Example presentation 1

Target structure: Conditional sentence type 1

Presentation:

1. Set the context: Tell students that they are going to arrange a programme for an imaginary overseas visitor to their school but they don’t know if the visitor is a man or a woman, old or young.

2. Get students to work in pairs and think of some relevant activities.

3. Write these sentence starters on the board:
    If the visitor is a man, I’ll………………….
    If the visitor is a woman, I’ll……………….
    If he is young, I won’t……………………….
    If she is old, I won’t…………………………

4. T completes the first one as an example:
    If the visitor is a man, I’ll take him to a football match.
Then get students to complete the others with the activities they have come up with. For example;
    If the visitor is a woman, I’ll take her to a shopping center.
    If he is young, I won’t take him to a museum.
    If she is old, I won’t arrange to see buffalo fighting.

5. Drill the sentences, chorally and then individually.

6. Focus the students’ attention on the form by eliciting from them the form of the verbs in the ifclause and the main clause.
   What form of the verb is used in the if-clause?
   How about in the main clause?

7. Concept check:
   Has the visitor come yet? (No)
   Are you 100% sure the visitor is a man or a woman? (No)
   Are you sure the visitor is young or old? (No)
   Is it possible that he is young? (Yes)

Practice:

8. Get students to make more sentences for other possibilities. For example, Jobs; If he is a teacher, I’ll ask him to make a speech at my school or If she is a photographer, I will show her some beautiful places to photograph. Have them work in groups of four, reading and listening to each other’s sentences.

9. Get the students to make sentences about their weekends. For example, If the weather is good, I’ll go to the countryside to visit my relatives. But if it is rainy, I’ll stay at home and read books. Get them to work in pairs, telling each other their possible plans.

NB In both presentation examples, the students are asked to produce language in the presentation stage (part 3 in these examples). This is good as it involves them in the presentation and allows those students who already know a bit about the language point to show what they already know.


Example presentation 2

Target structure: Conditional sentence type 2

Presentation:

1. Set the context: Show the students a lottery ticket and ask, “Will I win?” to establish that the condition is unlikely but possible.

2. Tell students that the prize is one million dollars. Ask them to list what they would do with the money if they won. (e.g. buy a house, help the poor, learn to fly a plane)

3. Write the following sentence starters on the board: If I won a million dollars, I would ………….. Ask the students to tell you a couple of their ideas and use these to complete the sentence starters on the board. E.g; …..I would have a big party and invite 100 people. ..…I would start a company and provide jobs to lots of people in my town.

4. Concept check: Have you won the lottery yet? (No) Are you 100% sure that you will win the lottery? (No) How sure are you? (It’s very unlikely)

5. Drill the example sentences, chorally and then individually

6. Focus the students’ attention on the form by eliciting from students the form of the verbs in the if-clause and the main clause. Write this on the board: If-clause Main Clause Past form would + infinitive (without to) What form of verb is used in the if-clause? In the main clause?

Practice:

1. Ask the students to complete the sentence starters in (2) using their other ideas. They compare in small groups. Ask a few students for their examples, to give them recognition for their creativity and to correct any errors.

2. Write the sentence starter below on the board: If you found a wallet, ………………………. Then ask students to complete it and think of the reason(s), too.

3. When they finish, ask students to stand up and move around and read their own sentence and then see if their friends would do the same or not.

4. While the students are moving around, listen and note down any errors on a piece of paper. When they have finished, write the errors on the board and ask them to correct them, helping them if they need it.


The principles of checking understanding

→ Check understanding throughout the lesson.

→ Check the meaning, form, use and pronunciation of any new language.

→ Elicit the concept from the students rather than just tell them.

→ Keep things clear and simple.

→ Never ask “Do you understand?”.


Things to consider when using concept questions to check understanding

→ Don’t ask too many questions or over-check. It can slow the lesson down and the students will get fed up.

→ Ask short, yes/no questions.

→ Make sure your questions are clear and simple so they are easily understood.

→ Avoid using the target language in your concept questions.



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