Summary of Planning EFL Didactic Units

## Introduction Curriculum planning is the structured process teachers and schools use to decide what students will learn, how they will learn it, and how learning will be assessed. Good planning reduces improvisation, helps manage classroom time and resources, and supports consistent progress toward learning goals. > A curriculum plan is the organized sequence of teaching and learning activities designed for a specific group of students over a defined period. ## Levels of Curricular Specification Curriculum planning operates at several linked levels. Each level refines the expectations and adapts them to context. ### 1. National/Legal Requirements - These are the minimum teaching requirements set by the state or national government. - They provide the broad framework and mandatory objectives, ensuring consistency across schools. > Did you know that national curricula set minimum standards so students across a country share common learning goals? ### 2. Regional/Autonomous Specifications - Autonomous regions or states adapt national requirements to reflect local culture, language, and traditions. - Example: An autonomous region may add local history or regional language elements to the general framework. ### 3. School-Level Adaptation - Schools use their pedagogical and organizational autonomy to adapt the regional curriculum to their socio-economic and cultural context. - This includes choosing approaches, materials, and organising the school year calendar. ### 4. Teacher-Level Lesson Planning - Teachers produce lesson plans tailored to the particular group of students in a class. - Lesson plans specify what will be taught, how it will be taught, and how learning will be assessed. > A lesson plan is the teacher's operational guide for delivering the curriculum to a particular group. ## Teaching Planning: Purpose and Principles Teaching planning helps teachers anticipate needs, reduce stress, and make informed decisions in the classroom. Good plans answer the three key questions: what, how, and when. - What: learning objectives and contents - How: teaching methods, activities, interaction patterns - When: sequencing, timing, and assessment points > Fun fact: Teachers who plan carefully report greater classroom control and higher student achievement. ## Didactic Units (Unit Planning) Didactic units are the building blocks of teaching planning. Each unit sequences learning and assessment activities to reach specific objectives and develop competences. ### Components of a Didactic Unit 1. Description - Topic relevant to learners' interests - Students' prior knowledge - Year, term, number of sessions - Connections with other units 2. Didactic Objectives - Clear statements of what students should be able to do by the end of the unit - Based on the broader objectives of the subject area 3. Key Competences - Specific competences students will develop for personal fulfilment, active citizenship, and lifelong learning 4. Contents (Organised in Four Blocks) - Communication: comprehension, production, interaction, mediation, information search - Plurilingualism: students’ awareness and personal use of languages - Different cultures: interest in and respect for other cultures - Syntactic and discursive contents: grammar and text organisation > Did you know that organising contents into thematic blocks helps balance skills and knowledge across a school year? ### Tasks and Activities - Tasks should be coherent, meaningful, varied, and centered on developing the four linguistic skills through different interaction patterns. - Activities must be sequenced to allow reinforcement, because young learners often need repetition and cyclical revisiting of content. ### Evaluation Criteria and Assessment - Evaluation criteria define how attainment of objectives will be judged. - Assessment should measure both learning outcomes and the effectiveness of teaching methods. - Use formative assessment during