging is the main reason for deforestation. 5. Soybean cultivation causes more deforestation than cattle farming. 6. There is no foot and mouth disease in Brazil.

Amazon.pdf

1 Which paragraph of the text (1–4) answers each of these questions? 1 What can we do to protect biodiversity? _____ 2 How has biodiversity been reduced? _____ 3 What examples are there of successful biodiversity projects? _____ 4 Why is biodiversity important? _____

global_elesson051_biodiversity.pdf


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

Post task questions: “after reading / listening/watching” True-False questions

Read the article again. According to the text, are the sentences true (T) or false (F)? 1 Sometimes people don’t want to understand the lessons of the past. 2 A lot of Chinese people feel that their society has turned its back on the past. 3 China’s rapid development has begun to slow down. 4 Nelson Mandela wanted the two sides in South Africa to stop fighting. 5 Mandela was not opposed to violence in principle. 6 The writer suggests that most people are too selfish.


Find the part in the article that tells you about these things and decide whether the sentences are true (T) or false (F).

1. At the moment you cannot see Iqaluit on Google Maps.

2. A Street View map of Iqaluit will be online in 2013.

3. The Street View pictures were taken using a camera on the roof of a car.

4. The people who live in Iqaluit were very interested in the Google map makers and their work.

5. In the summer months, when the ice melts, some of the roads in Iqaluit disappear.

6. The map makers had to be careful of polar bears.

7. The people who live in Iqaluit did not help Google.

8. Many companies and people in Iqaluit have their mail sent to the post office.

9. The Street View application will help the local government make decisions about what to build in their town.

10. Google are going to send more teams to make maps of northern Canadian towns.

GEO_arctic-mapping_ele.pdf

Gap-fill questions

global_elesson040_MAXXI_Elem.pdf


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

2 Read the article and write the names of the people and places. 1 An award for architects. __________ 2 A museum in Germany. __________ 3 A company in London. __________ 4 An area of Rome. __________ 5 The president of the MAXXI Foundation. __________

global_elesson040_MAXXI_Elem.pdf

Matching

1. Margaret Thatcher was …

2. She was the first …

3. Members of her own political party …

4. Margaret Thatcher worked closely …

5. People were very surprised …

6. In 1984, the IRA …

a. … removed her in 1990.

b. … when she became party leader in 1975.

c. … prime minister of the UK for 11 years.

d. … tried to kill her with a bomb.

e. … woman leader of a major western country.

f. … with Mikhail Gorbachev.

HIST-thatcher-ele.pdf

Multiple-choice

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. How did Richard III probably die?

a. He fell off his horse.

b. He was hit by an axe.

c. He was shot in the eye by an arrow.

2. What happened to his body immediately after his death?

a. It was buried in a grave on the battlefield.

b. It was stripped naked and thrown onto the back of a horse.

c. It was buried under a car park in Leicester.

3. How did the researchers prove the remains were those of Richard III?

a. by matching his DNA with that of a distant descendant

b. by using computer-imaging technology

c. by using a combination of the two and researching old texts

4. When did the archaeologists become convinced the remains were those of Richard III?

a. when they noticed that the body had a twisted spine

b. when local historians identified the car park as the site of the lost church of Grey Friars

c. when the leg bones were covered up again

HIST-richard-iii-adv.pdf


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

Practice

1) Locate vocabulary items

a) Look/listen and identify.

a. Look again at the key words from task 3. Find the words that come before or after them.

1. _________________ mortals

2. _______ bargain

3. _______ _________________ _______ bidding

4. _________________ modest

5. _________________ versions

6. _________________ _________________ imitated

7. _________________ anxiety

8. _________________ expressionist

9. _______ _________________ inspiration

10. proceeds _______ _______ _________________

11. _________________ recognizable

12. _________________ icon

ART_TheScream_intermediate.pdf

New English File Intermediate Student’s Book, p 14


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

b) Unscramble / rearrange.

New English File Elementary Student’s Book, p 64

Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text.

1. first minister our woman prime

2. around famous world the

3. and more unpopular more

4. the 87 of age at

5. for in health poor years many 6. closely worked people her with who


c) Gap-fill

Which prepositions follow these words? 1. demand ________ 2. fear ________ 3. concern ________ 4. linked ________ 5. support ________ 6. according ________ 7. due ________ 8. responsible ________

Amazon.pdf



© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

d) Multiple-choice.


2) Locate synonyms a) Look/listen and identify.

Find the following words and expressions in the text.

1. a three-word phrase meaning to a degree that the law considers to be satisfactory for making a decision (para 2)

2. a two-word phrasal verb meaning to look very carefully into something, often because it is difficult to see (para 3)

3. a verb meaning to search a place or document very thoroughly (para 3)

4. a three-word noun phrase meaning a sudden act of breathing in, especially when you are shocked by something (para 6)

5. a two-word adjectival phrase meaning very sharp (para 6)

6. a verb meaning to throw something with force or in a careless way (para 8)

7. a verb meaning to happen or develop (para 9)

8. an adverb meaning done in a hurry because you do not have much time (para 10)




© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

b) Match.


c) Crossword.

New English File Intermediate plus Workbook, p 38


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018


3) Manipulating language

Match.

Match the adjectives in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column.

1. humiliating

2. overwhelming

3. contemporary

4. razor-sharp

5. extraordinary

6. reasonable

a. blade

b. doubt

c. evidence

d. detail

e. account

f. treatment


Match the words to make collocations from the article. Then discuss their meanings, discuss how they are used in the article and write an example sentence of your own.

1. slave

2. social

3. diamond

4. street

5. community

6. legal

7. stolen

8. rightful

a. art

b. jubilee

c. labour

d. owner

e. property

f. commentary

g. leaders

h. issues

ART-banksy-ele.pdf


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

Category.


Gap-fill.



Transformation. i) re-order

Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text.

1. first minister our woman prime

2. around famous world the

3. and more unpopular more

4. the 87 of age at

5. for in health poor years many 6. closely worked people her with who



© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

ii) gap-fill

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence.

1. The grave was _________________ too small to hold Richard’s body. [SLIGHT]

2. He will be buried just 100 yards from the _________________ site. [EXCAVATE]

3. The little princes were declared _________________ when Richard III claimed the throne. [LEGITIMATE]

4. The princes were _________________ in the Tower of London. [PRISON]

5. A distant _________________ with matching DNA was found. [DESCEND]

6. There will be a new visitor centre in an old school _________________ the site. [LOOK]



iii) re-write the sentence (free response).

New English File Intermediate p 143


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018




© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

Production

1. Semi-structured speaking/writing

New English File Intermediate plus Student’s book, p 13



© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

New English File Elementary Student’s book, p 91


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

2. Free speaking/writing

a) Describe...

New English File Pre-intermediate Student’s book, p 108 / 112


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

New English File Intermediate Student’s book, p 58


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

b) Talk to your partner about...




© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

c) Have you ever...? �What happened?



New English File Intermediate Student’s book, p54


© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

d) What do you think about...?



© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018



© Gill Philip 2013, 2015, 2018

e) Discuss the pros and cons of...



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Schematic layout of the structure of an ideal language lesson