Observation Task 8

1. What are the lesson objectives?

Two objectives. One is to practice chunking text, the other is to consolidate vocabulary.

2. What is the language focus of the lesson? How does the teacher present this?

Language associated with civics, text has been taken from their HASS class.

3. How does the teacher start the class and warm the students up?

Teacher goes straight into the first activity. Students are given paper and told we are doing
dictogloss.

4. How does the teacher open and close each activity?

First activity (dictogloss) is finished with a discussion of the meaning of unfamiliar words and the text
more broadly. Second activity (running dictation) is set up while students are checking their text next
to the original. The second activity is started by the students being told we are doing running
dictation and and being put into teams. The third activity is announced and students form a circle.

5. What correction techniques does the teacher use?

NA

6. Comment on lesson pacing.

Students were familiar with all activities, transitions were quick. The students with stronger written
skills got frustrated towards the end of dictogloss as the other students needed more time to feel
confident about their replica of the text.

7. How does the teacher explain vocabulary and grammar items?

Teacher invites students to attempt their own explanations of vocab words. He guides the answers
until the group agrees on definitions that are useful.

8. What form of positive appraisal does the teacher use?

Teacher meets the complaint “it is hard“, with “I know, it is meant to be, that is how you know you
are learning. Do your best.” Upon completion of dictogloss teacher asks students to rate their
success using thumbs up, down or middle. Students are encouraged to consider whether they think
they are improving.
 9. How does the teacher encourage interaction among the learners? If pairs or groups are
formed, how does the teacher do this?

Teacher gives students numbers to form teams balanced in ability.

10. How does the teacher deal with different language levels, learning styles and cultural
backgrounds in the class?

Teacher is clear that he realises not everybody has the same ability in the class and all he wants to
see is everybody trying. Teacher stresses effort and improvement, not what is achieved.

11. What teaching aids and materials are used? How and for what purposes are these used in
the lesson? How is the whiteboard organised?

Projector is used for to show the original text for dictogloss.

Whiteboard for unfamiliar words that are difficult to spell and for discussion after dictogloss. Stage
and chairs are used for running dictation.

12. To what extent have the lesson objectives been met?

Improvement is incremental so it is hard to say if one lesson is effective.