AIMS in Lesson Planning

Defining aims
 Aims refer to what the learners will learn or what they
will be able to do (or do better) with the language at
the end of a lesson, a series of a lesson or a whole
course.
 Aims can focus on a specific skill, an area of knowledge
or attitude
 Examples:
 This lesson gives students practice of rising intonation in
yes/no questions.
 By the end of the lesson, the students should be able to talk
about family problems and give advice on those problems.
How can teachers set aims for the lesson?

Students’needs
How can teachers set aims for the
lesson?
 To identify and select the most appropriate aims,
ask questions:
 What do my learners already know? (or can already
do?)
 What do they need to know/do?
Aims vs. Outcomes
 Aims: from the teacher’s point of view, using
infinitives to describe
 To introduce and give students practice on the past
tenses for talking about personal past events.
 Learning outcomes: from the learners’ point of
view, using ‘By the end of the lesson, learners will be
able to…’
 By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to
describe their past events, using the correct past
tenses.
CEFR
COMMON EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK OF
REFERENCE FOR LANGUAGES
 The traditional way of
classifying student English
levels – described in terms
of linguistic abilities

Lack of consensus among

different schools as the
names of the levels are
imprecise.
 CEFR – The • Recently widely used and referenced in
many different parts of the world
Common European
• The levels are described in terms of ‘can
Framework of do’ statements, i.e. what people are able
Reference to do with the language.

It is a valuable source for English teachers to set

the aims for their students.
 TASK 4: Which level of CEFR are these
learners at?
1. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and
professional purposes.
2. Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of
personal interest.
3. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate
environment and matters in areas of immediate need.
4. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions
about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and
things he/she has.
5. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a
viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of
various options.
6. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely,
differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations
Examples of ‘can do’ statements in
some levels of CEFR
• can introduce himself/herself and others
A1 • can ask and answer questions about personal
details such as where he/she lives, people he/she
knows and things he/she has'

• can deal with most situations likely to arise while

B1 travelling in an area where the language is spoken

• express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much

obvious searching for expressions
C1 • can use language flexibly and effectively for social,
academic and professional purposes

Table 1 in 3.3
Tables 2 & 3 in 3.4
Types of aims
TASK 5: Work in pairs on the following tasks
 ACTIVITY B1: Odd one out.

 ACTIVITY B2: Match aims with the types of aims

Types of aims
 Regarding the content there can be 5 main types of
aims

Communicative
Linguistic aim Skills aim
aim

Interpersonal Developmental
aim aim
Interpersonal aims
 To get learners to work with different partners
 To get quieter learners to answer questions
 The lesson will help to build a good classroom
dynamic
Developmental or personal aims
 To improve my organization of the white board
 To develop my grammar presentation skills
Why are some aims not good?
 TASK 6: Read the teacher’s description of her
lesson. Choose the aims that matches her lesson.
What is unsatisfactory about some of the aims?
Why are some aims not good?
TASK 7 Read the following ‘aims’. Which ones are not
good? Why?
1. To teach the past simple
2. To introduce and practise the past simple for talking
about personal experiences
3. To develop learners’ reading skills
4. To give learners practice in predicting content and
deducing meaning from context
5. To give learners practice in speaking
6. To give learners practice in engaging in conversations
about their free time activities
Why are some aims not good?
 What is unsatisfactory about some of the aims?
 Aims are too general.
 They are hardly measured.
 They don’t have specific verbs.
TASK 8: Examine the aims/objectives in the following
lesson plan. Do they clearly tell what students will be
able to know or do?
 Use the verbs from CEFR to revise the lesson

aims/objectives.
 LESSON PLAN
Objectives:
1. Vocabularies: carrot, tomato, radish, broccoli, eggplant,
mushroom
2. Structure: What is your favorite vegetable? My favorite
vegetable is __.
About the Learners
1. Level: Movers
2. Age group: 7-9 years old
3. Assumed knowledge: Vocabularies of some typical fruits, the
structures “Do you like__?”, “Yes.I do”, “No, I don’t”
Main aims vs. subsidiary aims
Main aims vs. Subsidiary aims
Look at the following aim. What kind of language or
skills do learners need in order to achieve this aim?
 to make polite requests in the context of making
holiday arrangement (Ex: Could you give me some
information about hotels?)
Main aims vs. Subsidiary aims
 to make polite requests in the context of making
holiday arrangement (Ex: Could you give me some
information about hotels?)
→ In order for students to achieve this aim, teachers must
make sure the following language and skills are (partly)
achieved by the students
 Grammar: to revise modal auxiliary verbs
 Vocabulary: to consolidate lexis for travel, accommodation

 Phonology: to focus on intonation

 Speaking: to give controlled oral practice

Main aims vs. Subsidiary aims

Main aim Subsidiary aims

 to make polite  Grammar: to revise
requests in the context modal auxiliary verbs
 Vocabulary: to
of making holiday
consolidate lexis for
arrangement (Ex: travel, accommodation
Could you give me  Phonology: to focus on
some information about intonation
hotels?)  Speaking: to give
controlled oral practice
Main aims
• Describe the most important thing we want
the learners to achieve
Subsidiary aims
• Show the language or skills the learners
must be able to use well to achieve the
main aims
Main aims vs subsidiary aims
TASK 9 Suggest some subsidiary aims to help students
achieve this aim, which is realized in a fluency activity.

Students are able to ask and answer questions about

their favorite food
TASK 10 Read the lesson descriptions and
a) identify each teacher’s main aims and subsidiary
aims
b) Write the learning outcomes (from the students’
side)
TASK 11: Work in group, for each of the pieces of
published materials, formulate a main aim, and a
possible subsidiary aim
TASK 12
 Work in pairs. Review your previous lesson plans.
 Are the objectives/learning outcomes satisfactory?
Why?
 Rewrite them, specifying the main and subsidiary
aims
Stage aims
 TASK 13: Match the lesson procedure on the left
with the aims on the right
1. Show students pictures of various a. To give students a model
holiday destinations. Ask them to for the speaking activity.
talk about their last holiday.
b. To contextualize the topic
2. Tell 2 short stories about
holidays (one true, one untrue).
of holidays
Invite students to ask questions c. To give students time to
and then to guess which story is plan their speaking.
true.
d. To give students fluency
3. Allow time for students to plan practice.
their own story, which may be
true or untrue. e. To provide opportunities
4. In groups students tell their to practise the sequence
stories. The rest of the group ask of tenses in a spoken
questions and guess if the story narrative
is true or not.
Stage aims
 Describe the particular purpose of each stage (or a
short section or activity) of a lesson.
 Stage aims help to ensure
 Each activity has a clear purpose, which contributes to
the main aim.
 The activities are relevant to the main aim.

 The activities are arranged in the best possible

sequence.
 Quiz
Teachers instructions Stage aims
To develop learners’ awareness of intonation
What words can
A.
1.
patterns
you think of which B. To give learners less controlled oral practice
are connected C. To encourage learners to recycle known
with the weather? vocabulary items
To provide an opportunity for peer
With your D.

assessment
partner make a E. To develop learners’ skill in listening for detail
list of as many as F. To give learners practice in listening for gist
you can. G. To provide an opportunity for self-correction
H. To check learners’ reading comprehension
 Quiz
Teachers instructions Stage aims

2. Look at the first A. To develop learners’ awareness of intonation

patterns
line of the B. To give learners less controlled oral practice
dialogue in your C. To encourage learners to recycle known
books. Will the vocabulary items
man’s voice go up D. To provide an opportunity for peer assessment
To develop learners’ skill in listening for detail
or down? E.

F. To give learners practice in listening for gist

G. To provide an opportunity for self-correction
H. To check learners’ reading comprehension
 Quiz
Teachers instructions Stage aims
To develop learners’ awareness of
3. You’re going to A.
intonation patterns
hear 3 B. To give learners less controlled oral practice
conversations and C. To encourage learners to recycle known
vocabulary items
then tell me what D. To provide an opportunity for peer
the people are assessment
talking about. E. To develop learners’ skill in listening for
detail
F. To give learners practice in listening for gist
G. To provide an opportunity for self-correction
H. To check learners’ reading comprehension
 Quiz
Teachers instructions Stage aims

4. Now I’m going to A. To develop learners’ awareness of intonation

patterns
play the
B. To give learners less controlled oral practice
conversation again. C. To encourage learners to recycle known
Put the pictures into vocabulary items
the correct order. D. To provide an opportunity for peer assessment
E. To develop learners’ skill in listening for detail
F. To give learners practice in listening for gist
G. To provide an opportunity for self-correction
H. To check learners’ reading comprehension
 Quiz
Teachers instructions Stage aims

5. Practise the A. To develop learners’ awareness of intonation

patterns
dialogue with your B. To give learners less controlled oral practice
partner, using the C. To encourage learners to recycle known
prompts on the vocabulary items
board. D. To provide an opportunity for peer assessment
E. To develop learners’ skill in listening for detail
F. To give learners practice in listening for gist
G. To provide an opportunity for self-correction
H. To check learners’ reading comprehension
 Quiz
Teachers instructions Stage aims

6. Get together A. To develop learners’ awareness of intonation

patterns
with another pair B. To give learners less controlled oral practice
and listen to their C. To encourage learners to recycle known
dialogue. Make a vocabulary items
note of any D. To provide an opportunity for peer assessment
To develop learners’ skill in listening for detail
features of E.

To give learners practice in listening for gist

connected speech F.

G. To provide an opportunity for self-correction

they could improve. H. To check learners’ reading comprehension
 Quiz
Teachers instructions Stage aims

7. Practise your A. To develop learners’ awareness of intonation

patterns
dialogue again and B. To give learners less controlled oral practice
make any changes C. To encourage learners to recycle known
you think will vocabulary items
improve it. D. To provide an opportunity for peer
assessment
E. To develop learners’ skill in listening for detail
F. To give learners practice in listening for gist
G. To provide an opportunity for self-correction
H. To check learners’ reading comprehension
TASK10
 Work in groups.
 Suppose you are assigned to teach one 45-minute
lesson from your group’s assigned materials. The
materials are in M-learning course. Write the main
aims, subsidiary aims and stage aims for your
lesson.
Assignment #1 - Reflection
 Write a reflection to demonstrate your knowledge and
opinions about the issues learnt in meetings 1 – 4.
Choose one of the following topics:
• How important is lesson planning to you? What should
a teacher consider when designing a lesson? Which
aspects of lesson planning might cause difficulties for
you as a teacher?
• In what way does the knowledge about the learners
help teachers to plan their lessons? Give specific
examples.
• How important are lesson aims in lesson planning?
How do you feel when learning about this? Does this
‘open your eyes’ to anything?
Assignment #1 - Reflection
 Word limit: 500 words
 The reflection will be assessed based on the following
criteria:
• Description of the topic having learnt and modes of teaching
and learning (20%)
• Ability to closely examine what have been learnt in relation to
own experience and feelings (20%)
• Ability to identify implications for own practice, including
lesson planning, current teaching and future career (20%)
• Coherence (20%
• Sentence structure, grammar, mechanics and writing styles
(20%)
Assignment #1 - Reflection
 IMPORTANT NOTES:
• 10% of the total score is deducted for each
late day of submission
• 1 point is deducted for each 10 words
exceeding the word limit (500 words +/-10%)
Week 5 topic – REVISION OF
APPROACHES TO LANGUAGE LEARNING
Read TKT Modules 1, 2, 3 (Unit 15, p.83) and find out
the brief description of each of the teaching
methods/approaches, including
 View of language
 View of language learning
 Classroom practices

Each pair will present one method/approach and

demonstrate one 5-minute activity that exemplifies that
method/approach.
Week 5 topic – REVISION OF APPROACHES TO
LANGUAGE LEARNING
 Grammar-Translation  Total Physical Response
 Structural Approach (TPR)
 Communicative  Guided Discovery
Approach  Task-based learning
 Presentation, Practice  Functional Approach
and Production (PPP)  Content-based learning
 Lexical Approach  Content and Language
Integrated Learning
Find your group (CLIL)
assignment on mlearning.