Background on lesson:
Context:
Class profile: Group of eight adult ESL learners
Age: Mid-30’s
Level: Intermediate
Learner Needs: These students are in the U.S. to find work. They have an intermediate
knowledge of English and are now embarking on a job hunt. Therefore, they need to be
able to take the first step in that process by writing a cover letter to attach to their
resume.
Objectives/Aims – general and specific: The general objective of the lesson is to
learn how to structure and compose a cover letter in response to a job advertisement.
Students will go through the six stages of process writing by starting with a
brainstorming session on what message they need to get across with their cover letter.
They will then organize and plan their writing by reflecting on their educational
background, past work experience and relevant skills. Then they will examine a cover
letter format and start to write one of their own. They will form pairs and provide
feedback to each other so that they can revise their letter. And finally, they will take
each others’ cover letters home to provide each other with yet another perspective from
which to gain feedback.
Assumptions: The group has been learning English in order to be proficient enough to
apply for work that requires intermediate knowledge of the language.
Language Analysis: Key phrases; salutations; relevant vocabulary.
Anticipated Problems and Solutions: The main concern here would be successfully
applying the practice of peer feedback. Although research shows that peer editing and
feedback are beneficial methods in the ESL classroom, I has to be done right in order
for it to yield positive results. This means that the students have to know how to go
about providing constructive feedback to each other. This topic could be integrated into
the lesson with the teacher showing examples of written work on a projector and giving
oral and written feedback to demonstrate. Or the teacher could work on this topic before
any peer feedback is initiated. She could also assist students as they are in the process
of giving feedback to peers.
Materials: Handouts: structure of a cover letter; sample cover letter; key phrases to use
in a cover letter.
Timing: 60 minutes
Lesson Plan:
Stage
Aim
Procedure
Warmer
Mats.
Focus
Time
Greetings.
T-S
2
Introducing
the topic
Teacher explains that students will study
how to introduce themselves to potential
employers through the use of a cover
letter.
T
2
Group
Discussion
Teacher and students brainstorm and
discuss what things they would need to
bring to the attention of potential
employers.
S
5
Background
Information
Teacher elicits from students the key
phrases they would need to form their
cover letters and any key vocabulary.
S
5
Opening
Sequencing
Handouts
Hands out a structural outline of a cover
letter with instructions and commonly
used phrases (i.e. I am writing to you in
response to your advertisement for...),
forms of salutation, plus a sample cover
letter.
Pair work
Students work in pairs to help each other
in forming the structure of their own cover
letter based on the handout.
10
Individual
Writing
Each student fills in their own information
to form a draft of a cover letter written in
response to an opening for the position
they would like to apply for.
S-T
10
Pair work
Students form pairs and exchange their
cover letters. They read each other’s
letters and give feedback. Meanwhile,
teacher checks on each pair to help them
with the process of peer feedback.
S-S
10
Individual
writing
Based on the peer feedback, each
person revises their letter.
S-S
5
Peer
assessment
activity
As a final activity, students exchange
their cover letters by passing them to the
person on their left. Each person reads
the main paragraph of the letter they
have and the class tries to guess what
type of work (or what field of work) the
owner of the letter is applying for.
Students take each others’ letters home
to provide more peer feedback.
T-S
10
Follow up/
Homework
assignment
Teacher explains that students will take
home the cover letter they have read out
and provide peer feedback by pretending
to be an employer who has received the
letter. They will write down the strengths
and weaknesses of the composition
together with any structural
recommendations.
Closure/con
clusion
1