New lesson plan: Writing counterargument paragraph

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Writing counterargument paragraph - Upper-intermediate level

Writing counterargument paragraph
Upper-intermediate level

Description

This is a 25–30-minute upper-intermediate (B2) writing lesson for adult university students. The lesson focuses on helping learners recognize and produce a counterargument paragraph within an academic context. The topic of health provides a familiar and accessible theme, but the primary objective is to develop the writing skill of presenting and refuting an opposing view logically and coherently.

Materials

ppt prepared by the teacher

reading text

handouts

markers

ppt prepared by the teacher

reading text

handouts

markers

Main Aims

To enable students to write a clear and coherent counterargument paragraph by recognizing its structure and using appropriate academic linking expressions.

Subsidiary Aims

To provide practice in using cohesive devices and linkers of contrast in academic writing. To encourage students to express opposing opinions politely and logically in English.

Procedure (27-37 minutes)

Agree/Disagree, why? (3-5 minutes) • To activate prior knowledge, raise interest, and lead to the need for counterarguments in writing.

1- I will show short “Agree–Disagree” statements on the screen. 2- Students say whether they agree or disagree. 3- Teacher asks a few quick follow-up questions: “Why?” / “Can anyone argue the opposite?” to encourage short exchanges. 4- Teacher highlights that in writing, we sometimes include the opposite view to make our argument stronger — this leads into the topic. Optionally: Showing a short comedy clip or pictures related to disagreement to create a fun, relaxed atmosphere.

Exposure (6-8 minutes) • To provide a model of production expected in coming tasks through reading.

1- Display a short contrast text on the slides 2- Ask students to read silently and then discuss in pairs: "whose views are being contrasted?" 3- Ask them to read again and underline the different views that they find. 4- Elicit that the paragraph follows 4 stages: (a) Describe the other position / (b) Acknowledge the truth of some part of this position / (c) Disagree with this position / (d) Support your position with evidence

Useful Language For Each Stage (3-5 minutes) • To highlight and clarify useful language for coming productive tasks

1- Through matching practice: the teacher shows some useful phrases on the screen, and students match each phrase with the suitable stage. 2- Teacher shows them the correct answers. optional: having another practice to make sure that students can use linkers and cohesive devices correctly at the appropriate stage.

Productive Task(s) (7-9 minutes) • To provide an opportunity to practice target productive skills

1- The teacher shows the first stage (Describe the other position) of an extract from a contrast text and discusses with the students what the content of the other stages might be. 2- Students write sentences for the other stages of each extract using previous ideas and the useful language. 3- In pairs, Students compare their texts and make any improvements they think are necessary.

Feedback and Error Correction (8-10 minutes) • To provide feedback on students' production and use of language

1- The teacher asks a volunteer to read his paragraph (or he can present it on the screen to make it easier for the teacher to correct any grammatical or punctuation mistakes). 2- Students receive content feedback (Did they include both the counterargument and refutation?) and language feedback. 3- End with "wrap-up and reflection"