[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now. In our last lesson we talked about writing objectives, and in today's lesson we're going to talk about sharing these written objectives with students in an objective discussion. And we'll see three teachers give us an example. Before they do so, let me ask you a simple question. At what point in a lesson do you think you should give an objective discussion? There are varying views, and I have heard several compelling arguments. But it is my own view that an objective discussion can be held at any point in a lesson. While it is traditionally seen at the beginning of most ideal lesson plans and lesson plan templates, as it is here, there can be good reasons to hold off. Some learners, especially in compulsory situations, such as a mandatory English class in high school, may assume that objectives of the class are out of their control. And thus resent being told what they will be doing and why. The general goals of the instruction may not in fact be their goals. In certain cases, such as the one just described, some objective discussions can be held with more success if students already begin to see a certain amount of progress. And thus perceive that they are being led down a path that they want to continue to pursue. In these cases it is wise to wait until there is initial success before sharing with students the goals you, as an instructor, have for them. Furthermore some learners simply perceive that you, as the professional, know what you are doing, and thus they don't even care what objectives you may have. Think of it as a pilot telling you on a plane flight how he is going to get you, as the passenger, to the final destination. As Jerry Seinfeld once said, fine, do whatever you have to do. Just end up where it says on the ticket. In other words, most learners in an English class simply assume that you know what you are doing and don't mind how you get them there. But for an idealized situation, there's no doubt that sharing objectives before instruction is sound advice. Most learners in most situations want to know where they are being led and learners tend to do better when they are given a target to aim at. Learners also, with a good objective discussion, can set their minds and hearts to have your goals become their own. Thus, an objective discussion can elicit a certain amount of motivation in learners, especially if an instructor knows how to sell the skills that the learners may acquire. So what is a good objective discussion? In general, you may achieve better results in an objective discussion by doing the following in any order. Clearly state the instructional objectives. Check for understanding. Establish specifics. Discuss the importance of the objective. Now, let's see our three brave teachers as they each attempt to give us an objective discussion. Let's watch, and please pay attention to this small list of ideas and see if our teachers follow through with each one. Remember, clearly state the instructional objectives, check for understanding, establish specifics, and discuss the importance of the objective. >> Okay, today class we're going to learn about answering the phone and there are a lot of common phrases when it comes to answering the phone. Today we're going to learn some of those common phrases to help you be a better speaker on the phone. Today we're going to learn about greetings, requests, sharing information and closing statements. So by the end of the day, having learned these four tasks will make you a better speaker on the phone. Clearly introduces the objective. >> Check. >> Establishes specifics. >> Check. >> Discusses the importance of- >> Yeah, check. >> Well then I think it's a pretty good objective discussion. True, but I don't think he tied some of it to the specific task, something observable, something measurable that will be required at the end of the class. And I really feel like he spent too little time explaining the importance of the objective. Let's see if our second teacher can improve on this. >> So would anyone like to learn how to talk on the phone in English? Why or why not? Is there anyone you would like to talk to? What famous celebrity would you want to call? What would you say? I know it might make me nervous to talk to a celebrity in a different language. Well, don't worry we're going to practice very hard so you can all answer a phone in English. And you will be learning about four specific things, a greeting, a request for help, a display of information, and a closing statement. I will teach you some new phrases which will be on the test tomorrow. Yes, I said it, a test. There will be a speaking test, and I will be calling you on this phone right here. And you will answer on that phone right there. I will record each call and I will be looking for at least one phrase for each of the four categories. What are the categories again? Greetings, request for, yes, help. Display of information, and finally a closing statement. Let's talk about each one by looking at page 140. >> Outta the gate, I have to say, this is much improved. >> I agree, Jack, I like how she immediately started asking questions to see if the students could see the value in learning how to speak on the phone. I love it when a teacher elicits a response rather than just telling students how to feel. >> No doubt. I also enjoyed how specific she was by discussing exactly what would be expected on the test. That was a great detail. >> Yes, so- >> Do you have any other insights that you'd like to share? I'll try not to interrupt you. >> Okay, thanks Jack, so clearly state objectives. >> That's true. >> Check for understanding, >> Absolutely. Establish specifics. >> Mm-hm, absolutely. >> And state the importance of the objectives. >> That's exactly right. >> I'd say we have a perfect objective discussion. >> We totally do. >> Let's see our third teacher. >> All right. >> Okay everyone. Today we are going to talk about how to answer the phone and the four different parts of a phone call. In our book we will learn about a greeting. Can anyone give me an example of a greeting? And we'll learn about a request for help. Can anyone give me an example of that? And yes, they usually request help and explain what kind of help they need. Then usually the person answering the phone gives an answer. We will call this answer a display of information. Here you are helping and giving an answer. Finally, we will close the conversation. Did you know that most phone calls actually have more than one close? In fact, the average number of closes is 3.5. So I will be teaching you different closes as well. >> So, let's go down our checklist. >> Did the teacher clearly state the objectives? Not really. She doesn't mention a test, or how the students will be assessed at the end of the lesson. >> Did she check for understanding? >> Yes, I think so. She asked questions about each one to see if students could already guess at the meaning of each phrase. I imagine she'll do more later on in the instruction though. >> Did she give specific details? >> She sure did, she shared four different parts to a phone call, that's a good job. >> Yes. Did she discuss the importance of the objectives? >> No, so I guess the total score for our teacher number three is two outta four. She is batting a healthy 500. Not good, not bad. >> Well, there you have it. Our three teachers all demonstrated at least a basic understanding of what an objective discussion is. An objective discussion is like a blueprint that a teacher lays out for learners, a way for learners to see the path that the teacher will take them on. In our next video we'll summarize what we've learned so far in module two and discuss how you can apply these principles in your own teaching. See you then. [MUSIC]
