It is no simple task to select and organize the teaching-learning activities to be included in the lesson plan so that all the topics are covered and developed in a planned progression of cumulative difficulty leading from initial introduction to communicative competence. At first, making out lesson plans takes many hours and entails some degree of flexibility as the beginning teacher seeks to put all the pieces together in the most efficient and productive fashion.
However, although practice in this case may not make the teacher perfect, it does enable him to accomplish his task much more quickly and with much greater expertise.
One way to insure coverage of all the points to be learned in the chapter is to make a checklist similar to the one below. By listing the days of the week, the teacher can keep track of when each is to be covered in the class at what level of difficulty. By writing in L, R, S, or W, he can also indicate in which of the language skills each of the topics has been practiced. Too, by giving the time spent on each activity, he can keep a record of how much practice the students have had with each topic.
|
Topic to be covered |
Preview |
View |
Review |
|
Subject pronouns |
M: L |
T: R, W |
W: L, S |
|
(5 min.) |
(5 min.) |
(5 min.) |
|
|
First four lines of |
M: L |
T: L, S |
W: R, W, L, S |
|
the dialog |
(5 min.) |
(5 min.) |
(10 min.) |
|
1 and you forms |
T: L |
W: L, R, W |
Th: L, S |
|
of the verb to be |
(3 min.) |
(5 min.) |
(5 min.) |
After finishing the lesson plan, the teacher should take a few moments to go back over his work, checking for consistency, sequence, and balance of materials. Are the selected activities consistent with the objectives? Do the teaching-learning activities progress in a logical sequence toward the goals of the lesson? Have all the topics been included at all levels of difficulty, i.e., have all three stages in second-language acquisition been included? Have all four language skills been practiced? Is there a variety of activities, including large-group, small-group, and individual activities? Are the presentations meaningful to the students, and do the situations developed for the practice of each of the language skills involve the exchange of information and meaning related to student interest and life experience? The teacher should consider his prepared plans from the point of view of all these questions. He should also consider additional ideas from chapter 16, "General Guidelines for Teaching a
Second Language/' As he takes an overview, he may very well see weaknesses of which he was unaware while preparing the various components of the plans.