Lesson Frameworks by Amir Landa (2015).

Additions by Ben Hammond

Note: These are suggested frameworks, not rules that are set in stone. They are flexible depending
on the material, students, lesson aims, etc. and will often have to be adapted. Also note that the
wording in these frameworks may differ slightly from that used in books on teaching and the sample
lesson plans / frameworks your Tutors give you during the course.

Table of Contents
1. Receptive Skills: Reading ............................................................................................................................................. 1
2. Receptive Skills: Listening .......................................................................................................................................... 2
3. Productive Skill: Speaking ........................................................................................................................................... 3
4. Productive Skill: Product Writing............................................................................................................................ 4
5. Language Systems: Situational Presentation .................................................................................................... 5
6. Language Systems: Test-Teach-Test ...................................................................................................................... 6
7. Language Systems: Text-Based (also known as Language from a Text) .............................................. 7
8. A Task Based Lesson (TBL): Productive skills (i.e. Speaking or Writing)............................................ 8
1. Receptive Skills: Reading
Sample Main Aim:

By the end of the lesson, students will be better able to/have improved at reading a (text type) for
gist, specific information and detailed understanding in the context of (topic)

Sample Subsidiary Aims:

• To practice speaking for fluency about…

• To introduce/revise and clarify selected vocabulary from the text.

Stage Aim Tips

Lead-in To engage the students in the This may be a prediction task,
context of the lesson. or it may be followed by a
prediction task.

Pre-teach Vocabulary To unblock words necessary to Be careful not to let this stage
understand the text and run too long. Keep it to 4-6
complete the tasks. words.

Reading for Gist To read the text quickly for a Set and stick to a time limit for
“Skimming” general comprehension. these task.

Reading for Specific To read the text quickly for

Information specific pieces of information.
“Scanning”

Reading for Detailed To read the text for deeper Have students justify the
Understanding comprehension. answers in feedback by asking
them where they were found in
the text.

Productive Follow-up: Speaking To provide the students with a Follow this stage with:
chance to respond to the text.
To personalize the text. To 1. Content feedback
practice speaking for fluency. 2. Language feedback

Additional notes:

• During a 40-minute CELTA lesson you are likely to only have time for two reading tasks in
one lesson (i.e. not three).
• Students need a task to complete while they read, not after.
• Pre-teaching vocabulary can also come after the gist reading task, depending on its
necessity to complete tasks.
• Post-teaching vocabulary, where students need to deduce the meaning of words from the
text, is also common. In this case, there usually isn’t a pre-teaching stage.

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2. Receptive Skills: Listening
Sample Main Aim:

By the end of the lesson, students will be better able to/have improved at listening to a (text type) for
gist, specific information and detailed understanding in the context of (topic)

Sample Subsidiary Aims:

• To practice speaking for fluency about…

• To introduce and clarify selected vocabulary from the text.

Stage Aim Tips

Lead-in To engage the students in the This may be a prediction task,
context of the lesson. or it may be followed by a
prediction task.

Pre-teach Vocabulary To unblock words necessary to Be careful not to let this stage
understand the text and run too long. Keep it to 4-6
complete the tasks. words.

Listening for Gist To listen to the text for general Anchor while students are
comprehension. listening. Monitor the pair
checks.
Listening for Specific To listen to the text for specific Give students a chance to pair
Information pieces of information. check after each listening
opportunity, even if you plan to
Listening for Detailed To listen to the text for deeper give them a second listen.
Understanding comprehension. Refer to Scrivener’s task-
feedback loop.

Productive Follow-up: Speaking To provide the students with a Follow this stage with:
chance to respond to the text.
To personalize the text. 1. Content feedback
To practice speaking for 2. Language feedback
fluency.

Additional notes:

• During a 40-minute CELTA lesson you are likely to only have time for one or two listening
tasks in one lesson (i.e. not three).
• Students need a task to complete while they listen, not after.
• Pre-teaching vocabulary can also come after the gist listening task, depending on its
necessity to complete tasks.
• It can be useful to provide students with tapescripts to go over their answers to listening for
detail tasks, but do not give this to students to read while they are listening.

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3. Productive Skill: Speaking
Sample Main Aim:

By the end of the lesson, students will have had freer speaking fluency practice in the context of
(topic)

Sample Subsidiary Aims:

• To introduce and clarify functional phrases for…

Stage Aim Tips

Lead-in To engage the students in the
context of the lesson.

Introducing Language for the To provide necessary language This is often functional
Task to complete the task. language and may be
To provide a focus on speaking introduced through a listening
for accuracy. text.

Preparing to Speak To generate ideas in order to Provide students with prompts

promote speaking production. to help them generate ideas.

Speaking To practice speaking for Be prepared with a follow-up

fluency. speaking task for fast finishers.

Content feedback To indicate the end of the task.

To highlight students’
communicative achievement.

Emerging Language feedback To upgrade students’ language Let students discuss errors in
accuracy. pairs before eliciting correction.
To provide language relevant to Include some examples of good
the students’ needs. language as well.

Additional note:

• Consider how you will group students carefully for speaking lessons. You have to take into
account your students’ peer relationships, abilities, confidence, etc.

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4. Productive Skill: Product Writing
Sample Main Aim: By the end of the lesson, students will have had freer writing practice producing
a (text type)

Sample Subsidiary Aims:

• To practice reading for gist.

• To introduce/revise and clarify a set of vocabulary/functional phrases for…

Stage Aim Tips

Lead-in To engage the students in the
context of the lesson.

Read a model text To provide the students with a

model text.
To practice reading for gist.

Analyze the text for useful To provide necessary language In a writing lesson this often
language to complete the writing task. focuses on formal v. informal
language.

Analyzing the text for structure To provide students with a

structure for the writing task.

Preparing to Write To generate ideas in order to It’s useful to provide prompts to

promote written production help students generate ideas.
Students can often do this
stage in pairs.

Writing To practice writing a… This should be the longest

stage!

Peer Correction To provide a focus on language Correction at this stage should

accuracy. directly relate to the
language/structure introduced
above.

Publishing To provide a communicative Give students a task that has

(Content Feedback) purpose for the writing task. them read their classmates’
texts for content.

Emerging Language feedback To upgrade students’ language This is often done by collecting
accuracy. the students’ work at the end of
To provide language relevant to class and returning it with
the students’ needs. comments in the next class.

Additional Note:

• In a 40-minute CELTA lesson, it’s often difficult to fit all of these stages into one lesson. Due
to this, a writing lesson is often shared by two teachers or certain stages may need to be
omitted.

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5. Language Systems (Grammar/Vocabulary/Functions):
Situational Presentation
Sample Main Aim: By the end of the lesson students will be better able to use (target language) to
(communicative goal).
Sample Subsidiary Aims:
• To practice speaking for fluency.

Stage Aim Tips

Lead-in To engage the students in the Do not introduce, explain or
context of the lesson. elicit the TL in this stage. Only
introduce the context (e.g.
holidays).

Situation To introduce the TL in the

context of …

Clarification To clarify meaning, form and Use sample sentences from

pronunciation of the TL. your situation.
Cover meaning before form or
pronunciation.
Avoid lecturing and asking
students for the meaning of
language.

Controlled Practice To practice accurate use of the This is often written and
TL. focused on form but can also
address meaning or
pronunciation.
Be prepared to clarify why
answers are correct in
feedback.

Semi-Controlled Practice To practice accurate use of the This is often spoken with a
TL in a more personalized way. focus on meaning, form and
To scaffold language practice in pronunciation.
preparation for freer practice. There are no correct answers to
this stage, so you need to follow
it with:

1. Content feedback
2. Language feedback

Freer Practice To allow students to integrate Follow this stage with:

the TL into their every day
language use. 1. Content feedback
To personalize the TL 2. Emerging Language
To practice speaking fluency. feedback

Additional note:

• In a 40-minute CELTA lesson, you will often only have time for one or two practice stages.
• Be careful of overly long lead-ins and clarification stages. You need to provide a balance of
language input and practice.

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6. Language Systems (Vocabulary/Functions): Test-Teach-Test
Sample Main Aim: By the end of the lesson students will be better able to use (target language) to
(communicative goal).

Sample Subsidiary Aims:

• To practice speaking for fluency.

Stage Aim Tips

Lead-in To engage the students in the Do not introduce, explain or
context of the lesson. elicit the TL in this stage. Only
introduce the context (e.g.
holidays).

Diagnostic “Test” To find out what students know

about the TL.
To provide a need for the TL.

Clarification To clarify meaning, form and Use sample sentences from the
“Teach” pronunciation of the TL. diagnostic test.
Cover meaning before form or
pronunciation.
Avoid lecturing and asking
students for the meaning of
language.
The depth of clarification is
based on how well the learners
did in your diagnostic test.

Progress “Test” To assess the students This is often written and focused
progress with the TL. on form but can also address
meaning or pronunciation.
Be prepared to clarify why
answers are correct in
feedback.

Semi-Controlled Practice To practice accurate use of the This is often spoken.

TL in a more personalized way. There are no correct answers to
To scaffold language practice in this stage, so you need to follow
preparation for freer practice. it with:

1. Content feedback
2. Language feedback

Freer Practice To allow students to integrate Follow this stage with:

the TL into their every day
language use. 1. Content feedback
To personalize the TL. 2. Emerging Language
To practice speaking fluency. feedback

See additional notes from Situational Presentation.

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7. Language Systems (Grammar/Vocabulary/Functions):
Text-Based (also known as Language from a Text)
Sample Main Aim: By the end of the lesson students will be better able to use (target language) to
(communicative goal).
Sample Subsidiary Aims:
• To practice reading for gist.
• To practice speaking for fluency.

Stage Aim Tips

Lead-in To engage the students in the Do not introduce, explain or elicit the TL in
context of the lesson. this stage. Only introduce the context (e.g.
holidays).

Pre-teach To unblock words necessary to Be very selective in this stage because this
Vocabulary understand the text. is not your main language aim.

Reading/ To introduce the TL in context.

Listening To provide practice in
reading/listening for gist.

Highlighting To draw the students’ attention to This may be combined with the clarification
the TL in the text. stage.

Clarification To clarify meaning, form and Often guided discovery.

pronunciation of the TL. Use sample sentences from the text.
Cover meaning before form or
pronunciation.
Avoid lecturing and asking students for the
meaning of language.

Controlled To practice accurate use of the TL. This is often written and focused on form,
Practice but can also address meaning or
pronunciation.
Be prepared to clarify why answers are
correct in feedback.
Semi-Controlled To practice accurate use of the TL This is often spoken.
Practice in a more personalized way. There are no correct answers to this stage,
To scaffold language practice in so you need to follow it with:
preparation for freer practice.
1. Content feedback
2. Language feedback

Freer Practice To allow students to integrate the TL Follow this stage with:
into their every day language use.
To personalize the TL. 1. Content feedback
To practice speaking fluency. 2. Emerging Language feedback

Additional Notes:
• In a 40-minute CELTA lesson, it’s often difficult to fit all of these stages into one lesson. Due
to this a text-based lesson is often shared by two candidates.
• See additional notes from Situational Presentation.

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8. A Task Based Lesson (TBL): Productive skills (i.e. Speaking or Writing)
Sample Main Aim:

By the end of the lesson, students will be better able to (task)

Sample Subsidiary Aims:

• To introduce and clarify functional phrases for…

Stage Aim Tips

Lead-in To engage the students in the
context of the lesson.

Model Task To provide a model of the task The model could be provided
students will do later in the by the coursebook (e.g. a
lesson. listening text) or the teacher
(e.g. a live listening).

(If time) Introducing Language To provide necessary language This is often functional
for the Task to complete the task. language.
To provide a focus on speaking
for accuracy.

Preparing to Speak To generate ideas in order to Provide students with prompts

promote speaking production. to help them generate ideas.

Speaking (i.e. the Task) To practice speaking for Be prepared with a follow-up
fluency. speaking task for fast finishers.

Content feedback To indicate the end of the task.

To highlight students’
communicative achievement.

Emerging Language feedback To upgrade students’ language Let students discuss errors in
accuracy. pairs before eliciting correction.
To provide language relevant to Include some examples of good
the students’ needs. language as well.

Additional note:

• This is just one way of staging a TBL lesson.

• In a 40-minute CELTA lesson, there often isn’t enough time to include the ‘Introducing
Language for the Task’ stage.