4- Timing
What is timing?
This refers to the time you allocate for each stage of the lesson and what the learners and yourself do in each one. That could be giving instructions for an activity, learners completing a handout, going through the answers or giving feedback, or any other part of a lesson.
What is the most common problem with timing in the English language classroom?
When correcting answers from an activity, some teachers go through them one-by-one. That can be boring for learners, and can slow down the pace of the class. It can also eat into precious lesson time allocated for speaking practice, for example.
How do I solve this problem with timing in my classroom?
When correcting answers to a reading or listening comprehension, controlled grammar practice or gap fill, allow learners to time to compare their answers with each other before showing the answers on the board.
If you don’t have a projector or interactive whiteboard, you can put the answers onto a piece of paper and place it either on the table or on the walls around the room. This technique allows students to be more responsible for their learning. If learners have questions or have got a common answer wrong, you can focus solely on those, making better use of the class time.
Some learners want their teacher to go through the answers one-by-one, but this is not effective use of lesson time, nor does it have any pedagogical value. Some teachers also think that this provides learners with extra speaking practice as they read out the answers, but again this doesn’t have any pedagogical value. The real speaking practice will happen when learners have to engage with others to complete a specific task.
5- Demonstrating and setting up activities
What is demonstrating and setting up an activity?
When giving instructions, demonstrate how the learners need to do the activity. For example, how to complete the gaps, how to complete the table for a listening activity, or how to form the questions for a speaking task.
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