4.1 Presentation Techniques and Introductory Activities

4.1 Presentation Techniques and Introductory Activities

Overview of Introductory Lesson Stages

The opening stage of an English Language Teaching (ELT) lesson establishes the affective and cognitive foundation for learning. Teachers use specific introductory activities to transition learners into an English-speaking environment, activate prior knowledge, and introduce new target language within authentic, meaningful contexts. Understanding the distinct purpose of each stage is essential for TKT candidates.

Warmers vs. Lead-ins

Although both warmers and lead-ins occur at the start of a lesson, they serve different pedagogical functions:

• Warmers (Warm-up Activities): Short, dynamic, high-energy activities (typically lasting 3–5 minutes) designed to raise learner energy, foster class rapport, and transition students' focus into English. Warmers do not necessarily relate to the main topic or target language of the lesson. Examples include fast-paced vocabulary games like Word Association, Two Truths and a Lie, or Find Someone Who.
• Lead-ins: Activities intentionally designed to introduce the lesson topic, activate existing background knowledge (schema), and build interest in the upcoming lesson content. Lead-ins establish the theme around which target language or skills work will develop. Examples include displaying a photo of an airport to lead into a lesson on travel vocabulary, or asking students to discuss their weekend plans in pairs before introducing future tenses.

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Contextualisation and Eliciting

Contextualisation

Contextualisation is the practice of presenting new language within a meaningful, realistic situation or scenario. Language presented in isolation (e.g., writing an isolated grammar formula like Subject + had + past participle on the board) is abstract and difficult for learners to process meaningfully. By embedding target language in a clear context—such as a short story, a recorded dialogue, a picture prompt, or a teacher anecdote—learners can infer the meaning, register, and social function of the language naturally.

Effective contextualisation helps learners understand why and when a structure is used in real communication, eliminating the need for mother-tongue (L1) translation.

Eliciting

Eliciting is a technique where the teacher prompts learners to provide information, ideas, vocabulary, or target language structures themselves, rather than the teacher explaining everything directly.

• Benefits of Eliciting:

  • Keeps learners actively engaged and cognitively invested.
  • Reduces Teacher Talking Time (TTT) and increases Student Talking Time (STT).
  • Acts as a diagnostic tool, allowing the teacher to see what learners already know before presenting new items.
  • Promotes learner autonomy and confidence.

• Effective Eliciting Procedure:

  1. Provide a clear visual stimulus, mime, definition, or situation prompt.
  2. Ask targeted, guiding questions ("What is he feeling right now?" or "What do we call a person who repairs cars?").
  3. Allow sufficient wait-time for learners to formulate their answers.
  4. Praise correct contributions or guide learners toward refining partial answers.

Cambridge TKT Warning: Eliciting should not degenerate into a frustrating "guessing game" when learners lack the required vocabulary. If students do not know the target item after clear prompts, the teacher must provide it efficiently through direct modelling.

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Concept Checking Questions (CCQs)

After presenting target language, teachers must verify that learners accurately comprehend its meaning, aspect, and pragmatic function. Simply asking "Do you understand?" is ineffective because learners often answer "Yes" out of politeness, embarrassment, or false confidence.

Instead, teachers use Concept Checking Questions (CCQs): concise, targeted, easy-to-understand questions that break down the core components of meaning.

Principles of Formulating CCQs

1. Use Simpler Language than the Target Structure: CCQs must not contain complex grammar or unfamiliar vocabulary.
2. Avoid Using the Target Language Item in the Question: Do not include the target structure inside the CCQ itself.
3. Cover All Key Semantic Elements: Break the target item into binary choices (Yes/No, Past/Present, Finished/Unfinished).

CCQ Worked Examples

Example 1: Present Perfect Continuous

• Target Sentence: "She has been running for two hours."
• CCQ 1: Is she running right now? (Yes / Probably)
• CCQ 2: Did she start running in the past? (Yes)
• CCQ 3: Is she tired? (Yes)
• CCQ 4: Are we focusing on the result or the duration of the action? (The duration)

Example 2: Third Conditional

• Target Sentence: "If I had set my alarm, I wouldn't have missed the train."
• CCQ 1: Did I set my alarm? (No)
• CCQ 2: Did I miss the train? (Yes)
• CCQ 3: Am I talking about the past or the present? (The past)
• CCQ 4: Is this situation real or imaginary? (Imaginary)

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Modelling and Drilling

Modelling

Modelling involves the teacher providing an accurate, clear, and natural spoken or written demonstration of the target language item. When modelling spoken English, the teacher must maintain natural speed, correct word and sentence stress, contractions (e.g., "He's gone" rather than "He has gone"), weak forms (e.g., /fə/ for for), and authentic intonation.

Drilling

Drilling is an intensive oral practice technique where learners repeat language models after the teacher or an audio prompt. Drilling helps learners develop phonological accuracy, articulatory muscle memory, and fluency.

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Timeline Presentation of Tenses

Timelines are visual diagrams drawn on the board to illustrate how verb tenses mark time, duration, and aspect. They represent time as a horizontal axis moving from the Past through the Present (marked by 'Now') into the Future.

PAST  ═══════════════════════│═══════════════════════ FUTURE
                            NOW

Illustrative Timeline Diagrams

1. Past Simple vs. Present Perfect Simple

• Past Simple: "I lived in Madrid in 2018." (Completed past event, no present connection).

PAST  ─────────[X]───────────│═══════════════════════ FUTURE
              2018          NOW

• Present Perfect Simple: "I have lived in Madrid for five years." (Started in past, continues to Now).

PAST  ─────────[═════════════►]══════════════════════ FUTURE
             Started        NOW (Still living there)

2. Past Continuous Interrupted by Past Simple

• Target Sentence: "I was cooking dinner when the phone rang."

PAST  ───────[~~~~ cooking ~~~(X)~~~ cooking ~~~~]───│── FUTURE
                               ▲                     NOW
                          phone rang

Using timelines alongside CCQs ensures that visual, auditory, and analytical learners alike grasp complex temporal and aspectual distinctions efficiently.