English language teaching and training competition

Go to the syllabus for the grade you are teaching. You can find this in your library or the Teacher’s Guide can be downloaded from the website www.nie.lk/seletguide. Note the competency and competency level to be covered in the grade. Select a competency and level to develop a lesson plan from. The Teacher’s Guide might say you need, for example, 3 periods for one competency level. However, for the competition, you only need to plan one period and show how the competency level is covered. After selecting the competency and level, select suitable materials to do this. You can use either the grade textbook as resource materials or other materials to plan and deliver your lesson. 

Read the lesson plan sample (including handout sample) and the lesson plan template (including handout template) as an example of one lesson plan (see downloads section). Your lesson plan will be different and may not use all the boxes on the sample plan but use the templates as a guideline.

• First, read the sample lesson plan
• Notice how the instructional objectives are directly linked to the competency levels and therefore the syllabus
• Make sure your instructional objectives are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound)
• Notice how the main focus of the lesson can be one competency but other competencies can also be developed in the same lesson
• Notice how the procedure of the lesson is divided into what the teacher does and what the students do. By doing this we can easily see where the teacher is doing too much, and the students need to do more
• Notice how the teacher adapted the textbook to maximise student-talk-time and minimise teacher-talk-time
• You do not need to use the textbook. Competencies can be developed using other materials. You do need to state the competency levels, however
• Add supplementary materials to the textbook – this will add variety to the lesson and motivate students
• Notice the interaction column – by completing this you can easily make sure that you have a variety of interaction patterns throughout the lesson
• Notice the timing and the stage columns – it is important to know what stage of the lesson it is and how long it might take
• Notice the language in the procedure – it is clear, precise and short. Another teacher could use the plan to teach the class
• Notice that each of the activities in the procedure is broken down into at least 3 parts for the teacher (1) set up – i.e. instructions/demo (2) monitoring student task (3) feedback on task – i.e. error correction, checking answers
• Notice that in this reading skills lesson, the teacher has added a pre-reading stage to scaffold the reading and support learners and also post-reading stage as a follow-up task. Note the pre and the post-reading stages are focused on practising different skills 
• If you want to use audio/video/ online materials, you can. However, they must be at an appropriate level for your students. Also, it must be very clear from your lesson plan exactly how they will be used. You must cite your source properly according to copyright regulations. If you are going to use these materials, please add a box to your lesson plan which gives a maximum 50-word description of the materials. Do not submit these materials. If you get through the shortlisting, you may be asked to submit them to a panel.
• Notice how the teacher has adapted the final production task so there is a reason for students to produce and a reason for their peers to read (or listen).

Now plan your lesson!

If you are English lecturer from a National College of Education, a Teacher Training College or a Teacher Centre, go to the curriculum for the year you are teaching. Note the topic you want to cover in your session and the materials you will need to do this.   

If you are an In-Service Advisor, a Regional English Support Centre resource person or another English teacher educator, select a topic that is suitable for your participants and focus on that. 

Read the session plan sample (including handout sample), the sample powerpoint and the session plan template (including handout template) as an example of one session plan (see downloads section). Your session plan will be different and may not use all the boxes but use the template as a guideline.

• Notice how the aims are directly linked to the curriculum
• Notice how the procedure of the session is divided into what the teacher educator does and what the participants do. By doing this we can easily see where the teacher educator is doing too much and the participants need to do more. 
• Notice how the teacher educator has structured the session to maximise participant involvement. 
• You can use powerpoint and supplementary materials to add variety to the session and motivate participants
• Notice the interaction column – by completing this you can easily make sure that you have a variety of interaction patterns throughout the session
• Notice the timing and the stage columns – it is important to know what stage of the session it is and how long it might take
• Notice the language in the procedure – it is clear, precise and short. Another teacher educator could use the plan to deliver the session
• Notice that each of the activities in the procedure is broken down into at least 3 parts for the teacher educator  (1) set up – i.e. instructions/demo (2) monitoring  (3) feedback – checking answers, summing up etc
• If you want to use audio/video/ online materials you can. However, they must be at an appropriate level for your participants. You must cite your source properly according to copyright regulations. Also, it must be very clear from your session plan exactly how they will be used. If you are going to use these materials please add a box to your session plan which gives a maximum 50-word description of the materials. Do not submit these materials. If you get through the shortlisting you will be asked to submit them.
• Notice how the session plan demonstrates best practice in teaching i.e. the session is participant-centred, the trainer elicits as much as possible to involve participants, a variety of interaction patterns are used, the trainer encourages participants to participate and talk together, instructions are clear etc.

Now plan your session!