Lesson script

3rd educational stage (III.0), English

Content area: Content and language integrated learning

Detailed requirements: Student (6.1) discusses the functions and meaning of the mass media in the citizens’ life.

Topic: Mass media

Duration: 45 minutes

Detailed goals regarding the range of information

Student:

  • Knows different types of mass media;
  • Knows the typical profile of each medium;
  • Knows the main types of programmes.

Detailed goals regarding the range of skills

Student:

  • Can watch an audio-visual material for general information;
  • Can listen for the main idea;
  • Can listen out for specific information;
  • Can choose the right word depending on the context;
  • Can express his/her preferences;
  • Develops communication skills;
  • Develops listening comprehension.

Detailed goals regarding attitudes

Student:

  • Learns to choose from among various types of mass media;
  • Realises that the mass media they different functions;
  • Becomes a more conscious recipient of mass media.

Methods

Brainstorming; elicitation; presentation; gap-fill; discussion; listening for the main idea; listening for specific information; whole class, small groups, pairs, individual work.

Forms and venue

Forms: individual, pairwork, groupwork, whole class.

Classes are to be held in the classroom.

Materials and teaching aids

Presentation; worksheets for all students (for stages 2.2. and 2.5.); audio recording; computer and multimedia projector; board.

Multimedia resources

  • Presentation: Mass media
  • Audio recording: Radio news
  • Online dictionary

Lesson plan/procedure

1 Warm-up

Interaction forms: pairs, whole class

Duration: 5 minutes

Teacher asks students to think about different types of mass media which their grandparents and parents use.

Students work in pairs, then compare answers in open class.

2 Main stage

2.1. Introduction of the target language – presentation

Interaction forms: whole class

Duration: 5 minutes

Teacher tells students that they will see a presentation on the mass media. The presentation is played once through. Teacher elicits all the media types mentioned. Did all of them come up in the previous stage? Which are more popular with the older generation?

2.2. Consolidation of the target language – gap-fill

Interaction forms: individual, whole class

Duration: 8 minutes

Teacher distributes gap-fill tasks (below) to each student. He/She asks students to read the information given and see if they remember any answers. They should work individually to complete the gaps using the words from the box.

The presentation is played a second time for students to check and complete their answers. Then, the answers are checked in open class.

Complete the sentences with the words from the box. There is one word you do not need to use.

communicatedocumentariesentertainmentmedia

newspapersprovidequizsourcesuggest

1. Television is the main ______of news for most people.

2. I don’t like this new ______on television.

3. The titles often ______what the programmes are about.

4. You can learn a lot from history or nature ______.

5. The Internet offers both information and ______. People also use it to______.

6. Magazines are printed less frequently than ______, but they ______more detailed stories.

Answers: 1 source; 2 quiz; 3 suggest; 4 documentaries; 5 entertainment, communicate; 6newspapers, provide

2.3. Target language consolidation – communication, discussion

Interaction forms: small groups, whole class

Duration: 10 minutes

Students are asked to think which media they use for (i) getting news (e.g. about their favourite singers, new movies, etc.), (ii) entertainment (e.g. listening to music), (iii)educational purposes (e.g. finding information for school). What are their favourite/most useful websites, radio/TV stations or magazines?

Students share ideas in small groups.

Then, in open class, the teacher summarises different functions of the media and asks why it is important to use a variety of them.

2.4. Target language consolidation and extension – recording (listening for the main idea)

Interaction forms: whole class

Duration: 5 minutes

Teacher tells students that now they will hear a brief radio news. He/She should pre-teach some more difficult vocabulary, e.g. event, gate, auction, double, triple, etc.

The recording is played once. Teacher asks: What is the news about? (concert of One Republic) Who may be interested in this news? (music fans, especially young).

2.5. Target language consolidation – listening for specific information

Interaction forms: individual, whole class

Duration: 10 minutes

Teacher distributes worksheet (below) to all students. He/She asks students to read the sentences given and see if they can answer any of them.

The recording is played a second time. Students work individually to complete the task. Then the answers are checked with the whole class.

If necessary, the recording can be played one more time before checking the answers.

Fill in the missing pieces of information (one or two words).

1. The reporter’s name is ______, while the other man’s name is ______.

2. The concert is at the ______.

3. People are getting inside through the ______.

4. It is warm because the concert is held in ______.

5. You could buy tickets for a higher price at the ______.

6. One Republic is to play songs from both their ______and ______albums.

7. The kind of music they perform is called ______.

8. At the end, the station is going to play one of the band’s ______songs.

Answers: 1 Jim, Stan; 2 stadium; 3 gates; 4 summer; 5Internet auctions; 6old, new; 7poprock; 8 latest (new)

3 Closing stage

Interaction forms: whole class

Duration: 2 minutes

To conclude, teacher asks students to prepare a brief news based on stories/reports from English-language media about an interesting cultural, social or political event (this will be delivered during the next lesson).

Additional information

Teacher advises students that the website offers a computer application in the form of a multimedia dictionary presenting correct pronunciation together with translations of words and phrases learned during the lesson.

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