No two ESL classes are the same, and in order to shape classes to be relevant to learners’ diverse strengths and needs, it is helpful for instructors to have a variety of tools at their disposal. With this in mind, The English Forward Curriculum is designed to be adaptable, so that instructors can pair it effectively with other curricula. One useful tool that English Forward provides is the Lesson Flow, which can be applied to any curriculum to provide a class framework, and to shape lessons to be more interactive and conversationally focused. What are some effective ways to apply the English Forward Lesson Flow to other curricula?
While many curriculum work books provide content and activities that usually focus on reading and writing, the EF Lesson Flow guides instructors through eight explicit steps that help learners process information, and a variety of methods to help learners practice speaking. Instructors can prepare for class by thinking through how components of a work book lesson fit into steps from the EF Lesson Flow. For example, are there pictures in a work book that will help activate learners’ background knowledge for step 1 of the Lesson Flow? Are there questions in the book that will help check learners’ comprehension for step 2? How can instructors model activities (Lesson Flow step 4) from a work book, so that low level learners understand instructions? To build upon reading and writing activities in a work book, instructors can use teaching strategies from the English Forward Master Strategies list to help learners practice speaking (Lesson Flow step 6).
With the English Forward Lesson Flow, instructors have a useful tool to mold a variety of resources together into a cohesive lesson. The English Forward Lesson Plan template can be used as a planning and implementation tool for instructors to shape their own lessons from their chosen curricula. Click here to get the template!
What are some ways you’ve paired other resources with English Forward? Let us know in the comments below!