Examples of Lesson Plans:

There are three main types of lesson plan used in TEFL; PPP, Skills based and Telephone (video.) As I will be teaching classes of not more than 3, usually one; one) I will mainly be using the video or skills based plans.

Here are three original lesson plans that I have devised, just to give you a taster, all lessons will be individually adapted.

A lesson plan that many teachers of EFL use is: Presenation, practice Production (usually known as  PPP)

I outline below a lesson plan that I devised, using the teaching of a specific grammar rule, Present continuous:

PPP lesson, grammar: present continuous

Topic- Daily habits (activities that can be done/demonstrated in the classroom)

Lead in- using present simple - examples of  everyday/ habits, show pictures of people doing every day actions and routines (I/ she/we/they get(s) out of bed, she brushes her teeth, she walks to school/ work)- something that is true in the present.

Check meaning and pronunciation and practice new words. Use realia- i.e., real life objects (pictures, food packets, photos etc)

Presentation- Teach new language, model present continuous by giving examples from the pictures and asking students to make their own sentences- “she is getting out of bed etc.”

Meaning-Show the class objects and then mime the actions and ask the class to say what you are doing. Elicit (ask for) responses.

Pronunciation- repeat new words a couple of times, ask each person to say a sentence using present continuous, individually and chorally (all together). 

Form- draw a timeline on the board of where present continuous fits. This is something happening now, but not permanent, often daily habits. 

Explain how the form is conjugated, helping verb (to be)

Practice- 

Give out written handout, with gaps for the verbs and he/she/it/is

Ask students to take it in turns to come to the board to write down the missing words that they have written

Put them into pairs or 3s to complete this and then feed back to the class.

Remember to check: sentence structure, punctuation, terminology and spelling

Production- (students more involved and completing active exercises together)

Swapping pairs, Interview each other about activities that are happening,  then feed back to the group- use activities that are happening now or that can be mimed using realia; including contractions, questions, negatives and statements:

“What are you doing?”

“I am writing”

“Are you going?” etc

Skills based lesson plan, these lessons are aimed specifically at listening and practicing vocabulary

Pre intermediate, listening. (this would be adapted for one; one video lessons)

Song -Don't worry, be happy- (Bobby McFerrin)

Lead in:-

introduce theme

Introduce some words for different emotions, discuss

How to turn a negative to positive, examples from own lives

Pre teach vocab: Practice words, with actions, write words on board. 

Ask students to repeat, singly and chorally (all together). 

Use synonyms, examples, context clues, opposites (eg worry/ happy)

Worry

Happy

Aint

Trouble

Litigate

Cash

Style

Gal

Predictive skills: Write the title of the song on the board.

Ask: what song will be about? Pictures of happy and worried faces, how will these fit into the song? Check using open questions

Listening for gist: Ask students to listen for the above words, to think about their meaning within the song.

Feedback:

Think about the words above in context of how the singer is feeling, students to write 1 simile each on board

Listening for specific: 

Write 3 questions on the board which students can listen out for e.g., what did he do about his landlord? How is he feeling at different parts of the song? Students give ideas

Feedback: 

Put students into pairs (or singly)- think about the questions asked above, students can ask each other about how they would manage these situations, feed back to main group

Follow on activity: Write a short letter or email to a friend who is having a bad day and give suggestions

Telephone (video) lesson plan, a more simple plan which works well on a video call

Adult learner, pre intermediate

Colloquial language, based on episodes of ‘The Office’ (tv programme) 

Before: 

Send (by email or text) list of target language (TL) words and phrases for the student to practice and research the meaning for. Student could guess what the double meanings might be when thinking about colloquial language:- (for example saying “go” instead of “say” “catch” instead of eligible)

Words/ phrases to practice: fave, yeah, you know, okay, into, chilled-out, brilliant, go round, like, I’d go, fact yeah?, really, heck of a catch, Im rock and roll, as it stands, jack that in, no problem, that old thing, laughs- 

 Send a few short clips from the tv programme ‘The Office’, with a list of words to look out for (as above)- ask the student to watch these and note any of the above words and think about their meaning in that context.

Why might the speaker might have added them? Also think about other times these words/ phrases/ idioms/ might be used.

Ask the student to bring ideas to class, if they have had time to look through.

Some examples of the colloquial language used in the office: 

“If you were to ask me to name 3 geniuses… you know, Id go: Milligan, Cleese, Everett…. Sessions”

“They've got to trust me, I'm taking these guys into battle, yeah?”

“I don't do it so they turn round and go thank you David for the opportunity, thank you for the laughs,”

“You will never work in a place like this again. This is brilliant- fact yeah? …. Someone (a boss) who’s basically a chilled-out entertainer, yeah?”

“People see me and they see the suit and they go go ‘you're not fooling anyone’ they know I'm rock and roll through and through. But you know that old thing, live fast, die young? Not my way.”

During:

Check if the student has listened to the clips, if not, replay, or have the quotes written down to show the student and read them out. If they have already listened, discuss with the student as below, using their notes/ ideas. Useful to listen to clips again.

Ask student to listen out for:

Idioms/ sayings

Sayings that mean something different when the words are put together and/ or in this context (for example, “Im rock and roll” doesn’t literally mean this)

Added words such as “yeah” “really” “ok”, why are they added? (for example, adding yeah for emphasis, wanting the listener to agree)

Humour- why are these funny? (using slang for example, can show David Brent’s personality, the use of sayings, sometimes in an unusual way) 10 mins

Games - devise a quick fire game, using English sayings- use pictures e.g., legging it (picture of legs running), step up to the plate (steps and a plate), gotcha, chilled out (person looking very cold, and relaxed, in the snow) etc, and ask student to guess what the saying is. 7 mins

Have sentences written in a formal way, then ask student to ‘interpret’ them into informal (or vice versa) 7 mins

Gap fill: 

Conversation: “Hi, what are you.. (up) To today?”

“I was going to go …. (round) To my friend’s house and watch a film”

“What films are you…. (into)?”

“I really like romance, what …. (about) You?”

“Yeah romance is …. (okay) But horror is my …. (fave)” 7 mins

As student completes gap fill, talk about why these words are used and any alternatives.

Talk to the student about their favourite tv programme or film, ask them questions that can lead to a conversation- first practice sayings such as: “what is your favourite?” My favourite is” “why do you like?” “I like …. Cos” ask the student to add words that make the language less formal (really, like, yeah etc) 6 mins

Make it clear this type of language is for day to day use but not always to be used, depending on the situation.