Using a PPP Framework
Presentation, practice, and production
Presentation, practice, and production (PPP) is a framework for organizing your lessons.
This lesson structure is aligned with a scaffolded approach to teaching as the PPP template encourages increased autonomy for the ELL student. The goal of this lesson structure is to use controlled activities to lead the student toward learning. The PPP method always uses learner-centered instruction.
In the PPP Method, the ESL teacher presents the target language explicitly. This can be done through modeling or lecturing or using visual aids or realia. Then, the teacher and student practice the new material together. This can be done through sentence frames, tightly controlled activities, and freer activities. Students produce and present the language material at the end of the lesson.
PPP Example Lesson Plan
Here is an example of a PPP Lesson plan that I wrote for TEFL Full circle.
Notice that the PPP format also utilizes Bloomberg’s Taxonomy. The student ultimately uses higher thinking processes to produce language.
Presentation, Practice, and Production (PPP): The PPP Lesson Format for Teaching ESL
A PPP Template
Warm-up
A fun, short activity that builds rapport with your ESL students.
Examples of ESL Warm-Up Activities
- Word Lightning– pick a letter of the alphabet from a hat and give students two minutes to shout out as many words as possible that begin with that letter.
- Phonics Relay
- Icebreaker Games or Questions
- Would you Rather Game
- Play Memory games
- Complete a Crossword Puzzle
- Matching pictures to words
- Make an Anagram
- Do Word searches
- Play Spaceman (like Hangman but less gruesome)
Presentation
In the presentation stage, the teacher introduces the target language task, whether deductive (give students a general rule and then apply it) or inductive (give the students examples and ask them to find the rules). Be sure to use learner-centered instruction.
Practice
During the practice stage, the teacher gives the students opportunities to use the target structure and vocabulary used during class. The teacher will make tasks that control the results.
Examples of Controlled Tasks during the Practice Stage
- utilizing sentence frames
- echoing
- model a given dialogue, such as when students pretend to book a hotel room by pretending to be a guest calling the hotel receptionist
Production
The production stage of the PP lesson format is the student’s chance to use what they’ve learned to create something of their own. Some teachers give the student a class project or homework assignment to create the production stage independently.
Examples of Production Activities
- Creating stories
- Creating spoken role-plays
- write a blog post, article, letter, or diary entry
- Affixation: Using prefixes and suffixes to make new words
- Do a project about yourself
Cool-down Activity:
The cool-down activity is closer. Sometimes, it can be a chance for the student to give feedback to the teacher (You can ask, “What was the most helpful about today’s class, what was the least helpful?”) Or, it can be a fun, easy activity to reclaim confidence at the end of the lesson. Many teachers who teach online ESL classes for very young kids like to play tic-tac-toe with easy vocabulary for kids as a quick closing game.
PPP Lesson Example
For example, this could be one PPP lesson plan.
Learning Objective: Family Member Vocabulary
Warm-Up: Matching game of pictures to words
Presentation: introduce vocabulary for family members (mom, dad, brother, sister) by showing a family tree
Practice: the teacher guides the student and practices the new vocabulary together. For example, you can use a controlled activity to each other sentence frame and input into the frame “This is my(mom/dad/sister/brother)” to practice the given sentence structure “this is my mom, this is my dad.”
Production: Draw your family and label each person/ Bring photos of your family to introduce them
Cool-down Activity: A closer activity
Bottom Line: Using a PPP lesson structure will help make your ESL lesson successful by utilizing scaffolding and ensuring student engagement and eventual independence.
And as always, happy lesson planning and teaching!
Related Keywords: PPP Template, lesson structure, learning objectives, lesson planning, controlled practice, warm-up, cool-down
“Nine-tenths of education is encouragement.”
Anatole France
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