The document discusses identifying aims for language lessons. It defines aims as what learners should be able to do by the end of a lesson or course. Aims can focus on functions, grammar, or skills. The document differentiates between main aims, subsidiary aims, and personal aims. It provides an example of arranging subsidiary aims in the correct order to match lesson procedures. Finally, it lists factors to consider when planning lessons such as connections between aims and procedures, available materials, and timing.

1. Identifying and selecting aims

2. How do we define aims?
Aims are what we want learners to learn
or to be able to do at the end of the
lesson, a sequence of lessons or a
whole course. (Pulverness, 2005 p.86)

3. Aims may focus on:
A function
A grammatical
structure
Developing
a skill

5. Main aim Subsidiary aims Personal aims
To practise making
polite requests in the
context of making
holiday
arrangements.
Example exponent:
Could you give me
some information
about hotels?
Grammar: to revise
modal auxiliary verbs.
Functional
exponents:
Could/Would you…?
Vocabulary: to
consolidate lexis for
travel accomodation.
Phonology: to focuus
on intonation
Speaking: to give
controlled oral practice.
To improve my
organization of
the whiteboard
and give clearer
examples

6. It describes the most important thing we
want to achieve in a lesson or
sequence of lessons.
Main aim
Reinforce Consolidate
UnderstandPractice

7. It shows the language learners must be
able to use well in order to achieve the
main aim. It enables us to see how the
lesson should develop from one stage
to the next.
Subsidiary aim

8. Show what we would like to improve or
focus on in our own teaching.
Personal aim

10. The procedures in the table below show a sequence of activities for a
lesson with the main aim of developing intermediate students’
confidence and skill in informal conversation. The subsidiary aims
for the lesson are in the wrong order. Put them in the right order so that
they match the correct procedures.
Procedure Subsidiary aims
1. Students move around the classroom to find students
with matching halves of sentences.
2.They talk in pairs about what they find difficult in
listening to informal conversaton.
3.They hear an informal conversation and identify
speakers, place and situation.
4.They listen again and fill in missing phrases in the
transcript.
A
• to listen for detailed information
• to focus students’ attention on target language
B
• to practise gist listening
• to create a context
C
• to get students actively involved
• to put students into pairs
D
• to raise awareness of what the lesson aim will be
• to encourage personal involvement

12. Planning a lesson
When we plan an individual lessson, we
need to think about its aims and the
kind of techniques that are most
appropriate for a particular group of
learners.

13. We need to think about:
Connections between the aims of
the lesson and the procedure we
will use to achieve those aims
The available materials
The length of the lesson

15. Will the topic be interesting and
motivating for my learners?
Are the activities and teaching materials
at the right leve for all the learners?
Have I planned too much for the time
available?
Have I thought about exactly how to
start and end the lesson?