LEARNING PLAN IN ENGLISH FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION: COMMUNICATIVE GRAMMAR

Topic/Lesson Name Communicating Effectively

The learner recognizes appropriate language expressions to communicate
Content Standards
effectively in both oral and written contexts, and
Performance Standards The learner develops grammatical competence,
The learner learns appropriate language expressions to communicate
Learning Competencies
effectively in both oral and written contexts,
At the end of the lesson, the learners are able to:
Specific Learning Outcomes 1. describe communicative grammar using a variety of strategies;
2. use grammar to develop your students’ communicative competence,
Time Allotment 2 hours

LESSON OUTLINE:

During the lesson, the learners will:

1. Engage: Take part in informal conversational English for real-life communicative purposes

2. Explore: Involve in activities that encourage them to speak about themselves, their daily routines and their future plans, and

3. Explain: Perform certain language functions using appropriate grammar and vocabulary

4. Elaborate: Familiarize with communicative grammar and activities that deal with developing grammatical competence

5. Evaluate: Practice using grammatical form meaningfully for real communication

Material Reading articles, books, subject module

Bell, D (2002) ‘Help! I've been asked to teach a class on ESP!' in IATEFL Voices, Issue 169,
Oct/Nov
Resources
Dudley-Evans, T (2001) ‘English for Specific Purposes' in The Cambridge Guide to TESOL,
Cambridge University Press Harding, K (2007) English for Specific Purposes, Oxford University Press

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ENGAGE

Procedure Meeting the Learner’s Needs

Introduction Tip

The teacher may:

Ask students to note down two sentences about their parents’ professions.
(For example: My father is an engineer with the Public Works department.
My mother works as a doctor in Fortis hospital.)

Tell each student to share the information with a partner.

Ask them to use the following pattern (you can write this sample structure
on the board):

Explore

Procedure Meeting the Learner’s Needs

The teacher may encourage students to talk about familiar situations, such Tip
as events and interactions at school, at home and in society, is an effective
way of developing their fluency and grammatical competence.

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Explain

Procedure Meeting the Learner’s Needs

Terminology Tip

Communicative grammar: This is the grammar of utterances — that is,

words that we actually use in communicative situations, rather than the
sentence grammar that discusses the rules of correct use. Communicative
grammar teaches students to use the language appropriately in meaningful
situations to perform functions such as accepting or rejecting an invitation,
or providing and getting information, and is built around topics rather than
grammar rules.

Communicative strategies: These are the skills that speakers use to

communicate their feelings effectively so that the attention of the listener is
drawn to the meaning the speaker wishes to convey through the utterances,
rather than the grammatical form. Communicative strategies also include
the ability of people to respond appropriately in conversation, whether the
situation is formal (classrooms, meetings, ceremonies) or informal (parties,
family events, festivals).

Slow colloquial: This is a deliberate and simplified form of English used with
non-native speakers to help them understand what is being said.

Function of language
A common function of language is describing a process; that is, how
something works. Process description is different from static description; the
former means describing how something works, while the latter refers to
describing an object, a person or an event.

When describing people, for example, we consider two things: their physical
appearance and their personality. To describe how something works,
however, we not only have to describe the appearance of the objects

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needed for the process to work, we also have to give a step-by-step account
of how to make the thing work. For example, to describe the process of
making a cup of tea, we need to list the ingredients needed, the tools
required and the steps that will result in getting a hot cup of tea.

As you are aware, process description uses particular kinds of sentence

structure and specialized vocabulary. For example, we can use the following
styles to describe the process of making a cup of tea:

1. First we must boil a cup of water in a pot. While the water is boiling, we
must take a teacup and add a spoonful of sugar to it. Then we must take…
2. First boil a cup of water in a pot. While the water is boiling, take a teacup
and add a spoonful of sugar to it. Then take…

In the first style, we use statements with modal verbs, while in the second
we use directives. When we teach students to describe a process, we are
giving them practice in using specific grammatical structures and vocabulary
to communicate in a real-life situation. In short, we are teaching them
communicative grammar.

Elaborate

Procedure Meeting the Learner’s Needs

Activity 1: Asking for and giving information: Talking about professions

For this activity, follow the steps below. Remember to share with the
students the explanations given (e.g., the definition of regular activities) at
each point. Ask them to note down two sentences about their parents’
professions. (For example: My father is an engineer with the Public Works
department./My mother works as a doctor in Fortis hospital.) Each student
should then share the information with a partner. Ask them to use the

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following pattern (you can write this sample structure on the board):
a What does your father/mother do?
b My father/mother is a teacher. He/she works at Nairobi High School.

Ask the students, working in pairs, to make a list of three professions that
interest them. Have the pairs team up into groups of four then ask each
other about their chosen professions. The students should use the following
structures when they talk (this dialogue cue can be written either on the
board or on paper handouts):
a What would you like to do/be when you finish your studies?
b I’d like to be a __________, because _______________.

Have your students listen to the audio recording in Resource 1: Exchanging

information and answer these questions:
a What is Nicholas planning to do when he finishes college?
b What are the two reasons why Maria has decided not to become a
doctor?
c Working with a partner, write down two things you could suggest to
Maria to make her want to study medicine in your country.
d Between Nicholas and Maria, who is giving their information more
clearly? Listen to the dialogue once again and fill in the blanks in the
sentences below:
i Nicholas and Maria are meeting after _____ years.
ii Nicholas will join _______________ after college.
iii Maria always had a _______________ dream.
iv A medical degree can be very _______________.
v As a girl, Maria is expected to stay __________ and __________ after
marriage.

Activity 2: Building students’ exchanges around everyday events

Encouraging students to talk about familiar situations, such as events and

interactions at school, at home and in society, is an effective way of

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developing their fluency and grammatical competence.

Activity 2 gives you a set of steps you can use to build up a situation based
on everyday activities. This activity will give your students practice in the use
of the simple present tense and adverbs of frequency. For this activity, take
the students through the steps described in Resource 2: Working with
everyday events.

Activity 3: Describing a process

A common function of language is describing a process; that is, how

something works.

When describing people, for example, we consider two things: their physical
appearance and their personality. To describe how something works,
however, we not only have to describe the appearance of the objects
needed for the process to work, we also have to give a step-by-step account
of how to make the thing work. For example, to describe the process of
making a cup of tea, we need to list the ingredients needed, the tools
required and the steps that will result in getting a hot cup of tea. As you are
aware, process description uses particular kinds of sentence structure and
specialized vocabulary. For example, we can use the following styles to
describe the process of making a cup of tea:

1. First we must boil a cup of water in a pot. While the water is boiling, we
must take a teacup and add a spoonful of sugar to it. Then we must take…
2. First boil a cup of water in a pot. While the water is boiling, take a teacup
and add a spoonful of sugar to it. Then take…

In the first style, we use statements with modal verbs, while in the second
we use directives. When we teach students to describe a process, we are
giving them practice in using specific grammatical structures and vocabulary
to communicate in a real-life situation. In short, we are teaching them

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communicative grammar.

For this activity, first have the students brainstorm on the kinds of things
they can do by themselves — prepare food (an omelet, soup, a meal, etc.),
practice origami (paper designs), mend (replace a burst tire), or operate
something (sending a text message on a mobile phone) and so on.
Ask one student to describe a process, and have the other students give
feedback on the description: whether all the steps were mentioned, the
ingredients or tools included, etc. Have a short discussion on how the
description could have been improved.
Then give the students, working in groups, three sets of sample descriptions
like those in Resource 3a. Ask them to select the best one, and to say what
makes it good. During the feedback session, bring to their notice the merits
of the best description.

To have them practice process description, give them a guided task to do in

pairs, such as the one given in Resource 3b. Have them peer correct under
your supervision. During the feedback session, alert them to the specific
structures and vocabulary used.

Ask the students, working in groups, to describe a process from a list of

choices (you can decide what your students will be capable of/interested in
describing, and make your list). Have a group representative present their
description in class, and edit the draft according to suggestions given by you
and the other students.

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Evaluate

Procedure Meeting the Learner’s Needs

The teacher gives reflectory questions to students;
Tip
1. Do you think your students will enjoy doing the activities in this unit?
2. What other topics from real-life situations can you turn into suitable
classroom activities?
3. Do you think it would be a good idea to ask students for such topics?
4. What benefits and problems do you foresee?

Assessment Rubric

Outstanding Very satisfactory Satisfactory Good Fai Total

5 4 3 2 1
Content
Organization
Mechanics
(Spelling,
Punctuations, etc,)
Choice of Words
Total

Prepared by: KYLE VINCENT ACE BUENVIAJE BISULA

BSED 2-ENGLISH

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