Hello everybody,
In this methodology pill I explore the planning of lessons for a young learner audience. I work as main tutor on the University of Cambridge Young Learner Extension to CELTA course (Age range 8-13) and so the aim is that of helping trainees get their head round how to plan lessons for young learners. Now, these are simply guidelines and needless to say I do not claim that this is the only way to do it - extremes are never a healthy approach and there are many other ways of doing so approach the screen cast with a flexible mind!
I was curious myself as a trainer to find out more about how to approach lesson planning and design for young learners and this led me to re-read 8 books on Teaching English to Young Learners (they're listed in the video). I then summarised the main ideas about the stages and lesson patterns discussed in the literature and put together a table - the one I talk about in the video - with the aim of trying to provide some general guidelines which trainees could make use of. I then, look at a suggested plan of action for the planning and delivery of a 2 hour lesson (here at out centre lessons are 2 hours so on any Teaching day of the course there are 3 trainees delivering 3x40min lessons with a 10min break after the second one). I also make comparisons between the PPP framework for adult lessons and how the similarities between the stages appear although under different names and also through a different approach in YL classes. These comparisons are made to try and help trainees see similarities and differences.
You will notice that this analysis is done for the young group on the course, that is, our Juniors (8-9 yo) and that the materials we are currently using with them (Footprints 1) also condition or have an impact on the way the lesson is conducted as these materials suggest a specific set of stages for the lessons. Once again, please note that different centres do it differently and yet this does not mean anyone is right or wrong! This is the way we have been doing it at our centre and the results and feedback have indicated it works, students are happy and show they have improved their English while on the course and so I want to share this experience with you. I hope you find it helpful and if anything that it makes you reflect on your own way of doing things! After all, reflection is a powerful catalyst for change!
Thank you!
Robert
