Michael Farinella

Methods and Materials: Systems

Lesson Plan

MATESOL

Teacher's name: Michael Farinella / Date: July 2, 2013
Place: Rennert International NYC / Time: 1 hour
Level: Intermediate No. of students:8 / Ages: Twenties and older
Description of class:
This is anintermediate English class with a variety of students from all different nationalities (Brazilian, Korean, Japanese, Swiss, German). All of the students are either in college, recently graduated or working a regular job. They all have the goal of practicing and improving their English in order to get a job in an English speaking country or pursue a gradate degree in an English speaking country. All the students already possess a decent degree of fluency and experience with English as they have been studying it for some time back in their respective countries.
Rationale:
I always like to have students practice their listening skills with a real, true-to-life audio or video that they are actually going to encounter when outside of the classroom. I like to use songs that are not overly complex but still challenge and push students to listen carefully. This lesson uses a popular song by the singer Adele called “Someone like you.”
Overall Objective
Students will practice their listening skillsand demonstrate understanding of the meaning of a song through a variety of activities.
Anticipated problems
  1. The Asian students in the class tend to be shyer and it is harder to get them to be as active in class as the other students.
  2. The expressions in the song might be confusing as they deal with love and heartbreak which can sometimes be a subjective/ existential topics.
/ Possible solutions
  1. I like to pair the more talkative students with the quieter ones as they do a good job of encouraging speaking and participation.
  2. I plan to pre-teach some vocabulary and have students try and figure out certain vocabulary through focusing on the context that they are used.

Activity / Materials / Interaction / Procedure / Time
Warmer (word ladder) / White board, markers / Teacher to student and student to teacher interaction. / -The Teacher will write the word “love” on the whiteboard
-Students will go up to the whiteboard one by one and try and write down as many words they can think of related to the word “love
-Some words might be: romance, chocolate, roses, marriage, girlfriend etc. / 5 minutes.
Activating Schema / Whiteboard, markers / Student to student interaction followed by teacher student interaction. / -The teacher will draw a broken heart on the board and elicit what it is.
-The students will be put into pairs.
-The teacher will write questions: Have you ever had your heart broken? Do you know anyone who has had his or her heart broken? Have you ever broken someone’s heart?
-The teacher will let students discuss with their partner and afterward ask volunteers to share what was discussed. / 5 min.
Pre: Setting Context / Pictures / Teacher to student interaction. / -The teacher will have 4 pictures shown to the class in order: one of a happy couple, one of a couple breaking up, one of a guy getting married and one of a sad lonely girl.
-The teacher will try and elicit the “story” that is being told in the pictures: First there were two people who met and were happy. Then they broke up. The guy got married and the woman was sad and alone.
-The teacher will use comprehension-checking questions to check understanding: What happened in the beginning? Were the two people enemies? Why did he leave her? Was she happy when he left? What do you think will happen? / 10 min.
Pre: vocabulary / Whiteboard, markers / Teacher to student and student to student interaction / -The teacher will explain that the class is going to listen to a song but before, we are going to look at some words or expressions that you might not be familiar with.
-The teacher will write these words/phrases on the board and students will come up and circle the ones that they are not familiar with: to hold back, settle down, turn up out of the blue, I beg, Only yesterday, How bittersweet this would taste.
-Teacher goes over the words/expressions that were circled the most.
-Teacher asks comprehension-checking questions to check understanding: When I tell you everything, do I hold back? If I call and make an appointment to see you, do I turn up out of the blue? When I say only yesterday, does it mean that it happened last week? Is bittersweet a good feeling? If you are mad at someone, do you wish the best for him or her? If you are still at the bar chasing men or women and having a lot of girlfriends/boyfriends, are you settled down?
-Teacher will then gives students some time to speak with their partner and try and predict what they think the song is going to be about. / 10 - 15 minutes.
During p.1 / Strips of paper with the lyrics on them / Student to student / -The teacher will give students several strips of paper, which contain the lyrics to the song.
-As a team, students will put the words down according to what they hear and in the order of the song.
-PLAY SONG
-Teacher will check the order and discuss with the class. / 5 minutes
During p. 2 / CD, handout / Teacher to student, student to student / -The teacher will pass out a handout that contains true and false questions:
  1. She willfind someone like him (T/F) True
  2. She just got married (T/F) False
  3. This person a friend she just met (T/F) False
  4. The singer wants the person to forget her (T/F) False
  5. The person asked the singer to come and visit him (T/F) False
  6. Sometimes lasts forever (T/F) False
  7. She wishes bad things about the person she is singing about (T/F) False
-Teacher will play the song again
-Students will get into pairs and compare their answers
-Class will share answers
-Teacher will ask how did you come to your answers? What clues did you use?
-Teacher will play the song one more time. / 10 minutes
During p. 3 / CD, handout / Student to student interaction / -Teacher will now let students know that they are going to focus on the meaning of the song.
-Teacher will pass out handout asking questions about how the singer feels or the theme of the song and why:
  1. Does the singer still care about the person?
  2. Is the singer bitter about what happened to her?
  3. Does she feel her friend is pleased to see her again?
  4. Has the old boyfriend moved on with his life?
  5. Has the singer moved on with her life with him?
  6. Did they have good times together?
  7. Is she happy looking back at what happened?
-Students will work in pairs to answer the questions and give justifications about their answers.
-Teacher will go over the answers with the whole class after. / 10 min.
Post / N/A / Student to student / Role-play
-Teacher will assign two roles for each pair: student A and student B.
-Student A is friend and Student B is heartbroken.
-Student A must give Student B suggestions on what to do to help their partner get over a heartbreak. / 10 minutes.

Adele – Someone Like You

Link to the song:

Lyrics to song:

I heard that you're settled down

That you found a girl and you're married now.

I heard that your dreams came true.

Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you.

Old friend, why are you so shy?

Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light.

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited

But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.

I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded

That for me it isn't over.

Never mind, I'll find someone like you

I wish nothing but the best for you too

Don't forget me, I beg

I remember you said,

"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,

Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead"

You know how the time flies

Only yesterday was the time of our lives

We were born and raised

In a summer haze

Bound by the surprise of our glory days

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited

But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.

I'd hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded

That for me it isn't over.

Never mind, I'll find someone like you

I wish nothing but the best for you too

Don't forget me, I beg

I remember you said,

"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead."

Nothing compares

No worries or cares

Regrets and mistakes

They are memories made.

Who would have known how bittersweet this would taste?

Never mind, I'll find someone like you

I wish nothing but the best for you

Don't forget me, I beg

I remember you said,

"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead."

Never mind, I'll find someone like you

I wish nothing but the best for you too

Don't forget me, I beg

I remember you said,

"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,

Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead."

Pictures to be used: