TESL 582 Methods 2 Summer 2013

Micro-Teaching
Dee Matchett

Lesson Title: Minimal Pairs Grade Level: Early Intermediate Time Allotted for the Lesson: 15 mins Short Description of Lesson (50 words or less): This is a lesson plan for improving listening skills. Students will practice distinguish minimal pairs of /f/ and /v/ through several activities that will focus their attention on these /f/ and /v/ as initial consonant sounds. The vocabulary used is within the level of proficiency students have acquired. Classroom Layout and Grouping of Students: Initially, seated at desks for introductory presentation and worksheet activity. Students will move to form a circle during the closing activity. This may be done in more than one group depending on the size of the class. State Standards met in this lesson (see http://www.state.tn.us/education/ci/esl/doc/ELL_Standards.pdf)

Materials, Resources and Technology (needed for teaching lesson): 1. Picture Power Point 2. Minimal Pairs Worksheet 3. Minimal Pairs Answer Key 4. Minimal Pair Word Cards

Learning Objective(s): Students will be able to distinguish the difference between /v/ and /f/minimal pairs in initial consonant position and be able to listen and select the correct minimal pair within a sentence. Students will be able to form a sentence of their own using minimal pairs.

Instructional Procedures: 1. Lesson Set (How will you open the lesson to motivate the students? How will you relate this lesson to previous learning and/or to real life experiences, to explain the importance of the learning to the students? [requires student involvement]) Today we are going to do some activities that will improve your listening skills, so that you can better understand conversations in English. Have you ever had a misunderstood someone because you couldnt tell the difference between sounds? Allow students to share experiences. We are going to learn to distinguish between the sound of the letter /f/ sound and the /v/ sound. This will help you avoid misunderstanding. Lets look at this Power Point and see if you can hear the difference between the /f/ sound and the /v/ sound.

TESL 582 Methods 2 Summer 2013

Micro-Teaching
Dee Matchett

2. Techniques and Activities: Within the procedures a variety of classroom teaching strategies [methods] are identified. Student centered activities are included as well as guided practice of the learning is included. Indicate anticipated time needed for each activity.) 1. Beginning Listening: 3 min. Picture Power Point to introduce the /f/ and /v/ minimal pairs. The Power Point shows pictures only, not words. This is so that the student does not depend on visual cues from spelling and focuses on listening.

2. Listening Activity 1: Minimal Pairs Worksheet, Item A. 2 min Hand out worksheet. Students listen to words in the minimal pair box. There are no pictures this time. Students have another opportunity to practice hearing the sound that the initial consonant letter makes. 3. Listening Activity 1: Minimal Pairs Worksheet, Item B. a) Students must listen closely to distinguish between /f/ and /v/ word and circle what they hear. b) Teacher calls out the correct answers so that students have an opportunity to improve their listening skills. Students circle the number of any wrong answers.

4. Listening Activity 1: Minimal Pairs Worksheet, Item C. a) Students must listen closely to determine if the same or different initial sound is heard and circle what they hear (S/D). b) Teacher calls out the correct answers so that students have an opportunity to improve their listening skills. Students circle the number of any wrong answers. 5. Listening Activity 1: Minimal Pairs Worksheet, Item D. a) Students must listen closely to determine which minimal pair word is heard within a sentence and circle the word they hear. b) Teacher calls out the correct answers so that students have an opportunity to improve their listening skills. Students circle the number of any wrong answers.

3. Lesson Closure: (How will the lesson come to a close? The content should be summarized and related to future lessons [requires student involvement]) Story Circle: Students sit in a circle. Each student is given a card with a minimal pair set (e.g. fan/van). There are enough pairs for 10 students. If there are fewer students the teacher can participate. In a large class students can be divided into groups and two sets of word cards will be needed. Students should not show their word card to anyone. The first student (or teacher) chooses one of the words (e.g. either fan or van) and creates a sentence to being a story line. The next student adds to story by creating

TESL 582 Methods 2 Summer 2013

Micro-Teaching
Dee Matchett

another sentence. This continues around the circle with each student adding a sentence to the story. This game can be played more than once by redistributing the cards, allowing more opportunity for students to practice using the words correctly. Assessment of student learning (based on objectives): a) Formal Assessment: Student worksheets are checked. b) Informal Assessment: Teacher observes pronunciation and understanding during the Story Circle. Extensions, if any: In an ELL setting students can be encourage students to listen outside class for the words they learned today, write them in their language journals and share with the class the context in which they were heard. Hopefully, ELLs will hear the more commonly used words in this lesson: feel, very, fan, van, fast, fat, fast and fine. EFLs could watch to a movie or television show and listen for minimal pairs and record then in their language journals. Note that this same basic lesson plan can be adapted for other sets of minimal pairs.