Objectives

(5 - 7 minutes)

1. Identify the concept of polysemy in English: Students should be able to understand and explain what polysemy is, how it manifests in the English language, and how it can affect the comprehension of a text or conversation.

2. Recognize polysemous words: Students should be able to identify words that have multiple meanings and contextualize them correctly in different sentences.

3. Use polysemous words in different contexts: Students should be able to use polysemous words in their own sentences, demonstrating an understanding of their meaning and appropriate context.

Secondary Objectives:

• Encourage group discussion: The lesson plan should encourage students to share their interpretations and uses of polysemous words, promoting a collaborative learning atmosphere.

• Develop critical thinking skills: Students should be encouraged to reflect on how polysemy affects communication and text interpretation, thus developing their critical thinking skills.

Introduction

(10 - 15 minutes)

1. Review of previous content: The teacher should start the lesson by quickly reviewing previous content that is relevant to the understanding of the current lesson topic. This may include reviewing vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structures that students have already studied. Additionally, the teacher may remind students about the meaning of homonyms and homographs, which are concepts related to polysemy.

2. Problem-based scenarios: To spark students' interest and contextualize the importance of the topic, the teacher can propose two problem-based scenarios:

   • Scenario 1: The teacher can present a sentence that uses a polysemous word ambiguously and ask students to interpret it. For example, "I saw a bank in the park." Here, the word "bank" can refer to a seat or a financial institution.

   • Scenario 2: The teacher can give students a short excerpt of a text that uses several polysemous words and ask them to identify and explain the meaning of each one.

3. Contextualization: The teacher should explain the importance of polysemy in English, highlighting how the use of polysemous words can make communication richer and more complex, but also more challenging, especially for those who are learning the language. Additionally, the teacher can mention how the ability to identify and use polysemous words can be useful in various situations, such as reading and interpreting texts, writing, and oral communication.

4. Engage students' attention: To pique students' interest in the topic, the teacher can share some curiosities or stories related to polysemy. For example, the teacher can mention that the word "set" has the highest number of meanings (according to the Guinness World Records, there are 430 different uses), or tell the story of how the word "nice," which nowadays is used to describe something good or pleasant, originally meant "ignorant" or "stupid".

Development

(20 - 25 minutes)

1. Activity "Polysemy in Everyday Life" (10 - 12 minutes)

   • Description: In this activity, students will be divided into small groups and given a list of polysemous words in English. The challenge will be to find examples of each of these words in different everyday contexts, such as in songs, TV series, movies, news, etc. The groups will have to record these examples and then share them with the class, explaining the context of each use of the word and how the meaning changes according to the context.

   • Step by step:

     1. The teacher divides the class into groups of up to 5 students and distributes the lists of polysemous words.
     2. Students, within their groups, look for examples of these words in different everyday contexts, noting them on their lists.
     3. After a set time, the groups share their examples with the class, explaining the context of each use of the word and how the meaning changes according to the context.

2. Activity "Polysemy in Action" (10 - 12 minutes)

   • Description: In this activity, students, still in their groups, will receive short excerpts of texts that contain polysemous words. The challenge will be to identify these words, explain their different meanings, and how these meanings fit into the context of the text.

   • Step by step:

     1. The teacher distributes the text excerpts to each group. The texts should be of different genres (for example, an excerpt from a news article, a dialogue from a TV series, a snippet of a song, etc.) and should contain several polysemous words.
     2. Within their groups, students read the text and identify the polysemous words. They explain the different meanings of these words and how they fit into the context of the text.
     3. After a set time, the groups share their analyses with the class, discussing the different interpretations and demonstrating how polysemy can make understanding a text more challenging.

3. Group Discussion (5 - 7 minutes)

   • Description: After the conclusion of the activities, the teacher should facilitate a group discussion so that students can share their experiences, challenges, and learnings during the activities. The goal is to reinforce students' understanding of polysemy and how it manifests in English, as well as to stimulate reflection and critical thinking.

   • Step by step:

     1. The teacher initiates the discussion by asking open-ended questions and encouraging students to share their opinions and discoveries.
     2. The teacher guides the discussion, ensuring that all viewpoints are heard and that the conversation is focused on the lesson topic.
     3. The teacher concludes the discussion, highlighting the main points raised and summarizing the key conclusions.

These activities will allow students to explore polysemy in a practical and contextualized way, enhancing their English interpretation and communication skills.

Return

(8 - 10 minutes)

1. Group Discussion (3 - 4 minutes)

   • The teacher should encourage students to share their solutions or conclusions from the group activities. Each group should have the opportunity to briefly present their examples and analyses. This can be done through a roundtable discussion, where each group has a set time to speak.
   • During the presentations, the teacher should ask questions to assess students' understanding of polysemy and how it manifests in English. For example: "Why do you think the word 'bank' can have different meanings in different contexts?", "How can polysemy affect the interpretation of a text?".

2. Connection to Theory (2 - 3 minutes)

   • After the presentations, the teacher should provide a brief review of the concept of polysemy and how it was applied in the activities. The goal is to reinforce the connection between theory and practice, and ensure that students understand the importance of polysemy in English communication.
   • The teacher can use the examples presented by students to illustrate how polysemy can enrich communication, but also lead to misunderstandings if not used correctly.

3. Individual Reflection (3 - 4 minutes)

   • Finally, the teacher should suggest that students engage in individual reflection on the lesson. The teacher can ask questions such as:

     1. "What was the most important concept you learned today?"
     2. "What questions have not been answered yet?"
     3. "How can you apply what you learned today in real communication situations in English?".

   • Students should have a minute to think about their answers, and then they will have the opportunity to share them with the class, if they wish.

   • The teacher should encourage students to be honest in their reflections, and should use the answers to assess the effectiveness of the lesson and identify areas that may need reinforcement in future classes.

This Return stage is crucial for consolidating students' learning and for evaluating the effectiveness of the lesson. By promoting discussion and reflection, the teacher allows students to internalize the concepts learned and connect them with their own experiences and knowledge. Additionally, the teacher can use students' responses to adapt future lessons to the needs and interests of the class.

Conclusion

(5 - 7 minutes)

1. Lesson Summary (2 - 3 minutes)

   • The teacher should recap the main points covered during the lesson, reiterating the concept of polysemy, the identification of polysemous words, and the importance of using them correctly in different contexts.
   • They should emphasize the development of students' critical thinking and communication skills throughout the practical activities, as well as the importance of polysemy in interpreting and producing texts in English.

2. Connection between Theory, Practice, and Applications (1 - 2 minutes)

   • The teacher should explain how the lesson connected theory (the concept of polysemy) with practice (the activities of identifying and using polysemous words) and with real-world applications (the discussion on how polysemy affects communication and text interpretation).
   • They can mention again the examples of polysemous words used by students during the lesson and how they illustrate the application of the concept of polysemy.

3. Extra Materials (1 - 2 minutes)

   • The teacher should suggest extra materials for students who wish to deepen their understanding of polysemy. These materials may include books, articles, websites, videos, and interactive games that explore the concept of polysemy in English in a playful and informative way.
   • For example, the teacher may recommend the use of online dictionaries that present different meanings of a word and provide examples of its use in different contexts.

4. Importance of the Topic in Everyday Life (1 minute)

   • Finally, the teacher should highlight the importance of understanding and using polysemy correctly in everyday life. They may mention that polysemy is a fundamental feature of human language and that the ability to identify and use polysemous words appropriately is essential for effective communication, both in English and in other languages.
   • The teacher can also emphasize that knowledge of polysemy can improve text comprehension, the expression of ideas and feelings, and the ability to adapt communication to different situations and interlocutors.