IELTS Preparation Lesson Plan and Materials

CLASS NAME: IELTS Preparation Course Advanced Level 

DATE: April 16, 2012

Teacher(s): Sarah Dunfee

Lesson Objectives	1.      SWBAT gain real experience speaking answers to Speaking portion of the IELTS Exam. 2.      SWBAT obtain a thorough understanding of the IELTS exam Speaking section format and timing. 3.      SWBAT determine their own personal needs for speaking test portion of IELTS Exam during self-assessments.
Materials	-Recorders -Headphones -IELTS Cue Cards -IELTS Speaking Overview handout -Tips for the Speaking Section handout
Procedure	1. Warm up (Time allotted: 10 mins ) Objective:   SWBAT evaluate themselves about situations where they needed to use new or unfamiliar language. ·         Ss will brainstorm a situation(s) where they were forced to think and speak on the spot about a topic they knew little vocabulary or vocab for. ·         Ss will share their situations with the class and describe how they handled themselves in these situations. ·         T will ask Ss to openly discuss how they handled themselves in this situation. Since that situation have you taken any incentive to learn more vocabulary and grammar on that subject to help you in future situations? Evaluation: TWBAT determine whether the Ss evaluations are relevant to the taking of the IELTS Speaking portion of the exam. TRANSITION: Now that we have had a chance to recall situations where we were forced to use unfamiliar vocabulary and grammar, lets visit the structure of the IELTS so we can be prepared for the format of the exam, if not the Q’s topics! 2. Lecture on Speaking test  (Time allotted: 10 mins) Objective: SWBAT anticipate the format of the speaking part of the exam and the demands on their performance in the IELTS Speaking portion of the exam. ·         Pre-activity: T will inform Ss about the structure of the Speaking part of the exam. T will show a general outline and timeline about of the three parts of the IELTS exam. Ss will be given a worksheet with time slots and descriptions of exam portion. ·         Activity: T will give Ss tips and advice for how to answer the IELTS Speaking Q’s for parts 1,2, & 3. Ss will be given a worksheet of tips for guidance. ·         Post Activity: T will show Ss examples of successful and high scoring answers/responses to the Speaking section of the exam and possibly some bad ones so that Ss can understand what not to say in their answers. Evaluation: TWBAT quiz  Ss  about the formatting of the exam on the IELTS as well as about sufficient and insufficient answers. TRANSITION: Now that we have learned the main structure and format of the speaking exam, let’s try to answer some of the questions ourselves. 4.     Application of Speaking Materials (20 mins) Objective: SWBAT  answer questions from the Speaking section of the IELTS exams (Parts 1,2, & 3). ·         Pre-activity: Ss will be given a cue card of  a potential Q for the Speaking test (Parts 2, and 3). Ss will study their cue card so they can ask to their partner when they break off into pairs and act as the “test giver.” Cue cards will not contain the warm up Q’s, so all students will follow the Part 1 Q’s given by teacher. ·         Activity: Ss will break off into pairs. T will explain the directions: Ss will be taking turns as test takers and test giver, while recording the answers throughout. One Ss will act as the test giver, the other Ss will act as the test taker. Each S will take turns giving a timed portion of the speaking part of the exam.  The S acting as the “test giver” will be sure to ask and time S on all three portions of the speaking exam. When the first finishes giving the exam, Ss will switch off in their roles so the other S can have a chance to take the exam. Test giver will also take notes on the test giver’s performance. ·         Post-activity: Ss will take turns exchanging a short feedback about the “test taker’s” performance in answering the Q’s. Ss will assign a grade to the other student and tell them where they might improve and what they did well.                   Evaluation: TWBAT walk around the classroom and listen to Ss    responses to the Q’s              during their performance. TRANSITION: Now that we have had practice answering the real Speaking portion Q’s on the IELTS, let’s evaluate our own answers… 5.     Students will listen to their answer recordings (10 mins) Objective: SWBAT analyze their own performance on the Speaking part of the IELTS exam. ·         Pre-activity: Ss will take a moment to consider the feedback of their “test-giver” classmate and determine that Ss’s feedback in the reflection of their answer. ·         Activity: Ss will listen to their entire answers (using headphones) and take notes about the strengths and weaknesses of their answers.  ·         Post-activity: Ss will have an open class discussion sharing their answers to the following discussion Q’s: “What was the hardest part of answering Q’s on the Speaking part of the exam? What might be some of the ways you handled the difficulty of those parts and what are some ways you can practice and prepare for them in the future before you take the actual exam? What are some parts that you did well on and why?
Assessment	TWBAT listen to and evaluate answers while Ss are taking their turn as the “test taker.” TWBAT evaluate Ss understanding of the format of the exam determined by Ss accuracy in timing and Q asking while acting as the “test givers.” TWBAT determine Ss needs while reading their self-assessments and notes of their spoken answers.
Anticipated Problems	Ss acting as the “test givers” may loose track of time and Loudness in classroom when Ss are speaking altogether as “test takers” may overwhelm Ss and make it difficult to concentrate. Solution: Coach Ss that this may be a helpful concentration exercise for students to help train them against getting distracted during the exam. Solution #2: Any Ss who are having severe difficulties may record their answers in the hallway or an empty classroom (any place more silent).

PAIR WORK: IELTS Speaking Test cue cards parts 2 & 3

Cue cards below are taken from:

Taken from http://www.ielts-exam.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=389&Itemid=71

Category 1: Describing things (1 test item) 1. Describing a piece of equipment you often use at home or at work. You should say, What is it? What you do with it/ How to use it? How long you have had it? How important it is to you? Discussion: 1.     What are the impacts of electrical equipment on human’s life in the past ten years? 2.     What are the differences of the life in the past and at the present? 3.     What role does technological development play in people’s life? 4.     How will technology develop in the future? 5.     Do you have a mobile phone? What are its advantages? 6.     Why do many foreign countries develop faster than China? 7.     Why does the China’s West develop faster than China’s East? 8.     What are the advantages and disadvantages of computer and internet?

Category 2: Describing people (3 test items) 1. Describe a well-known person. You should say, Who he/she is? What makes him/her famous? Why you admire him/her? Discussion: 1.     Do you want to become famous? 2.     How to become a well-known person in China? 3.     What kind of people can become famous in China? 4.     What are the advantages and disadvantages of being famous? 5.     What do you think of the privacy of a well-known person? 6.     What do you think of the relationship between a well-know person and advertising? 7.     Would you be influenced by the well-known persons in TV commercials? 8.     Do you often talk about singers with your friends? What do you often talk about?

Category 3: Describing places Describe a restaurant or a cafe. You should say, Where it is? What it looks like? What kind of services is provided? What kind of food you like there/ What kind of food is famous? Why you like it? Discussion: 1.     Do you like cooking? 2.     Will you cook for your friends when they visit you? 3.     Who cooks in a Chinese family? 4.     What do you think of the advantages and disadvantages of fast food? 5.     Why is fast food so popular? 6.     Where would Chinese go when they eat out? 7.     What changes would take place in terms of Chinese eating habits? 8.     What food is popular? 9.     What is the difference between fresh food and canned food? 10.  What can we do to solve the problem of food shortage? 11.  What are the advantages and disadvantages of family food?

Category 4: Describing media and communication 1. Describing a kind of book you like. You should say, What kind of books you like most. What they are about. Why you like them most. What effect have books brought on you? Discussion: 1.     What is the difference between men and women when choosing what to read? 2.     What kind books do children like? Why do they like reading? 3.     What is the difference between reading and watching TV? 4.     What is the relationship between reading and computer? 5.     What are the advantages of reading books? 6.     Why do children like pictorials? 7.     What books are popular in China?

Category 5: Describing celebration and leisure time (4 test items) 1. Describe a traditional festival in China. You should say, What it is? When is it celebrated? How to celebrate? / what you usually do on that day. What you like and what you don’t like. Discussion: 1.     What is the concept of holiday in China? 2.     Why is holiday so important to modern people? 3.     Do you think it is necessary to observe the traditional customs? 4.     What changes in terms of spending festivals and holidays have taken place in the past decade? 5.     What is the difference as regards celebration in different part of the country?

Category 6: Additional test items (4 test items) 1. Describe an environmental problem. You should say, What it is? How long it has existed. What effect it has brought to people’s life./ What it happens? What we can do to solve it. Discussion: 1.     What causes environmental problems? 2.     What should the government do to protect the environment? 3.     What should we do to protect the environment? 4.     What other measures can you think of to protect the environment? 5.     How should we educate children to protect environment? 6.     What’s the difference between the old and the young as regards environmental protection?