Lesson Planning: When X Meets English

How to do a successful bilingual demonstration class

Let's plan a cross-curricular class that incorporates English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) or bilingual teaching step by step:

 

1. When English Meets X: What is X? The more practical or contextual it is, the easier it will be to create a clear lesson plan.

X is an activity or creation that your students have done. By the end of the lesson, you want them to be able to describe and explain it in simple English.

So far, I have created lesson plans for When Milkshake Meets English, When Bubble Milk Tea Meets English, When Lantern Meets English, When DNA Meets English, and When Robotics Meets English. Scan the QR code below for more details.

 

2. Structured Scripting: No matter what your X is, to present it in English, your students need to include the following:

(1) Appearance/Looks. For example, "The bubble milk tea looks delicious with its creamy texture and brown sugar pearls."

(2) Ingredients/Materials. These are the things required to make or cook something. For instance, to make bubble milk tea, you'll need tapioca starch, brown sugar, and so on.

(3) Supplies/Kitchen Utensils: These are the tools needed to make something. For example, to make a lantern, you'll need a plier, a hot glue gun, a pair of scissors, etc.

(4) Steps: This includes "verbs" such as bend, cut, glue, mix, etc. to go with materials.

(5) Emotions/Feelings: After making or eating X, how did you feel? Students may say that they were excited, nervous, or glad to take this class because the lantern was hard/easy to make."

 

3. Select your target words and sentence patterns: Please choose the words and sentence patterns that you frequently use when making or doing X. We want to avoid using technical terms that may be too difficult for our students to understand, so let's use simpler alternatives. For instance, instead of saying "paper-wrapped wire," we can just say "wire."

 

Regarding sentence patterns, we will focus only on those that your students will need to use during their oral reports. We won't go into too much detail about grammar. For instance, in the open-fire cooking class, if a student needs to ask for the amount of salt or sesame oil to put in the soup, they can simply say, "I need a spoonful of salt."

 

4. Activity Ideas: Here are some activity ideas to go with the student script:

(1) Matching Game: Create a set of cards with pictures or descriptions of different Xs and their corresponding ingredients/materials, supplies/kitchen utensils, and steps. Students can match the cards to complete the set.

(2) Memory Game: Create a set of cards with pictures or descriptions of different Xs and their corresponding ingredients/materials, supplies/kitchen utensils, and steps. Shuffle the cards and place them face down on a table. Students take turns flipping over two cards at a time to find a match. If they find a match, they keep the cards and go again. The player with the most matches at the end of the game wins.

(3)Role-play: Have students work in pairs or small groups to act out making or cooking their chosen X. One student can play the role of the chef, while the other student(s) play the role of the assistant(s) or customer(s). They can use the student script as a guide and incorporate the feelings component as well.

(4)Scavenger Hunt: Hide various ingredients/materials, supplies/kitchen utensils, and steps around the classroom or outdoor area. Provide students with a list of items to find and instructions on how to use them to make their chosen X. The first team to complete their X wins.

(5)Writing Activity: Have students write a step-by-step guide on how  to make their chosen X. Encourage them to use the student script as a guide and incorporate the feelings component as well. They can then share their guide with the class and make the X together as a group.

 

5: Script Your Activity Instructions: If you're new to EMI, it can be helpful to write out your instructions ahead of time. Keep them brief and straightforward. Tell your students exactly what they need to do.

But remember, you don't want to sound like a robot when you're giving instructions. Try to speak naturally and engage with your students.

And as with anything, practice makes perfect.