The PPP Method: A Classic Framework for ESL Lesson Planning

Every teacher remembers the nerves of planning their first English lesson—what to teach, how to start, what to do if no one talks. That’s where a clear structure like the PPP method can help. It gives lessons a sense of flow and direction, which is especially useful when you’re just getting started or working with learners who need a bit more guidance.

The Presentation–Practice–Production approach has been around for decades, and while it might not be as trendy as some modern methods, it still has real value in the right setting. Many TEFL courses and coursebooks use PPP as their foundation for good reason: it’s logical, predictable, and easy to apply. Whether you’re teaching grammar in a classroom in Thailand or running an online class from your laptop in Lisbon, PPP can give your lessons clarity and momentum.

What Is the PPP Method?

The PPP method breaks a lesson into three clear stages:

• Presentation: The teacher introduces a new piece of language—this could be a grammar structure, vocabulary set, or functional phrase. It’s shown in context first, so students see how it’s used before diving into the rules.

• Practice: Next, students do structured activities to get comfortable with the form. This usually means drills, fill-in-the-blanks, matching, or sentence completion—anything that reinforces accuracy without too much creative pressure.

• Production: Finally, learners use the target language more freely, often in speaking or writing tasks. This could be a roleplay, a short presentation, or a discussion prompt where the focus shifts from form to communication.

The method originated in more traditional teaching environments, but it’s remained popular because of its simplicity. It works especially well for grammar-focused lessons, and it’s often the go-to model for new teachers preparing demo classes or interviews.

How Each Stage Works

Presentation

This is your chance to introduce the target language in a way that feels real and relatable. Instead of jumping straight into rules or charts, you might start with a story, a short dialogue, or an image. For example, if you’re teaching the present continuous, you could describe what people in a photo are doing: “She is cooking. He is playing the guitar.”

At this stage, you’ll highlight form (how it’s built), meaning (what it expresses), and pronunciation. A quick concept check or a few examples can help make sure students understand before moving on.

Practice

Now it’s time for controlled repetition. Think of this stage like training wheels—the focus is on accuracy, not creativity. You could run through gap-fill sentences (“I ___ watching TV”), matching phrases to meanings, or chorally drilling question forms (“Are you eating?” “Is she studying?”).

Students get to use the language in a safe, structured way. You’re actively monitoring and correcting here, helping them form strong habits.

Production

Here, you loosen the reins. Students take what they’ve learned and try to use it in a more natural context. That might mean describing their weekend plans using the future tense, roleplaying a restaurant scene, or giving advice with “should.”

This phase gives learners a chance to build confidence and fluency while showing you how well they’ve grasped the target language. It’s also the most fun—this is where the lesson comes alive, and students feel like they’re really using English.

Sample PPP Lesson Plans by Level

One of the strengths of the PPP method is its adaptability—you can use it at nearly any level, from complete beginner to advanced. Here are some practical examples to show how each stage might look in action:

Beginner: “There is / There are” – Using a Classroom Map

• Presentation: Show an image or draw a simple classroom on the board. Use statements like “There is a whiteboard” or “There are five chairs” to describe it. Elicit responses from students and clarify form.
• Practice: Students complete a worksheet identifying objects in the classroom: “There _ a computer,” “There _ posters.”
• Production: In pairs, students describe their own classrooms at home or invent a dream classroom and present it to the group.

Intermediate: Present Perfect for Experience – “Have you ever...?”

• Presentation: Use a story or personal anecdotes: “I’ve been to Japan. I’ve never eaten octopus.” Highlight the structure and contrast with the past simple.
• Practice: Controlled speaking or writing drills like matching activities, sentence transformation, or yes/no Q&A: “Have you ever climbed a mountain?”
• Production: Conduct a class survey where students ask and report on each other’s experiences.

Advanced: Reported Speech – News Reports and Interviews

• Presentation: Play or read a short dialogue or interview. Show how to shift from direct to reported speech (e.g., “She said she was tired.”).
• Practice: Provide statements for students to rewrite in reported speech. Drill specific tense and pronoun changes.
• Production: In groups, students roleplay journalists interviewing classmates and then report their findings to the class.

Notes on Timing and Transitions

• Beginners may need more time in the Practice phase and clearer scaffolding between stages.
• Smooth transitions keep the lesson flowing—briefly recap or preview the next stage to orient students.
• Always budget enough time for the Production stage; don’t let it get squeezed at the end.

Benefits of the PPP Method

• Straightforward Structure: With clear stages, it’s easy to design balanced lessons that guide students logically from input to output.
• Ideal for New Teachers: It gives less experienced teachers a reliable framework to build confidence and classroom control.
• Supports Accuracy: Especially helpful for grammar or pronunciation points that need drilling and correction.
• Flexible Application: You can use PPP with different topics, skills, and lesson types—especially effective for language input-heavy sessions.

Common Criticisms and Limitations

• Teacher-Centered by Default: Unless adapted, PPP lessons can be dominated by teacher talk, especially during Presentation.
• Fluency May Suffer: Because the Practice stage emphasizes accuracy, students may hesitate to take risks or use language creatively.
• Not Always Reflective of Real Learning: Language acquisition is often messy and non-linear, while PPP assumes a neat progression from exposure to use.
• Production Often Rushed: If time isn’t well managed, the communicative part of the lesson—the one students often enjoy most—gets skipped or shortened.

When to Use PPP—and When Not To

The PPP framework isn’t for every class, but in the right setting, it delivers clarity and results. Here's when it shines—and when it may not fit.

Best for:

• Lower-level learners who benefit from repetition, structure, and clear input.
• Grammar or vocabulary lessons that require step-by-step instruction and controlled use.
• Formal classroom environments (e.g., language centers, schools) where timing and structure are important.

Not ideal for:

• Fluency-focused or advanced classes that thrive on spontaneous language use and discussion.
• Conversation-based teaching, especially private lessons where students drive content.
• Teachers who prefer emergent or student-led approaches, such as Dogme or TBL, where the lesson evolves from learner needs.

PPP works best when accuracy and structure are the priorities—not when the goal is free-flowing conversation or improvisation.

Adapting PPP for Online and Hybrid Teaching

Teaching online? You can still use PPP—it just takes a few digital tweaks.

• Presentation Stage: Share a short video clip, animated grammar explainer, or even act it out live. Tools like YouTube, Canva, or Loom make it easy to present language in context.
• Practice Stage: Use Google Forms, Kahoot, Quizizz, or live polls for interactive drills. Jamboard or Padlet can be great for matching or sentence-building games.
• Production Stage: Try breakout room roleplays, Flipgrid video responses, or collaborative writing on Google Docs. Encourage creativity—have students write a dialogue, record a podcast, or pitch a product using the target language.

Online lessons benefit from visuals, interactivity, and variety—PPP still works, but the delivery needs to be reimagined.

Blending PPP with Other Methods

As you grow more confident, don’t feel locked into PPP’s straight-line flow. You can evolve it:

• Turn it into ESA: Add an extra Engage phase before your Presentation to warm students up and set the tone. Let the Activate phase stretch longer for more communicative tasks.
• Use elements of Task-Based Learning: After the Presentation, give students a real-life task (e.g., plan a trip, conduct an interview) and only drop in grammar points when needed.
• Make the Practice phase more dynamic: Instead of rigid gap-fills, use info gaps, pair interviews, or games that still reinforce form but require interaction.
• Let language emerge: Even in PPP, you can stay open to student-generated content—adjust your input if a student brings up something relevant or asks a great question.

PPP doesn’t have to be robotic. Think of it as a lesson skeleton you can flesh out differently depending on your teaching style and your learners.

Final Thoughts

The PPP method may be “classic,” but that doesn’t make it outdated. When used with intention, it provides a dependable, learner-friendly way to introduce and reinforce new language.

Whether you're teaching grammar to kids in a Thai classroom, prepping teens for IELTS, or working with beginners online, PPP gives you a framework you can build from. Master it, bend it, remix it—it’s a starting point, not a limitation.

The best ESL teachers aren’t married to one method. They know when to stick to the plan, and when to go off-script. PPP is one of those tools worth keeping in your teaching toolkit.

👉 Suggested links:

• Popular ESL Teaching Methods