Introduction/Hook  (Comfort Zone): Comfort is the single most important aspect of a successful lesson. Engaging students with a hook is essential to setting a tone for the rest of the period. A hook can be in the form of a question or short anecdote; it could be related to the student’s profession or interests; it could be a joke; it could be a loud noise! One of the best builders of comfort is a smile and EFET are not only friendly people, but have a sense of humor too!

Elicitation of previous lesson (Recap): Eliciting previous knowledge is a way to make students review a concept which they have learned before. (It can also be used as a hook.) Really, eliciting previous knowledge shows the teacher what concept is missing and provides an opportunity to praise students.

Present, Practice, Use (PPU): Often referred to as PPP, this is the body of the lesson and focuses on mastering specific concepts and principles.  First, the teacher presents a basic concept or rule (here: grammar form, vocabulary, or expression) which is the foundation we will build on. Then, students practice what the teacher has presented through multiple exercises. Students are expected to fillin blanks or correct errors in examples. Finally, the student must use this grammar form, vocabulary, or expression in a new situation!

Experimentation: Without experimentation students will not feel comfortable enough to reuse concepts in future. As learners, the less confident we feel about any concept, the less we will use it. “Use it or Lose it!” is not far from the truth.

Students who take risks by experimenting with recent lessons are the ones who successfully develop fluency. Moreover, the student develops into a complete person.  Learning a language is not only about communication, its about understanding another world and, ultimately, becoming a better person too.

Repetition. Repetition. Repetition! (“I figure its just like field-stripping a weapon” – Jake Sully, Avatar movie) Well, EFET teachers don’t know much about taking apart guns, but we do know how people learn best. The key to remembering anything is to be comfortable, be engaged, and experiment over and over again!