Unit 3: Target Language (by phase)

Mark's Notes:

the content is presented as ordered above. I spend 3-4 lessons on each content topic.

it's important to introduce and learn the vocabulary first. Once the students know the words, then the target language is introduced.

You might be tired of the games mentioned in Units 1 and 2 and want to branch out a bit. There are plenty of other games you can play - the Paper Game is great for favorites and 'Do you like...?' - Bounce Around is good for practicing any vocabulary. Last Card Out is a great game for practicing vocabulary as well as questions

on some of the content pages (insects, for example) you'll also find a Mark's notes section that gives you an idea of how the vocabulary ties into the target language section.

Phase 1: Phase 1 is always vocabulary focused. Again, it's important to solidify the vocabulary before you move on to anything else. If you teach it well the first time, you won't need to teach it again. Stealing an old 1980s highway billboard slogan ... 'Speed kills!'

Insects tie in well with eliciting 'I don't like ...' from the students. Vegetables may also work well and I initially wanted to use vegetables to teach 'I don't like ...' but as it turns out most of my kids like vegetables. If you aren't living in a farming community, vegetables may also work well for you :)

The running content section: I continue with one letter and one number in each lesson. When I teach 20, 30, 40, and so on, I usually stick with one for a few lessons. So, maybe 20 for two or three lessons and then move on to 30. I'll have the students count from 1-20, but when we reach 30, I'll have them count 1-30.

Phonics: If I've run through the alphabet and practiced short vowels and CVC combinations enough, I'll move on to consonant blends

(Running content is described here. It moves at a pace that is separate from the actual curriculum. It could be faster or slower depending your number of students, age, frequency of class time and students ability. At this point you may find this section may need to be adjusted.)

Phase 2: I'll come back to phase 2 and phase 3 once I get all of phase 1 posted.

Phase 3: I'll come back to phase 2 and phase 3 once I get all of phase 1 posted.

If you'd like to listen to the the curriculum explained, I discussed the curriculum and how it runs on ESL Teacher Talk.com:

The MES curriculum part 1, The MES curriculum part 2, Phonics part 1, Phonics part 2