Evaluating a Lesson Structure
The importance of English as a Global Language
The English language has become wide-spread across the globe, thanks to globalization. The language has become the official language of communication in many nations due to its diverse use in scientific research, education, business transactions, tourism, and advertisements. English becoming a global language has necessitated the need for students and learners from English non-speaking nations to start learning it as a second language. The rise of globalization has led to international commerce, where multi-national corporations have operations in different countries (Rao, 2019). Such a move makes it necessary to have a common language to facilitate communications across the world. English has been the common language used in many parts of the world, and many people are learning English as their second language to secure employment in the global arena, or facilitate their interaction and communication with English-speaking partners (United States Government Accountability Office, 2009). Such concerns have led to increased demand for English-learning classes even for adults. This essay seeks to take an analysis of such English class lessons and see how effective they are in meeting their objectives. The main aim of the English class lesson is to ensure students understand English concepts and can communicate effectively using the language.
Evaluation of Grammar on p. 22
The lesson and the grammar exhibit global English ideals in various aspects, as discussed below. The sentences used are grammatically and structurally correct. They are helping the learners to understand English concepts and be able to use English as a tool for communication. Globally, some of the ideals for the English language are that it should be clear and correct in order to convey the accurate and intended message (Wisconsin Union n.d). The language used on page 22 is simple, clear and easy to understand by learners of the language. It contains examples that give a deeper understanding of the use of the word have got, hence making it easy for learners to grasp the concept.
Evaluation of the lesson’s Organization
The lesson plan outlines the goals and objectives of the whole lesson and its expected outcomes. The structure of the lesson plan is based on the presentation, practice and production of grammar (PPP) methodology. In the lesson plan, I begin by outlining the objectives of the lesson, and they include; students being able to understand scenarios where ‘have got’ is appropriately used and cases where it cannot be applied. The other goal is for the students to construct grammatically correct sentences while incorporating the term have got. Such a practice exercise is meant to gauge the students’ understanding of the whole concept. The reason why I have outlined the objectives of the lesson is to ensure as a teacher, I remain on track and stick to the planned lesson without diverting to generalities.
The next aspect of my lesson plan is the outline of the study activities to be conducted during the learning session. During the lesson, students would read sentences from the board and charts that highlight the uses of the term have got. They would also discuss in groups the use of the word, while at the same time constructing grammatically correct sentences that incorporate the term ‘have got.’ The group discussions will offer an excellent platform for the students to practice what they would have learned, as well as correct each other on any errors they make. Such a task would help the students to sharpen their mastery of the language.
Besides the group discussions, the students will engage in self-practice by constructing sentences using the term ‘have not.’ Through self-practice, the teacher will be able to gauge the student’s understanding of the concept and if there is a need for more examples and explanations. As the teacher, I will give all students a chance to participate and show their mastery of the content. After the students have mastered the concept, they will attempt an exercise to test their overall understanding of the lesson. If need be, I will also leave the charts behind so that the students can continue practicing.
After developing the objectives of the lesson and its expected outcomes, the other focus is the delivery of the content. It will be specifically, use the PPP method to ensure the teaching serves its purpose. One of the critical aspects of the PPP method is about presentation. The element of presentation requires that a teacher should never attempt to teach something he/she hasn’t prepared. In this case, I am fully prepared for the lesson, and I have mastered the content. I have even developed a lesson plan, including the objectives and expected outcomes of the lesson. Besides, the presentation requires that the teacher provides examples that show context. I have attained this by outlining various examples in my lesson plan that bring into context the use of the term ‘have got.’ Such examples are (British Council):
- I have got a new bike.
- She has got long nails
- They have got brand new cars
- He has got a negative attitude
Also, such examples are ideal for the lesson since they are accurate and easy to understand. In presenting the content to students, I will also use instructional charts to help the students remember what they see.
The other aspect of the PPP method is practice. For learning to take place effectively, the teacher must offer students the chance to practice what they have learned. In my case, my lesson plan outlines individual and group attempts of questions as part of the lesson plan. Students will attempt to construct relevant sentences using the term have got, both individually and in a group setting. The practice is the process of making learning procedural. To ensure students practice the concepts I will teach, I will begin by creating awareness and an overview of what the lesson is all about as well what students should have understood at the end of the lesson. I will explain situations in which the term ‘have got’ is used and where it not. Attempting structured questions as well as setting their examples will ensure the students have mastered and practiced the concept.
The final aspect of the PPP methodology is the production of grammar. After the lesson, students should be in a position to produce grammatically correct sentences using the concept learned in the class. That is achieved through free practice. Students’ ability to produce grammar is measured and developed through meaningful and structured activities. For instance, I will give the students a passage containing the word ‘have got.’ Their task would be to identify where the term is correctly used and where it is not. I will also leave the charts behind so that they could continue practicing on their own. That will ensure they can reproduce grammar by applying the concepts learned during the lesson.
Principles to Guide the Lesson
In a bid to ensure active learning among adult learners, I will utilize various principles in my teaching. My lesson plan takes into account the principles that govern effective adult teaching and learning experience. One of the principles is the needs assessment. Needs assessment involves identifying what the learners need to learn (Wisconsin Union n.d). In this case, my learners need to polish their grammatical prowess by understanding how the word ‘have got’ is used in sentences. The other principle is safety, and this concerns the environment in which learning is taking place. My teaching will occur in a classroom setup, and that will guarantee learners’ security. Another principle is sequence and reinforcement. It requires the teacher to begin with simple concepts before introducing the complex ones (Wisconsin Union n.d). My lesson plan takes care of this since it starts by explaining how the term ‘have got‘ is used before using it in sentences. The rest of the principles of adult learning are praxis, respect, immediacy, roles, teamwork, engagement, accountability, as well as the sound relationship between the teacher and the learner (Wisconsin Union n.d). I have taken into account all these principles in preparing my lesson plan to ensure effective learning.
On roles, I understand that as a teacher, I am a facilitator of learning, and I do not have the monopoly of knowledge. Therefore, the students are free to bring forth their ideas during the learning process (Wisconsin Union n.d). Engagement of the learners with what they are learning will be achieved through group discussions and individual exercise attempts. Teamwork will similarly be attained through group assignments and exercises. The principles for adult learning are slightly different from those of young learners since adults remember only 20% of what they hear, 40% of what they see and hear, and 80% of all that they do as according to Wisconsin Union. Therefore, my teaching will be focusing on hearing, seeing and doing. The hearing will be through oral explanations by the teacher, seeing will be achieved through charts and writings on the board while doing will be attained through the students applying the concepts in groups and individual assignments.
Besides applying the principles for adult learning, my lesson structure has also utilized the Rapid Collaborative Knowledge Improvement (RCKI), to ensure the objectives of the lesson are attained. Such principles include spontaneous participation, multi-modal expression, volunteerism, the democratization of knowledge, epistemic agency, idea diversity, improvable ideas, high order thinking, and symmetric knowledge advancement (Chen et al., 2012). Though not all, my lesson plan incorporates many of these principles. For instance, I will integrate spontaneous participation by allowing students to respond to questions. Ask questions, as well as comment about the lesson. I will also apply the principle of multi-modal expression by encouraging students to respond to their understanding of the lesson through a manner of their choice, either by answering questions or formulating sentences with the concepts learned in class. To democratize the learning process, I will offer all students equal opportunities to participate in the lesson by responding to questions or participating in group discussions.
Besides, my lesson will embrace symmetric knowledge advancement through students’ interaction in groups. Before attempting assignments on their own, the students will engage in group discussion as outlined in the lesson plan. The purpose of the groups is to enhance the sharing of ideas and knowledge about the subject among students. That will help the students to have e better understanding of the subject by gaining insights from their peers and colleagues (Chen et al., 2012). That will enhance the cross-sectional transfer of knowledge hence helping the students to understand the concept better.
Lastly, my lesson will be interactive, and this will be achieved through techniques for creating dialogue. Such methods are warm-up, the learning task, sampling, teamwork, affirmations, modelling, among others (Wisconsin Union n.d). Modelling requires a teacher to demonstrate a concept to students before telling them to do it. Affirmation will help me to confirm the correctness of responses given by students on some tasks. Warm-up will enable me to introduce the lesson to the students. I will ask them to remember what we learned previously in a bid to enhance their ability to remembers concepts. I will use the learning task principle by asking both group and individual questions to students. In contrast, sampling will help me in delivering the lesson by asking students to verbally explain their understanding of the concepts we would have learned.
Conclusion
In conclusion, my lesson will try to meet all aspects that make a lesson productive and successful. My lesson plan outlines all the activities I will undertake during the lesson, as well as the materials I will use. The lesson will significantly rely on the PPP methodology by ensuring that the lesson content is well presented to students by use of charts and oral explanations, ensure the adequate practice of the learned concepts through drills and assignments, and ensure students are able to produce grammar by applying the learned concepts in their oral and written conversations. Besides, the lesson will take into consideration the principles of adult learning, such as needs assessment, safety, healthy relationship, respect, immediacy, roles, accountability, among others. RCKI principles such as spontaneous participation, volunteerism, the democratization of knowledge, and multi-modal expression will be employed. All that will ensure the lesson is effective.
References
“Learn English teens.” The British Council. https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar/beginner-grammar/have-got
Rao, P. (2019). The role of English as a global language. Research Journal of English. Vol.4, pp. 65-79. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334282978_the_role_of_English_as_a_global_language
United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) (2009). English Language Learning: Diverse Federal and State Efforts to Support Adult English Language Learning Could Benefit from More Coordination. https://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09575.pdf
Wen, Y., Looi, C.-K., & Chen, W. (2012). Supporting Teachers in Designing CSCL Activities: A Case Study of Principle-based Pedagogical Patterns in Networked Second Language Classrooms. Educational Technology & Society, 15 (2), 138–153. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230646532_Supporting_Teachers_in_Designing_CSCL_Activities_A_Case_Study_of_Principle based_Pedagogical_Patterns_in_Networked_Second_Language_Classrooms
Wisconsin Union. What makes for Effective Adult learning. https://union.wisc.edu/assets/Uploads/Events-Activities/Wheelhouse-Studios/MiniCourses-EffectiveLearning.pdf
Appendix
Part I: Lesson Plan
Topic: Grammar
Sub-topic: Have got
This lesson will focus on teaching students the proper use of grammar and especially the term “have got.”
Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:
- Distinguish scenarios in which ‘have got’ is used and where it cannot be used
- Construct grammatically correct sentences by using the word ‘have got.’
- Identify sentences in which the term is correctly or wrongly used.
Learning activities
For students to understand the concept and use of the word ‘have not,’ they will undertake the following activities:
- Read sentences from the board and charts that use the term ‘have got.’
- Construct sentences of their own using the term ‘have got.’
- In groups of 3-5 students, construct and discuss sentences involving the word ‘have got.’
- Attempt an exercise at the end of the lesson
Learning materials to be used:
Textbooks, charts, the board
Notes to be Used
Have got (have/has + got) is used when referring to possessions or personal attributes (British Council).
For example,
- I have got a new bike.
- She has got long nails.
- They have got brand new cars.
- He has got a negative attitude.
Have got, is also used in the negative but with a contraction.
For example,
- Peter hasn’t got his books yet.
- You haven’t got your lost pen, have you?
Exercise questions
Instructions: In a group of three, construct five sentences that show possession or personal attributes using the term have got. Besides, write the negative forms of those sentences.
For example, My aunt has got a new house.
Negative form: My aunt hasn’t got a new house, has she?
In teaching this lesson, I will mainly embrace the total physical presence method. This method is usually applied to beginners and lower-level students. The students listen to explanations and instructions from the teacher and respond by completing tasks and exercises once they are ready.
I will also incorporate the silent way of learning where the teacher creates wall charts for students to use as learning materials. Below is the wall chart explaining the use of the term have got