Two Types of Lesson Plans - Unit 4

Two types of lesson plans have really stood out to me. These are the Present-Practice-Produce (PPP) plan and the task-based plan. Each stood out to me for different reasons.

Because I have no TESL experience, as I looked into the Present-Practice-Produce plan it definitely grabbed my gaze. The main reason for me being drawn to this type of plan is the simplicity and the straightforwardness of it. The PPP is controlled and it is easy to find resources for. A simple search on the internet or even flipping through a textbook will aid in this lesson plan. As a teacher, you can be well prepared and very focused within the lesson. It is also quite simple for learners to follow. The teacher is readily available and is extremely helpful throughout the lesson particularly in the present and practice steps. This lesson plan is definitely known for how easy it is for teachers to implement and perfect ("PPP TEFL Teaching Methodology", 2018).

All that being said, I realize that the PPP plan, although perhaps efficient for teachers and appropriate in certain contexts, is not how most students learn best. Task-based lesson plans are much more engaging and authentic for learners. This type of plan is based more on students’ needs rather than predetermined goals. Task-based lesson plans also focus on a more inductive approach to learning. These lesson plans begin with a task, after which students talk about the activity, learn from it and eventually attempt the task or a similar task again. During these tasks, students are free to use whatever language they desire in order to create the most authentic atmosphere possible. These lesson plans “…often mimic real-life tasks and situations” (Braddock, 2015) which is extremely helpful to keep learners attention and have them engaged with the lesson.  This can also be a fault where language is not so controlled and regulated, students begin using poor structure, form, and vocabulary (Clandfield, "Task-based grammar teaching").  I really appreciate task-based learning for the sake of its legitimacy to the real world. As a student, I also would agree that task-based learning helps me stay engaged, participate and ultimately retain the most information compared to the PPP type of planning.

All in all, lesson planning must vary according to the teacher, student, and context. As a new teacher beginning with a lesson plan based on the PPP plan may be helpful. Working with hands-on students may cause you to want to undertake teaching through a task-based plan. If you have a lot of time to prepare for a lesson try out the task-based plan. If you are pressed for time and have limited resources, stick with the PPP plan. As teachers, we need to be willing to be flexible in our teaching styles for the betterment of both ourselves and our students.

Bibliography

Braddock, P. (2015, December 28). Unit 9: Task-based learning. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/unit-9-task-based-learning

Clandfield, L. (n.d.). Task-based grammar teaching. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from http://www.onestopenglish.com/grammar/grammar-teaching/task-based-grammar-teaching/

PPP TEFL Teaching Methodology. (2018, June 26). Retrieved November 28, 2018, from https://seetefl.com/ppp-tefl-teaching-methodology/