Hamid Mohammadpour Hamid Mohammadpour

TP 3 Comparative and Superlative
Intermediate level

Description

In this lesson, students learn about comparatives, superlatives, and quantifiers used for modifying them. They are supposed to achieve this through guided discovery based on a reading text about technology and our life. This is followed by a series of controlled practice through sentence completion. Finally there is some free practice via a speaking activity related to the theme in reading text.

Materials

Abc complete rules
Abc complete statements
Abc match cut-ups
Abc choose sentence
Abc reading text

Main Aims

  • To provide clarification and practice of comparatives and superlatives, and their quantifiers in the context of technology

Subsidiary Aims

  • To provide fluency and accuracy speaking practice in a discussion in the context of technology

Procedure

Stage 1 (lead-in) (3-5 minutes) • To create interest and pre-lesson warm-up among students

Teacher drawing a timeline draws students' attention into three time periods (19th, 20th, and 21st centuries). Teacher then elicits three major inventions or advancements in transportation means belonging to each period. Teacher writes them under each period. Teacher encourages students to discuss very quickly in small groups and compare how these forms of transport were/are different.

Stage 2 (scan reading) (3-5 minutes) • To provide scan reading for specific forms in target language

Teacher gives instructions about a task in which students identify and underline examples of comparatives and superlatives in a reading text from previous lesson. Teacher using ICQs makes sure that they underline the forms. Teacher passes out the handouts. Students go over the text and scan for comparative and superlative forms and underline them. Teacher then gives a quick feedback to class. Teacher this time, in an other task, asks them to scan and go over the identified comparative and superlative forms and circle the words or phrases (quantifiers) before comparatives and superlatives which change the degree. Again teacher uses ICQs to make sure they circle the words. teacher then gives a quick feedback.

Stage 3 (cut-ups match) (5-7 minutes) • To provide understanding of meaning of target language

Teacher gives instructions about a task in which students match grammatical topics and their examples to their function and meaning. Teacher passes out cut-ups to the students. They work in pairs and have 2 minutes to match them. Then, after finishing the task, students compare their answers with other pairs. Teacher then gives the answer keys to the students. Students check their answers.

Stage 4 (rule completion) (6-8 minutes) • To provide understanding of the form and structure of the target laaguage

Teacher gives instructions about a task in which students complete rules of the target language (comparatives, superlatives, and quantifiers) through underlining the correct grammatical forms. Teacher passes out handouts to the students. They work in pairs and have 5 minutes to do the task. Then, after finishing the task, teacher gives the answer keys to the students. Students check their answers.

Stage 5 (contextualized drilling) (7-9 minutes) • To provide drilling practice for each structure and to provide feedback on pronunciation and stress patterns

At this stage, teacher using the examples from 'cut-ups', which were taken from the reading context, drills different structures with the students focusing on form. Teacher first writes a sentence from the reading text on the whiteboard and, using phonetic symbols, marks the stressed words and also weak forms in the example on the whiteboard (Travel became easier and more affordable, and the world, as a result, became a little bit smaller.). Teacher uses back-chaining if necessary. Students are involved in choral drill. Teacher then drills examples in cut-ups. Students focusing on stress patterns and weak forms, repeat the examples. if necessary, teacher makes some error corrections*.

Stage 6 (controlled practice) (12-14 minutes) • To provide controlled practice through tasks based on understanding the meaning and form of the target language to foreshadow a freer practice later

Teacher gives instructions about a controlled practice, in which students read statements and choose between two sentences which has the same meaning. Teacher using ICQs if necessary, makes sure if students understand correctly. Teacher passes hand outs. Teacher gives 4 minutes to the students to do the exercise alone. After finishing, students swap their sheets with the student next to them. Teacher gives the answer sheets to the students. Students check their partners' answers. They get their sheets back and check their mistakes. Teacher then gives instructions about another controlled practice, in which students complete the sentences by filling in the blanks, using the prompts given. Teacher using ICQs if necessary, makes sure if students understand correctly and everything is clear for them. Teacher passes hand outs. Teacher gives 6 minutes to the students to do the exercise alone. After finishing, teacher gives the answer sheets to the students. Students peer check their answers.

Stage 7 (free practice) (8-10 minutes) • To provide practice for understanding the target language and to create an opportunity for the students to use and practice the target language through integration of writing and speaking activity

In the last stage, teacher makes groups of 3 students. Students nominate a secretary for their group, who writes the sentences created by group. Students in groups think of an invention from the last 100 years and how it has changed our lives. Each group writes 2-4 sentences. Then, each of the students join two other students from other groups to form a new group. Students in new groups discuss the sentences. Teacher monitors them and makes sure the focus is on target language. When monitoring, teacher takes notes of their errors and at the end gives delayed error corrections for feedback.

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