Universite d’antananarivo ecole normale superieure

2.2.3- Report and analysis

In this report and analysis, we have decided not to mention the teacher’s name and the name of the lycée in which the observation was carried out.

2.2.3.1- Observation of a course on “Protecting the environment” to teach the first conditional

This first class observation was carried out on 22^nd February 2016 in a “première D” classs. The class was made of forty six (46) students and the observation lasted two hours. The title of the lesson was: “IF CLAUSE I”.

• First step: warm up (20 min)

The teacher started the class with a scrambled words game. She asked 18 students to come to the board and divided them into three groups of six people. Those three groups were supposed to compete and everyone was given a word or a phrase written on a sheet of paper. They were asked to arrange the scrambled words in order to have a meaningful sentence as quickly as possible. Then, they were asked to stand next to one another in accordance with their words order and show their sentences.

Here are the sentences:

1. 
   If we destroy the environment, we won’t have a place for living.
   

2. 
   People will reduce environmental problems if they stop smoking.
   

3. 
   If we pay more attention, we will save the environment.
   

Two groups found the right answers, but the first group put their sentence in a leftward order: “for living/ a place/ have/ we won’t/ the environment,/ If we destroy” instead of “If we destroy/ the environment,/ we won’t/ have/ a place/ for living”.

Afterwards, the teacher stuck the sheets of paper containing the correctly-ordered sentences on the board and started to introduce the lesson to the students by asking questions.
Teacher (T): Do you think that if we destroy the environment, we won’t have a place for living?
Students (Ss): Yes. (just few of them replied)

T: Do you think that people will reduce environmental problems if they stop smoking?

Ss: (No answer)

T: Do you think that if we pay more attention, we will save the environment?

Ss: (No answer)

T: (Pointing at the 3 sentences) What do they have in common? (Expected answer: IF)

Ss: (No answer)

T: How do we call this kind of sentence? (Expected answer: conditional sentences)

Ss: (No answer)

After obtaining no answer from the students, the teacher did not give her expected answers as a correction and guideline, but wrote the title of the lesson above the sheets of paper; “IF CLAUSE I”.

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