ESL Lesson Plan: LC, Pair Work & Assignment for "Honesty"

Today, there is a great debate about the importance of honesty. It seems that if enough people deny the facts, a lie can be considered the truth. There are numerous cases every day that reveal people lying. We hear constantly about new conspiracy theories. Many politicians, business people, artists, scientists, authors, and journalists, to name just a few professions, have been accused of manipulating public opinion. With all its platforms, the Internet makes it much easier to convince people. Significant harm may consequently come to our democracy as the confusion between truth and lies may influence our way of life, particularly if we can no longer trust others.

The narrative "Honesty" has been divided into two parts, with an introduction and a listen-and-repeat section for each part. There are also "opinion" questions in the recording that students can take down in dictation and prepare orally or silently after completing each part. These exercises are appropriate for all levels, from A2 to C1; thus, they are suitable for mixed-level classes. The oral files can be used in labs, class, or as "oral" homework when students can access computers.

So now you can use these two podcasts:

• Your English No.18 for "Honesty Part 1" Recording:

  

  Your English 18 Honesty Part 1-Podcast

• Your English No.19 for "Honesty Part 2" Recording:

  

  Your English 19 Honesty Part 2-Podcast

• "Honesty" - entire text with fill-ins:

  

  Honesty LC Complete-Fill Ins&Vocab

• "Honesty" - entire text with fill-ins and vocabulary explained in English:

  

  Honesty LC Complete-Fill Ins&Vocab

• "Honesty" - entire text - Key:

  

  Honesty LC Complete-Key

• You can download the audio files here or go to iTunes, type my name, "Marianne Raynaud," and get the whole series of "Your English."

As many teachers have to deal with large classes with 20 or more students, I thought it might be good for the students to work on listening comprehension in pairs—after listening to the recorded version once or twice. This is another way of working on listening comprehension "orally" instead of using a gap-fill grid.

After playing the recording of part one twice to the class or having them listen to it on their mobile devices (perhaps at home before coming to class) with or without the cloze exercise, you hand out one recto-verso paper (worksheet number one below) and the key (in a plastic sleeve to each pair of students. They take turns being the "teacher," i.e., reading the text aloud while their partner does the gap-fill. Then, they do the listen-and-repeat part by having their partner repeat. Finally, they ask the sort of questions we teachers tend to ask the whole class by referring to the question page, which is lent out in a plastic sleeve. Naturally, the students should often change roles to avoid frustration or boredom.

Honesty - Part 1 L&R+Qs

On the paper, the questions to be asked by the "student teachers" are printed with (in parentheses) some words that the "students" should be using in their answers. Again, the "student teachers" are instructed not to show the paper to their partners.

The teacher will have to walk around to see and hear whether the students are speaking correctly, but I can assure you they will all be active. They will enjoy this activity much more than having the teacher put the questions to the whole class with only one student answering at a time.

There is an additional page (below), which the teacher should not print out or give to the students. It is a page of advice. It also has a short list of debate questions at the end of the recording (Podcast 18) that the teacher can write on the board or project to the class. I strongly suggest that before discussing these questions in pair work, the students should change partners. These activities (reading, gap-filling, repeating, easy questions, and then debate questions) should take about 30 to 40 minutes, after which the teacher may decide to open up the discussion to the whole class—in that case, please look at my suggestions on the "Questions for Debate" page.

Honesty - Part 1 Qs for Debate

Doing "Honesty Part 2" on a different day is advisable. The students should first be asked to memorize part one and be ready to recite it to a partner in the following session. If they seem reluctant, tell them that this narrative is full of precisely the type of expressions one finds on international tests and that they will be reciting to a partner and not in front of the whole class. That should reassure and motivate them. I want to point out that all the verbs in part one are in the simple present (giving opinions and information), and all the verbs in part two are in the simple past (telling what happened). So, this narrative provides practice with valuable structures and essential tenses.

The assignment (below) includes a question about WikiLeaks and another about the banking crisis. The students need not write about Julian Assange or the world’s economy. These are just two of the numerous options to choose from. This assignment can be given at the end of the first class or the end of the second session, depending on whether you want the students to prepare ahead of time for their discussions.

Honesty - Assignment - Essay Topics

During the second class, you put the students in pairs. First, they recite part one to each other—which is very important. Second, they listen to the recording of part two (or you read it aloud yourself). Then, you give out the worksheet for part two (below), and they start the different exercises leading up to the debate questions that you project or write on the board. It is best to ask the students to change partners for this second pair work activity.

Honesty - Part 2 L&R+Qs

Honesty - Part 2 Qs for Debate

At the end of the second session, instead of having a whole class discussion, you can ask the students to get up, form groups of three or four, and (while standing) "talk" about what they wrote in their assigned essays. But they must leave their papers on their desks to avoid any reading.

You can also have them read their partner’s essay to finish the class and try to find any mistakes. These mistakes should be corrected, of course, by the authors themselves. The students can raise their hands and ask questions directly as the teachers walk around the classroom. Tell them they should ask you if they have any doubts. Chances are you will have fewer mistakes to correct when you get home with the essays.

After the second session, the assignment should be to learn that second part by heart and write the essay—if you did not have them do it after the first session.

I have always had great success with this theme of "honesty," which today seems just as valid and up-to-date as in the past. With the lesson plan mentioned above, all the students will participate actively. They will wind up expressing their ideas far more than when the teacher asks them to express their personal opinions in front of everyone else.

I would enjoy getting some feedback from teachers using these podcasts and worksheets. Just write to Marianne Raynaud. You can also contact me if you have any questions.

Kind regards,

Marianne