Listening Skills and Strategies in Focus:
Age and Level: CEFR: B1 (Intermediate) native speakers of a variety of languages who learn English through school and media. International students planning to attend high school in an English- speaking country or an institution where English is the language of instruction.
Length of lesson: 80 minutes
Preparation Time: around 10 minutes at the most to print materials
Resources Needed: Icebreaker worksheet → A2 , TED talk video → A1, Bilingual web notes worksheet → A3, paragraph to translate → A4, dice
Introductory Blurb: Began learning about languages of the world in the last unit and now beginning a unit focused on bilingual education.
Materials Needed:
TED Talk video
Chalkboard
Recognize the importance of speaking more than one language.
Grow their lexicon (mental dictionary) and employ lexical items in daily and academic settings
Learn how different language learners view the world differently based on the languages they speak
Be engaged in meaningful and critical thinking about bilinguals and how their brains work or function
To express and share their experiences of people who speak more than one language
To become familiar with topics that would be the topic/subject of discussion in academia
Time: 20 minutes
LO Targeted: #5
Steps and Teacher Directions:
Ice breaker activity to start new unit → A2
Ask the students if they know what an ice breaker is? Explain that it is a way to get to know each other better. Each square on your sheet has a different question in it, and you have to find a different classmate to answer each question. However, there is a twist! The questions are in different languages. So, you have to find a classmate to translate then have them answer the question.
Along with their answer take note of what language the question was in, and what it means in English. Don’t just get the answer, find out what the question is as well.
Can we ask the same person twice? No. What are we writing down for each question? The answer, the language, the translation of the question.
Ask students to share their answers.
Time: 15 minutes
LO Targeted: #2
Steps and Teacher Directions:
Start by saying today we will be watching a video relating to all of you. What do you guys think it is? What does everyone in this class have in common? → Yes, everyone here is learning a second language, which means you all speak at least two languages. Does anyone know what it is called to speak two languages? People who can speak two languages are “bilingual”
Put the title of the video on board and then make a web around it with concepts to think of during the video (multilingual, monolingual, compound bilingual, coordinate bilingual, subordinate bilingual). Give them a worksheet to take notes on with their own web. → A3
Before we watch the video, tell the class to work in pairs and brainstorm ideas about bilingualism. (guiding questions: How does it affect your brain?, Is it positive to be bilingual? How do what languages you speak affect how you think?)
Get some ideas from the group and write them on the board to compare to the video.
Time: 10 minutes
LO Targeted: # 3
Steps and Teacher Directions:
We will watch the video twice. First take notes using the web worksheet for support.
Watch a second time for any clarifications, confusion, or missed information.
Write the definitions on the board for students to check over.
Ask them what type of bilingual they are.
Time: 15 minutes
LO Targeted: #4
Steps and Teacher Directions:
1. Get into pairs with someone who speaks the same first language as you. (If there are none, pair up the remaining students, try to pair up those in the same language family if possible)
2. Give them a paragraph to translate together and dice → A4
3. Explain that the students will take turns. One person will begin translating the paragraph into their L1, and the other person will keep rolling the dice until they get 6. Once they get 6 on the dice, they translate and their partner rolls the dice.
4. How many people are translating at once? One. What is the other person doing? Rolling the dice. What number do they need to get to switch? 6
5. How did you guys like translating? Were there a lot of words you didn’t know how to translate into your language of choice or didn’t know what they meant in English? Did you make any connections between the language you were translating into and English?
Time: 20 minutes
LO Targeted: #5
Steps and Teacher Directions:
After learning more about bilingual education and practicing using all of our language resources in the classroom, I want you guys to think about all the benefits of using two languages in the classroom.
Get out a sheet of paper. We are going to write a letter to the principal persuading them that bilingual education is beneficial using personal experiences and information from the video to guide you. Ask how letters start? (just a refresh) Dear, To, For. Ask how Letters end? Sincerely, Thank you, Best, then sign their name.
Students will have 20 minutes to write.
Have them turn in their letters at the end of class to leave.
Caveats: The icebreaker worksheet was created using google translate, so having a actual speaker of the language or using multiple resources to translate would probably be more accurate.