Module 2 Schemes of work

Longer-term planning
In addition to knowing what was covered in the previous lesson and what will be covered in the next
lesson, it is also useful to get a picture of what will be covered over several lessons, ie, a scheme of work.

Brainstorm together the kinds of things you think should be included in a scheme of work.

Now discuss these questions:

What advantages to teachers are there in having a scheme of work?

Are there any disadvantages?

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 Module 2 Schemes of work

Longer-term planning
In addition to knowing what was covered in the previous lesson and what will be covered in the next
lesson, it is also useful to get a picture of what will be covered over several lessons, ie, a scheme of work.

Brainstorm together the kinds of things you think should be included in a scheme of work. Examples may
include:

Learning outcomes
Time needed
Language input and language reviews
Activities/tasks
Materials
Topics
Types of skills
Provision for mixed levels in class

Now discuss the following questions:

What advantages to teachers are there in having a scheme of work?
Provides a framework for what needs to be taught
Helps teachers to have an overall view of learning
Brings together different elements of the syllabus and shows how they interlock
Helps teachers to check at a glance that they are providing balance and variety
Helps to clarify priorities
They can be done for a few lessons or many
They help relate individual lesson aims to the course aims
Help teachers to see at a glance that they are incorporating activities to meet a diverse range of
learning needs.

Are there any disadvantages?

Some teachers may feel it doesnt give enough flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances, ie,
issues may arise in one lesson which the teacher decides to focus on in the follow-up lesson, but
which are not included in the scheme of work.

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The United Kingdoms international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
 Module 2 Schemes of work

Schemes of work

Look at this scheme of work and answer these questions:

Does it include the areas you discussed?

Is it practical?

Is it balanced?

Is there variety?

Is the sequence logical?

Does anything surprise you?

Would you prepare a scheme of work in this way? Why/ Why not?

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 Module 2 Schemes of work

Scheme of work: Talking about yourself

Learning Context/ Tasks & Resources/
Language Skills Homework
outcome topic activities materials
Tues Can Family and Revision Listening Listen to Course book Write a
describe age friends family lexis. and description page 29. paragraph
and Have/has speaking choose pics. Materials about your
appearance got; is/are; Find S.O. who bank family best friend
lexis for Describe activities
appearance family
member to
partner
Thurs Can talk School School lexis. Reading Compare/ My school Write about
about school Revision of Speaking discuss H/W. text from your partner
subjects, present Writing Read/ identify teenage using the
school simple for peer key info. reading info from
routines, routines. correction Personal materials. speaking
likes and Good at/bad profiles CB p33 activity
dislikes at.
Likes/dislikes
.
Tues Can talk Sports, Recycle/extn Listening Guess who DVD from Grammar
about hobbies, of lexis for Speaking using materials gap-fills
interests and interests sports and Writing partners bank
free-time leisure profile CB p 36
activities activities. Watch/listen Grammar
Like/dont to leisure games
like/enjoy + time
ing and descriptions,
modifiers fill in grid. Gr
very, really gap-fills.
etc Choose
correct
answer
Thurs As above As above Review Speaking Vocab match. CB p38 Workbook
Tuesdays and Pronunciation Tape from Crossword
work. listening mark stress. pron materials hobbies
Intonation Gap-fill
positive/neg.
Info gap
Tues Class Likes and Review/recyc Speaking Discuss Language
posters of dislikes of le previous Listening design of review
leisure time class language Reading poster.
activities writing Making Qs.
Writing
information,
reading and
editing

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 Module 2 Schemes of work

Schemes of work - suggested answers

Does it include the areas you discussed? This could provide a springboard into discussion of items
participants may consider relevant for schemes of work.

Is it practical? This is a personal opinion, it depends on how teachers like to work, some would find it
useful from the point of view of knowing what the direction was, but others may find it unnecessary,
particularly if it is already covered in the CB.

Is it balanced? All four skills are included; there is review of language, together with new language.
The final activity the poster hands over responsibility to learners. It is worth pointing out that this
is simply a sketch lesson plans would be more detailed.

Is there variety? Focus on the activity types and discuss whether they are sufficient to motivate the
learners. This is also a good opportunity to discuss why variety is so important in lesson planning.

Is the sequence logical? It builds on the known and links the topics with development in structures
and lexis.

Does anything surprise you? Again, a personal opinion. Discuss anything they do find surprising and
their reasons why.

Would you prepare a scheme of work in this way? Why/ Why not? This is personal opinion.
Schemes of work arent obligatory in all contexts, but it is essential that teachers are aware of the
objectives and content of the course and how learners will progress through the items.

An English global product

The British Council, 2008

The United Kingdoms international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
 Module 2 Schemes of work

Practice
Think about a recent lesson you have taught. Make a scheme of work showing how it interlocked with
previous lessons and future ones. Consider learning outcomes, types of activity, opportunities for
learners to engage in communication, language focus and context, and resources/materials used.
Next, review with a partner your scheme of work and your partners. Use these questions to help you.

Do the learning outcomes relate to what has been taught/what will be taught?

Does the language input help to provide a foundation for what will come in future lessons?

Are there opportunities to recycle and consolidate language?

Are the opportunities for skills balanced? Does one skill take precedence over the others?
Which one? Why is this?

Do the activities chosen provide variety? Is there too much repetition of the same kinds of
activity? Which changes would you make?

How many resources are used? Is there an over-dependence on the coursebook?

An English global product

The British Council, 2008

The United Kingdoms international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
 Module 2 Schemes of work

Practice suggestions for trainers

OPTION 1
If participants focus on their own teaching, the outcomes of this task are unpredictable. You may wish
pairs or groups to report on one point of interest in their discussion, and add any others that you
noticed when you were monitoring discussion. If clear guidelines or points emerge, summarise these.

OPTION 2
If for some reason it is not possible for participants to focus on their own teaching, you could again
ask them to focus on the example scheme of work. In this case, possible answers are below.
Do the learning outcomes relate to what has been taught/what will be taught? The references to
reviews and recycling show that previously learnt language will influence language production.
The final activity designing a poster links to language and practice in the preceding lessons.
Does the language input help to provide a foundation for what will come in future lessons?
There is not a great deal of detail, but it is relevant to the topic.
Are there opportunities to review language? Yes, quite regularly. This is important as it helps
build confidence, prepare learners for the final task, to match the known with the new and to
consolidate their language knowledge.
Are the opportunities for skills balanced? Does one skill take precedence over the others?
Which one? Why is this? There are opportunities to practice all four skills, though speaking
figures the most. This may be because the teacher wants to maximize opportunities for
communication, because it is the most difficult skill for the learners, or it may be what the
syllabus demands etc. It is important to note however that the skills are practised in an
integrated way, particularly in the final activity which involves all four skills.
Do the activities chosen provide variety? Is there too much repetition of the same kinds of
activities? Which changes would you make? From the limited detail given, there seems to be
sufficient variety. The thing to bear in mind is that activities should be varied to meet the
different learning styles within the classroom.
How many resources are used? Is there an over-dependence on the coursebook? A variety is
used including those produced by teachers for the materials bank.

An English global product

The British Council, 2008

The United Kingdoms international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
 Module 2 Schemes of work

Word-search

How many words connected with lesson planning can you find in the following word-search. Work in
groups then check with your trainer.

D R Y O O P L R I E F E E D B A C K

F E V B J A Q E A V N F O C U S O N

N U T I P R O C E D U R E V D D N Z

I L I B A C X Z R S Y L L A B U S H

A I M S C H E M E O F W O R K H O

N H I E E C U Y Y I O P L I L K L V

T C N G R O W U R A P I L E A D I N

I N G A M M B A E V E R A T A M D E

C L A S S P R O F I L E S Y W E A H

I A L W A O Y S L B E H O P E I T S

P L O A N N O O E R R E C Y C L E H

A P N S T E U M C I E N O I L A S I

T H G T S N N E T L D D N P U N T M

E A I S E T T T H E S C E N E K A M

N B N R N O N E T H E L E S S Y T E

An English global product

The British Council, 2008

The United Kingdoms international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
 Module 2 Schemes of work

Word-search Answer sheet

How many words connected with lesson planning can you find in the following word-search. Work in
groups then check with your trainer.

D R Y O O P L R I E F E E D B A C K

F E V B J A Q E A V N F O C U S O N

N U T I P R O C E D U R E V D D N Z

I L I B A C X Z R S Y L L A B U S H

A I M S C H E M E O F W O R K H O

N H I E E C U Y Y I O P L I L K L V

T C N G R O W U R A P I L E A D I N

I N G A M M B A E V E R A T A M D E

C L A S S P R O F I L E S Y W E A H

I A L W A O Y S L B E H O P E I T S

P L O A N N O O E R R E C Y C L E H

A P N S T E U M C I E N O I L A S I

T H G T S N N E T L D D N P U N T M

E A I S E T T T H E S C E N E K A M

N B N R N O N E T H E L E S S Y T E

An English global product

The British Council, 2008

The United Kingdoms international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.