Unit 19 · Identifying and selecting aims

Aims describe what we want learners to learn, or to be able to do (or do better), by the end of a lesson, a sequence of lessons or a whole course, and they may focus on language, a skill or a more general attitude. To identify and select appropriate aims we ask what our learners already know and can do and what they need to know and do, then state main, subsidiary, stage and personal aims.

◆How do we identify and select aims?

AimsAims are not the same as procedures. click to keep open · see glossary describe what we want learners to learn or be able to do (or do better) at the end of a lesson, a sequenceA sequence is a series of things which follow each other in a logical order. Learners can sequence pictures in a story, i.e. put them in order. click to keep open · see glossary (i.e. a series) of lessons or a whole course. Aims may focus, for example, on a grammatical structureA pattern or arrangement of words that forms a grammatical unit, e.g. the present perfect or a conditional sentence. click to keep open · see glossary or a functionThe reason why we communicate, e.g. apologising, inviting or requesting; the purpose of an utterance. click to keep open · see glossary, on the vocabulary of a particular topic, or on developing a language skillThe four language skills are listening, speaking, reading and writing. See develop skills, subskills, receptive skills, productive skills. click to keep open · see glossary. Aims, especially for younger learners, may not always focus on particular areas of language. For example, the aim of a lesson could be listening to a story for pleasure or encouraging a positive attitude towards the foreign language. To identifyTo recognise somebody or something and be able to say who it is or what it is. For example, a teacher can find out what fruit vocabulary learners know by giving them pictures of different fruit and asking them to identify the fruit by matching words to the pic… click to keep open · see glossary and select the most appropriateLanguage which is suitable in a particular situation; e.g. it might be appropriate to say Hi in one situation but Good morning in another. See inappropriate, formal language, informal language, register. click to keep open · see glossary aims, we need to ask ourselves these key questions:

• What do my learners already know? (or What can they already do?)
• What do they need to know? (or What do they need to do?)

◆Key concepts — main aims, subsidiary aims and stage aims

In order to identify and select the most appropriate aims for a particular group of learners, we need to consider what will help them to take the next step in their learning. This may be new language, further practice of language they already know, skillsThe four language skills are listening, speaking, reading and writing. See develop skills, subskills, receptive skills, productive skills. click to keep open · see glossary development or practice, or revision of language they have met in the past but are not using confidently or accurately.

Look at the table. Can you work out what the difference is between main aims, subsidiary aims and personal aims?

A main aimSee aim. click to keep open · see glossary, like the one above, describes the most important thing we want the learners to achieveSomething you succeed in doing usually by making an effort; something done successfully, e.g. Sarah worked hard and passed her exam. This was an achievement. Something which is achievable for learners is something they can succeed in. click to keep open · see glossary in a lesson or sequence of lessons. For example, we may want learners to understand and practise using new language; to reinforceSee consolidate. click to keep open · see glossary or consolidate (i.e. to make stronger) the use of language they already know by giving them further practice; or to revise language they have recently learnt. If the main aim is to teach new language, the lesson plan should also include an example of the target language1. The language which is the focus of the lesson or a part of the lesson. It could be grammar, lexis, functions or pronunciation, e.g. the present perfect, or vocabulary for parts of the body, or giving advice. 2. The language being studied (often called the L… click to keep open · see glossary we are planning to teach.

As well as a main aim, a lesson may also have subsidiary aims. Subsidiary aimsSee aim. click to keep open · see glossary show the language or skills learners must be able to use well in order to achieve the main aim of the lesson. In the example on page 127, the main aim is to practise making polite requests; the subsidiary aims describe the language and skill that learners will need to make these requests. Subsidiary aims usually contain language that is already known to the learners. Stating both main and subsidiary aims is a good way of making sure that our lesson plan focuses on what we want our learners to learn, or to be able to do. It enables us to see how the lesson should develop, from one stageA section of a lesson. Lessons have different stages or steps such as lead-in, presentation, controlled practice, etc. click to keep open · see glossary (or part) to the next, building up our learners’ knowledge or skills in the best possible order.

In addition to the main and subsidiary aims, a lesson plan will also include a number of stage aimsSee aim. click to keep open · see glossary, describing the particular purpose of each stage (or short section) of the lesson. Look at the examples of stage aims in this extract from a lesson plan.

By identifying a separate aim for each stage of the lesson we can be sure that there is a clear purpose for each activity that we plan, which contributes to the main aim of the whole lesson. Individual stage aims also help us to check that the activities in the lesson are relevantA connection with a situation or the subject you are thinking about or discussing. For example, verbs and tenses are relevant to grammar. click to keep open · see glossary to our main aim and that they are arranged in the best possible sequence. Looking through a sequence of stage aims is a very good way to understand the learning progression of a lesson.

Identifying and selecting main and subsidiary aims are the first steps in planning a lesson. Once we have decided on these aims, we can design or select the most appropriate stage aims and activities, put them in the best order and choose the most suitable teaching aidsAids are the things that a teacher uses in a class, e.g. handouts, pictures, flashcards. When teachers plan lessons they think about what aids they will need to help learners understand things more easily. See visual aid. click to keep open · see glossary and materials. After the lesson, we can look back at this part of the plan to see whether we have achieved our aims, i.e. whether we have succeeded in teaching what we planned to teach. This also helps us to select the most appropriate aims for future lessons.

◆Personal aims

In addition to learning aims, we may also want to think about our personal aims as teachers. Personal aimsSee aim. click to keep open · see glossary show what we would like to improve or focus on in our teaching. Like those given in the first table above, these might be about improving the way we handle materials and teaching aidsAids are the things that a teacher uses in a class, e.g. handouts, pictures, flashcards. When teachers plan lessons they think about what aids they will need to help learners understand things more easily. See visual aid. click to keep open · see glossary (things we can use to support our teaching in the classroom) or particular teaching techniques, or they might be about our relationship with the learners. Here are some more examples:

• to make more use of the phonemic chartA poster with phonemic symbols click to keep open · see glossary (a poster with phonemic symbols)
• to get learners to work with different partners
• to get quieter learners to answer questions.

◆Key concepts and the language teaching classroom

Read these tips and tick the ones which are most important for you:

• The syllabusThis describes the language and skills to be covered on a course, and the order in which they will be taught. The content of a syllabus will be based on the writer’s beliefs about language learning. See curriculum. click to keep open · see glossary (i.e. the course programme) and/or the coursebookSee book. click to keep open · see glossary will give us a general direction for planning our teaching. To specifyTo explain or describe something in a clear and exact way. Teachers specify lesson aims in their lesson plans. Aims are specified at the beginning of a lesson plan for the lesson as a whole and for individual stages in the lesson. click to keep open · see glossary main aims for a particular lesson (i.e. to say exactly what the aims are), we think about our learners’ needsThe language, language skills or learning strategies a learner still has to learn in order to reach their goals, which are the things they want personally and professionally which are connected to their learning. For example, a learner might need to have good … click to keep open · see glossary and the stage they have reached in their learning.
• Aims are not the same as procedures. Aims describe what the learners will learn or what they will be able to do with the language, while proceduresWhat are the tasks and activities for each stage? click to keep open · see glossary – for example, listening to a recording and answering questions – are what the teacher and learners do at each stage of the lesson.
• Our main aims should not be too general. Aims such as ‘to teach the past simple’ or ‘to develop learners’ reading skills’ do not say enough about the purpose of the lesson. More specificInvolving one particular thing or one type of thing; e.g. teachers might talk about teaching a specific language point. This means that they are teaching one particular language point, e.g. If I were you, I’d … for giving advice. click to keep open · see glossary (or exact) aims might be ‘to introduce and practise the past simple for talking about personal experiences’ or ‘to give learners practice in predictingUsing your experience or knowledge to say what you think will happen in the future. Prediction is a technique or learning strategy learners can use to help with listening or reading. Learners think about the topic before they read or listen. They try to imagin… click to keep open · see glossary content, scanningA reading subskill: reading quickly to find specific information, e.g. a date in an article; also called reading for specific information. click to keep open · see glossary for specific information and deducing meaning from contextWorking out the meaning of an unknown word by reading the words around it or thinking about the situation it is used in. click to keep open · see glossary’.
• Another way of looking at main aims is to think about the lesson from the learners’ point of view. Instead of using infinitives to describe what the teacher plans to do (e.g. ‘to introduce …’, ‘to practise …’), many teachers prefer to describe the learners’ objectivesThe aims of a lesson or course, usually saying what learners will be able to do; also called learning outcomes. click to keep open · see glossary, or learning outcomesE.g. ‘By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to use polite requests to ask for information’ click to keep open · see glossary (e.g. ‘By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to use polite requests to ask for information’).
• Once we have identified the most appropriate main aim for a particular lesson, it should be easier to make decisions about everything else, e.g. the selection of materials and activities, the organisation of the classroom, procedure, timingThe likely time different activities or stages in a lesson plan should take. When teachers plan lessons, they think about how long each activity will take and they usually write this on their plan. click to keep open · see glossary of different stages, the stage aims.
• Learners of all ages find it helpful to know why they are doing things. It is often a good idea to announce our main aims (or to write them up on the board) at the beginning of the lesson, and/or to repeat them at the end.
• Sometimes there may be good reasons for not announcing a lesson’s main aims immediately. For example, you may want the learners to discover something about the language during the lesson, or to identify a need for new language, without knowing the aim of the lesson in advance. In a lesson like this, it will be important to announce or elicitThis is a teaching technique. When a teacher thinks that some learners know a piece of language or other information, he/she asks targeted questions or gives clues to get or prompt them to give the target language or information rather than simply providing it… click to keep open · see glossary the aim at the end of the lesson, so that you can be sure the learners know what they have done, and why.
• For younger learners the aims of a lesson can be described in very simple language, focusing on the things they will do in the lesson and the language knowledge they will take away from it: for example, ‘Today we’re going to read a story and learn how to describe people in English’.

✎Follow-up activity

💡Reflect

🔍Discovery activities

✎TKT practice tasks

These multiple-choice tasks are exactly as in the book, but interactive: pick your answers, check your score, and retry anytime. The scoring uses the official answer key from the back of the book.

📖Glossary terms in this unit

Key terms highlighted in this unit — study them on the flashcards page.