Shane Dixon

1. Clearly stating the instruction, including subtasks (You will be able to

answer a phone call that includes a greeting, a request for help, a display of
information, and a closing statement…all in English!)
2. Checking for understanding (Tell me, in your own words, what are the parts of
a normal phone call? What do you do when you answer a call? Do you use these
four things I wrote on the board?)
3. Discussing the importance of the objective (Why would you like to learn how to
speak on the phone in English? Why might it be important to answer a phone
call?)
4. Establishing specifics (You will be required to identify and use 15 new phrases
in a speaking test tomorrow wherein I will call each of you on these two
phones.)

Notice that when discussing the importance of the objective (3), it may be best to ask
probing questions to get answers from students rather than just telling them what is
important. This is done to ensure that students identify with the goals and see their own
importance, rather than simply being told that the objectives are important.

Also, remember that as you write your own objectives, whether they are shared with a
class or not, it is important to have specific objectives. An objective is a clearly defined goal
that can be measured, generally demonstrating something that a student can do (thus,
observable and measurable), rather than something a student knows (something that
cannot be observed or measured). Thus, action words such as identify, state, recognize, and
demonstrate are preferred to more static verbs such as know, believe, feel, and understand.

This manual does not include activities for an objective discussion, per se, rather invites you
to think about when and how to include one in your lesson plans.

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