1. Practice Teacher: Mariana Fernández
Lesson Plan
Didactics Teacher: Margarita Erico Cooperating Teacher: Gabriela Gaione 3ºH2
Aims: to reflect on how cyber-English (the kind of English used in text messages and for chatting
on the Internet) students are or use and to practice vocabulary related to the topic.
Objectives: by the end of the lesson students will be able to refer and use Cyber-English in their
mails and text messages. Moreover, students would reflect on how modern technology has changed
the way people communicate, and that is going to be dealt the following lesson.
Materials: chalk/ markers, board rubber, photocopies and the chart.
Assumptions: I am assuming that the level of the text is a bit challenging because students know the
tenses but some vocabulary could be new. However, they would be able to deal with it because the
topic is not difficult and unknown for them.
Anticipated problems
& solutions:
If students know cyber-Spanish it will be accepted, as examples, but the aim is to deal with cyber-
English.
If the oral questions are difficult for them, the teacher will write them on the board, to help them.
If time is not enough, some activities will be done in the following lesson.
Classroom arrangement/
Seating: Individually or in small groups.
Contents: Vocabulary related to cyber-English, the new way of communication.
TimTiming /Interaction Stages Aims
10’ T-Ss Warm up To engage Ss.
T writes C U @ 8 in the board To see Sts prior knowledge
Ss have to try to work it out
the meaning.
5’ T/Ss T asks some oral questions To introduce the subject of
communication through
personal responses
5’ Ss/Ss T introduces the cyber- To develop students’
English text. understanding of sentence
Ss scan the text to underline function.
the means of communication
10’ Ss/Ss T explains the following To read for specific
activity. information.
Ss read again and find some
information.
5’ Ss/Ss T motivates Ss to write To practice writing.
messages using the chart of
vocabulary and symbols.
5’ Ss/Ss T picks the messages and To practice the new language
redistributes them around the and reading in class.
class. Ss read them out.
5’ T/Ss Feedback To round-up,
T asks some questions.
Comments:
Centro Regional de Profesores del Sur

2. Practice Teacher: Mariana Fernández
1. Read the article quickly and underline all the means of communication mentioned.
Cyber-English
Before mobile phones took off in the mid-1990s, no-one had predicted that they’d create a new
means of communication: the text message. In fact, not long before email and text messages
came along, some people had said that writing was dying and that in the future, speech would
be king. We won’t write letters any more, we were told. We’ll just make phone calls.
But now, writing is back on the top. Every day millions –probably billion- of emails are sent
round the world. Why calls someone when you can email them? Millions –possibly billions- of
text messages are sent, too. Millions of people are chatting away (but of course they’re really
typing away) to friends and strangers in Internet chat rooms and on messenger services. And
they’re all communicating using a written form of language.
And if they’re sending text messages and chatting in English, the chances are they’re using a
new form of the language. One that no-one had thought of even twenty-five years old. It’s got
new rules for spelling and grammar. It uses symbols and punctuation in ways that they’ve
never been used before and, in many ways, it’s much closer to speech than to traditional
writing. Whether you love it or hate it, one thing is clear. It’s here to stay so you might as well
get used to it!
2a. Read the article more carefully and answer the questions
a. Will people write letters?
b. How people chat now?
c. What language do people use to communicate?
d.What is the difference of the new language?
2b. Choose the correct answer a, b, c or d. Underline the sentences in the article which
give you the answers.
1 What did people fail to predict?
a. The mobile phone
b. Text messages
c. Email
d. The end of writing
2 What does the writer emphasise in paragraph 2?
a. that writing helps us meet new people
b. that writing is now as popular as speaking
c. that we waste a lot of time writing
d. that we do a lot of writing these days
3 What does the writer say about the new form of written English?
a. It is a very recent development.
b. Most people don’t like using it.
c. It was introduced twenty-five years ago.
d. It is actually a type of speaking.
Your Guide to “cyber-English” for informal text messages and chat room chatting!
b be
c see
r are
u you
2 to/too
4 for
gonna going to
Centro Regional de Profesores del Sur

3. Practice Teacher: Mariana Fernández
goin going
wanna want to
ur your/you’re
l8r later
Sth something
2nite tonight
a/noon afternoon
luv love
@ at
mo moment
: -) 
: -( 
LOL or LoL Laugh out loud!
ROTFL roll on the floor laughing!
BTW by the way
Grammar
Auxiliary verbs, articles, pronouns and prepositions are often left out. For example:
u gonna come with us? = Are you going to come with us?
am in a meeting @ the mo = I am in a meeting at the moment
given Baz books = I’ve given Baz the book
should arrive Tues = I should arrive on Tuesday
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ur your/you’re
l8r later
Sth something
2nite tonight
a/noon afternoon
luv love
@ at
mo moment
: -) 
: -( 
LOL or LoL Laugh out loud!
ROTFL roll on the floor laughing!
BTW by the way
Grammar
Auxiliary verbs, articles, pronouns and prepositions are often left out. For example:
u gonna come with us? = Are you going to come with us?
am in a meeting @ the mo = I am in a meeting at the moment
given Baz books = I’ve given Baz the book
should arrive Tues = I should arrive on Tuesday
Centro Regional de Profesores del Sur

4. Practice Teacher: Mariana Fernández
3ºH2 July, 2010
1a. Match the pictures with the correct word.
Juke box letter
Black and White TV telephone
alarm clock radio
record player camera
1b. Find the postmodern correspondent to the words given in activity 1a.
2a. Read the text about Jimmy, in 1950, and find some words related to Mass Media.
Jimmy was awakened by his mother calling up the stairs, "Jimmy, you're going to be late!" He
looked at the small alarm clock and saw that the hands had stopped moving at 2:36. He must
have forgotten to wind it again. He splashed his face with cold water, brushed his teeth, and
slicked back his hair with Bril cream. Then he returned to his bedroom to get dressed. He
hadn't polished his shoes for a few days and they needed it, but they'd just have to wait; he
didn't have time this morning.
Centro Regional de Profesores del Sur

5. Practice Teacher: Mariana Fernández
He went to the kitchen, where his dad was sitting at the table reading the local newspaper while
his mom scrambled eggs. His dad pointed out a small article in the society section about the
birthday party they'd had last week for Jimmy's little sister Betty. The paper had included every
little detail, from the pink dress his sister wore, to the marble cake they ate, to the Pin-the-Tail-
on-the-Donkey game they played. Usually Jimmy liked to read the parts of the paper his father
had finished during breakfast, especially the comic strip Dick Tracy, but he didn't have time to
today. He strapped his books to the back of his bike and hopped on for the six block ride to
school. He liked to ride by the vacant lot and read all of the billboards that were there. Every
once in awhile, there was a new one or they'd change one of the old ones.
School that day went quickly, though Jimmy had a hard time keeping his mind on the lectures
and his lessons. He was thinking about his date that night with Patty. They were going to see
the movie "On the Town," starring Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, with a group of friends.
They'd all been waiting eagerly for that movie to come to town. The "down side" was that
Jimmy would have to miss his favourite radio show, "The Shadow," which was only on Friday
nights.
After school, Jimmy went straight home. His mother had some chores for him to do before he
went out with Patty. She wanted him to straighten-up his room and "do something with all that
trash!" Jimmy's mother did not understand that his collection of "Captain Midnight" and
"Superman" comic books were not trash, even if it was spread out all over his room!
During dinner the family talked about their day and their weekend plans. Jimmy's mother
shared a telegram she'd received that day from her sister; she'd given birth to her fifth child - a
baby boy she named John.
As Jimmy left for his date, his mother was popping popcorn on the stove and his father and
little sister were settling down in front of the radio. This time Jimmy walked; he was hoping to
hold Patty's hand and that's hard to do on a bike. At Patty's house, Jimmy went in long enough
to be polite and to promise to have Patty home by her 11 p.m. curfew.
The movie was good - Frank and Gene sure could sing and dance! After the movie they went
to the local hang-out to listen to records on the juke box. A lot of people were dancing but
Jimmy and Patty shared a soda and watched. At 10:45 they left so Patty would be home before
her curfew. Jimmy continued home and as he got ready for bed, he wondered what people used
to do before movies were invented. Life must have been boring!
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/handouts/ethics/day_life_case_study.cfm
2b.True or False. Give the evidence to the false sentences
a. Jimmy didn’t like reading newspapers.
b. Jimmy had got a little sister.
c. Jimmy didn’t help at home.
d. Jimmy thought that the movie was boring.
3. Read the Mixed if sentences and try to think two examples of each type.
1. In the past if people wanted to send a message, they had to send a telegram.
2. In the past, if people wanted to listen to music, ……………………………………………..
3…………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. If I want to listen to music, I can use my cell phone/ MP3 Player.
5. If I want to know the news, …………………………………………………………………
6…………………………………………………………………………………………………
What do you think about the lesson?
Do you like the topic?
Which activity do you like most?
What things do you want to learn about Mass Media?
Centro Regional de Profesores del Sur

6. Practice Teacher: Mariana Fernández
her curfew. Jimmy continued home and as he got ready for bed, he wondered what people used
to do before movies were invented. Life must have been boring!
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/handouts/ethics/day_life_case_study.cfm
2b.True or False. Give the evidence to the false sentences
a. Jimmy didn’t like reading newspapers.
b. Jimmy had got a little sister.
c. Jimmy didn’t help at home.
d. Jimmy thought that the movie was boring.
3. Read the Mixed if sentences and try to think two examples of each type.
1. In the past if people wanted to send a message, they had to send a telegram.
2. In the past, if people wanted to listen to music, ……………………………………………..
3…………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. If I want to listen to music, I can use my cell phone/ MP3 Player.
5. If I want to know the news, …………………………………………………………………
6…………………………………………………………………………………………………
What do you think about the lesson?
Do you like the topic?
Which activity do you like most?
What things do you want to learn about Mass Media?
Centro Regional de Profesores del Sur