Reflective Journal Task 3.
I can read - Ability. Correct usage
I can’t see - Ability - Correct usage
I can swim - Ability - Correct usage
I can’t swim - Ability - Correct usage
I can’t touch the ceiling - Ability - Correct usage
I can touch the desk - Ability - Correct Usage
I can’t smoke - Permission - Wrong Usage
The teacher tries to teach students with ability modal verbs but makes
mistakes with the last one. It is a permission modal verb with I can't
smoke.
Reading Task 3.1
When using an old language to help the student learn new structures, we
must ensure the student can understand. Use the correct grammar and
vocabulary that the student understands the first time. Do not introduce a
second vocabulary they have never seen, as it would confuse them.
A different language might express the first and second conditional
differently, but when English teachers teach learners, they will express
the first and second conditional differently. If you teach a Japanese
student English, you must be able to tell them the difference when they
are learning English grammar for the first time.
When you teach learners a brand new piece of structure, the student
should know what the structure means, and the teacher can use the audio-
lingual method to prepare the student to pronounce and read the grammar
and structure properly.
The teacher can teach the students about the language through drilling.
This method might be old-fashioned, but it is easy for the teacher to
apply. The teacher mainly uses it for beginner and elementary students,
but it can also be used at higher levels.
When using drilling, the teacher has to give the student a consistent,
accurate model so that the learners can imitate the English language
correctly. The first part of English teaching is choral drilling, which the
students must repeat repeatedly.
The class repeats with the teacher, so the teacher must set a good example
for the students. It will help the student learn the language properly and
get the correct pronunciation, so the teachers will have to check the
student's progress at the presentation stage so the students will produce
the correct sentences.
The teacher needs to check that the students are reading and pronouncing
the words correctly so that they understand the language they are using.
The last part is individual drilling, where the students have to practice
learning the sentence and speaking it by themselves during their free time
so that the teacher does not waste their time drilling in the class in the
classroom. If the teacher teaches this in the school, the teacher can play a
game and pick learners in the group randomly so the students can prepare
their material before they come to class.
Questions to Unit 3
Teachers should always speak naturally and at a natural pace when they
are teaching a structure.
Yes. The teacher should teach contractions at an early age.
Yes. The teacher should use a wide range of media to teach their students.
Yes. Elicitation means telling the student the correct answer.
Yes. It is.
No. We should only teach students the first and second conditional
tenses. It is useless for students to learn a grammar structure they have
not encountered.
Yes, it is.
Yes, it is.
The natural order of teaching is presentation, practice and production.
Q10. You can introduce simple tenses to a class of learners with everyday
examples from daily life. You should explain that you can use the present
simple tense for facts, routines, or everyday habits. Moreover, you can
use different media like visuals and realia to ensure the young learners
understand better.
For instance, you can write, "I eat dinner at 7.00p," or "The sun sets in
the west." You need to emphasize subject-to-verb connections, especially
using a third-person singular and a timeline to display simple things
related to repetitive actions.
Now, you must show the young learners affirmative and simple grammar
before teaching them negatives. Negatives: "I don't eat beef" or questions
like "Do you like pizza?". You can use drills or games to teach them the
right speaking practice. You need to give them a precise structure for
learners with many repetitive sentences to help them gain more
confidence. Give them simple introductions, and check to see if they
understand the problem by checking the facts. Finally, finish the class
with a controlled activity, like matching activities with images, and give
them a free lesson to let them learn about their daily tasks. Create a
positive learning experience with your class of young learners.
Q11. To help a group of intermediate learners learn the difference
between past simple and present perfect tense, give them understandable
examples with clear-cut timelines. Past simple are actions already
happened but present perfect is something that happened lately which
affects the present.
Moreover, you can also use different visuals or real-life examples to
clarify the differences. The learners need to understand that "Past simple"
will let their learners answer the question "when" and use different
timelines like "last week, 2020 or last Thursday."
Present perfect examples are "I have just completed my housework."
Present perfect tense describes real-life experiences with tenses like yet,
ever, or never.
Past-simple tense:
“He lost his watch last week.” (past-completed event)
“They have lost their car.” (present perfect - result still matters)
Use different types of guided materials with the correct tenses, fill-in
exercises, and another kind of interview using a combination of both
materials. End the class with an interactive session, discussing life
experiences or recent live incidents to make the learner more fluent in the
language. Reinforce meanings and timelines to reflect the situation right
to the present.
Q12. An error is repeating the same mistake in language and you did not
realize it. For instance, your student might tell you, "She goes to school, "
because you haven't taught them the right grammar in the present simple
tense. An error means your student has not fully mastered the
understanding of the language.
A mistake is a slip. The learner knows the proper grammar usage but says
the wrong thing under pressure. For example, the student tells you, "She
go to school." and quickly corrects the sentence to, "She goes to school."
Mistakes are also another part of languages, even for native English
speakers.
Having a proper guide to different grammar usage will suit various levels
of lesson planning and help you set up learning objectives for your
students.
For instance, teaching present perfect or other third-person conditionals
might be too much for beginners. If you only teach basic tense usage to
advanced students, it might hinder their learning path. Teachers can teach
students English based on their current English level with a proper
learning guide.
These learning guides help to identify if the student is at the right level or
if the teacher has to give the student more information to help the student
improve.
Q13. There is a big role in learner interaction when you carry out pair and
group work between your students. The first reason why it is important is
that it increases the students' engagement with the learning material. They
understand more deeply and understand better and also retain more
information. Secondly, letting the student carry out group work promotes
your students' social and communication skills.
Third, when you team your students in pairs and groups, you let them
have a chance for peer learning. Students feel at ease asking different
questions and sharing their thoughts with other learners and the teacher. It
can increase their confidence and create a more conducive learning
environment. Learners also let students do their work based on their
capability and give help to one another depending on what they need.
Finally, it reflects real-world situations where collaboration is essential,
letting learners grow and prepare for a professional environment. Pairing
and grouping your students will create a more dynamic learning
environment.
Task 3.2
Lesson Plan: Asking for Directions
The students' level is elementary, which lasts for an hour. The students
are taught how to give and ask for directions. Thus, the main objective is
to teach students how to ask or give directions in basic English. Next, the
learner should be able to improve their listening and speaking abilities.
Stage 1: Warming-Up
Goal: Provide engagement and introduce other topics.
Procedure:
- Greeting the class of learners.
- Ask them where they want to go on the map.
- Ask them some questions.
Bring more flashcards on a printed town map.
Stage 2: Teaching them vocabulary.
Goal: Teaching learners basic vocabulary.
Targeted vocabulary: Post office, school, police station, park, bank.
Prepositions: Behind, on, in front of, next to
Procedure:
- Show flashcards and photos of different locations.
- Use choral drilling.
- Use the whiteboard to demonstrate the correct prepositions.
Use flashcards or a board to help you.
Stage 3: Listening Practice
Goal: Help students practice listening when giving directions.
Procedure: Let students practice listening and give them simple questions
to answer.
Use worksheets, recorded dialogue, or materials.
Stage 4: Active Practice
Goal: Teach the learner to practice asking for and giving directions with a
proper model.
Group the students in pairs with maps or prompts.
Use dialogue cards or small maps as teaching materials.
Stage 5: Free Practice
Goal: Teach English as a realistic, communicative task.
Procedure:
- Group learners in pairs or small groups, where students will get
different town maps from their teacher.
- Get the first student for directions and ask the second one to give
directions to the first one.
- Rotate partners after a few minutes.
Use different town maps for role-playing.
Final Stage: Wrap Up & Feedback
Goal: Help learners compile everything they have learned and correct
standard errors.
Procedure:
- Take a few examples from students.
- Write down the common errors that the students make on the board and
make corrections together.
- Ask them to repeat what they have learned in class.
Use the whiteboard as the material.
