Starting in English Language Teaching (ELT)

How to teach English: An example of a regular lesson plan.

As previously stated, routine is your friend. Keep a format that students can follow, as it reduces their anxiety, and so it creates a relaxed atmosphere. Note, spend maximum amount of time possible in the 'Practice' section, where students are talking with each other, and it takes the pressure off of you, and onto them; this is called being 'Student Centered'.

1. Fun / simple warm up <click on these headers for more info

2. Vocabulary. Introduce vocabulary that students will use in this lesson. This is, ironically, the last thing to plan, but first to do. Do a quick check and quick practice. Check can be a match the word to picture (or simple definition). And practice can be filling it into a contextually appropriate sentence.

3. Key structures. Here, introduce or elicit the main grammar structure. Show students the key elements, and then have them do a few quick examples.

4. Practice. The most crucial part, this is the meat of the lesson for students. If your textbook page is 'Is it a __?', don't deviate from this; it is the death of any teacher if they start trying to get students to practice "If there is ___, then I'd probably..." In other words, find as many different activities as you can for students to practice this 'Is it a __?'. See the aStore for books with great ideas. Always start with tightly structured (scaffolded) practice, where basically they are repeating the same thing over and over in dialogue form, but substituting some words. Then more to a more and more freed up activities. Until finally...

5. Wrap up. Here, have students practice using the key structure (as you presented it), without much support. This is the bit where they see for themselves that they've learnt something, and you are the king (or queen) of ELT.

6. Closing. Tell your students to review this day's lesson, and look ahead at pages X & Y for next lesson. You could impress them even more and give them a vocabulary list so they can better prepare.

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