How to Plan Communicative English Lessons

 

How to Plan Communicative English Lessons

Teaching English is not only about grammar rules, vocabulary lists, or sentence structures — it’s about helping learners communicate effectively. The ultimate goal of language learning is communication. This is where Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and communicative lesson planning come in.

Planning communicative English lessons allows teachers to design classes that focus on real-life interaction, authentic use of language, and student engagement. Instead of memorizing grammar formulas, learners use English to express ideas, share opinions, and solve problems.

In this post, we’ll explore how to plan communicative English lessons, what to include in each stage, and practical tips to make your lessons interactive and effective.

 

1. What Is a Communicative English Lesson?

A communicative English lesson is designed to help learners use English in meaningful contexts. The focus is not on perfect accuracy but on successful communication — conveying and understanding messages.

In such lessons, learners are active participants. They listen, speak, read, and write for real purposes such as:

• Asking for and giving information
• Describing experiences
• Expressing opinions and feelings
• Negotiating meaning and solving problems

Unlike traditional teacher-centered lessons, communicative lessons are student-centered. The teacher becomes a facilitator, guide, or language coach rather than a lecturer.

 

2. Key Principles of Communicative Lesson Planning

Before we start designing the lesson plan, it’s important to understand the principles that guide communicative teaching:

1. Meaning over form: Focus on communication and understanding rather than just grammar rules.
2. Authentic use: Use real-life contexts and materials such as dialogues, news articles, or videos.
3. Interaction: Encourage pair work, group discussions, and role-plays to promote active communication.
4. Learner-centered: The teacher provides support but lets students take responsibility for learning.
5. Integration of skills: Combine speaking, listening, reading, and writing in a natural way.
6. Error tolerance: Mistakes are part of communication — focus on fluency first, accuracy later.

 

3. Steps to Plan a Communicative English Lesson

Now let’s go step by step to create an effective communicative lesson plan.

 

Step 1: Define Your Lesson Objectives

Start by identifying what your students should be able to do by the end of the lesson.

Instead of “students will learn the present perfect,” write a communicative objective such as:

• “Students will be able to talk about life experiences using the present perfect.”

Good objectives are clear, measurable, and communicative. They guide your activities and help you evaluate learning outcomes.

 

Step 2: Choose a Communicative Topic or Situation

Select a topic that connects with students’ lives or interests. Communicative teaching works best when the topic is meaningful and relevant. Examples include:

• Ordering food at a restaurant
• Talking about hobbies
• Making travel plans
• Describing past experiences
• Giving opinions about movies or music

Each topic should naturally lead to interaction and language use.

 

Step 3: Select the Target Language

Decide which grammar, vocabulary, or functional language supports the topic. For example:

• Topic: “Making Travel Plans”
• Grammar: Future forms (will, going to, present continuous for future)
• Vocabulary: destinations, accommodation, transportation
• Function: Making suggestions and giving advice

Remember: the communicative aim is more important than teaching every grammar detail.

 

Step 4: Design the Lesson Stages

A communicative lesson usually follows a clear sequence. Here’s a practical framework you can use:

 

Stage 1: Warm-up / Lead-in

Purpose: Motivate students, activate background knowledge, and introduce the topic.

Examples:

• Ask students about their last vacation or dream destination.
• Show pictures and let them guess the topic.
• Use a short video or game related to the lesson theme.

Keep it short (5–10 minutes) and interactive.

 

Stage 2: Pre-Task / Pre-Teaching

Purpose: Prepare students with key vocabulary or structures they will need for the main activity.

Examples:

• Brainstorm words related to “travel” or “food.”
• Introduce functional phrases like “Would you like to…?”, “How about…?”, etc.
• Practice pronunciation or sentence patterns in pairs.

Avoid long explanations — focus on quick practice and examples.

 

Stage 3: Main Task / Communicative Activity

Purpose: Give students a realistic situation to use English meaningfully.

This is the heart of your communicative lesson. The task should require information exchange, decision-making, or problem-solving.

Examples of Communicative Tasks:

• Role-play a restaurant conversation between waiter and customer.
• Plan a class trip together, choosing destination, activities, and budget.
• Debate a topic (e.g., “Online learning vs. classroom learning”).
• Interview a classmate about their hobbies or family.
• Solve a mystery using given clues.

During this stage, the teacher monitors and supports rather than corrects every mistake. Let communication flow naturally.

 

Stage 4: Feedback and Language Focus

Purpose: Reflect on communication and correct common errors.

After the main task, discuss how well the students communicated:

• What expressions worked well?
• Were there any misunderstandings?
• What new words or grammar were useful?

You can highlight some errors or introduce mini grammar explanations based on what actually happened during the task — this makes learning relevant and memorable.

 

Stage 5: Follow-up / Extension

Purpose: Reinforce learning and provide additional practice.

Ideas:

• Ask students to write a short email, dialogue, or summary using the target language.
• Assign a similar real-life task as homework.
• Reflect on what they learned (“Today I practiced how to…”).

This helps consolidate knowledge and transfer classroom learning to real life.

 

4. Example of a Communicative Lesson Plan

Topic: Ordering Food at a Restaurant
Level: A2 (Elementary)
Time: 60 minutes
Objective: Students will be able to order food and drinks politely in a restaurant.

Lesson Stages:

1. Warm-up (5 min)
• Ask: “What’s your favorite restaurant?” “What food do you like?”
• Show pictures of menus and discuss.
2. Pre-Teaching (10 min)
• Teach useful expressions: “Can I have…?”, “I’d like… please.”, “Anything to drink?”
• Practice short dialogues in pairs.
3. Main Task (25 min)
• Role-play: Students act as customers and waiters using a sample menu.
• Encourage polite interaction and natural communication.
4. Feedback (10 min)
• Discuss what phrases were easy or difficult.
• Correct pronunciation or grammar gently.
5. Follow-up (10 min)
• Students write a short dialogue as homework: “At a café.”

This lesson is communicative because it simulates a real situation where learners use English for a clear purpose.

 

5. Tips for Successful Communicative Lessons

1. Use authentic materials. Menus, advertisements, travel brochures, and real emails make lessons engaging.
2. Encourage pair and group work. Communication happens through interaction, not one-by-one speaking.
3. Set clear instructions. Explain tasks step-by-step so students understand what to do.
4. Balance fluency and accuracy. Allow natural speaking time before correcting mistakes.
5. Adapt to students’ needs. Use topics and activities that match their age, interests, and level.
6. Reflect and improve. After each lesson, note what worked well and what could be improved.

 

6. Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Over-correcting students during communication
• Talking too much as the teacher
• Choosing tasks that are too easy or too hard
• Ignoring students’ errors completely
• Focusing only on grammar instead of communication

Remember: fluency first, accuracy later — communication comes before correction.

 

Conclusion

Planning communicative English lessons is one of the most effective ways to make language learning active, meaningful, and enjoyable. By setting clear communicative goals, choosing engaging topics, and creating realistic tasks, teachers can help learners use English confidently in real-life situations.

A good communicative lesson is not about how much grammar students memorize — it’s about how well they can use English to express themselves, interact, and understand others.

Start small, be creative, and make communication the center of your classroom — that’s how real language learning happens!