Choosing the Right Data Structure

B2 · Upper-intermediate1 hr 10 minIT & TechnologyLesson 2 of 6 · Outline

Aims

Name a data structure, say why it fits the problem, and say what it costs, in clear spoken English

The lesson, stage by stage

  1. Warm up5 min

    Warm-up: Today's Goal: Name It, Justify It, Cost It

    4 warm-up questions

  1. Reading10 min

    Reading: What the Interviewer Is Listening For

    Read a 298-word text about What the Interviewer Is Listening For

  2. Vocabulary8 min

    Vocabulary: Words for Choosing and Comparing

    8 items

  3. Framework6 min

    Framework: Name It, Justify It, Cost It

    Name it, justify it, cost it, 3 steps

  4. Practice7 min

    Practice: Complete the Sentences

    Gap-fill exercise, 7 items

  5. Practice7 min

    Practice: Code It: Matching Brackets

    Short-answer exercise, 1 item

  6. Practice7 min

    Practice: Code It: Two Prices That Add Up

    Short-answer exercise, 1 item

  7. Dialogue10 min

    Dialogue: The Interview Itself

    Role-play: A technical interview about a sign-up page (4 lines)

  8. Discussion10 min

    Discussion: Second Take

    4 discussion questions

Open the full lesson

All 9 stages of this lesson, with the procedure, the examples and the exercises, are included with Starter, along with the interactive version you can teach from. Lesson 1 of this course is free: the full plan is on this site, and a free account opens it in the interactive player.

Target vocabulary

In a Tuton account these words become your student's vocabulary deck, so they come back in practice between lessons.

data structurehash maplookupconstant timetrade-offstackqueuebrute force

This plan comes from the Technical Interview English course in the Tuton library. Browse all free lesson plans.