WRITING LESSON PLAN

Class Profile : Age AdultsNumber of students 10-12Level ElementaryThe setting CELT AthensConstraints Borrowed class, outside city/traffic noise

Also, because of the great variety of teachers who teach this free class, homework is rarely given them or if given, done, because most of the students work as builders or in other manual jobs and have little time for homework. Their progress is more obvious in their oral work but they are weak writers.

Length of lesson 50-60mins

This class is made up of a mixture of nationalities from different countries: The Congo, Iran, Afghanistan, and Greece. They are a beginners group, with some students clearly stronger than others. Some have had some exposure to English in the past in school in their corresponding countries. However, in contrast some of the students have had either little or no formal education.

Most of the students are refugees and are learning English to better their lives whilst living in Greece. Their refugee status’ and cultural backgrounds affects their learning style, their actions and also their attitudes in class. Overall, they are a motivated group who enjoy English lessons for the knowledge and also the social aspect of the lessons.

Victor is a strong-willed man from Congo in his early 30’s. He can only attend lessons every second week. Although his attendance is sparse he still manages to keep up with the rest of the class. He has had more practice with writing than speaking and claims it is his stronger skill.

Fifie is the wife of Victor and is a mother of two. She works as a babysitter and teaches French privately. She speaks relatively well for the level of the class but sometimes does not listen properly to instructions and gets defensive if the teacher does not understand what she is trying to say.

Ali is from Afghanistan. He is a kind natured man and enjoys English lessons. He is perhaps the strongest student in the group and loves interactive activities and games.

Mahdi is also a young man from Afghanistan and he is a regular student who has shown some progress., He is at a similar level as Didar and Akbar another two young man from Afghanistan

Ashmatullah is not a regular attender for lessons, hence quite weak. However, when there he appears to enjoy them a lot. He is at a similar level with Saed and Hassan who are also keen to participate although quite weak students.

Nikos is is a young Greek man who joined the class more recently – his oral skills are not very strong but his comprehension is satisfactory – he seems to enjoy the lessons and participates but often needs the teacher’s help.

There are many other students who often do not turn up and then they do, such as Shakiba and Shokofen – two young women from Afghanistan - as well as other less regular students like Rasul, and Maritina.

Lesson Aims/ Objectives for students:

Primary Aim(s):1. To write a postcard to own families, to

focus on the appropriate “content” of expression in writing, in the TL.

Evidence:

1. By writing a postcard in groups to their families back in their country of origin, using group work and different stages of experimental writing and comments before

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2. To find “purpose” and “audience” in writing.

Sub-Skills of Writing: Cohesion: To develop ideas of the same intent, one after the other and categorize them in the correct order in the same paragraph. Coherence:To develop ideas of different category, to categorize them appropriately in their paragraphs and to link them in order to present them complete and uniform in the piece of writing.Writing: To produce multiple drafts and edit them in groups before producing the final one for final responding

Secondary Aim(s) : Speaking:To speak fluently in the TL from the beginning of the lesson with whatever linguistic means they own at their disposal.Reading:To activate top- down and bottom-up reading skills, to practice skimming and scanning in a model postcard divided into strips of paper, as an introduction to purpose, audience, cohesion and coherence.

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the actual writing stage.2. During group work and reordering of a model

postcard into pieces, will they realize to “how” and to “whom” they are to write the postcard.

Cohesion:Brainstorming will assist them to jot down ideas respective to a paragraph topic and then, by means of group / whole class work, these ideas will be categorized accordingly.

Coherence:At the pre-writing stage, they will categorize all the ideas into two paragraphs, in their teams, they will link them thematically, and then, they will switch papers to mark each other`s work.Writing:By producing different drafts of postcards in their teams and self/ peer evaluating them amongst them, before producing the complete postcard to send to England.

Speaking:Learners will communicate in the TL amongst them from the beginning of the lesson, to exchange life experiences by talking about their island with a variety of photos stuck up on around the walls of the classroom.Reading:The model postcard cut up into strips of paper will guide learners to reorder it; hence, they will realize to “whom” and “why” they are writing and how to develop and link their ideas, as well.

Source Aids/Handouts : 1. Different website photos of Paros and Antiparos stuck up on the walls of the classroom, to make

students communicate freely (see H/O1).2. A photo of Joe (see H/O2) to establish audience in writing.3. A model postcard cut up into strips of paper for Ss to reorder and use it as a basis and context to

develop their own drafts in the process (see H/O3) adapted from “English for Adults 1” by Longden Fiona and O’ Brien Cathleen (Grivas Publications August 2003 ) Unit 17 pg.73 –Writing a Postcard.

4. A wh-task sheet (who, to whom, why, what, when, where) to facilitate Ss` exploitation of the model postcard during pre-writing stage (see H/O4).

5. Layouts of postcards to write multiple drafts, before producing the final one (see H/O5).6. The w/b and some blue tack for sticking up photos and the strips of paper.

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7. Re alia / postcards of Alyki –Paros, one per group of students to produce their final draft (see H/O6).

8. Pens/pencils for writing the drafts.

Linguistic assumptions:This particular class covered days, months and seasons last year, therefore, they will be able to describe time in their postcards, effectively. Moreover, the fact that they learnt how to write addresses at their previous course book, “English in Mind”, will enable them to write the recipient`s addresses on their postcards. Furthermore, they covered Past Simple forms , both regular and irregular, last March, hence, I believe they will be able to express their past life experiences on the postcard, with a little help, from the T, if possible, for a few irregular Past Simple forms. In addition, they have been taught “going to” for indefinite plans in the future; therefore, it will be a great opportunity for them to practice the tense using future plans on their postcard, during their holidays. Finally, the topic of describing holidays on their island as tourists will enthuse and intrigue them to fall back on describing their life experiences on the island to “families abroad”; a fruitful way to introduce them to writing postcards.

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Anticipated Language Difficulties : 1. Young adult students will probably not be

familiar with writing postcards as tourists to their “families abroad”.

2. Learners will definitely have nothing to contribute about the topic of holidays, because they never go on summer holidays, since they get part-time summer jobs.

3. Ss might be stuck with ideas about “what” to write on each paragraph of the postcard.

4. Ss might be unaware of “audience” “greetings” and “closings” on the postcard.

Solutions/Remedies : 1. The gradual writing process of writing multiple

drafts in their teams before producing their final one , in order to familiarize themselves with the appropriate genre.

2. The chosen topic of holidays on their island will incite them to open up freely and express their life experiences about spending holidays on Paros, which will help them with writing, afterwards.

3. Reordering of cut up strips of the model postcard and brainstorming will assist them greatly to think of and write “holiday” ideas in their teams.

4. The photo of “Joe” as well as the “Dear Amy,” and “Love, Joe” “greetings” and “closings” of the postcard will establish “audience” and “discourse” on the model postcard.

Timetable Fit:The class was taught Past Simple forms both regular and irregular, in their affirmative, interrogative and negative forms some time ago; hence, they will be able to express themselves in writing using the Past, whenever they have to refer to past life experiences about holidays, with slight guidance, from T, whenever possible, about irregular Past Simple forms.

Moreover, they have covered ‘going to’ about indefinite plans for the future, therefore, they will be able to describe such plans in the near future, such as to describe what they’re going to do on some days during next week. This tense has not been recently revised though – the simple Past has.

Finally, the last unit we covered “at the travel Agent`s” on gathering ideas about holidays, will definitely enable them to brainstorm ideas relevant to the topic of “Holidays” and use them as a basis for keeping notes for each paragraph of the postcard and use them in drafts, afterwards.

Board Plan(s):Photos of Paros scattered around class walls

Unknown Words:

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Paroikia Naoussa

Pounda Beach Antiparos

Go sightseeing?

Explore (by car)?

Cave?

Strips or paper stuck up on the w/b in the correct order with “Joe”:Dear Amy

I`m having a great time here in Alyki on Paros.

I arrived on Sunday and yesterday I explored the island by car.

Tomorrow, I am going to ride a bike and go for a long ride in the countryside.

It`s really beautiful

In the afternoon, I am going to cycle to Santa Maria, a wonderful beach, so I can try surfing.

On Wednesday, I am going to go sightseeing to Antiparos and take a lot of photos.

You can see them when I get home.

I am also going to spend a lot of time on Pounda beach.

I really need some rest.

See you soon,

Love,

Joe

Greeting

Where she is/ is she O.K.?

When did she arrive?What did she do?

What is she going to do tomorrow? What is it like?

What is she going to do in the afternoon?

What is she going to do on Wednesday?

Where is she going to be?

Why?

Closing

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Amy Millis

Ash Lane

Banbury

England

address

Commentary:

Most of the students in this particular class come from non-European linguistic backgrounds and writing has always been a difficult task for them from the beginning of their learning. Right to left movement in Farsi has been difficult to overcome and this much guided writing lesson aims to help them develop their writing as well as a more positive attitude to writing.

The main aim of this lesson plan is to enable learners to express communicatively in writing in the TL. A real life goal will be achieved and this is the one of writing a postcard to friends in England or other English speaking country, describing their life experiences, i.e. holidays, which according to Sharwood-Smith (1972), constitutes writing about real life experiences is communication. In fact, the presentation of photos of Paros, scattered around the walls of the classroom, will hopefully stimulate emotions and promote language transfer between previously acquired language and the target one (Odlin 1989) and they also have their say in the production of a piece of writing. (Myles, 2002).

It is also an excellent opportunity, by using the Process Writing approach (White & Arndt 1991) to talk and write about holidays on the island, since they are not accustomed to going on holidays during summer seasons, because some of them are not familiar with this type of writing, which is however achievable for their level.

A variety of activities have been designed to attract the learners` attention and to guide them to produce drafts of postcards, before producing the final one for responding- to practice writing for content, purpose and audience (Raimes cited in Ghaith 2002) in their teams. The model postcard cut up into strips of paper will guide them to the content of a postcard (genre); it will activate top-down and bottom-up reading skills of the postcard, its addresses, greetings and closings, a process which will enable learners to “learn to write” (Tribble 1996, p.118) at the later stages of the Process Writing Approach.

The wh-task will be used as a springboard for learners to contribute ideas for the brainstorming session of gathering data to use for producing drafts, later. More specifically, after collection of data, in two teams, they will be invited to select ideas /establish viewpoints and create a first draft in their teams.

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Next, there will be a rough evaluation amongst teams, since they will swap papers and be invited to comment on each other`s drafts. Based on the comments, they arrange information and structure the text produce the first drafts, to deliver them to the next group for peer evaluation and responding (White and Arndt 1991). After feedback, a second draft will be produced in their teams, with prompting and guidance, this time, to focus on developing cohesion and coherence between paragraphs- discoursal based approach towards learner-centres syllabuses (N. Holmes 2000-2004)- before delivering it in for self-evaluation / proof-reading.

Finally, they will finish editing their final draft on the re alia/postcard and deliver it for final responding to their classmates, who, in turn read it out to class. It is a process, in which we feel that credit is given for every aspect of their effort which goes into the writing process. Our goal is to present writing as lively, stimulating process, which Lu Chi cited in White & Arndt 1991 puts the “matching of matter and manner”, such that it becomes “the ferry” between the writer and the reader.

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DELTA Lesson Plan

Name: Paraskevi Andreopoulou

Date: 15/08/08

PROCEDURE

Stage Teacher Activity

Learner Activity Aims Materials

Interaction

Time

Ice-Breaker:

T sticks up different photos of Paros on the walls of class, before they enter the class. Then, when, they enter the class, she tells them:

“Stand up and look around you all the photos of Paros on the walls.

“Look at them and then, say to others which of these places you like to go on holidays and why”

“You have 1’ to do this”

Ss enter the class

Ss stand up and look around them all the photos of Paros on the walls

Ss look at them and then, they say to their classmates which of these places they like to go on holidays and why

To warm up the class and to establish a game-like atmosphere

To explore around the class, to be introduced to the topic of holidays, gradually

To exchange views, to state preferences /dislikes and to give reasons for their choices

H/O1 Plenary Mode 2`

Pre-Writing (a):

After feedback, T shows photo of “Joe” and informs Ss that he visited Paros last August for 5 days and he wrote a postcard to his best friend, Amy, back in England.

“Unfortunately, this postcard is in pieces and

Ss observe the task

Ss get into two groups- Groups A+B get their pieces of paper

To establish context and to use learners` schematic knowledge of the world to combine it with the lesson`s topic

To promote group work, to reorder pieces of paper,

H/O2+3 Plenary Mode 3-4`

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you must put it back into the correct order to find out what he wrote to her.”“Do it altogether”.

of the postcard and try to re-order them

to work out context in groups and to activate bottom-up reading skills

Pre- Writing (b):

After feedback, T advises learners to look at it complete and this time, to find out who writes to whom and why.T tells them to talk about it, in pairs.

Ss look at the model postcard complete and try to find out who wrote to whom and why and comment on it in pairs

To work out in context purpose and audience, in teams and to activate top-down reading skills

H/03 Pair Work 1-2`

Pre-Teaching Vocabulary:

After feedback, T holds the attention of Ss to the unknown words in context; T elicits their meaning in context, using mime /gestures; after presentation, choral/individual repetition of it ensues

Ss look at the unknown words, in context ,and try to guess their meaning

Ss observe the unknown words and repeat them chorally/ individually

Topre-teach unknown vocabulary, to work out its meaning in context, using mime /gestures and to practice stress, intonation and rhythm

H/O3 Plenary Mode 1-2`

Pre-Writing (c):

After feedback, T assigns two paragraphs for each group to work on, of the model postcard, and hands out a wh-comprehension task to complete for their paragraphs.

Ss are assigned to work on two paragraphs in their teams and get the wh-comprehension task to complete for their paragraphs

To practice reading skills, such as scanning and reading for detail

H/O3+4 Group Work 2-3`

Feedback: After feedback, she tells them to come to the w/b and put the strips of paper one under the other.

Ss get the pieces of paper, come to the w/b and put them one under the other

To reorder the strips of paper on the w/b, to present it as a whole, and to use it as a springboard for the brainstorming session

H/O3 Plenary Mode 2-3`

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Brainstorming:

After class feedback, T tells Ss to think of themselves as a tourist who visited Paros last August for five days.

“What are the things you did and what are you going to do the next few days?”

“Think of those things and write them down on a piece of paper, in your teams.”

During the activity, T goes around , monitors and provides help, wherever necessary

Ss think of themselves as a tourist who visited Paros last August for five days

They are going to take down the things they did and what they are going to do the next few days

Ss are going to take them down on a piece of paper

To activate their schematic knowledge of the world, to combine their schemata to culturally targeted topics

And to ask them to brainstorm ideas in their teams useful for producing drafts

H/O5 and pens/pencils

Group Work 4-5`

While-Writing (Rough draft):

After feedback, T informs them that they will have to write their ideas down, in any order they like, on the model postcard, - one group member will write the draft and the others will give help and guidance.

During the activity, T goes around, monitors and provides assistance.

Ss write their ideas down in any order they like on the model postcard, rather fast- one group member writes the draft and the others give help and guidance

To write fast a rough draft, to select ideas and to establish a viewpoint

H/O5 Group Work 5`

Peer- Evaluation:

After writing, T advises Ss to change papers with the other team and give comments on each other`s

Ss exchange papers with the other team and give comments on each other`s work

To promote collaboration amongst group members, to peer- evaluate, to offer support and guidance with

H/O5 Group Work 2-3`

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work. written speechWhile- Writing (First draft):

After peer feedback, T advises Ss to re-write the postcard, using the address, “Dear…”, “Love….”as well as to select which ideas will go to which paragraph, in their teams;

T tells them that one of them will write the draft and the others will help out; at the same time she points at the model postcard on the w/b and explains

Ss attempt to re-write clearly the postcard, using “Dear….” “Love…..”, as well as selecting which ideas will go to each paragraph, in their teams;

One group member writes the draft and the others help out

To arrange information, to structure the text (White and Arndt 1991), to use “purpose” and “audience”

To work collaboratively to achieve an aim

H/O6

H/O6 , w/b & H/O3

Group Work

Plenary Mode & Group Work

5`

Peer Evaluation:

After writing, T tells Ss to swap papers and give them to the other group to make comments-

Ss swap papers and give them to the other group to re-read them and to make comments

To promote co-operation to achieve a goal, to peer- evaluate, to respond to the first draft and to give feedback on the content (Raimes cited in Gaith 2002)

H/O6 Group Work 2-3`

While-Writing Second draft):

Editing:

After feedback, T advises Ss to rewrite their drafts, much better, now, they`ve got the feedback from other groups;

After writing, T tells Ss to read out what they`ve written;

Ss rewrite their drafts

Ss read out what they`ve written

To improve the skill of writing (Charles 1990)

To edit, to proof-read content

H/O6

H/O6

Group Work

Plenary Mode

2-3`

2`

Post- After feedback, T hands Ss get the postcards and copy To take more Re alia / Group Work 3-4`

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Writing (finished draft):

out real postcards and tells Ss to copy out on the postcard, what there is on their papers

out on the postcard, what there is on their papers

responsibility for what they write, to present their pieces of writing complete

postcards

Post- Writing (final responding):

T tells Ss to read out their postcards in class

Ss read out their postcards to class

To get their meaning across to the readership(Charles 1990) and to get final responding (White & Arndt 1991)

Re alia / Postcards

Plenary Mode 2-3`

Follow- Up:

T thanks for their time Ss thank for time, too None None None None

APPROX55 mins

APPENDICES (H/O1)

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(H/O2)

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(H/O3) (It will be cut up into strips of paper)Dear Amy, I`m having a great time here in Naoussa on Paros. I arrived on Sunday and yesterday I explored the island by car.

Tomorrow, I`m going to rent a bike and go for a long bike ride around the island. It`s really beautiful. In the afternoon,I`m going to go to Pounda Beach, so I can try wind surfing.

On Wednesday, I`m going to go sightseeing to Antiparos in the cave and take a lot of photos. You can see them when I get home. I`m also going to spend a lot of time on the beach in Logaras. I really need some rest.

See you soon,

Love, Joe

Amy MillisAsh LaneBanburyENGLAND

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(H/O4)

Who?

To whom?

Why?

What?

When?

Where?

(H/O5)

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(H/O6) (Realia / postcard)

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