TESL 0120 - Speaking and Listening - Unit 4 Reflection

Unit 4: Assessment, Lesson Planning and Differentiation

 

As we come to the end of the course and I come to the end of the TESL 
certificate program I can’t help but marvel at the beauty and complexity that 
is human communication. Language is far more intricate, diverse, personal 
and collaborative than I ever realized before I started this program. Language
learners bring their own cultures, life experiences, educational background, 
personal motivations and worldview to the classroom. Teachers in turn bring
their professional training, cultural background, worldview and the demands 
of the program or organization they work for. All of these factors merge together
in the classroom and create a unique micro-community. How can we as teachers 
navigate the sometimes overwhelming complexity and varying demands of our 
classrooms? Principle driven lesson planning, thoughtful assessment and strategic 
differentiation are all ways to stay calm and in control in the face of ever shifting 
classroom demands.  

Clear Objectives? Check. Warm-up? Check. Activating schema? Check. Skill building? 
Check. Skill using? Check. Assessment...check!  I recently watched a YouTube video by 
Matt D’Avella on the power of checklists entitled, “This Productivity System Will Save Your Life”
(D’Avella, 2020). In the video he explains that when faced with overwhelmingly complex tasks 
the simple checklist has succeeded in making them more manageable. Brain surgeons, 
astronauts and pilots all use checklists, perhaps the humble English teacher might benefit as 
well. 

When developing a listening lesson plan here some some elements to include in your 
checklist: Pre-listening (activate background knowledge with activities such as brainstorming,
predicting and the use of visuals/realia), While-listening (help students to notice what’s 
important and focus on certain skills/strategies, activities such as listening for the gist, listening
for detail, inferring, note-taking, dictation and TPR) and Post-Listening (help students 
process the listening task using top-down and bottom up strategies, use activities such as 
checking answers, summarizing main ideas, discussion, comparing information, and 
deconstructing or reconstructing the text). 

When developing a speaking lesson plan here are some of the elements to include in your 
checklist: Activating (grab student’s attention and activate schema, use activities like 
discussion, visuals/realia and question prompts), Acquiring (controlled/structured exposure 
to new vocab/topics, activities like drilling, chanting, milling, surveys,  structured dialogue, 
info gaps, etc), Applying (apply learning in a communicative way: activities include role-plays,
debates, speeches and presentations, and discussions)

Of course in the real-life classroom listening and speaking are often taught within an  
integrated lesson using all 4 language skills however many of the same ideas/checklists 
can be utilized. 

This post has focused on lesson planning however wrapped up in lesson planning is 
assessment and differentiation. A well thought out lesson will be preparing students for an 
assessment, may it be formative or summative. As a LINC instructor I often “work backwards” 
when planning, choosing my real-world-task assessment first and then designing my lessons 
to support and scaffold the skills my students will need to succeed at the assessment. 
Differentiation is also considered while lesson planning. The teacher can prepare different 
group activities or varying degrees of difficulty within the same assignment.  

And with that folks...I finish my last TESL blog post! Cheers to that! Cheers to my classmates
who I’ve learnt from along the way and cheers to continued learning! 

Assignment #4: Speaking and Listening Final Lesson Plan Submission
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14FmGkTa7Kkb7U9T_5xnp6qoNTCIUB-kSbt6FknMHHlY/edit?usp=sharing

References: 

Bark, N. [Illustration of teacher planning] (2020). Retrieved from https://www.noebark.com/esl-plus

D’Avella, M. (2020, February 4). This Productivity System Will Save Your Life [Video]. YouTube. 
Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n2vL2I__WY&t=3s 

[Illustration of diverse people] (2019). Retrieved from 
https://www.uscourts.gov/news/2019/05/09/courts-seek-increase-jury-diversity 

[Illustration of people with puzzle pieces] (2020). Retrieved from 
https://www.jing.fm/iclip/u2q8y3o0t4e6y3r5_enterprise-architecture-services-is-a-strategic-planning-team/ 

University of Manitoba. (n.d.). Unit 4: Assessment, Lesson Planning and Differentiation. 
 In TESL 0120 - Teaching in Practice: Speaking and Listening [Class unit content]. 
Retrieved from: https://universityofmanitoba.desire2learn.com/d2l/le/content/347124/viewContent/1736799/View