APPLICATION

The application part of a lesson is "where the rubber meets the road." It is also essential to effective language teaching. After a new language skill has been introduced and presented by the teacher, and practiced by the students, the lesson is far from over. The teacher must evaluate the students to make sure that they are performing the new skill correctly and then provide activities that require students to take what they have practiced in class and try to apply it correctly in "real life" situations.

These "real life" situations may be in class, out of class, or both.

Here are some examples of applications for particular lessons:

After learning about and practicing English numbers during the first phases of a lesson...

APPLICATION:
Students might be asked to use these words in the "application" phase of the lesson by giving their own address or telephone number.

After learning to read a particular bus schedule during the first phases of a lesson...

APPLICATION:
Students might be asked to get information from another bus schedule, or a slightly different type of schedule.

After practicing a particularly difficult English sound during the first phases of a lesson...

APPLICATION:
Students might "apply" their new pronunciation skill by learning a famous quote (or even a tongue twister) that uses that sound.

After learning the proper form of a job application letter and reading several model letters in English ...

APPLICATION:
Students could write their own letter of application for a job they would like to have.

Now you try it. Come up with an application to follow these activities...

After practicing an "Asking for an item at the Lost and Found" role-play situation in class...

After learning several variations on a "Reporting an emergency by calling 911" dialog...

Don't forget to bridge the gap between your classroom and the "real world" by providing appropriate application activities.