Admin
Admin
Posts : 358
Join date : 2009-09-23
Age : 49
Location : Changwon, Korea / Ottawa, Canada
 |  Subject: Factors in language learning  Thu Sep 24, 2009 2:45 pm | |
| Reflect on the factors that affect your own learners as individuals and how you address these factors in your teaching. Use these questions to write a journal entry.
- Use the information in the lesson to describe your own learners in terms of age, personality, learning styles and motivation.
- How does your teaching address these factors on a daily basis?
- How might you adjust your classes in consideration of these factors?
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Admin
Admin
Posts : 358
Join date : 2009-09-23
Age : 49
Location : Changwon, Korea / Ottawa, Canada
| | Subject: Helping Learners Thu Sep 24, 2009 4:30 pm | |
| Let’s start of with a brief breakdown of my learners. In a classroom, there are 36 learners with mixed abilities. The range can be from pre-intermediate level to beginners. They are mostly introverted learners with each classroom having a handful of extroverted learners. The extroverted students are on most account those who have better English skills. When asked to identify their learning styles, I am tempted to say that many of my learners are reflective, but this could be a wrong assumption due to the fact that a very high number of them seem to be introverted English learners. They will rarely volunteer an answer unless called upon. Finally, thinking about their reasons for learning a second language, I would have to say that most of my learners do not have their own personal reasons. Many of them can tell you that they need English to speak with foreigners, to travel abroad or to get a job, but at the age of 12 are they really thinking about traveling and making a living or are they repeating what their parents and teachers have been telling them?
The first learning factor that needs to be addressed in my classroom is the one related to learning styles. In order to address this situation I try to produce or utilize materials that will not be used by my Korean partner teacher (he/she also teaches the learners 40 minutes a week on her own), and that aren’t time consuming. By avoiding learning styles my Korean partner teacher utilizes, I am heightening the chances of reaching the most students possible and therefore improving their chances of understanding the lesson being taught. In addition, learners are being introduced to new teaching styles. By keeping the activities short in duration, 10 to 15 minutes, I am again elevating my chances of reaching all my learners because each activity emphasizes on a different learning style.
Moving on, I will attack the problems of mixed learner-ability and learner character (introverted – extroverted) in the same breath. Depending on the activities I put into action, I always take into account the stronger and weaker learners. I try to group learners of different abilities together with the idea of promoting cooperation. I truly believe that a learner becomes a stronger student if he or she can help those around. Furthermore, when doing individual work, I make it a point to choose learners from the entire learner-ability spectrum of the class.
Finally, how do I deal with the question of motivation? I must admit that I struggle quite a bit with this area. I believe that one learns new information because he or she wants to. All motivation comes from within. I try to make learners appreciate English not by emphasizing English, but rather by promoting cooperation and by congratulating them on good team work, good effort and all around praise. Do the learners become more motivated through these steps? I can’t say for sure. The literature seems to believe that praise plays a big part in building motivating learners and I want to believe it does therefore I continue commending my learners. | |
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