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PREPARING AN ENGLISH CLASS

Rodríguez Tienda Claudia (CV)

tyenda@[Link]
Robles Anaya Esther Alicia (CV)
eagra3 @ [Link]
Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí

RESUMEN
Todos los profesionales en el mundo deberían aprender inglés, para estar
actualizados en cada disciplina de conocimiento. Por esto, el Idioma Ingles ha
sido incluido en muchos programas escolares. Una de las tareas del maestro de
inglés es desarrollar una clase eficiente, y así, lograr alcanzar los objetivos,
centrados en el aprendizaje del estudiante de una lengua extranjera. Es necesario
que el maestro de inglés se vuelva habilidoso cuando planee la clase. Mediante
este artículo queremos enfatizar algunos puntos esenciales para facilitar la tarea
diaria del maestro en la planeación de una clase exitosa.

ABSTRACT

Professionals in the world should learn English to be updated about all those new
aspects in every single discipline of knowledge. That is why this language has
been included in many scholar programs. One of the tasks of an English teacher is
to develop an effective class, thus to accomplish the main aims centered on
student’s learning of a foreign language. It is necessary the English teacher turns
into a skillful one when planning a lesson. Through this article, we want to
highlight some essential points to facilitate the teacher’s daily work on planning a
successful class.

KEY WORDS: Lesson plan- plan de una clase, class profile-antecedentes del grupo,
meaningful context-contexto significativo, students' background-antecedentes de
los alumnos, feedback- retro-alimentación, productive skills-habilidades de
producción, educator (facilitator, teacher)-maestro, English as a foreign language
(EFL)-inglés como lengua extranjera.

Generally talking, one of the activities that every educator has (perhaps the most
important one) is to plan and prepare classes, and it initiates with a reflecting
process. J. Harmer says in his book “The practice of English Language teaching”
(1991) that “the best teachers are those who think carefully about what they are
going to do in their classes and how they are going to organize the teaching and
learning”. Planning guarantees the class will get a balanced combination of
distinct resources, subjects and interaction patterns. It also cultivates an
distinct resources, subjects and interaction patterns. It also cultivates an
individual teaching personality (Woodward 202:25).
This task involves several aspects to be considered, before than educator’s
individual ideas. As it is mentioned before, everything starts with a thinking
process; we would call it the pre-planning stage. In this point, it is arranged what
elements will be run into the lesson and what the students will achieve by the end
of it. That is to say, the necessary means to accomplish such aim, the starting of
the whole progression (Harmer, Jeremy; “How to teach English”; Longman 2001)….
Given that, there are diverse manners to plan classes, they might progress from a
very formal format “chart 1” to an informal “post it” note one. The nature of the
format chosen would correspond to each educator’s individualism and
preferences. It is essential to mention there is neither a strict recipe to observe in
each class, nor even on each course or subject to be taught, hence each class is
unique (Robertson, C.; Acklam, R.; “Action plan for teachers”; BBC world service,
2000) and all decisions related to the subject will fully depend on the students’
needs, teacher’s personality and ability.
A trait, which is also part of the pre-planning stage, is a class profile to match with
the learning process. As choices are not based merely on the educator’s goals and
plans, but on the students’ needs and preferences, it is necessary to have a well-
defined description about who the students are. It should be as meticulous as
possible, including a needs analysis, which will provide information about learners’
necessities, lacks and a learner’s profiles. Centered on this information, the
general objectives should be detailed enough to anticipate what the learners will
have accomplished by the end of the class, and which competences they would
have gotten (Harmer, Jeremy; “The practice of English Language teaching” (1991);
CUP. Scrivener, Jim; “Classroom Management Techniques” (2012);CUP).
The syllabus, established by the official program, would match the context to be
developed in convenience with the grammar focus, and the skills; through all these
the students will acquire enough knowledge to get those specific objectives
previously planned, which will be shaped in each activity throughout classes. As
an activity is seen as part of a process, its objective will have facilitated the
general aim gotten by the end of the class (Harmer, J; “How to teach English”;
Longman 2001) at the time they accomplish the competences expected
beforehand.
In order to plan a lesson, it is mandatory the educator takes into consideration the
frequency, time, text, class size, students’ level, ages, gender, likes, dislikes, needs
analysis, learning style, previous knowledge, background, and techniques to
motivate which becomes part of a class profile. Likewise, it will be included a
general objective for the whole plan, as well as a specific one for each activity
(Harmer, Jeremy;” The practice of English Language teaching” (1991); CUP, 2001).
Once, the general and the specific objectives have been established, the selection
of a proper context should be made to formulate the presentation of the new
focus. Sometimes the textbooks suggest a particular context to be followed,
however very often they are not good enough for our students’ level, needs, and
backgrounds. Therefore, the facilitator should complement, separate and/or omit
the diverse settings, following a different context line, which moves each class
into a meaningful experience, leading students throughout new areas of
knowledge needed to develop the target language to a common goal. This is the
momentum, when the mastery of an English educator, as a foreign language (EFL)
one acts his/her role by organizing, monitoring, predicting, solving, facilitating,
helping the process of teaching, and assisting to change the learner’s academic
paradigm.
Additionally, as planning is a crucial function of a plan, one of the significant
purposes of shaping a class is to predict aims, possible problems and how to
solve them, to reinforce the students’ abilities and skills in concordance with the
entire group across a variety of activities, dynamics and techniques. These
elements are carefully chosen and handled in a class, though; all of them are
taken for granted, once we have known the students and established a good
taken for granted, once we have known the students and established a good
rapport (Harmer, Jeremy; “How to teach English”; Longman 2001).
Among other things, the textbooks, the topics and supporting material become
tools which teachers would manage to make up what to do or not in a class. For
those educators who have been teaching for a time their experience would lead
them to decide what we have mentioned previously. For those new educators, it is
advisable to note down the outcomes, they have gotten, and if the activities
planned worked or not, and a manner those actions could be improved. These
notes will confirm and help the educators to gain experience. Furthermore, being
part of an educators’ party would be always helpful because over this kind of
gatherings, there is a useful interchange of experiences.
All together and due to the fact that each student retains and process differently
with a different rhythm, the activities will be selected or designed to give the
chance to every learner to have an input, process and produce the information
given.
Each activity would include a feedback, in order to students can review and
analyze their production; also, the teacher can notice if the aim was gotten or not
and how to facilitate the aim. A feedback can be done on different ways, in
individuals, pairs, or group feedback when students share and compare their
answers, or as soon as the educator provides the right replies to students.
The focus presentation is rather decisive in a class, the way it is done will
determine the student’s interest in the entire lesson, the vocabulary presentation,
the method of mingling the activities set by the textbook and/or those designed by
the educator to give extra practice or stimulate the productive skills (speaking and
writing), all these must be sensibly organized to guarantee the success of the
class.

1. According to our own experience, and supported by J. Scrivener a class can

be divided on four steps:
2. Warm up
3. Presentation
4. Practice
5. Feedback/Wrap-up

1. Warm up: Gareth Rees states that a warmer is a short activity that demands
an active involvement from the students. We use warmers at the beginning
of lessons for a variety of reasons. Firstly and perhaps most importantly to
get the students going at the beginning of the day or the beginning of the
lesson. To warm them up just like an athlete would warm up before their big
race. Also, it gives the students a chance to switch on to using English. To
get their brains ready to use a different language.

It is designed with information that was given to students previously, or with new
information that they receive in an unconsciously, this means that the students
acquire the new information in a natural way, without direct teachers’
participation. It can be a game, a handout, a set of questions, a competence
motion, or any activity designed to recycle the knowledge the learner already have 
about grammar, and vocabulary.

1. PRESENTATION: In this phase the use of language can be presented in an

inductive way, giving grammar rules, specifying functions of the language, in
other words teacher explains every single aspect of the topic and the
students are lead through this practiced to develop the objective previously
planned. On the other hand, the presentation can follow a deductive teaching
method from general concept to specific use, this can be done  by making a
question to the group without any explanation, giving the students
opportunity to find out the grammar rules, and make their own examples,
following the teacher’s ones. As for new vocabulary, it can be integrated with
 following the teacher’s ones. As for new vocabulary, it can be integrated with
examples given by the teacher or can be analyzed in separated way. There
are many diverse manners of presenting vocabulary, by using drawings or
pictures, definitions, body language, and logical examples from daily life. The
educator should be trained to make his/her mind up to use the textbook,
whether it is clear enough for the language presentation, needs to follow the
same order or create a different one. Essentially, this is the instant when
there is a big amount of decisions to be taken.

1. PRACTICE: At this time of the class, the student receives all possible
opportunities to practice some of the four skills making use of language,
vocabulary, grammar. The activities involved in this phase have to be
balanced out so that the student can practice to achieve the competence
aimed: by developing a conversation, by reading or listening comprehension
activity, by writing a meaningful paragraph using the new knowledge, or by
answering the textbook’s exercises.
2. FEEDBACK/WRAP UP: Some English teachers have called this part a “wrap
up”. Once students are requested: “Did you understand?” the answer is not
realistic because it is influenced to give a confirmation; it will never show us
any acquisition of new knowledge, as most of the students will reply -“Yes, I
did” –in order to avoid feeling guilty. Instead, it is suggested to conclude
with direct questions done randomly to students, with a quiz, through a role
play or with an activity that might prove the student has gotten the
competence intended.

Preparing an English class, due to the specific characteristics, the subject itself
involves educators to use many types of resources like: videos, music, books,
magazines, newspapers, other textbooks, flashcards, posters, web pages,
handouts designed by teachers, CD’s, computer, internet, graphics, and games,
among others. This vast advantage allows educators to organize something fun
not only for students but also for themselves.
However, the circumstance of being able to use all these kinds of materials offers
the educator, the freedom to select whatever he/she reflects is the best, in
concordance to the students predilections and necessities. This is the reason why
it is very important to take into account the students’ learning styles, current
affairs, their needs, and the precise phase to develop the four skills in each
student.
Matching the teacher’s skill with the planning of an English class increases the
possibility to achieve a successful instruction-learning process. When the teacher
comes to the classroom with a lesson plan, the student will perceive the harmony,
organization, responsibility, interest, educator’s attitude in favor to the student’s
learning, therefore, the learners will feel motivated and confident about the
knowledge they are acquiring to process and learn a foreign language.
  Being an English teacher is not a trouble-free task. It means, having an integral
culture, dealing with a large variety of social, emotional, cognitive and learning
styles, and cultural backgrounds differences. Hence, an English educator should
be aware of an extensive domain of erudition. Conversely, we do believe it is a
pretty challenging and rewarding vocation which makes an educator a better
complete person.
LESSON PLAN

STUDENTS’ BACKGROUND: Students have MAIN AIM OF THE

LEVEL: studied around 240 hours of English. They CLASS: Discuss
Intermediate II are between 19 and 22 years old, they are facts. Present
TIME: 11:00 hrs studying at the University but they are passive voice and
TEXTBOOK: studying different majors: Engineering, some useful
Channel direct 4 Nursing, and Marketing. Most of them have phrasal verbs and
UNIT:  6  the same kind of free activities: watching other expressions.
 PAGES: 38, 39 TV, surfing the internet, listening to music,
 PAGES: 38, 39 TV, surfing the internet, listening to music,
TOPIC: practicing soccer and watching movies
Inventions, among others. Some of them are taking the
movies and course for second time and they have
music. problems to develop their speaking skills
and their listening skills.
ACTIVITY OBJECTIVE MATERIAL TIME PROBLEMS/SOLUTIONS
PRESENTATION: To raise Power point   Ss migh not know the
In pairs Ss will students presentation(Ppp) names of the cars.
discuss the next interest on the with  images of 7’ Teacher could write
questions. topic. different kinds of S-S some examples on the
Do you like cars? cars board.
What kind of car
would you like to
have? Why?
CONVERSATION: To present Student book, CD 10’ Ss aren’t able to find out
Sb page 38. Ss vocabulary in CD player. S meanings of the new
read and listen the context S-S expressions by context
check new Teacher will give extra
vocabulary by examples and
discovering definitions.
meanings
throughout
context. Then
students will
practice the
conversation in
pairs.
GRAMMAR Ss have to Ppp 10’ Ss might not remember
PRESENTATION: distinguish T-Ss the past participle of
Ppp. Teacher will the some f the verbs used in
set the differences the exercise. Teacher
differences between will ask them to use the
between active active and chart of verbs that they
and passive passive voice have on their Sb.
voice in present and practice.
simple using
several
examples. Group
work will answer
an exercise in
the Ppp. Teacher
will elicit the
answers.
ORAL PRACTICE: To encourage Cards with 10’ SS might have troubles
Sb page 39. In speaking countries and S-S with the general
pairs Ss will using passive incomplete information; however T.
develop a voice. sentences to will motivate them to
conversation match. give an answer in order
trying to find out Student book to learn more about
how much they general culture.
know about
some general
facts.
GRAMMAR To reinforce Student book 10’ The possible
PRACTICE: Sb understanding Board to check S mistakes/errors will be
page 39. Ss will about the answers. solved on the board in
 page 39. Ss will about the answers. solved on the board in
make a grammar grammar Markers group.
exercise. rules.
WRAP-UP: Ss will To evaluate Ppp 10’ Teacher will correct the
see some students’ S sentences on the board.
pictures in Ppp achievements.
and will make
sentences using
passive voice to
the whole group.

Bibliography
1. Ur, Penny; “A course in language teaching”: Practice and Theory; CUP; 1999.
2. Woodward, Tessa; “Planning lessons and courses”; CUP; 2009.
3. Barthram, Jamie; Rees, Gareth; “Monitoring Bathing Watering A Practical
Guide To The Design And Implementations Assessments and  Monitoring
Program”; E&FN SPON; WHO; US EPA; CEC; 2000.
4. Robertson, C.; Acklam, R.; “Action plan for teachers”; BBC world service;
2000.
5. Harmer, Jeremy; “The practice of English Language teaching” (1991); CUP,
2001.
6. Scrivener, Jim; “Learning Teaching”
7. Woodward, Tessa; Planning lessons and courses; CUP; 2009.
8. Robertson, C.; Acklam, R.; “Action plan for teachers”; BBC world service, 2000
9.  Harmer, Jeremy; “How to teach English”; Longman 2001

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