Georgetown University TEFL Certification Program

Copyright, July 2009

Lesson Plan

Date:
Listening Lesson Plan

Background on lesson:
Context:
Class profile: Group of 20 adult ESL students from Washington D.C.
Age: Mid 20s to 50s
Level: Intermediate
Learner Needs: These people are seeking to improve their general language
skills for living and working in the U.S.
Objectives/Aims: This lesson is an inductive approach to helping students
with the usage of past simple and present perfect. With the use of authentic
audio-visual material, students will practice distinguishing between the two
tenses. Since time signifiers play a key role in the use of either the past
simple or present perfect, it makes sense to approach the grammar point from
this angle also.
Assumptions: Their intermediate level means that they are proficient in the
basics of English. But since they are not over the intermediate level threshold
yet, they would probably enjoy lessons with entertaining formats that are nonthreatening.
Language Analysis: Time signifiers; relevant vocabulary; relevant tenses.
Anticipated Problems and Solutions: Teaching grammar is always a difficult
task since it can easily become monotonous. There is not a great deal of
opportunity for communicative interaction. Therefore, the teacher should do
her best to integrate communicative activities into the lesson with the aim of
inductive grammar teaching. That being said, the teacher should spend a few
minutes reviewing and consolidating grammar concepts so that there is no
misunderstanding or confusion.
Materials: Handouts; video clip.
Timing: 60 minutes

Georgetown University TEFL Certification Program

Copyright, July 2009

Lesson Plan

Stage

Date:

Aim

Procedure

Warmer

Mats.

Focus

Time

Greetings, general announcements.

T-S

Introducing
the topic

Teacher begins by asking students

have you ever? questions. She asks
them to briefly talk about their
experience. This activity involves the
students affectively.

Grammar
summary

Teacher makes the distinction between

the use of the past simple tense and
the present perfect tense with relation
to time signifiers

T-S

Pair work

Teacher makes two columns on the

board and writes past simple and
present perfect as column headings.
She hands out a list of time signifiers
and asks the pairs to put each signifier
in the correct column. After completion
of exercise, teacher asks for answers
and fills in the columns on the board.
She gives feedback on results.

10

Watching
and listening

Students watch a video clip of an

Video S
interview with a famous travel writer.
clip
They are able to hear authentic use of
both tenses. They are handed out the
script and watch the video once more to
fill in the gaps in the script with either
the past simple or the present perfect.

15

Group work

Students form groups of three and are

handed out an exercise where they
have to convert sentences that are in
the present perfect into sentences that
use the past simple.

S-S

15

Discussion
and
feedback

Students provide answers and teacher

gives feedback; clarifies and answers
any questions.

T-S

Opening

Sequencing
Hand
out

Hand
out

Georgetown University TEFL Certification Program

Copyright, July 2009

Lesson Plan

Date:

Closure/conc
lusion
Class
discussion
and recap

Teacher checks for general

comprehension. Recaps important
points for distinguishing between the
use of the two tenses. Answers any
questions.

T-S