TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook

Observation Report
Forms for inclusion in the Observation Notebook must be typed

Name of Observer: Hyeonseong (Daniel) Shin Observation # 10

Date

Observation Environment

(include URL if the class was

online)

Class
Skill/Content

Class
Teacher
Level/Number
(Beg./Int./Adv.)
Robin
Intermediate
Neuman

8/5/2015 http://www.learner.org
Speaking/
/resources/series185.html Touring a
French City
Focus on relevant areas from the What Can Be Observed handout. Notice how the
teacher handles these areas during the class.
OBJECTIVE OF THE LESSON:
STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE THE BUILDING.
STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO ASK THE DIRECTION AND TO EXPLAIN HOW TO GET TO THE
BUILDING.
Notes while observing:
<Background>
The teacher teaches eight-grade French. This class featured a culminating activity for the
10-week City. Each student was assigned a building in the French city. The students were
asked to research the building on the website and to design the real-like French building
not like American building. They worked individually outside of the classroom for a
month. After that, each student brought the completed building into class and used them
for three weeks to practice the French.
Warm-up
T said Hello, everyone. This is really pretty French city, isnt it? Then, T asks
simple questions in order for students to get ready and to be engaged in the French.
When T asks, for example, Olivia, whats the caf like? a student replies Its
rather big. It has blue and yellow tables.
Practice 1
In the class, Ss are going to walk around the city and to communicate to find the
direction to get to the building.

Last Updated: 11/9/2015 10:52 PM

TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook

T asks each student What is the building called? What does the building look like?
Students answer to the questions
T picks up two students to model the activity; one is a tour guide, the other is a
tourist. Two students go into the city. They do role-playing. When the tourist asks
the direction, the other student, the tour guide, explains the direction using the
target vocabulary and expression; for example, Go straight or Turn left.
Now that Ss understand the activity, T let Ss get into the activity. They go into the
city and take each role; one is the guide, the other is the tourist. At first, when the
tourist asks the direction, the tour guide explains it.
Once they get the target building, the tour guide begins to describe the building
about its color, size, function, name and how many chairs or tables there are. Also,
the tourist can ask additional information such as why people visit there and what
the table is made of.
Ss are asked to meet a variety of partners so that they can listen to and practice
different vocabulary and sentences.

Practice 2
Now, the teacher stops the activity in order to begin to model the second activity.
The teacher pretends to get lost the direction completely. The teacher asks that Ss
help her to find the direction and to go to the building that she wants to go. The
student who volunteered explains the direction Turn left and turn right. Keep
going ahead. Now you are at the Pine Boulevard. The building is on your right.
As the previous activity, Ss are going to do role-playing. They are going to be
given a camera or a tour guide badge. The student who received the camera is
going to be tourist. The student who received the badge is going to be a tour guide.
At this time, the teacher encourages Ss to put a particular situation. For example,
a tourist is at the airport. And the tourist wants to go to the City Hall. He asks tour
guide the direction at the tourist office.
Suddenly, the T stops the activity and tries to elicit more words from students I
heard very good vocabulary. But, I want to hear more vocabulary. Not turn left or
go straight. What other vocabulary can we use? Ss reply Up to the office, near
the office, help me, continue, and at the corner of.
With the new vocabulary that they come up with, Ss begin the activity again.

(continue on back)

Last Updated: 11/9/2015 10:52 PM

TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook
What did you learn about teaching or learning from this lesson? Discuss your
observation focus, and the theory you have studied in your TESOL classes. Consider
the three levels of teacher reflection (surface, pedagogical, critical). (100-200 words)
I learned how the teacher set communicative situation in order for students to be
involved in the language learning. The teacher said, Students need to learn how to
communicate because they should know it when they go to the foreign country. Thus, for
the communication improvement, in this class, the students had more opportunities for
cooperative interactions with their fellow students and the teacher (Larsen-freeman and
Anderson, 2011).
In addition, I learned how much the authentic materials were effective in this
class. Before the class, students researched how the real French looked like on the
website and designed it. It enabled students to overcome the typical problem that students
cannot transfer what they learned in the classroom to the outside world (Larsen-freeman
and Anderson, 2011).
Lastly, the students improved the language through the repetitive task situation.
When they finished the conversation with a partner, they found the other partner and
continued the activity. This task repetition not only increases their fluency of speaking,
but also decreases hesitations, reduces errors in the repeated part of the talk (I.S.P.
Nation, 2008).

What activities/techniques from this class do you want to remember for your own
teaching practice? Discuss specific ways in which you could apply the techniques and
methods you saw. Discuss your future teaching environment and your students needs
and goals. (100-200 words)
My future class will be in Korea. Therefore, firstly, I would like to remember the
activity which the teacher had students research and use real world material. I think most
of my future students have never been to America. So, they would have only a few ideas
on how the America looks like. Thus, I want my students to use the internet and to
research about the America, England, and other countries where English is spoken.
Through this activity, they will be able to encounter the authentic materials.
Secondly, I would like to keep the way how the teacher modeled the activities.
When the teacher modeled the activities, the teacher sometimes pretended to get lost the
direction so that the students could be involved in the activity easily. Sometimes, the
teacher picked up two students and let them do activity first in front of the students. This
modeling technique would really helpful for students to understand the activity because
they could lessen making mistakes in the real activity.

Last Updated: 11/9/2015 10:52 PM

TESOL Certificate Programs

Observation Notebook
References
Larsen-Freeman, D., & Anderson, M. (2011). In Techniques and principles in Language
Teaching. New York, N.Y., USA: Oxford University Press.
I.S.P. Nation. (2008). Teaching Vocabulary: Strategies and Techniques. HEINLE.

Last Updated: 11/9/2015 10:52 PM