Adult Lesson Plans

Children Lesson Plans

Esl Adult Lesson Plans

Lesson Plan 1 - Contract and Expand

In class

  1. Ask a student to draw on the board a Japanese girl in a kimono questioning by the side of a lake.

  2. In a speech bubble coming from her mouth, write:

    "I wonder what I'll do if he doesn't come to see me by this strange lake tonight".

  3. Tell the students the aim of the exercise is to transform the sentence completely. To do this they may take out either one word or two words together, but each time they must replace them with a phrase of three words.

When the first student suggests a deletion and addition, rub out the word or two words, and add in the three words proposed. Ask the volunteer student to read the new sentence to see whether it works for him or her and the group. You don't need to speak at all - if the students can't make up their minds about a substitution, and if it is wrong, all you have to do is rub out the three words and put back the original one or two. When a student proposes something that is wrong, avoid commenting with you face and body - you can be silent and still very neutral.

One intermediate class transformed the above sentence through the following stages. Wrong sentences have been omitted.

  • I really don't know what I'll do if he doesn't come to see me by this strange lake tonight.

  • I really don't know what I'll do if he doesn't some to see me by this strange sea of tears tonight.

  • I really don't know what I'll do if he doesn't come to see me by this strange sea of tears some enchanted evening.