deciding how to incorporate course textbooks and other required materials, and
developing activities that will promote learning. This section shows instructors
how to carry out each of these steps.
An example lesson plan and lesson planning worksheet, available as pdf files,
provide step-by-step guidance for lesson development. A supervisor observation
worksheet allows supervisors to give specific feedback on a written lesson plan
or an observed lesson.
Lesson goals are most usefully stated in terms of what students will have done or
accomplished at the end of the lesson. Stating goals in this way allows both
teacher and learners to know when the goals have been reached.
lesson goals:
1. Identify a topic for the lesson. The topic is not a goal, but it will help you
develop your goals. The topic may be determined largely by your curriculum and
textbook, and may be part of a larger thematic unit such as Travel or Leisure
Activities. If you have some flexibility in choice of topic, consider your students’
interests and the availability of authentic materials at the appropriate level.
2. Identify specific linguistic content, such as vocabulary and points of grammar
or language use, to be introduced or reviewed. These are usually prescribed by
the course textbook or course curriculum. If they are not, select points that are
connected in some significant way with the topic of the lesson.
3. Identify specific communication tasks to be completed by students. To be
authentic, the tasks should allow, but not require, students to use the vocabulary,
grammar, and strategies presented in the lesson. The focus of the tasks should
be topical, not grammatical. This means that it may be possible for some
students to complete the task without using either the grammar point or the
strategy presented in the first part of the lesson.
4. Identify specific learning strategies to be introduced or reviewed in connection
with the lesson. See Motivating Learners for more on learning strategies.