Navigating Your Final Teaching Practice: Choosing the Right Lesson

The final teaching practices on a teacher training course are a defining moment. You’re in the homestretch, and the pressure is on to demonstrate everything you’ve learned. The freedom to choose your own topic can feel both exhilarating and daunting. What lesson will truly showcase your growing skills?

The Allure of Functional Language

One compelling path is a functional language lesson. This approach moves beyond traditional grammar and vocabulary, focusing on how we use language to achieve real-world goals.

Why it’s a great choice:

• High Engagement: Students learn practical phrases for situations like making requests, giving advice, or agreeing and disagreeing.
• Immediate Use: Learners can apply what they’ve learned right away in conversations.
• Communicative Focus: It naturally encourages student interaction and speaking practice.

Weighing the Challenge

While a functional language lesson is an excellent demonstration of modern teaching principles, it comes with its own set of considerations.

Potential pitfalls to plan for:

• Clarity is Key: You must be able to clearly explain the function, its context, and the level of formality.
• Avoiding Ambiguity: Functional language can sometimes have nuanced meanings that are tricky for learners to grasp.
• Lack of Guidance: If you haven’t had much instruction on this area, you’ll be relying heavily on your own research and planning.

Exploring Other Avenues

Functional language isn’t your only option. Think back on the lessons you’ve observed or taught. What resonated with you and your students?

Consider a grammar topic you enjoy. Teaching a grammar point you feel confident about can allow you to focus on your teaching technique and classroom management without the stress of a new content area.

What about a skills lesson? A focused lesson on reading or listening can be very effective. You can highlight your ability to scaffold tasks and help students decode meaning.

Making Your Final Decision

So, how do you choose? Ask yourself these questions:

• What are my strengths? Play to them. This is your chance to shine.
• What does my specific student group need? The best lesson is one that is relevant and useful to them.
• Can I manage the preparation? Be honest about the time and research required for a new type of lesson.

Ultimately, there is no single “perfect” topic. The best lesson is one you can plan confidently, deliver clearly, and adapt to your students’ needs in the moment. This is your opportunity to bring your unique teaching style to life.