Author: Fatou Kiné Ndiaye | Published on 1 April 2025
Read what Fatou Kiné says about this activity:
Most of our learners are bi-lingual with many being multilingual. This creates opportunities to explore the benefits language use in the classroom. This lesson plan offers a model of how to explore the use of conditionals whilst also exploring the benefits of multilingualism.
Stage 1: lead-in (7 minutes)
Set up (2 minutes)
Begin the lesson by engaging students in a discussion about the real-life conditions and results of being bilingual or multilingual.
Draw a simple picture of a person on the board and place a thought bubble above their head.
Inside the bubble, the teacher writes: 'I have a job interview tomorrow, but I can only speak my native language.'
Explain the scenario to the students:
The teacher says: 'Imagine this person is preparing for a job interview but only speaks one language. Let’s think about what might happen.'
Class discussion (3 minutes)
The teacher can choose to ask questions from the following to encourage critical thinking:
- 'What do you think will happen if this person goes to the job interview as a monolingual?'
- 'How might this impact their chances of getting the job?” Write students’ responses on the board.'
- 'What languages do you speak at home?” and invite students to share their experiences.'
Follow up with:
- 'How can speaking more than one language help families communicate with each other?'
- 'What kinds of careers require people to speak multiple languages?'
Listen for answers such as interpreter, translator, or jobs in international business. Encourage students to share their ideas freely and explain that there are many real-world benefits to being bilingual or multilingual.
Make sure to guide the discussion and write key points on the board.
Wrap-up &Transition (2 minutes)
Summarise the key takeaways:
- Speaking multiple languages can open up job opportunities.
- It improves communication in diverse settings.
- Many careers benefit from language skills.
Stage 2: Vocabulary focus (7 minutes)
1. Introduction to vocabulary objective: Introduce and explain the vocabulary words to the class in context.
Write the following words on the board:
Parent, sibling, grandparents, native Language, heritage Language, interpreter, teacher, tour Guide, bilingual, fluent, language Proficiency, cultural exchange.
2. Explain each word briefly in English, giving a context for understanding.
For example:
|
Prompt |
Possible Answer |
| A parent is a person who... | takes care of and raises their children |
Elicit students' understanding with the sentence starters for the words or phrases from the worksheet.
Distribute the sentence starters worksheets to complete (Appendix One)
|
Prompt |
Possible Answer |
|
A sibling is a person who… |
...is your brother or sister, sharing the same parents. |
|
Grandparents are the parents of… |
...your mother or father. |
|
A native language is the language that… |
...a person learns first and uses most often at home. |
|
A heritage language is a language that… |
...is inherited from family and reflects cultural identity. |
|
An interpreter is someone who... |
...translates spoken words from one language to another. |
|
A teacher is a person who... |
...helps students learn new skills or knowledge. |
|
A tour guide is someone who… |
...shows visitors around and explains places of interest. |
|
A diplomat is a person who... |
...represents their country in foreign relations and negotiations. |
|
A journalist is someone who... |
...reports news and writes articles for newspapers, TV, or online media. |
|
A bilingual person is someone who… |
...can use a language easily and naturally without hesitation. |
|
Language proficiency is the ability to... |
...use a language effectively in speaking, reading, writing, and listening. |
|
A cultural exchange is when people from different cultures... |
...share their traditions, customs, and experiences to learn from each other. |
Complete the first 3 sentences as a model whole class and confirm the answers. Tell the students to complete the sentences to define the words or phrases. Give them a time limit to complete, then use peer correction.
Teacher says: 'Now, swap papers with a partner. Listen to the answers I say. Give 1 point for each correct answer.'
Check answers whole class and confirm the highest scores.
(Multilingual table completion – Appendix 2)
Give each student a copy of the table.
Teacher asks: 'Do you already know how to say these words in French, Wolof, or any other languages? Complete the table with your answers. You can share your ideas with your friends to help them complete their table too.'
Encourage participation.
Grammar Focus (5 minutes)
Objective: Explain and practice Type 1 and Type 2 Conditionals using the vocabulary from the first activity.
Explain the concept of types 1 and 2 conditionals by emphasising the fact that they are used to describe what will happen and what would happen in the future to discuss the practical and potential benefits of multilingualism.
Write example sentences on the board or based on the students ideas from stage 1.
The teacher writes:
- If he doesn't learn English, he won't get the job.
- If he was more fluent in English, he would get the job position.
Ask concept checking questions to check the students understand the sentences (Note the questions change depending on the context you choose).
- Are we talking about future situations? Future
- Is it possible that he won’t get the job? Yes, if he doesn't learn English.
- Are we talking about present or future situations? Future
- How hypothetical is it that he would get the job position? Maybe
Elicit the sentence forms by asking the following questions and marking the verbs used in the examples on the board.
- Where are the verbs in the sentences?
- What tense is used in the first part of the sentence?
- What tense is used in the second part of the sentence?
- What comes after if?
Write the sentences on the board for the students to write them on their copybooks.
Stage 3: Input task guided practice (15 minutes)
Objective: Students will complete exercises with Type 1 and Type 2 Conditionals, filling in the gaps with the correct verb tense.
Introduction
Briefly explain what Type 1 and Type 2 conditionals are (real and unreal situations).
'We will practice filling in sentences with the correct verb tenses for real and hypothetical future situations.'
'We’re going to practice Type 1 Conditionals, which talk about real or possible future situations. You have some sentences with gaps. Your job is to fill in the gaps with the correct tense of the verbs in parentheses.'
'Let’s focus on the first part of the sentence using the present simple tense, and the second part using the future simple tense.'
Hand students out gap filling worksheets (Worksheet A and Worksheet B in Appendix Three):
Part A: type 1 (real conditional) (3 minutes)
- If you ___ (learn) a second language, you ___ (enhance) your cognitive abilities.
- If schools ___ (introduce) multilingual programs, students ___ (become) more culturally aware.
- If parents ___ (speak) multiple languages at home, their children ___ (develop) better language skills.
(Adapted from Baker, C. (2011). Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism and from Bialystok, E. (2009). "Bilingualism: The Good, The Bad, and The Indifferent," Bilingualism: Language and Cognition.)
Ask students to fill in the gaps in pairs.
'Please fill in the blanks with the correct tense of the verbs. You have 4-5 minutes.'
Walk around to support as needed.
Part A: feedback and explanation
Call on students to share their answers for each sentence.
Write the correct answers on the board and explain any mistakes.
Part B: type 2 (unreal conditional) (3 minutes)
Present the three sentences with gaps (unreal conditional).
'Now, we’re going to practice Type 2 Conditionals, which talk about unreal or imagined future situations. You have some sentences with gaps. Your job is to fill in the gaps with the correct tense of the verbs.'
'Let’s focus on the first part of the sentence using the past simple tense, and the second part using the conditional tense.'
4. If everyone ___ (speak) at least two languages, communication between cultures ___ (be) much easier.
5. If I ___ (be) fluent in five languages, I ___ (apply) for a job as an interpreter.
6. If schools ___ (focus) more on multilingual education, students ___ (have) more career opportunities.
(Adapted from Baker, C. (2011). Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism and from Bialystok, E. (2009). "Bilingualism: The Good, The Bad, and The Indifferent," Bilingualism: Language and Cognition.)
Ask students to fill in the gaps in pairs.
'Please fill in the blanks with the correct verb tenses. You have 4-5 minutes.'
Walk around to support students.
Part B: feedback and explanation
Call on students to share their answers for each sentence.
Write the correct answers on the board and provide a quick explanation for each one.
Quick Review
'We practiced Type 1 and Type 2 conditionals. Type 1 is for real situations, and Type 2 is for hypothetical situations.'
Stage 4 - output
Main activity: role play
Introduce the activity (2 minutes)
'Today, we are going to practice Type 1 and Type 2 conditionals by role-playing situations involving multilingualism.'
Write these example sentences on the board:
- 'If I learn another language, I will help more tourists.'
- 'If I were bilingual, I would teach my children both languages easily.'
Briefly explain the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 conditionals.
Tell the learners they are going to play roles and write:
'if I learn another language, I will help more tourists.'
'If I were bilingual, I would teach my children both languages easily'.
Role assignment (2 minutes)
Next, ask each student to pick a role. (2 minutes)
- Parent
- Sibling
- Grandparent
- Interpreter
- Teacher
- Tour Guide
- Diplomat
- Journalist
'Choose one role from the list. You will write one Type 1 and one Type 2 sentence based on your role.'
Writing task (4 minutes)
Give them 2-4 minutes to work in pairs to write type 1 and type 2 conditional about everyday situations involving multilingualism using the vocabulary.
Example sentences:
- Type 1: If I were a tour guide, I would help tourists in multiple languages.
- Type 2: If I spoke five languages, I could help more people from different countries.
Walk around and provide support if needed.
Pair comparison and practice (4 minutes)
Ask students to compare their sentences with their partner.
'Now, compare your sentences with your partner. Are your sentences similar or different?'
Have students practice speaking in their roles using the sentences they wrote.
'Take turns asking: 'What will happen if you learn your grandparents’ native language? What would you do if you were bilingual?'
Role swap (3 minutes)
Ask students to swap roles with another pair.
'Now, swap roles with another pair and practice using the new sentences.'
Sharing best sentences with the class (3 minutes)
Ask a few pairs to share their best sentences with the class.
'Who would like to share their most interesting sentences with us? What would you do if you were bilingual? What will happen if you learn another language?'
Encourage pairs to share their best sentences with the class.
Provide feedback on grammar, pronunciation, and creativity.
Wrap-up and Reflection (2 minutes)
Quick Review: Ask students what they learned during the activity.
'What did you learn about using conditionals for multilingual situations?'
Stage 3: wrap up (6 minutes)
Recap conditionals (2 minutes)
Teacher asks:
'Can you give me an example of a Type 1 sentence using the word 'job'?'
'Can you give me a Type 2 sentence using the word 'language'?'
Provide feedback and praise correct answers.
Encourage participation: Have students volunteer and share.
Have students share one Type 1 or Type 2 sentence about multilingualism using a target word.
Provide feedback: Correct any errors in grammar or vocabulary. Praise students for creativity
Vocabulary review (2 minutes)
Elicit target vocabulary from learners.
Teacher asks:
'What words can you remember from our vocabulary table today? Tell me now!'
Ask students questions to apply what they’ve learned: (2 minutes)
Teacher asks:
'What will happen if parents teach their children two languages?'
'What would you do if you were fluent in three languages?'
Closing message
Teacher says: 'Learning multiple languages opens doors to new opportunities and helps us connect with people from different cultures.'