Module 5: Lesson 2 - Aims & objectives

Question 1

Difference between aims and objectives.

Answer 1

An aim can be anything that you think your students need to achieve in a class. They are more general and not usually “measurable.” Write the aim of your lesson before you write the plan. It is an overview of the direction that you want your course to go in. You can then plan your lesson backwards from this point.
Example: To practice reading for gist

Objectives are the steps taken to achieve the lesson aims. These are concrete targets or goals that the student is expected to reach by the end of a given lesson. It is important that objectives are measurable, not vague, and are achievable.
Example: By the end of the lesson, the learner will be able to read a text about travel and understand the general gist of what it means.

Question 2

What to consider when writing aims and objectives.

Answer 2

1. Defining the aim: Lesson plan aims refer to the lesson as a whole. It broadly focuses on what you plan to do and what you want to achieve with your learners.
2. Writing an aim: These go at the top of your lesson plan, before any other content. It is important to be specific here and avoid vague terms such as “appreciate” or “learn”.
3. Objectives: Objectives are smaller goals than aims, and they can be used to break down the various steps to achieving the end goal.

• Hard & soft targets: Objectives can be split into “hard” and “soft”. Hard objectives are ones that directly relate to the task at hand, while soft targets are related more to personal or social aspects.