Lesson Plan 1 (Vocabulary)
Theme: Work and Finding the Ideal Job
Instructor: Christine DeLuca
Description of Learners
Grade Level: postsecondary, pre-college adults
Ages: 18-20 years old
Proficiency Levels: high beginner low intermediate
Number of Students: 4
Materials
Board and markers/chalk
Textbook: NorthStar Reading and Writing 2 with MyEnglishLab (Pearson Education); Unit 1
Get That Job! The Job Interview Board Game + Unit 1 vocabulary cards + dice
Cathys Job Interview Cards (Alta Book Center Publishers)
Job Hunting as an International Student (adapted article)
Unit 1 Vocabulary Study Guide
Unit 1 Vocabulary Quiz
Language Standards
The Global Scale of English: 4350 and 51-58
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR): Level B1 and Level B1+
The Commission of English Language Acquisition Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions: Curriculum
Standard 1-3
Lesson Objectives
(Content) Students will infer word meaning of unit vocabulary from context.
(Language) Students will use unit vocabulary words commonly used in job postings, interviews, and articles on the topic of
jobs and careers.
Instruction Theory
Warmer/Chalkboard Splash: Socio-linguistic Communicative Competency
-What does ideal mean? Elicit answers and write on board. (Hymes) Allows students to participate in social
-What is the ideal job for you? Draw a Chalkboard Splash graph. Ask rules of a classroom and observe non-verbal
students to brainstorm and generate responses on Post-it notes to be behaviors of other students.
placed on the graph. As a class, debrief and identify similarities, Constructivist Theory (Vygotsky) Helps students
differences, and surprises, and use the Chalkboard Splash form. Ask by observing social, classroom interactions in a
students to partner and discuss similarities, differences, and surprises. supportive learning environment.
Share out answers. [10 minutes]
Focus on the Topic Variable Competence Model
Ask students to study the image (pg 2) and read the title of Unit 1 (Ellis) Helps students by giving them the
(Finding the Ideal Job, pg 3). Aloud, ask the questions (pg 3). Allow opportunity to experience meaningful language
students a few moments to think about answers and then elicit between them and teacher/more advanced
responses orally. [10 minutes] classmates.
Expand Topic:
Create a 4-column chart (job, settings, pros, cons). Elicit and list 3-4 Output Hypothesis (Swain) Provides students
jobs (that are not pictured in the photo) that students know. Fill in with comprehensible input and negotiable
chart with places where people with that job work and at least one +/- meaning, as well as comprehensible output.
about that job. [10 minutes]
Reading One: Finding the Ideal Job
(Pg 4) Have students read over the vocabulary words, discuss/debate Basic Interpersonal Conversation Skills (BICS)
parts of speech, use in a sentence if necessary, and discuss definition. Allows students to be exposed to conversational,
Provide/elicit sample sentences from students. [10 minutes] language fluency.
(Pg 4-5) Individually, have students work to complete the news article.
After students complete the exercise, they should compare answers Common Underlying Proficiency (CUP) Learners
with a partner or within a group. Go over the answers as a class - if draw upon reading and decoding skills acquired
there are disagreements, students should support the reason why they from L1.
chose their answer. [10 minutes] Basic Interpersonal Conversation Skills (BICS)
Partner/group work allows students to be exposed
to conversational fluency.
Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALPS)
Help students practice reading using academic
language.
Four Corners
Have students work together as a class to complete a Four Corners Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALPS)
Frame for each vocabulary word. The frames should include the Provides learners the opportunity to practice
vocabulary word and part of speech, dictionary definition, synonyms, reading, writing, speaking, and listening using
antonyms, and a sentence. Tape these frames around the room as a academic language.
point of reference for the next activity. [20 minutes]
Practice: Get That Job!
Have students work together to play this board game. Each space asks Behaviorist Theory (Skinner) Allows students
a job interview question. If a student lands on vocab card, the the opportunity to learn language through
student must pull a vocabulary card and use it in a sentence. [20 imitation and practice.
minutes] Basic Interpersonal Conversation Skills (BICS)
Provides students with exposure to conversational
fluency.
Extension Activities and Independent Practice
(Homework) Using the article on pg 4-5, have students complete the article for homework by replacing the word in each
blank with a synonym or an equivalent phrase (for example, replace managers with people who supervise workers).
Students should use a thesaurus for help. Have students prepare to discuss their answers in pairs and engage in a class
discussion the following day.
(Homework) Have students read the article titled Job Hunting as an International Student (adapted) and take Cornell
Method-style notes. Prepare notes for in-class discussion.
(Homework) Students should use the readings from Unit 1 to complete the Unit 1 Vocabulary Study Guide. If necessary,
students can use a thesaurus and/or dictionary to complete the assignment.
(Homework) Have students complete a sample job application at home and bring to class to discuss.
(In-Class) Using Cathys Interview Cards, students will hold mock job interviews in pairs. Students should use learned
vocabulary from Unit 1 and bring the job application that they prepared at home. [20 minutes]
Evaluation and Assessment
Informal observation during pair work and group work
Assign homework on MyEnglishLab, the online component to the textbook. Students can submit their work online and
teacher can view assignment report, leave comments, and grade work.
Unit 1 Vocabulary Quiz
Model Performance Indicators
Level 2 Level 3
Beginning Developing
Listening Match or classify oral descriptions to real- Evaluate information in social and academic
life experiences or examples shown in conversations
images
Speaking Describe jobs, settings, pros, and cons Compare/contrast jobs and their
Characterize and describe setting, person, characteristics using general and some
event shown in image specific language
Gather information through oral interaction
and games
Reading Match vocabulary words to contextual Apply multiple meanings of vocabulary
clues in articles words to social and academic contexts using
synonyms and short phrases
Writing Make content-related lists of words, Complete job applications from templates
phrases, or expressions using 4-column and samples
chart
Take notes using Cornell Method model
Artifacts
