Lesson Plan for Touchstone 2–6C: An Interactive Approach
Context
Proficiency level: high-beginner, equivalent to CLB 3
Class size: 5-7 students
Language background: Somalian, Ethiopian, Arabic, Turkish, Spanish
Instruction mode: volunteer teachers, flexible student enrollment
Objectives
Communication goal: listen to get information and ask for repetition
Language aim: use echo questions to ask for repetition and check information
Strategy aim:
● Top-down strategy: predict content/words and verify the prediction
● Bottom-up strategy: use stressed content words to assist comprehension
○ Supported by a perception activity: identify stressed words in a sentence
Listening skills: listen for the gist, listen for details, listen and predict
Procedure (95-105 min)
Note:
● Sections 1A–C are modified and skipped. Use introduction, pre-listening activities,
and listening activities instead. (60 min)
● The rest of the lesson (sections 1D, 2, and 3) follows the textbook instructions. The
assessment activities based on 2B are optional. (30-40 min)
Introduction (5 min)
● Greet the students and introduce the learning objectives.
● Ask students to close the book.
Pre-listening activities (10 min)
Skip 1A-B. Ask the following questions instead (activate background information).
● Do you like travelling? Have you visited any places in Canada?
● Imagine you are visiting (a place) and you just checked into a hotel. How would you
get some information about the place?
○ Write students' answers on the board.
● Do you know the word “concierge”?
○ Explain the word and introduce the topic of the conversation – asking for
information from the concierge in a hotel.
● What kind of information can you ask the concierge? (prediction and planning)
○ Write students’ answers on the board (List A).
Listening activities (45 min)
Skip 1C. Use the following activities instead.
● First listen (listen for the gist)
○ Before listening, say we are going to listen to a conversation between Maria
and a concierge. What information does Maria ask for?
○ After listening, check List A and tick the right answer. (verification)
■ Explain the top-down strategy: We can often use our experience and
knowledge to guess what we are going to hear before listening.
● Second listen (listen for details)
○ Before listening, say: Let’s try to make some more guesses. What
expressions would you use if you want the others to repeat the information?
(prediction and planning)
● Write students’ answers on the board (List B)
● Say: When you listen, pay attention to how Maria asks the
concierge to repeat the information and take notes.
(monitoring; language aim)
○ After listening
■ Say: Discuss and compare your notes with a partner.
■ Check List B and add more expressions they heard. (verification)
● Third listen
○ Before listening
■ Ask: Is it easy or difficult to take notes? How would you find the most
important information while listening? (evaluation, problem-solving)
● Explain the bottom-up strategy: the most important information
is the keywords. We can use them to understand what we
hear. They are louder than the other words.
■ Ask students to open the book and underline the stressed words while
listening. (Perception activity)
○ After listening, ask: What are the words you underlined? Is it easy or difficult
to listen to the louder words?
● Final listen (optional)
○ Close the book and listen without the script.
Post-listening activities (30-40 min)
Do 1D, 2, and 3. Follow the textbook instructions.
Optional assessment activities: Use 3B to assess the outcome of the perception activity and
the application of the bottom-up strategy.
● Assessment 1: Ask students to pay attention to the stressed words, write down the
words, and construct the sentences. Check if they are able to apply the bottom-up
strategy of this lesson.
● Assessment 2: Ask students to rate the strategy and explain their rating. Ask when
they can use the strategy. (evaluation)
Wrap-up (5 min)
● Ask: What else do you think is useful from today’s lesson? (evaluation, reflection)
● Briefly respond to students’ feedback.
● End the class on time.
