CEP Lesson Plan Template

Teacher/s: Christopher Mueller & Allison Orr

Level: Advanced Conversation
Date/Time: Tuesday, 2/8 11:30am-1:30pm
Objectives (SWBAT):
Students Will Be Able To
1. ... ask and answer specific introductory or getting-to-know-you style questions.
2. ... ask and answer questions in a variety of different forms.
3. ... ask and answer introductory questions in a pragmatically appropriate manner.
4. ... synthesize and summarize information about their partner.
Theme: A Get-Together
Extensions: Assign an itemized needs analysis as homework and compile results and
report back to students.
Aim/Skill/Microskill
Introduction to the course:

Activity/Procedure/Stage
Introduce instructors

Interaction

Time
10 mins

T-SS
Housekeeping: Tell Ss about delayed syllabus, CEP policies
(attendance, lates), Course Requirements (tests, HW,
participation)
Activity 1: Get-Together
Pragmatics and Use
Activate students
knowledge about
introducing oneself,
meeting new people, and
starting conversations with
new people.
Embedded needs analysis.
Collect ideas for future
themes/topics.

Take attendance (w/email addresses)

1.1 Pre-Stage: Put Get-Together on the board. Ask Ss what
this means, and are there any other related words (e.g.,
house party VS a thing, dinner party vs. potluck, first date,
etc.) Mind map.
Tell Ss one of their classmates, who they are totally going to
be friends with, has invited them to a get-together. Ask Ss if
they will know everyone at the gathering? Y/N? There will
probably be at least one person the Ss will not know. Tell the
Ss they sit down on the couch and a person they dont know
sits next to them. Ask, What do you do? Sit there
awkwardly? Look at the floor? Ask them questions? Ok, what
kind questions? [Get a few examples from class]. Well, it
turns out we are in a get-together right now. Look, some of
you know each other from previous classes, and some of you
dont. So lets get to know the ones you dont.
1.2. During Stage: Tell Ss we have prepared a list of
questions that are commonly asked when meeting new people

T-SS
SS-T

5 mins

at a get-together. [Go through one-by-one and give students

alternate examples.] Can you think of any others? Have we
missed any?
Put each question on the board. Ask students if there are any
other ways to say each question and responses? Write
alternatives to questions and responses. [Do this for each
question.]

15 mins

(e.g., Whats your name?)

Possible answers: My name is ____.
Im _____.
or just _____. What is the most natural? How do we
respond? And you? What about you? Yourself?
etc.
1.3 Post-Stage: Ss-generated feedback from
question/response alternatives. Review any incidental
vocabulary from activity.

Transition to #2:
Production and Practice
Ss will use these Qs in their
own interviews.

Activity 2: Get-Together
Production and Practice
Ss practice Q formation in
an interview/small-talk
context, make choices from
a variety of options. Ss
practice giving extend
answers and asking followup questions, broadly
improving their
conversational skills.

Ss may also wish to share any awkward stories/experiences

they have had in this area. (Depends on comfort-level of
students) Potentially teachable vocab: awkward,
uncomfortable silence, etc.
Tangible Outcome & Assessment:
Ss familiarize themselves with pragmatically appropriate Qs
& As in the context of making introductions, Ss are provided
with a variety of models to choose from re: introductory
small-talk
2.1 Pre-Stage:
Put Ss in pairs & provide with worksheets. Instruct each
pair to ask & answer the questions on their worksheets (they
can practice alternate forms here too). Inform that they will
be reporting their partners answers to class (tangentially
practicing introduction skills? -- This is _____. She is
_____.) Model a few questions/responses for class if
necessary. (e.g., avoiding one-word responses, asking followup questions, etc.)
2.2. During Stage: Ss take turns asking Qs in pairs. If odd
#, one S can work with teacher. T monitors, making note of
errors/interesting contributions. Encourage Ss to give
extended responses.
2.3 Post-Stage: Ss report their answers to class. This can be

S-S
SS-T
OC

40 mins

Transition to #3: Discourse

Ss are presented w/
common/appropriate Qs as
a basis of comparison for
Activity 3.

Activity 3: Get-Together
Discourse Competence
Ss will demonstrate
knowledge of socially
appropriate Q types,
becoming aware of
culturally specific norms re:
polite/intrusive Qs.
Ss will participate in
relevant cultural exchange
w/ Ts, classmates.

adjusted for time/mood e.g. if time is short - Tell us 3

interesting things you learned about your partner. Openclass (OC) feedback.
Tangible Outcome & Assessment:
Ss learn more about their classmates, practice examples
detailed in Activity 1 & practice reporting
information/introducing someone. Community-building.
1 Pre-Stage: Ask Ss: So, what kind of Qs DIDNT we ask?
Why? Discussion re: what kinds of questions are/are not
polite/appropriate in US culture. Are you married? How
old are you? etc. Compare this to Ss own cultures,
modeling or eliciting examples from class.

T-SS
S-S
SS-T

10 mins
(if
running
out of
time,
move this
to next
class)

T-SS
SS-T
S-T

10 mins

3.2. During Stage: Ss discuss Qs in pairs/small groups (or

perhaps OC? -- will see what seems best). This could also
lead to broader discussion questions re: culture shock,
cultural differences, politeness, etc. Ts monitor as necessary.
3.3 Post-Stage: OC feedback. Put any relevant
vocabulary/fixed expressions on board.

Transition to Wrap-up:
Course goals/Error
Correction
Ss will have gotten to know
each other as a class,
practiced their speaking &
question formation, &
provided substance for
upcoming error correction.
Wrap-up:
Error Correction, Course
goals

Tangible Outcome & Assessment:

Ss familiarize themselves w/ US sociolinguistic norms re:
small-talk & acquaintance-level relationships.

Lesson Evaluation Procedures:

(Time allowing: if necessary, can be pushed to Fridays
lesson)

Provide Ss with the

opportunity to describe their Errors: cold-correction.
own goals for the class.
Alright everyone, great work! Before we end, did you have
any questions for us? These can be personal or courserelated.
We also wanted to talk a little bit about some of the goals
we have for the course

Detail course goals:

improve confidence
improve fluency
emphasis on natural speech
increase overall accuracy in speaking
collocations/phrasal verbs/idiomatic language
open arena for whatever Qs Ss may have
Anything you wanted to add?
Exit ticket: What is one question/phrase/word you are
learned today?
Give brief outline of Fridays class.
Materials:
Interview Worksheet w/ example Qs. Online survey link.
Anticipated Problems & Suggested Solutions:
Ss are familiar w/ one another from a previous course: mix up pairs.
Ss have low energy/are not interacting: expand groups (from pairs to groups of 3), switch
from pairs to open-class activity.
Ss struggle with material: model more extensively, give more examples, further grade
language.
Contingency Plans (what you will do if you finish early, etc.):
Ss can ask teachers questions. Okay, in the last few minutes, do you have any questions
for us? Ss are usually fairly curious about their teachers.
If Ss are hesitant to ask questions, introduce Answers activity, i.e. teachers write
various answers on board such as 34, cheeseburgers, 11 years. Ss must guess the
questions which apply to each answer in pairs/small groups. How old are you?, What
is your favorite food?, How long have you been teaching?.