LESSON PLANNING

RATIONALE BEHIND GOOD LESSON PLANNING:

Art of mixing techniques, activities & materials in such
a way that ideal balance is created for the class
(Harmer, 1991:259)

A GOOD LESSON PLAN

- provides learning
- makes students use the language communicatively
- is realistic
- is appropriate to students needs, levels and
interests
- is well-planned
- includes a variety of activities, techniques and
materials
- involves various interaction patterns
- is well-timed
- includes specific objectives
- is enjoyable and motivating
- makes students active and engaged in activities
- provides flexibility for the teacher
(Harmer, 1991 and Ur, 1996)

WRITING OBJECTIVES
Ignorance of purpose leads to mediocrity.
Confucious

Good Objectives
-

Clear (contains a description of a learning outcome)

Achievable
Action verbs (observable)
Match with tasks

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES
1. SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE: (defining behavior to be learnt)
(action verbs) write, practise, match, discuss,
scan, skim, discuss, etc.
2. PRODUCT: (learning outcome - showing successful
accomplishment of the objective)
an essay, dialogue, poem, sentences, etc.
3. CONDITION: the condition under which the behaviour
is to be performed
by reading the text, by matching the sentences,
given ten incomplete sentences, given a
paragraph containing five linkers, etc.
4. CRITERION: the standard used to determine successful
achievement of objectives
with no errors, 100 percent accurately, with no
more than two errors, in ten minutes, list three
examples, state two differences, four out of five
correct, given ten incomplete sentences, etc.
(Celce-Murcia1979 and Cruickshank and et al. 1995)

EXAMPLES for PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES:

Given a marker and OHT, the students will be able to
write a short poem to express their feelings about
spring by using at least five adjectives.
Given ten incomplete sentences containing both
comparative and superlative adjectives, the students
will be able to circle at least eight of the adjectives.
Given a paragraph containing 10 adjectives, the
students will be able to underline at least nine of the
adjectives of quality.
The students will be able to write a 50-word essay on a
given family topic with no sentence fragments and no
more than two errors in conjunctions.
In a group work, the students will be able to ask for
and give opinion about the disadvantages of
computers by using a and d structures fluently.
In a pair work, the students will be able to describe the
physical appearance of a friend orally by using
present simple and continuous tenses with no more
than two grammatical errors.
Given eight prompts containing and sounds on
a tape, the students will be able to discriminate both
sounds with fewer than four errors.
Given ten sentences containing twenty misspelt
words, the students will be able to underline at least
fifteen of the misspellings.

 Given certain roles, the students will be able to give

advice in pairs by using should structure with no
errors in form.
COMMONLY FOUND INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCES
PRE-, IN-, POST- STAGES FOR RECEPTIVE SKILLS
PPP (PRESENTATION, PRACTICE, PRODUCT)
TASK-BASED LEARNING (TBL)
(Woodward, 2001)

References
Cruickshank, D. R., Bainer, D., and Metcalf, K. (1995). The act of teaching. USA:
McGraw-Hill Inc.
Harmer, J. (1991). The practice of English language teaching. New York:
Longman.
Ur, P. (1996). A Course in language teaching: Practice and theory. United
Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Woodward, T. (2001). Planning lessons and courses: Designing sequences of
work for the language classroom. United Kingdom: Cambridge University
Press.

Lesson Planning Guidelines

A) Pre-planning
Some factors affecting choice of materials, context and type of activities: the
students. What age? Nationalities? Male/Female balance? Personalities?
Interests? When the lesson takes place. Duration of the lesson?, Friday
afternoon? 2nd January? Where the lesson take place. What classroom
characteristics could affect my choices?
B) Planning
1. AIMS: What are the main points to be isolated?
Eg. Grammatical structure:- What form is to be introduced/revised?
-What use(s)? Language functions? Skills (sub-skills)
2. PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES
Specific achievable objectives (see the handout)
2. PLACE IN SCHEME OF WORK
How does the lesson connect with the last and next lessons? With recent and
coming work? How much is revision and how much next input?
3. ASSUMPTIONS
What language, relevant to the lesson, can I assume does not need to be
introduced or revised?
4. ANTICIPATED PROBLEMS
What language difficulties are likely to occur? How can I best deal with
them? What other difficulties are likely to happen? (classroom managementdesks screwed to floor, learner training- pair work is silly.)
5. AIDS
What audio/visual aids will best motivate the students and serve the teaching
aims of the lesson? How much preparation will I need to do? How practical
will it be to use the chosen aids?
6. MATERIALS
What is the name of the textbook? Which unit is planned for the lesson?
To what extent do I need to adapt the course book? What can I omit? What do
I need to supplement? Do I need the book at all? Do I need to prepare
supplementary material for the weaker/better students?
7. PROCEDURE
Presentation: what context can I use that will motivate the class and be
practical vehicle for this teaching item?
Sequence: What sequence should I present the different elements/ items?

 Practice: How much controlled practice of this item will the class need? Can I
expect the class to be ready to move on to freer practice in this lesson? Do the
practice activities chosen stimulate meaningful use of the language item?
Is there a balance of interactive types? Are my timings realistic?
8. HOMEWORK
What aim do I want the homework to have?
9. BOARD PLAN
How will I organize the b/b? How do I want the board to look?
10. PLANS FOR SLOW/FAST LEARNERS
Which areas of the lesson could be too easy/difficult for better/weaker ss? How
can I meet their needs without interfering with the flow of the lesson?
(Supplement their materials/adapt their tasks)
11. CONTINGENCY PLAN
What Alternatives should I have up my sleeves in case the lesson is too
long/short? In case activities prove inappropriate? Etc. Have I thought
everything?

LESSON PLAN FORMAT

EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES
STUDENT TEACHER:
COOPERATING TEACHER/SUPERVISOR:
DATE:
TIME:
CLASS/ROOM:
PERIOD: -----mins
LEVEL:
SKILL:
TEACHING POINT:

PLANNING
AIMS:
- To..
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES: By the end of the lesson,
- Ss will be able .
PLACE IN SCHEME OF WORK:
ASSUMED KNOWLEDGE:
ANTICIPATED PROBLEM(S):
AIDS (Audio/Visual):
MATERIALS:

PROCEDURE:
WARM-UP (mins):
PRE - ---- / PRESENTATION
1: ( ------mins) (Ss T)
The teacher asks students.....

Number of tasks
depends on what
you planned to
do.

2: ( ------mins)
(Ss - Ss)
The teacher sticks the wall paper.......

WHILE - -------- / PRACTICE

3: ( ------mins) (Ss Ss)
The teacher gives students.....
4: ( ----mins)

(Ss Ss)

POST - ---- / PRODUCT

5:

(-----mins)

(Ss Ss)

CLOSURE (mins):
HOMEWORK:
BOARD PLAN:
PLAN FOR SLOW/FAST LEARNERS:
CONTINGENCY PLAN & TIME-FILLER(S):

Number of tasks
depends on what
you planned to do.

SAMPLE LESSON PLAN

EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES
STUDENT TEACHER: Burcu GLER
COOPERATING TEACHER/SUPERVISOR: Nur GNDE
DATE: 24 February 2004
TIME: 8:05 8:45
CLASS/ROOM: 1A
PERIOD: 50 mins
LEVEL: Elementary
SKILL: Grammar and Speaking
PLANNING
AIMS: To describe something (a fruit) orally and in writing
TEACHING
POINT:
topractice
be+like,
vocabulary
To introduce
and
be+like
To revise and extend vocabulary of colour, shape, size and texture
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES: By the end of the lesson,
- Shown some fruits, the students will be able to describe the shape and colour of all
fruits orally.
- Given four pictures of fruits, the students will be able to describe all of them by using
to be+like structure.
- The students will be able to describe the Perfect Fruit by combining the best
characteristics of fruits with no errors in structure.
PLACE IN SCHEME OF WORK:
-Continues from last lesson on colours and shapes; comparative/superlative
of adjectives.
-Leads to more detailed descriptive writing; contrast of similarities/differences.
-Next lesson introduces verbs of perception/sensation + like (looks like, feels like, etc.)
ASSUMED KNOWLEDGE:
Comparative of adjectives is known; names of some common fruit are known.
ANTICIPATED PROBLEM(S):
Students may confuse verb like with preposition like in meaning and form.
Contrastive excercise as necessary at step 2.
AIDS (Audio/Visual):

Any available fruits, including some which are less familiar e.g. avocado, kiwi
fruit etc. or pictures of these.
MATERIALS: Homework, worksheet; No textbook

PROCEDURE:
WARM-UP: (2 mins) T Ss
T greets the students and takes attendance
T asks if Ss could do the assignment
PRESENTATION (5 mins) T Ss
1) CONTEXTUALIZATION AND VOCABULARY PRESENTATION
T takes a fruit Ss know well (e.g. a watermelon)
T elicits name watermelon and writes as heading on board
T asks the following series of questions building up information on the board under
the heading (see Board Plan)
a) What colour is it?
Elicit - Green
Cut melon open
b) What colour is it inside? Elicit - Red
c) How big is it?
Elicit - (very) big
d) What shape is it?
Elicit - Round
and teach egg-shape if necessary
e) Is it sweet or sour? (mime sour)
Elicit - Sweet
f) Is it juicy or not? (show juicy)
Elicit - (very) Juicy
Write sub-heading seeds on board. Show seeds and ask:
g) How many seeds are there? Elicit - A lot
h) How big are they?
Elicit - Small
I) What colour are they?
Elicit - Black
2) PRESENTATION OF STRUCTURE FORM AND MEANING (5 mins) T Ss
T writes on board, under information from step 1,
What is a watermelon like?
T builds up by guided elicitation the following description
A watermelon is green outside and red inside
It is big and round (very big and egg-shaped).
It is sweet and juicy. It has a lot of small, black seeds.
PRACTICE (5 mins) T Ss
3) PRACTICE
T asks: What is (an orange) like?
Students describe one or two fruits orally

(Better students describe new fruits, weaker students copy)

4) WRITING (5 mins) T Ss
Stimulus
T takes an unfamiliar fruit and cuts it.
T asks Ss to describe it.
T does the same with two others.
T asks Ss to write a description of the fruit using the blackboard model.
(Better Ss to describe all 3, weaker Ss to complete at least one)
5) PRACTICE (Pair work) (8 mins) S S
T holds up a peach and an apricot, then a peach and a banana
T asks: Is a peach like an apricot? - Yes, it is.
Is a peach like a banana? - No, it isnt
T asks: Is a peach smaller than an apricot?
Elicit: No, it is bigger.
T writes on board: A peach is like an apricot but its smaller.
Ss are given pictures of fruit (see Appendix) and asked to order them into similar
types and agree on sentences as above.
T walks round checking and correcting as necessary.
PRODUCT (8 mins) Ss Ss
6) FREER PRACTICE (Group work)
T tells Ss to invent The perfect Fruit by combining the best characteristics of two or
more kinds.
e.g. watermelon-banana. It is very big (7 kilos) and juicy like a watermelon, but its
easy to eat and has no seeds like a banana.
T walks round encouraging, checking and reporting back.
Groups with most imaginative results win fruit cut up previously.
CLOSURE (2 mins) T Ss
T asks various students and elicits what they learned in this lesson
HOMEWORK
Worksheet with 4 descriptions of fruit as in 2 , but including the structure
like as in 5. Ss must name the fruit in the first two and complete blanks
in 2nd two. (see Appendix)

BOARD PLAN
Watermelon
Colour outside
Colour inside
Size
Shape
Sweet/Sour
Juicy/not juicy
Seeds How many?
Size
Colour

- green
- red
- (very) big
- round (or egg-shaped)
- sweet
- (very) juicy
- a lot
- small
- black

A watermelon is green outside and red inside. It is big and round. It is sweet and
juicy. It has a lot of small black seeds.
A peach is like an apricot, but its smaller.

PLAN FOR SLOW/FAST LEARNERS

(See 3 and 4)

CONTINGENCY PLANS
a- To contrast is like and like
T writes two columns on board, one of nouns e.g. music, dancing etc. the
other adjectives - tall, beautiful, etc.
T asks Ss to choose answers from one of the two columns as appropriate to
the following questions:
What is she like?/ What does she like? (listening comprehension/
differentiation exercise)
b- If extra time
Groupwork guessing game. One Student thinks of a fruit. The other members
try to guess what it is by asking simple questions.
e.g. Is it juicy? - Yes, it is / No it isnt.