Anticipated Problems
Predicted difficulties that learners (and sometimes the teacher) are likely to encounter during a lesson, together with planned solutions. Anticipating problems is a core lesson planning skill that distinguishes effective from reactive teaching. It turns potential derailments into smooth, managed transitions.
Definition
Scrivener (2011) describes anticipated problems as "things that might go wrong or prove difficult" in a lesson, which the teacher identifies during planning and prepares solutions for in advance. Spratt, Pulverness, and Williams (2011) include anticipated problems as a standard section of formal lesson plans, alongside aims and procedures.
In CELTA and DELTA lesson planning templates, the Anticipated Problems section typically has two columns:
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Students may not know "commute" | Pre-teach during lead-in; check with CCQs |
| /θ/ in "three": Vietnamese learners likely to substitute /t/ | Model and drill; use minimal pair "tree/three" |
Categories of Anticipated Problems
Language Problems
Problems with the target language being taught:
- Meaning: Learners may confuse similar concepts (e.g., "used to" vs "would" for past habits)
- Form: Structural errors likely given L1 transfer or interlanguage stage (e.g., word order in questions)
- Pronunciation: Sounds, stress, or intonation that are problematic for the specific L1 group
This maps directly to the MFP framework (meaning, form, pronunciation) used for language analysis in lesson planning.
Skills Problems
Problems with receptive or productive skill tasks:
- Listening text too fast or accent unfamiliar
- Reading text contains too many unknown words (below 95% coverage)
- Students lack schema/background knowledge for the topic
- Writing task too open or too constrained for the level
Procedural Problems
Problems with how the lesson runs:
- Instructions for an activity may be unclear
- Grouping may not work (odd numbers, dominant students)
- Activity may finish too quickly or take too long
- Technology may fail (audio, projector, internet)
Learner Problems
Problems specific to the class:
- Mixed Ability: Stronger students finish early; weaker students struggle
- Motivation: Topic may not engage this particular group
- Affective factors: Anxiety about speaking, reluctance to work in pairs
- L1 interference: Specific transfer errors predictable from the learners' first language
Writing Anticipated Problems
Effective problem anticipation requires:
- Know your learners: Their level, L1, common errors, learning preferences, and group dynamics
- Analyse the language: Do a thorough MFP analysis: what is genuinely difficult about this grammar point, vocabulary item, or phonological feature?
- Do the tasks yourself: Complete reading, listening, and writing tasks before the lesson to identify stumbling points
- Think procedurally: Walk through the lesson step by step: where might confusion arise?
- Prepare specific solutions: Not just "the teacher will help" but concrete actions (pre-teach, model, provide a handout, simplify instructions, prepare an extension task)
Example: Teaching Present Perfect for Experience
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Ss may confuse present perfect with past simple for past experiences | Use timeline on board; CCQ: "Do we know exactly when?" |
| Ss may use "ever" in affirmative sentences ("I have ever been to Paris") | Provide clear models; highlight that "ever" appears in questions/negatives |
| Weak pronunciation of contracted forms ("I've" as two syllables) | Model and choral drill "I've /aɪv/ been"; use backchaining for longer sentences |
| Ss may struggle to generate "Have you ever...?" questions | Provide question stems on handout; model one exchange first |
| Fast finishers in practice activity | Prepare extension: "Find someone who has done all five things" |
Why It Matters for ELT
- Proactive teaching: Anticipating problems prevents the teacher from being caught off-guard and improvising poorly
- Smoother lessons: Solutions are prepared in advance rather than invented under pressure
- Professional growth: The act of anticipating problems develops analytical thinking about language and learning
- Learner-centred planning: Forces the teacher to think from the learner's perspective: "What will they find hard?"
- Assessment literacy: Required in CELTA, DELTA, and most formal teaching qualifications, a standard professional competency
- Differentiation: Anticipating problems naturally leads to planning for Mixed Ability classes
Key References
- Scrivener, J. (2011). Learning Teaching (3rd ed.). Macmillan. Chapter 7.
- Spratt, M., Pulverness, A. & Williams, M. (2011). The TKT Course (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- Harmer, J. (2015). The Practice of English Language Teaching (5th ed.). Pearson. Chapter 12.
- Swan, M. & Smith, B. (2001). Learner English (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. (L1-specific problem prediction)
- Woodward, T. (2001). Planning Lessons and Courses. Cambridge University Press.
See Also
- MFP: the meaning-form-pronunciation framework for analysing language problems
- Lesson Aims: problems should be anticipated in relation to the lesson aims
- Mixed Ability: a common source of anticipated problems
- Giving Instructions: procedural problems often relate to instruction clarity
- Corrective Feedback: planned response to anticipated errors