Shane Ward

 In this lesson, advanced level learners in an ESL context will read a brief text on the dangers of walking while text messaging.  The lesson will begin with the teacher getting the students interested in the topic. The students will then be involved in a prediction-based activity. Students will then read the text to confirm their predictions.  This is followed up with a comprehension check. Students read the text again, this time focusing on particular grammar points.  Then students are paired into groups and have to act out a skit related to the text.

 1. Students are paired up and are given a list of three questions.  The questions are: 1. Why do people text while they are walking? 2. Where would you see people texting while walking? 3. Is it ever necessary to text while walking?

 2. Then they are handed another list of questions, this time building on their prediction skills.  Sample questions include: 1. What common injuries result from texting while walking? 2. How does texting stop people from walking properly?

 1. Students read the text “Texting While Walking is Dangerous.” They are then asked some comprehension questions, such as “who conducted the study?”  2. They read the text again, and are given some time to mull over the vocabulary that is used, and the tenses that are used.  Students are then asked questions related to particular grammar points.

 Students are paired into groups and have to act out a skit where an elected member of the group pretends to walk and text simultaneously.  That group member pretends to get struck by a car.  The other group members are witnesses at the scene and have to detail the events that unfolded to a policeman.

 The focus is on both fluency and accuracy.  The overarching purpose of this lesson is to create a realistic scenario where students may one day find themselves needing to use English.