LA SALLE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF EDUCATION SCIENCES

BA IN SPANISH, ENGLISH, AND FRENCH

FOREIGN LANGUAGE DIDACTICS

LESSON PLAN EXAMPLE

Function: Giving Advice

Structure: Should/ shouldnt
Topic: Everyday problems
Basic vocabulary: should - clean a flat - feed a cat - learnt to cook - blob - get a job - cos - lazy
Aims:
To introduce and practise should and shouldnt for giving advice
To encourage students to practise the natural pronunciation features of rhythm and stress
To increase student student interaction
Level: Pre-Intermediate/Intermediate
Population: Children (9 10 years old)

PROCEDURE

Warm-up
Start the class by saying I have a problem. Think of a real problem you have. Example: I have to study tonight
but I really want to go out with my friends to the cinema. Ask, What should I do? Repeat.
Give the students a few minutes to discuss in pairs and then ask for feedback.

Presentation
Explain the use of should/shouldnt. Also, tell students to respond with Thank you, thats good advice.

Tip: Write Thank you, thats good advice on the board for future reference.

Pick up on a couple of pieces of advice and drill the sentences chorally and individually, paying attention to
stress and weak forms.

Controlled Practice
Introduce the character of Mr Lazy:
Slowly reveal or draw a picture of a lazy man and elicit his name (Mr Lazy). Encourage students to imagine Mr
Lazys world. Eg Does he live in a big house? What does he eat? Has he got a job? etc.

Elicit some of the problems he might have, and what he should/shouldnt do. Example: Mr. Lazy is fat. What
should he do? What shouldnt he do? He is not active. What should he do?

Introduce or review some of the vocabulary students are going to use in the chant you have for the class: clean
a flat, feed a cat, learnt to cook, blob, and get a job. Use flashcards or mime the actions.

Tell students they are going to sing. All they have to do is listen to you and repeat. Ask the students to stand up
and form a circle with you in the middle of the room. Get a rhythm going by patting your thighs.

Say the 1st verse of the chant line by line. Ask students to listen to you. Then, ask student to repeat line by line.

Tip: Do this quite slowly and pay attention to sentence stress. Example: He should clean his flat. He shouldnt
blob. Get the students to slump their shoulders when they say Mr Lazy.

Repeat the 1st verse, this time all together.

Do the same with the 2nd and 3rd verses
Finally, go through the whole chant together.

Mr. Lazy Chant

He should clean his flat
He should feed his cat
But he cant cos hes
Mr Lazy

He should read a book

He should learn to cook
But he cant cos hes
Mr Lazy

He shouldnt blob
He should get a job
But he cant cos hes
Mr Lazy

Semi-controlled practice
Hand out one worksheet to each pair or individual and ask them to fill the gaps with what they remember. (This
gives them a chance to record the chant and recap on the target language).

Show the chant on an OHP or on the IWB for them to check their answers. You may wish to do the chant again
to round off.

Tip: By following this procedure, the students have an opportunity to hear and say before they read and write,
which is helpful in producing natural pronunciation patterns because they are not distracted by sound/spelling
irregularities or the attention to individual words. Instead they produce language chunks.

Mr. Lazy Chant Worksheet

He should clean his ____
He ______ feed his ___
But he cant cos hes
Mr ____

He ______ read a ____

He should _____ to cook
But he _____ cos hes
__ Lazy

He shouldnt blob
He ______ get a ___
___ he _____ cos ____
Mr ____

Freer practice
Tell the students that they are going to practice in groups of 3 using some problem cards. Demonstrate the
activity with two students by turning over a card and reading it to them. Example: I want a new mobile phone
but I dont have enough money. What should I do? Ask the other students to give you advice. Ask them to use
the phrase: I think you should and write it on the board. Listen to the students advice and decide which
advice you will follow. Say Thank you, thats good advice and give the card to that student. Again write the
sentence on the board. Have other students practice with you. Make sure they understand the activity and know
how to use the sentences correctly. If necessary, let students use their dictionaries.

Students sit in groups of 3 and take it in turns to turn over a card. The student with the most cards at the end is
the winner.

Monitor discreetly while students play the game.

Problem Cards (Example)

I love chocolate! I eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. What should I do?

I really love TV! Yesterday I watched TV for 12 hours! What should I do?
Im addicted to computer games. I play all day and cant stop. What should I do?

I didnt do my homework and my teacher is very strict. What should I do?

I want a new mobile phone but I dont have money. What should I do?

I want to go to a concert but my mum and dad say No. What should I do?

My friend forgot my birthday and Im angry. What should I do?

Feedback/Assessment
Round off the lesson by asking students if they received any useful, interesting, funny advice from the students
in their group.
If you noticed mistakes, write them down on the board and ask students to help you correct them.

Possible follow up:

For the next lesson, students need to bring a chant similar to the one they studied today.

Taken and adapted from

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/MrLazyprocedure.pdf