Unit of Instruction: Finding An Apartment

Lesson Goal: Learners are to describe objects, design features, and dialogue

within a context of finding an apartment. Recognition of important relevant

vocabulary, features of assignment, and proficiency in communicative

competence.

Pre-Listening Skills: Learners are to watch an Episode of International House Hunters

(25min, Netflix). If there is not that kind of time the instructor could edit the episode down to

about 15 minutes and still get in the relevant information. This pre-listening skill sets the tone

for the assignment.

Students can find and agree upon a house hunters episode using youtube.com

Youtube is a free video sharing website that makes it easy to watch online videos. Originally created in 2005, YouTube is now one of the most popular sites on the Web, with visitors watching around 6 billion hours of video every month.

Source: http://www.gcflearnfree.org/youtube/what-is-youtube

This site is a beneficial visual aid for receiving access to relevant and required input for this assignment.

Exposure to a video sharing system gives valuable insight and goals for creating a classroom video to upload.

Voicethread.com could be used to capture discussion around finding an apartment. The teacher can post an apartment image on the site and invite students to leave a voice thread on what features they like about the apartment.

Voice threads added to the sides.

“When you provide opportunities for English learners to interact with their English speaking peers, receptive and productive language opportunities abound.” (Wong Fillmore, 1982) - qtd. by Peregoy and Boyle, 2005.

Houseplans.comStudents can get ideas on home design, features, vocabulary around house styles, and view different house plans.ApartmentFinder.comThis site answers important questions and vocabulary surrounding finding an apartment

Lesson Activity: After watching the episode split the class into four groups. Three of the groups are given a large (20x20)

piece of paper. Those groups are told that they are to discuss a design for a two bedroom furnished apartment plan view. A

key is to be written describing the furniture and designs within the apartment. They are also to discuss and write a

descriptive paragraph which includes: location, amenities, price, and utilities. Lynch details that he “found plenty of

evidence that transcribing their own spoken interaction resulted in learners finding plenty to improve and being able to

make substantial corrections to the language of the transcription.” (Lynch, 2001. Qtd. Nation & Newton 2009)

This interesting contraction between pin and interest comes from the idea of collecting things you find interesting and then being able to share them with other people and being able to see their Pinterests too.

Students can share ideas with each other on Pinterest they get for apartmentdesign and decorating. A fourth team chooses which of the three teams apartments fits a criteria they are looking for.

One of the teacher’s major responsibilities is to make sure a variety of functional language and literacy uses is incorporated into the projects and activities undertaken by the students.” (Heath & Magnolia, 1991) - Qtd. by Peregoy and Boyle.

ESLgamesworld.com

This is a classroom game where you spin the wheel and students answer questions to score points. Review Home, Furniture, Actions, Rooms - Bedroom, Bathroom, Living room Vocabulary- ESLgamesworld.com

The students are divided into teams and each describes the interactive media they see after clicking to answer. This is a fun activity.