ELT365 · Day 260 — Interaction Patterns in Plans

Idea

Interaction patterns describe who talks to whom: T→S (teacher to student), S→S (pair), S↔S↔S (group), S→T (student reporting). Vary them across a lesson.

Example

A lesson that is 90% T→S is a lecture. Plan for each stage to specify a different pattern.

Try

Write the interaction pattern next to every stage in your next lesson plan. Count how many minutes are genuinely S→S.

From my training materials

Interaction patterns are central to my CELTA teaching practice, and my training file provides clear examples of how to vary them. One activity in my teaching-practice file, a grammar auction, gives each pair 5-10 minutes to decide whether sentences are correct and how to fix the wrong ones. That is a clear Student-Student (S-S) interaction pattern, sustained by the game format rather than by teacher prompting.

Another document in my file, the phrasal verbs worksheet, uses personalized questions to elicit individual responses. In class, such personalised questions usually create a Student-Teacher (S-T) exchange. By labeling these patterns in my plan, I can ensure I do not default to a lecture-style Teacher-Student (T-S) interaction throughout the lesson. The grammar auction allows for peer negotiation, while the personalized questions allow for individual voice. This balance is key to a well-structured lesson.

I now make it a habit to write the interaction pattern next to every stage of my lesson plan. This simple action helps me count how many minutes are genuinely S-S and ensures that my lessons have a good mix of interaction types.

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