Teacher Notes (2). Resources for lesson 2

Free resources:

The lesson plans and resources in Raymond Van Neste's blog: Learn English by Thinking Globally are free for teachers and students of English language.  The purpose of the blog is to introduce the Global Goals to students or teachers of English Language as a rich resource for teaching and learning. 

See: Teacher notes (1) for further information. 

Raymond Van Neste                                                                                                        12 June 2018

Introduction to lesson 2:

Teacher notes (2) is a resource / back up, and gives information for lesson 2, of the blog, as well as specific information for ESL teachers.  Throughout the second lesson this blog carries on from the first lesson by continuing to look at the first Global Goal: End poverty in all its forms everywhere.    Lesson 2, looks at the Present Simple verb and related vocabulary.  

Abbreviations used in Teacher Notes (2):

1.  ss (students). 

2.  TL (target language)

Question: What is the target language?  Answer:  When a word or expression (for example a verb or noun, adjective) is taught in an ESL lesson, this word or phrase is known as the Target Language (TL).  Sometimes the TL is taught in the context of a sentence which helps to give 'meaning' to the TL.   

Warmers (different ways of 'warming-up' with the students at the beginning of a lesson)

An ideal warmer is one that relates the students in some way to the theme or subject material of a lesson.  It prepares or gets the students in to a mind-set which in some way relates to the lesson.  Also it can help to get everybody in to the mood and pace of the lesson ahead. And don't forget that warmers are meant to be fun!

Random Groups (warmer for lesson 2)

Procedure: 

This warmer needs no preparation and is entirely student centred.  It puts the students into groups completely at random ie considering the ss and teacher might not know everybody yet.  Give the ss 3 minutes to find out what they have in common with each other.  

If necessary model the task with one group by for example asking them: 'Do you like pitza?' If everyone says: 'yes', they may count it as a thing that unites them.

Encourage your students to think about different aspects of life they might share: preferences, experiences, opinions.  The information they share will depend on their language.  You might give them a sheet of paper where they mark each thing in common that they have so that after the time is up you can compare how they did.  Depending on the class size rotate the ss putting them in different groups 2 or three more times.  

Procedure / information for eliciting 'target language' during an ESL lesson, using the PPP system / framework.

Summary 

A PPP system is simply a framework or a setting in which an ESL lesson can be carried out.  It gives a sequence or an order in which things have to be done during a lesson.  The PPP system has three parts.  During the first part which is Presentation it uses what is known as MPF and this is the major part of the Presentation stage.  See Raymond Van Neste's article: Procedure for eliciting target language (TL) in an ESL lesson. 





Grammar Rules Information (lesson 2)
Present Simple Tense

This tense is easy to form, just use the base form of the verb.  However, it's important to remember that this tense is not used to express actions happening now.  It gives statements  (in the form of a description) of what is happening but it is not expressing actions happening now.

Positive sentences:  I work  / he works / she works / John works / the hair dryer works / you work / we work / they work / his best friend works.

Questions:  For questions, use do or does before the verb:
Does Mrs Smith smoke?
What do you mean?


Negatives:  Negatives use do or does followed by not or -n't:
Cats don't like milk
The hair dryer doesn't work

3rd person singular:

Note: when the subject is 3rd person singular, we use the -s form of the verb word.  Otherwise we use the basic form of the verb (without any ending).

Examples:

eat: eats / go: goes / take: takes / try: tries

However there are three main verb forms (in the present simple) which have a different extension: 

be / have / do

be refers to: am / are / is
have refers to: have / has
do refers to: do / does

Repeated / permanent states / general truths:

The Present Simple Tense is often used to indicate a state which exists now.  For example a fact or general truth.  It is used to describe things which are repeated (for example, a habits or custom) every day, every week, every year.

Permanent states, unchanging situations, general truths, and fixed arrangement.

Some examples: 

he drinks tea now (habit)

water freezes at zero degrees (general truth)

The sun rises in the East (general truth).  This refers to a fact which is always or generally true.  

More examples of general truths: 

The sun rises in the east

Some teachers have a difficult job

Are you from Singapore?  No, I am japanese

She looks like her mother 

The building is very old 

I don't know his name 


Examples of habits: 

What do you do on weekdays?  

Well, I get up at seven, have breakfast, walk to the station, and catch the train to work.  

I arrive home from work at about six o'clock.  

Does he play any sport?  Yes, he sometimes plays tennis

Frequency Adverbs: 

When talking about things that are repeated we use words and expressions (frequency adverbs) which refer to 'time'.  For example: always / never / ever / sometimes / often / usually / twice a week / in the summer.  

More examples:

What do you do at weekends?  Well, I don't work at weekends.

 
I usually go shopping on Saturday.  

In Summer I sometimes go fishing and in winter I often play football.  

I never go swimming. I hate it. 

Present Simple used for the future:

My plane leaves at 6 o'clock in the morning (you can use the present simple to refer to the future event but only if it is used to describe a fixed or planned event).  More examples:

Tomorrow is John's birthday

If I hear any more news, I'll let you know

I want to like uncle John when I'm eighty-five

Present Simple used for the past:

The Present Simple sometimes refers to events in the past.  This is called the 'Historic Present' and is used in telling stories.  The Present Simple makes a story more exciting and like real life:

So he comes through the door, and she says 'Where were you at 10 o'clock?'  He replies 'With John.'  His face goes white with anger.

Usually, though, the Past Simple is more common, for example: So he came through the door, and she said......

State Verbs:

The Present Simple Tense also uses state verbs: verb to be.  For example: is, am, are. This verb cannot be used in the Present progressive (in the progressive form, at least not to the full extent) but it can be used here in the present simple to describe states which could change.   

Explanation:  you can't use state verbs in the progressive form but they work in the present simple for temporary situations.  State verbs are for states that continue over a period of time.   However, you can use state verbs for temporary situations even though these verbs are verbs that continue over a period of time, for example: keep, know, think

Here is a list of state verbs not usually used in a continuous progressive form:
be / see / know / have (= 'possess') / think / mean / have / want / seem / feel (= 'think') / keep / like / believe / appear (= 'seem') / expect / understand / remember / realise / recognise / love / forget / suppose / refuse / notice / prefer / own / consist (of) / matter / hate / possess / trust / owe / concern / smell / forgive / dislike 

More examples: 

Where does Mr Smith live?   I'm sorry, I don't know.   I think he lives in the city

I have a headache.  You seem hungry.   She knows I'm not well.  It is windy today 

Explanation: 

You could say: I have a headache, but you can't say: I'm having a headache

You could say: She knows I'm not well, but you can't say: She is knowing I'm not well.

Resources: 

What are Global Development Goals?

How to teach the UN's Development Goals and why

Global Goals - the world's largest lesson

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Access Resources for State Adult Education Staff

Raymond Van Neste's blog: 'Learn English by Thinking Globally'

Eliciting in the ESL classroom

In this article Raymond Van Neste has created a summary of information  which teachers can use as a resource for the sequence and procedure of teaching grammar in the ESL classroom.  

 

The sequence involves specific use of eliciting language from students which is a very important and particular part of the CELTA approach to teaching English language in the classroom.   

Particular emphasis is placed here on the PPP system as a framework from which to teach an English Language lesson.  Finally, the exact same sequence and use of eliciting can be used when a lesson is based around the global goals as the theme for a lesson. 

Raymond Van Neste

19 June 2018

Summary for the PPP system 

A PPP system is simply a framework or a setting in which an ESL lesson can be carried out.  It gives a sequence or an order in which things have to be done during a lesson.  The PPP system has three parts.  During the first part which is Presentation it uses what is known as MPF and this is the major part of the Presentation stage (see below)

PPP: presentation / practice / production

Presentation: 

Here, present the target language.  To do this you   1. give meaning            2. pronunciation, 3. form.  This is known as: MPF.    

For MPF, first give Meaning from a story / context, and then elicit the TL from the students (ss).  Here the relevant sentences are put on to the board and the ss are asked if anybody knows what is the word that is needed to fill in a blank, in order to complete a sentence (this is the eliciting procedure).  This is the meaning.  In other words the teacher is trying to find out from the ss if they know what is the word (the TL) that is needed to fill in the blank/s in the sentence which is on the board.   Once the sentence is complete, the ss will have the meaning.

  
Second give Pronunciation ie here, once the meaning has been established, the ss recite the TL, with a drill and everyone repeats it over and over. 

Third, give Form.  Here you write a full sentence (the blanks are now filled-in) on the board (the TL) and the ss see it written and you can say more about the form.  For example, is it a verb, noun, adjective, pronoun etc.  The teacher will state and make clear the form: how many parts are there in the word and any further information needed.  

Also, with the form you could do more pronunciation.  For example some words or expressions when said in the context of a sentence or spoken in conversation are pronounced differently such as: must have, is pronounced: 'mustve'.  Finally, you can use the IPA (which is an international system of pronunciation) system to help the students with the correct pronunciation of vocabulary.  

The final part of the MPF is to ask related questions to the ss, and this is one way of finding out if they are keeping track of the learning and understand the TL.  In ESL, these questions are known as CCQs (concept check questions). 

To continue with the PPP sequence, the second part is Practice:

For example, first start with a controlled practice.  Here, you fill in the blanks:

Controlled: 
He ......   ........  ......... (go) to bed  (must have gone is the only possible answer for the verb: must have).  

Part of the Practice stage also involves a semi-controlled, exercise, for example:

Semi Controlled: 
A.  How does he speak French so well?
B.  He ........................................................
Here, for example, there are a few things that you can say, ie 'he must have lived in France'.

The third and final part of the PPP sequence is: Production. 

Production is a 'free' personalised practice with the TL.  For example, exercises for Writing or Speaking skills can be utilised here.   With a speaking exercise the ss can write a paragraph where they use the TL once or twice.  Or, give the ss a discussion question and then they have to include the TL in the discussion.  

Anything could be done here because with writing and speaking skills there is no framework in ESL, so it allows the teacher to be adventurous when applying exercises for the ss with both writing and speaking skills.  Writing and speaking skills are also known as: Sub skills.

Resource: 

Raymond Van Neste's blog: Learn English by Thinking Globally