Obsrvation 3 Naty

Natalia López Methods II Observation table; Instruction – giving skills Class: 7° A N° of students: 28 Age of learners:12 Length of the lesson:4O’ Level: Beginners Aims of the lesson: That students can do an activity based on the revision of Comparatives-superlatives and the simple present Materials used: Students’ book (Friends United 3) and a photocopy Instruction – giving skills Signalling of beginning of activity

Circle appropriate number

Comments

Clear

4 – 3 – 2 – 1 unclear

Stating aims

Clear

4 – 3 – 2 – 1 unclear

Voice

Clear

4 – 3 – 2 – 1 unclear

She had no need raise her voice nor to shout., so her voice was clear enough for the students who were respectful and listened to her carefully

Eliciting information from learners

Clear

4 – 3 – 2 – 1 unclear

Use of examples

Clear

4 – 3 – 2 – 1 unclear

‘ Juan, make a comparison between Bill Gates and you’ ‘Paula what’s the difference between ambient music and rock music?’ (she student was asked to use the adjectives fast and relax) In the explanation of the activity she didn’t provide any example for the students. They seemed to understand what they had to do without the example.

Eye movement to hold attention

Clear

4 – 3 – 2 – 1 unclear

Mime, gesture or other body language

Clear

4 – 3 – 2 – 1 unclear

Repeating instructions in a different way

Clear

4 – 3 – 2 – 1 unclear

She just told them only once what they had to do in the 2 exercises they had in the photocopy.

Asking questions to check understanding

Clear

4 – 3 – 2 – 1 unclear

‘Do you find you classmate’s answer

Use of simple language

Clear

4 – 3 – 2 – 1 unclear

correct?’ ‘ Did you remember to use the auxiliaries?’ When she told her students what they had to do she went to the main point using simple and clear language.

Management and organization of the class

Clear

4 – 3 – 2 – 1 unclear

Students were motivated and they showed it through their respect and good behavior towards the teacher.

Use of visual aids (e.g. board, role cards, worksheets, pictures, real objects)

Clear

4 – 3 – 2 – 1 unclear

The only visual aid she used was the blackboard. She used it when she wrote some answers of the exercises from the photocopy.

Siganlling of end of activity

Clear

4 – 3 – 2 – 1 unclear

Signalling the starting of the lesson

Clear

4 – 3 – 2 – 1 unclear

Ok people, it’s time! Next class we continue Before starting with the lesson,, they always pray. So once the praying was finished it was kind of automatic, they started to make silence so as to start with the new lesson.

‘I brought a photocopy for you to revise comparatives, superlatives and present simple’ She explains what they have to do and then she says’ OK, come on! She says ‘Today we’re going to work with this photocopy to revise comparativessuperlatives and the present simple’

All the students were attended by pure eye contact She would clap her hands whenever she wanted her students to get down to work. Her clapping meant sth like start to work now!Also, she nods

Comments: After having observed this lesson, I realize that giving instructions is not always as easy as it looks. It is not fully related to what you tell your students to do but with how you tell them what they have to do. It is important to take into account the words we (teachers) use and the length of our instructions. Sometimes instead of saying something as simple and short as ‘read and answer the questions’ we tend to use more words and a more elaborated speech that ends up in the destruction of a real instruction So I think it is important to think twice how to explain our students what they have to do so as not to give place to confusion and therefore their failure in the task.