10/13/2017 CELTA Lesson Frameworks | ELT planning

ELT planning

TEFL tips, ideas and thoughts from a developing teacher

CELTA Lesson Frameworks

I had a request last week from a reader who wanted to know more about lesson frameworks. I wrote
about how useful they are a while back, but only gave one example
(h ps://eltplanning.com/2015/04/14/what-i-gained-from-the-celta-lesson-frameworks/). So, Ive dug out
my excellent CELTA handbook (from IH Budapest (h p://teacher-training.hu/)) and summarised most of
the frameworks mentioned. Ive added a bit of information to explain some stages a bit more.

Heres the basic structure for

Receptive skills lessons

Note: receptive skills are reading and listening

Lead-in Generate interest in the topic / text. There are quite a few ideas for lead-ins here
(h ps://eltplanning.com/2015/06/22/35-ways-to-introduce-your-lesson-topic/) and here
(h ps://eltplanning.com/2016/03/09/18-more-ways-to-introduce-your-lesson-topic/)

Orientation to text What do you need to tell the students about the text to prepare them for
reading/listening? This could be text type, text source, speakers accents, etc. Whatever is relevant.
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Gist task set a short task based on general understanding of the text as a whole. For reading texts, the
gist task is often timed. Students compare their answers together (pairs/groups) rst before class
feedback.

Pre-teach vocabulary Teach any vocabulary needed for the detailed task

Detailed task set a task based on detailed comprehension (formats might include gap lls, ordering
events, true/false, etc). Students compare their answers together (pairs/groups) rst before class
feedback.

Follow-up activity do a speaking/writing activity based on the text.

(h ps://eltplanning.les.wordpress.com/2016/04/framework2.jpg)

The above is the BASIC framework. In practice, and with more time than
you get during a CELTA lesson, certain tasks might be extended or added.
For example, I often add vocabulary, pronunciation and game stages after
the detailed task in my classes. So, the above focuses primarily on reading
and listening skills, in practice other skills/systems are integrated.

Text-based presentations

Lead-in generate interest in the topic / text

Orientation to text What do you need to tell the students about the text to prepare them for
reading/listening? This could be text type, text source, speakers accents, etc. Whatever is relevant.

Pre-teach vocabulary Teach any blocking vocabulary (that will hinder understanding)

Gist task set a short task based on general understanding of the text as a whole. Students compare
their answers together (pairs/groups) rst before class feedback on content.

Focus on language from the text clarify and check meaning, form and pronunciation of target
language presented in the text. Guided discovery tasks (h ps://eltplanning.com/2015/04/16/this-might-get-
you-a-good-celta-mark-guided-discovery/)work well with text-based presentations

Controlled practice of the target language (gap lls, sentence completion, multiple choice, etc)

Freer practice of the target language give the learners a chance to use the target language in a freer
context.

Top tip: a freer practice and a follow-up task are dierent. In a freer practice, you want to encourage learners to
use target language. Its part of a systems (language) based lesson. A follow-up task is what you use after a skills
based lesson to exploit the text further. These can be easily confused on the CELTA be careful!

Writing lessons

Using a sample text is a good way to model output and language for a writing task. I guess this is similar
to a text based presentation really. Below is the framework for a writing lesson that was suggested on
my CELTA:

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Lead-in generate interest, set topic

Reading (optional) provide a model of the text type

Language preparation vocabulary, expressions, etc. that are introduced through the reading or by the
teacher. These include specic features of the text type (e.g. layout)

Content preparation students think of ideas via a mind map, notes, etc.

Writing the production stage

Feedback to content

Feedback to language including error correction

In practice my writing lessons almost always include providing a model. I often use writing as a follow-
up activity after reading/listening, but Im normally interested in the content rather than any language,
and rarely provide specic language input in that instance. This is the framework Ive referred to the
least I rarely teach lessons with a specic writing focus. Plus, when I do they seem to follow this
pa ern quite naturally they must have taught me well on the course!

Top tip On the CELTA I was told always feedback to content before feedback to language. This is one of the
most useful tips I picked up. Students are often very keen to share what theyve wri en with others, especially if
theyve wri en something funny. Give them a chance to discuss the content rst to show what theyve produced is
actually important/interesting, rather than just correcting their errors.

Speaking lessons

The framework for a speaking lesson is the same as the writing lesson above, but the model text is
listening rather than reading. The model suggests preparing content rst rather than language. Id say
these stages are interchangeable, as they are above too.

(h ps://eltplanning.les.wordpress.com/2016/04/framework4.jpg)
testing times

Test Teach Test

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One of my favourite frameworks. I dont know why maybe as I nd it quite easy to plan using it. Also,
its a good bit of jargon to bring up in the staroom when someone asks for help with planning: hmmm,
I might approach that using test-teach-test! I feel like I know what Im talking about when I say it, but I
probably come across like a cocky so and so! Seriously though, its good for checking what students
already know, and makes it quite easy to check that language input has been understood. I used this a
lot when I rst started out.

Use this framework for language based lessons (specically grammar and vocabulary)

Lead-in generate interest in the topic

Test 1 Give students a matching, categorising, ordering, gap-ll etc. task to check what they already
know. For example, if your target language is 10 vocabulary items, you could get students to match the
words with the correct denition.

Feedback to test 1 check what students get right. Give language input or clarify what they didnt
understand (remember, when introducing new vocabulary always think MFPA: meaning, form
pronunciation, appropriacy)

Test 2 Controlled practice of the target language. Give students a chance to put what you just claried
into practice. For example, if you did a matching task in Test 1, maybe you could do a gap ll in Test 2,
where learners choose the appropriate word in context.

Freer practice give students a chance to use the language in a freer context. Discussion questions,
roleplay, etc.

Presentation Practice Production

I often hear teachers call this the traditional PPP method, which seems to have negative connotations.
Im not sure its so bad, it serves a purpose, but its considered a deductive approach. Language input
can always be made more student-centred though.

Basically, you present the target language, give students plenty of controlled practice, then the
production stage is like a freer practice. Its explained very well by the British Council here
(h ps://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/planning-a-grammar-lesson) so Ill leave it to the experts!

Task-based approaches

Scrivener (2011:32) says that a Task-Based Learning (TBL) approach is a variant of Communicative
Language Teaching (CLT) and it focuses on the preparation for, doing of, and reective analysis of tasks
that reect real life needs and skills. We didnt cover TBL much on the CELTA I think the British
Council have summarised that pre y well here (h ps://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/a-task-
based-approach) too. Weve been using TBL approaches on our CELTA Young Learner extension course
recently, with these main components:

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Pre-task students prepare for completion of the core task. They are given appropriate language input
(or choose the language they need themselves), the core task is modelled, success criteria is highlighted,
etc.

Core task students complete the main task

Post task extension work based on the main task, which normally involves feedback or use of main
task content, delayed error correction, etc

On my CELTA, the framework we were given expanded on the above a bit:

(h ps://eltplanning.les.wordpress.com/2016/04/framework5.jpg)
people experiencing feedback

Pre-task

(Core) task

Feedback similar to post-task

Task repeat the same task, addressing errors or further input given during feedback

Feedback

Top tip: On my CELTA, upgrading learner language was a buzzword I remember from the input on TBL.
During the feedback stage, you might want to give further input or alternative expressions to expand on students
existing structures. Also, you may want to draw a ention to good language used by learners and encourage others
to use it when you repeat the task.

This task then feedback pa ern can repeat again. To be honest, I nd it very hard to pin down key
features of a task-based lesson myself, beyond the pre, core, post-task structure. Once you get into it,
there are often far more elements involved in helping the students achieve the main task. Confusingly,
many of these are non-tasks, which may involve language input and will lead to the outcome, but dont
have a clear communicative goal in themselves! Nightmare, huh?! (If that didnt make sense, heres the
Wikipedia link to TBL (h ps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Task-based_language_learning), and a nice
summary article from Rod Ellis (h ps://www.kansai-
u.ac.jp//publication/pdf_education/04/5rodellis.pdf)).

Actually, the diculties in dening key stages of a TBL lesson highlight an important point when using
these frameworks. They are all outlines, and are useful for general reference but they are not rigid. They
are really useful when youre starting out, and I honestly do still refer to them now and again. Even so,

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the more condent you become with your own teaching practice, the more you will shape these
frameworks, extend them, try stu completely new, etc. In the meantime, I do hope the summary above
has helped to clarify a few things!

Image rights: herinst.org, vapartners.ca

Posted in CELTA tips, General and tagged CELTA, e, elt, IH Budapest, initial teacher training, lesson
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frameworks, lesson planning, PPP, receptive skills lesson, task based learning, te, text-based
presentation on April 8, 2016 by Peter Pun. 8 Comments

8 comments

1. englishteacher3979blog says:
April 9, 2016 at 1:13 am
Reblogged this on Teacher Zara Blog.

REPLY
1. Yulia Naumenko says:
October 16, 2016 at 4:25 pm
Thank you very much for your post. I nd it very helpful.

REPLY
2. I iar Martinez says:
April 9, 2016 at 5:20 am
Great post! Thanks a lot

REPLY
3. Pingback: Useful links for CELTA | Sandy Millin
4. FATIMA says:
March 31, 2017 at 10:00 am
Reblogged this on English Plus Blog.

REPLY
5. Abdelfe ah Daoudy says:
May 29, 2017 at 12:08 am
very valuable information, thanks a million

REPLY
6. Nicky says:
May 30, 2017 at 6:09 am
Another useful post Pete. Its useful to have simple, clear frameworks. People on the CELTA need to
experiment with a few. I think most people, unlike you, seem to nd the Test Teach Test the most
dicult! Maybe because you dont know what problems its going to throw up and you need to be
condent yourself in the grammar. Ill recommend this post. Thanks

REPLY
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7. David Legaria says:

July 20, 2017 at 5:10 pm
This has been so helpful for my CELTA teaching practice.I cannot thank you enough.

REPLY

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