Texts & Videos

Lesson Plan: Using Texts as Prompts for Speaking in the ESL Classroom (CEFR A2 Level)

Objective: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to use texts as prompts to engage in discussions, express opinions, and improve their speaking skills at the CEFR A2 level.

Materials:

• Various short texts or passages (e.g., newspaper articles, blog posts, short stories)

• Whiteboard 

• Markers

Warm-up (5 minutes):

1. Engage students in a brief discussion about the importance of reading in language learning.

2. Ask students to share their favorite type of text to read (e.g., news articles, stories, blogs) and briefly explain why they enjoy it.

Introduction (5 minutes):

1. Explain that in today's lesson, we will be using texts as prompts to spark discussions and practice our speaking skills.

2. Discuss the benefits of using texts as conversation starters, such as expanding vocabulary, sharing opinions, and developing critical thinking skills.

Text Introduction and Vocabulary (10 minutes):

1. Introduce a short text related to a topic of interest to the students.

2. Preview key vocabulary from the text on the board.

3. Discuss the meaning of the vocabulary words and encourage students to provide examples of how they can be used in a sentence.

4. Read the text aloud as a class, emphasizing comprehension and pronunciation.

Comprehension Questions (15 minutes):

1. Provide a set of comprehension questions related to the text.

2. Have students work individually or in pairs to answer the questions.

3. Discuss the answers as a class, encouraging students to support their responses with evidence from the text.

4. Encourage students to ask questions or seek clarification if they have difficulty understanding the text.

Pair Work: Discussion (20 minutes):

1. Divide the class into pairs.

2. Instruct students to discuss their opinions or thoughts on the text, using the comprehension questions as prompts.

3. Encourage students to provide reasons, examples, or personal experiences to support their opinions.

4. Circulate the classroom, monitoring and providing assistance as needed.

5. After a few minutes, ask some pairs to share their discussions with the class.

Group Activity: Debate or Role Play (15 minutes):

1. Form small groups of 3-4 students.

2. Assign each group a specific topic related to the text.

3. Instruct the groups to engage in a debate or role play based on the assigned topic.

4. Encourage students to use the vocabulary and ideas from the text to support their arguments or portray their characters.

5. Provide time for preparation and rehearsal.

6. Each group performs their debate or role play in front of the class, fostering active listening and participation.

Personal Reflection (10 minutes):

1. Ask students to reflect individually on the text and the discussions they have had.

2. Encourage them to think about what they have learned, any new vocabulary they have acquired, and their personal opinions or reactions.

3. Have students share their reflections in pairs or small groups.

Wrap-up (5 minutes):

1. Recap the main points covered in the lesson.

2. Discuss the benefits of using texts as prompts for discussions and speaking practice.

3. Assign a follow-up task, such as finding and sharing another text with a classmate or writing a short response to the text.

Extension Activity (optional):

1. Have students work on a research project related to a topic of interest.

2. Instruct them to find and analyze texts on the topic, and then present their findings to the class.

Assessment: Observe and assess students' participation in the warm-up, text comprehension, pair work discussions, and group activity. Assess their ability to express opinions, engage in meaningful discussions, and use appropriate

Jigsaw Lesson Plan

Jigsaw Step 1: 

Divide students into groups of 4 to 6 people per group. Jigsaw works best when you have the same number of students in each team, so avoid having some groups of four, some of five, and some of six. Divide your text into 4 to 6 chunks. It’s important to divide the content into the same number of chunks as the number of students in each group. 

Step 2: 

Assign one chunk of content to each person in the Jigsaw Group. Each group has one person responsible for one chunk of the content. That person will be expected to teach that chunk to the rest of the group. At this point, students don’t really interact with other members of their group; they just read and study their own chunk of content independently. 

Step 3: 

Now that students have studied their text, each student takes a turn presenting their chunk of information. Meanwhile, the other students listen carefully, take notes, and ask lots of questions – they are learning the material from this expert, so this is their opportunity to make sure they learn it right. Once the first expert has gone, the others take their turns. As each “expert” teaches their chunk of content, the others in the group are learning it. 

Step 4: 

For assessment you can ask each group to create a chart or a presentation comparing or putting together all the different chunks of information.

Lesson Plan: Using Videos in the ESL Classroom (A2 CEFR Level)

Objective: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to understand and discuss information presented in a video, improve their listening skills, and engage in speaking activities at the A2 CEFR level.

Materials:

• Video clips or short films related to the topic of the lesson

• Whiteboard or blackboard

• Markers or chalk

Warm-up (5 minutes):

1. Engage students in a brief discussion about the benefits of watching videos in language learning.

2. Ask students to share their favorite type of video to watch and briefly explain why they enjoy it.

Introduction (5 minutes):

1. Explain that in today's lesson, we will be watching videos to improve our listening skills and engage in discussions.

2. Discuss the benefits of using videos in language learning, such as exposure to authentic language, visual context, and cultural understanding.

Video Introduction and Pre-viewing Discussion (10 minutes):

1. Introduce the topic of the video clip or short film.

2. Discuss the topic and elicit students' prior knowledge or personal experiences related to the topic.

3. Write key vocabulary or discussion questions related to the video on the board.

Video Viewing and Comprehension (15 minutes):

1. Play the video clip or short film for the students.

2. Instruct students to focus on understanding the main idea and key details.

3. After watching, ask comprehension questions to check students' understanding of the video.

4. Discuss the answers as a class, encouraging students to support their responses with evidence from the video.

Pair Work: Discussion and Reflection (20 minutes):

1. Divide the class into pairs.

2. Provide discussion questions related to the video.

3. Instruct students to discuss their thoughts, opinions, or reactions to the video with their partner.

4. Encourage students to use vocabulary and ideas from the video in their discussions.

5. Circulate the classroom, monitoring and providing assistance as needed.

6. After a few minutes, ask some pairs to share their discussions with the class.

Group Activity: Role Play or Skit (15 minutes):

1. Form small groups of 3-4 students.

2. Assign each group a scenario or situation related to the video.

3. Instruct the groups to create a short role play or skit based on the assigned scenario.

4. Encourage students to incorporate vocabulary and ideas from the video into their performance.

5. Provide time for preparation and rehearsal.

6. Each group performs their role play or skit in front of the class.

Follow-up Discussion and Reflection (10 minutes):

1. Engage the class in a follow-up discussion about the video and the role plays.

2. Encourage students to reflect on what they learned from the video and the activities.

3. Discuss any new vocabulary or expressions they encountered.

Wrap-up (5 minutes):

1. Recap the main points covered in the lesson.

2. Discuss the benefits of using videos in improving listening skills and engaging in discussions.

3. Assign a follow-up task, such as finding and watching another video related to the topic at home and writing a short summary or reaction.

Extension Activity (optional):

1. Have students work on a video project where they create their own short video related to a topic of interest.

2. Each group can then present their video to the class and facilitate a discussion or activity based on it.

Assessment: Observe and assess students' participation in the warm-up, video comprehension, pair work discussions, and group activity. Assess their ability to understand information presented in the video, engage in meaningful discussions, and use appropriate vocabulary and expressions.