Improving GCSE Results – MFL at Wildern School
GERMAN KEY STAGE 3 LESSON PLAN – GROUP TALK LAUNCH
Scheme of work reference: Pupils will already know some basic structures for expressing likes and dislikes. They will have
practised exchanging these in pairwork activities.
Learning objectives:
 To give and respond to simple opinions*
 To interact in the target language in small groups
*This is essentially a skill-based lesson. School subjects are used for this plan but can easily be substituted with any other
noun prompts.
Targeted NC level:
Framework reference:
7L4 Responding to questions 7L5 spontaneous talk
3
Resources:
(school subject) picture prompts
sets of (school subject) cue cards
flashcards of key structures
Lesson structure:
Group Talk whiteboard backdrop
Group Talk support cards
Was denkst du? worksheet
Starter activity:
 Show flashcards / whiteboard slide of school subjects. Pupils work in pairs exchanging simple opinions. E.G. Wie findest
du Deutsch? Ich finde Deutsch toll.
Development:
 Using flashcards/actions, present and practise the phrases Was denkst du? / Ich denke
 Pupils again work in pairs for a couple of minutes incorporating the new phrases into an exchange of opinions. e.g. Ich
denke Deutsch ist toll. Was denkst du?
 Share the learning objectives with the class. Talk briefly in English about why Group Talk is so important e.g. When you
hear somebody express an opinion in your language, you will want to agree or diagree with it. Or: In real life, people don’t
just talk in pairs, they interact and discuss issues in groups.
 Show the whiteboard backdrop of Group Talk and discuss its structure.
 Using the backdrop in combination with flashcards/actions, randomly practise the key structures. Pay particular focus to
appropriate intonation and body language.
 In pairs pupils practise the key phrases. Pupil A mimes; Pupil B supplies the phrase.
 Give out Group Talk support cards to each table.
 Sit at a central table with a group of pupils. Using cue cards as prompts, model an example of Group Talk to the rest of
the class.
 Challenge the class to speak only in the target language for the next three minutes. It is really important to emphasise the
challenge aspect and how good it will feel to have had a first proper discussion in foreign! Circulate as pupils talk.
 Stop the discussion after three minutes. Elicit feedback on the activity.
 Written consolidation exercise. Give out Was denkst du? worksheet. Pupils firstly write out five opinion statements (about
school subjects) in the thought bubbles. Encourage them to try and use varied structures e.g. Ich mag / hasse / liebe /
denke / finde / … ist
 Pupils swap sheets and fill in responses in the speech bubbles.
 Get pairs of pupils to share exchanges orally and encourage further responses from others in the class.
Plenary:
 Ask for volunteer tables to display their progress to the rest of the class.
 Show picture prompts from different familiar topic areas e.g. sports. The volunteer tables group talk using the given
prompts.
 This activity highlights the transferable nature of the skills and structures practised in today’s lesson.
Note to teachers
This document was not created by Teachers TV but the author has allowed us to publish it
here to be used for educational purposes