IV. Plan ahead to your PFT Activity
The final stage in this paradigm is the Train stage. However, I must start thinking about the training activity before executing my preparation and feedback stages. This activity could be a freer speaking or writing activity. The activity should be designed to maximize the chances of and create optimal conditions for the target language (professional) to emerge naturally. In other words, I want our students to have the option to use what we have presented to them without directly telling them to. In addition, the activity will fall within the same topic area as the Watch Me Teach video and contextual gap fill.
First, I must decide whether I would like my students to do a speaking or a writing activity. For this PFT Activity with my chosen lexical item, I have decided to go with a speaking activity. I would like my students to focus on something factual rather than contrived and hypothetical, so I will make the focus of my activity a speaking anecdote rather than a conversation or an imaginary situation.
Here is the activity I have constructed:
Think about someone you have worked with and that you want to describe. Write some qualities down with examples before you come to class.
Send me a message with your preparation for your response. I will provide a short reply for you to read and study before your class.
Tell me about a person that you used to work with. Give me as many details about the situation as possible including a list of their qualities.
I first ask my students to consider the task before coming to the training session in the live class. This is followed by an offer to provide short feedback to their preparation. Finally, students are able to see the simple training activity. Notice that I did not explicitly tell my students to use the word "professional". However, I expect something along those lines will emerge, which will give me a chance to provide feedback to meaning, form and pronunciation after the activity.
I can now start writing and finalizing my context for my Watch Me Teach video, which will be published on the PFT website near the end of the 3rd period.