Από την ομιλία μου στο Μουσικό Σχολείο Λάρισας για το Σύλλογο Καθηγητών Αγγλικής Λάρισας (20/10/2012)

1. Theme-based syllabus design
‘Lesson plans, activities,
tasks and tips in a senior
state school
10Ο ΛΥΚΕΙΟ ΛΑΡΙΣΑΣ
OCTOBER 2012
Vasiliki Papaioannou, EFL teacher
EdD, MA, BA, QTS

2. What my students think
about my English Language
class…

4. What I think of my English
language class?

5. Although books are not taken
for granted, there has to be
some discipline!

6. What you can actually teach in
senior high school in Greece is
described here:
http://www.pischools.gr/lessons/e
(ΦΕΚ 1868, 11/10/1999) (i.e. Promoting all
students’ skills, enriching their knowledge in
vocabulary, improving their communication skills
and learning horizons, exchanging information,
improving social skills)

7. Syllabus Design…why?:
• Advantages (1):
• You plan according to your equipment,
materials and resources
• It’s personalized: You take into account
students’ level, age, personal needs,
attitude, willingness to learn and special
talents e.g. drawing, listening to music etc.
as you should (ΦΕΚ 1868, 11/10/1999)
• You have the option to use as much English
as you want
• You can involve students in designing via
planning

8. Advantages (2):
• Interaction and English language
production can take place in the
classroom as students discuss with their
peers or take feedback
• You take into account knowledge that is
already acquired and you activate
previous schemata (learning focus)
• Learning is better accomplished through
design (μάθηση μέσω σχεδιασμού)

9. Disadvantages:
• It is easy to get lost without a coursebook
• Colleagues and outsiders may accuse you
that you are not doing anything important
because you don’t have a book
• Students might forget their contribution
for the next lesson (you can’t always count
on students – you always need to have a
back up plan)
• Internet might not be working on that day
or pc access might not be available for the
activities planned

10. Theme-based syllabus
design (or Content-based
instruction) in EFL
context):
You plan you lessons in way that a series
of activities and tasks are related to a
particular theme e.g. British food,
traveling around the world, the Olympic
Games etc.

11. Advantages (1):
• You approach a theme via a combination of
activities, tasks, exercises and related
subthemes (e.g. healthy diet via British food)
• Although the theme is the same you might set a
different objective in every lesson and (maybe)
promote a different skill
• You can design 5-8 thematic units per year and
in combination with 2 projects, you have
effectively covered the school year curriculum
• One theme lasts from 2 weeks to 2 months.
• After so many theme-based activities you are
pretty sure your students understand the topic
very well (and know relevant vocabulary)
• You can do a project after each theme-based
unit and give students the chance to be
creative and improvise

12. Advantages (2):
• It works well for intermediate level (B1 and above)
• Every theme you tackle, you can involve a cultural
element into it (e.g. Food – British food –
International food- Chinese, Indian, Mexican food,
Chinese, Indian and Mexican cutlure etc.)
• You can get plenty of ideas about your theme on
the internet
• Authentic material can be used in real classroom
situation
• It takes into account learner differences even
within the same grade level or the same class
(mixed ability classes)
• English language learning becomes more meaningful
because vocabulary items are related to the same
theme
• You can include various points into a variety of
themes

13. Disadvantages (1)
• It is time consuming (for relevant
materials to be found, to be appropriately
combined, to suit your learners’ needs and
level and to promote as many skills as
possible)
• It can get boring tackling one topic for
two months (especially for 2nd and 3rd
graders who are taught English twice a
week)
• Students might not know how to revise at
the exams (or at the end of the year)

14. Disadvantages (2)
• It will not automatically make learners become
more interested in learning English, unless teachers
are able to use interesting activities and suitable
(authentic) materials
• Others may use or circulate your materials without
your permission
• You might be accused that you should not be doing
this since there are so many EFL books and not all
teachers want to design their syllabuses
• You have to give (and repeat many times) clear
instructions for your activities in order for
students to understand.

15. British Food: Theme-based
(senior high school) series of
lessons

16. Lesson Aims:
• Ss to use adverbs of frequency
• Ss to get to know the vocabulary (lexis) around food (ways of
cooking, tasting, describing food and drink)
• Ss to get to know famous British dishes as well as their own
local favorite ones
• Ss to be able to read the menu in a British restaurant or pub
and place an order
• Students to understand the importance of working in a series
of (the same) theme-based lesson plan and be involved in it
• Ss to be able to answer and create wh-questions related to
reading a menu
• Ss to familiarise themselves with authentic material use in the
classroom
• Ss to be able to create a menu with their local or British
favorite dishes.
• Ss to collaborate with each other in order to produce a written
piece of work (menu)
• Ss to promote all skills (reading, listening, writing, speaking)
• Ss to know as many things as possible about healthy diet and
balanced eating

22. Some examples:

23. Flaky pastry

25. Match the clues (a-j) with 2 words (1-20):

26. Students having fun!

28. Read some reviews written about a
variety of restaurants in London. Write
down any new vocabulary or phrases
which can be used to describe
restaurants.
Now put students in pairs/small groups to
decide which restaurant they prefer and why
based on the previous restaurant reviews.
Maybe they can write a paragraph as well.
Ask a different group to report back their
answers to each question, to see whether
others have similar opinions.
Hold a vote to see which restaurant the
students would most like to visit.

29. The following extract comes from a menu from a
local British pub. Answer the questions (A):
• Which starters do not contain vegetables?
…………………………………………………………………………………..
• Which starters do not contain meat?
…………………………………………………………………………………….
• Which is the most expensive salad?
…………………………………………………………………………………….
• Which dish (from the salads, noodles & pastas
category) is the most fattening one?
…………………………………………………………………………………….
• Which main dishes are available in an afternoon
deal (Monday – Friday, 2-5 p.m)?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………..

30. Answer the questions about the menu (B):
Which dish(es) is/are also available as a vegetarian
option?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Which starter contains fish?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Which pasta dish is vegetarian?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Which dish(es) is/are offered in 2 meals for
£8.49……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Which dish(es) is/are served with tartare sauce?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Which dishes contain chicken?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

33. Aim: Ss should be able to create their
own menu based on authentic British
menus
• Instructions: 3 types of menus are given to
your group to help you work on your own menu.
• Create your own menu in the class (in groups)
– whole menu or just pick a category (e.g.
starter, main dish etc.). Use color, pictures,
correct language, information and vocabulary
you are already familiar with. Try to make
your menu as appealing as possible if you want
the class to vote for it! You will present your
menu in front of the class next time!

38. -Try to explain in English the following expressions
related to food
- Can you think of a Greek proverb of a similar meaning?
• 1. He’s really in the soup: (to be in an
unpleasant situation)
• 2. I’m really cheesed off: (annoyed or
disappointed with something or someone)
• 3. You can’t have your cake and eat it al:l (και
την πίτα ολόκληρη και στο σκύλο χορτάτο!)
• 4. Τhat’s money for jam: (money you get for
doing something very easy)
• 5. He’s full of beans: (talking nonsense)

39. BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Μάθηση μέσω σχεδιασμού:
• http://neamathisi.com/learning-by-design/
• Καλές πρακτικές στην Ελλάδα:
• http://neamathisi.com
/learning-by-design/practices/
• Chi Cheung Ruby Yang, ‘Theme-based
Teaching in an English Course for Primary
ESL Students in Hong Kong’, Electronic
Journal of Foreign Language Teaching
2009, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 161–176