ABOUT LEARNING STRATEGIES for INDIVIDUALS

1) Make instructional goals explicit to learners in way that they can understand.

Motivation is enhanced when learning goals are made clear & is a sign of successful lesson planning.

2) Give learners opportunities to make their own contributions to the learning process.

Learners have definite views on what they want to learn and how they want to learn. These are often at variance with the views of the teacher so b flexible but if necessary ask them to trust your methodology. In many cases with seniors, this is the case because they have been schooled for years in the mistaken theory that simply b attempting to translate everything, rely on dictionaries and noting down to memory they will magically be able to improve their communication skills. It`s vital that they lose the old way!

3) Encourage active communication thru effectively planned graded, sequenced achievable tasks.

Learner participation in class relates significantly to improvements in language proficiency. Motivation is enhanced when tasks are sequenced and linked in ways that make the most sense to the learner.

4) Provide opportunities to apply their skills beyond the classroom. Contextualise lessons!

Supplementing classroom instruction with out-of-class tasks results in significantly increased language gains, as well as being a necessary way of activating and personalising the language structures taught.

5) Teach students useful learning strategies as well as language content.

The ability to infer or induct rules is an important aspect of language aptitude. Effective learners are those who are aware of the processes underlying their own learning and seek to use appropriate learning strategies to control, facilitate and develop their own learning. Moreover, since good learners are aware of strategies that worked for them before, they can probably name and articulate these.

6) Teach grammar in ways that show the essential harmony between form and function.

Grammar exists in order to enable learners to communicate in increasingly sophisticated ways. Grammar and vocabulary are best acquired thru learner involvement in the process and production.

7) Go beyond formal traditional teaching styles to make use of skills development.

Communicative classrooms are those where opportunities for interaction and immersion are provided.

8) Give learners an opportunity to work with authentic sources.

Non-authentic data e.g. your average English text-book misrepresents the nature of genuine communication. Also authentic sources bring alive content & significantly increase student motivation.

9) Provide learners with opportunities to self-monitor and self-check.

Opportunities to self-monitor and check lead to greater sensitivity to the learning process. Thus, learners develop skills in articulating what they want to learn and how they want to learn.

10) Foster social, cooperative and creative activities in the classroom.

If learners can successfully apply real-to-life tasks within pairs and small groups here in the classroom, then confidence and self esteem will be increased. A reminder that English is not to study but to speak!