Page 160 - Teaching English at Primary Level: From Theory into the Classroom

Lesson Planning

Table 10.1 Bloom’s Framework of Learning Domains with Examples of Verbs
Domain Examples of verbs
Knowledge Show, circle, name, list, choose, match, describe, compare, classify, give examples
Skills Draw, use, demonstrate, interact, present, act out, predict, solve
Attitudes Accept, appreciate, value, enjoy, assess, judge

Some aspects of planning a lesson in the YLs’ classroom are worth consider-
ing more in detail: lesson objectives, the sequencing of activities, the timing
of activities, and lesson plan formats.

Objectives
An objective is a statement which reflects what the teacher hopes the learn-
ers will achieve by the end of a lesson or unit. In designing the objectives
of a lesson, teachers are often focused on the procedures or activities rather
than the outcomes of the lesson (Scrivener, 2011). For example, in the state-
ment ‘Pupils will practice the names of different kinds of fruit.’, the focus is
on the procedure rather than the achievement of the objective. However, if
we reformulate the objective into ‘Pupils will be able to categorise food into
healthy and unhealthy.’ the focus is on the achievement. In designing objec-
tives, it is therefore advisable to use the wording ‘Pupils will be able to ...’
followed by a strong verb, such as describe, demonstrate, compare, present,
show, etc., taking into account the level of the learners. An efficient objective
will highlight the new skill that the learners will gain as a result of a partic-
ular lesson, such as ‘Pupils will be able to describe their family in English.’,
while other objectives may be planned across several lessons, for example
‘Pupils will be able to understand and follow classroom instructions.’ An effi-
cient learning objective is measurable and can be observed in the behaviour
of the learner. This is reflected in the verbs used to describe the competence
the learner is supposed to acquire. For example, the verbs ‘learn’ or ‘under-
stand’ are difficult to measure objectively, while if we formulate the objective
using the verbs ‘explain’ or ‘compare,’ we are able to see clear evidence if the
learners have achieved the objective or not. In selecting the appropriate verb
for formulating the learning objective, it is useful to draw on Bloom’s frame-
work of learning domains which integrates knowledge, skills and attitudes
(Table 10.1).
Compared to other subjects, defining the aims and objectives in a foreign
language classroom is particularly challenging since the target language is
‘not only the content but the teaching medium’ (Cook, 1991, p. 94). This is

160