W hat are their reasons for learning English?

Use these abbreviations:

EFL = English as a foreign language
ESL = English as a second language
EIL = English as an international language
ESP = English for special (or specific) purposes
EAP = English for academ ic purposes
_ W hich of the above learners is probably b ilin g u a l in English and another language? W ho is -
or m ay one day be - m u ltilin g u a l?
3 W hose first language is likely to contribute positively to their learning of English? W hose is
not? W hy?
-r ho is le a r n in g English, as opposed to sim ply picking it up (or a c q u ir in g it)? W hat is the
difference?
- \ ho is probably getting the m ost e x p o s u r e to English, and who is getting the least? W ho are
already u s e r s of English, as opposed to sim ply le a r n e r s ?
ho is likely to be the m ost m otivated? W ho the least?
hich of the above learners (if any) m ost closely fits the profile of the kind of learner you are
e:>.:peetingto teach, and the kind of situation you are expecting to teach in?

n e r s ' g o a ls
t ese statem ents with four of the learners in section B.

_ _ ow I m ake m any m istakes when I speak. But people understand m e, and, look, I'm too
~ '0 learn to speak English perfectly. M aybe I would like to lose m y strong accent, though.
earn would be to speak English like a native speaker, fluently, and with a native
-er accent, so I can forget m yoId life and begin a new life here.
rreed the basics: a few useful phrases to get by, and practice in understanding people,
__ = 'on't need to read or write. Besides, I don't have m uch tim e.
o only specialised English but also social English for chatting, and I need to be able to
::realy the kinds of things I do in m y work.

~ ers on this cline. depending on their language learning goals.

rn L e a rn e rs ' e x p e c ta tio n s
Read what N in g W a n g a n d L u c ia s a id a b o u t t h e ir E n g lis h c la s s e s , a n d a n s w e r t h e q u e s t io n s .

1 W hat expectations did N ing W ang have?

2 W here did his expectations originate?
3 H ow realistic w ere his expectations?
4 W hy is Lucia happier than N ing W ang w ith an inform al, group-centred approach?
5 H ow appropriate are the teaching m ethods in each case?

'A t f ir s t I w a s v e r y s u r p r is e d t h a t t h e t e a c h e r t o ld u s w e s h o u ld
c a ll h im b y h is f ir s t n a m e , A la n . A ls o , w e d id n 't s it in r o w s , b u t I n
a h a lf c ir c le . I w a s n o t h a p p y b e c a u s e w e d id n 't u s e th e b o o k ' .
v e r y m u c h , a n d w e d id n 't s t u d y m a n y g r a m m a r r u le s . A la n m a d e
;+f\,US w o r k in g r o u p s , b u t I d id n 't e n jo y t h is b e c a u s e I w a s m a k in g
m is t a k e s a n d n o o n e c o rre c te d t h e m . A la n e x p la in e d t h a t it w a s
im p o r t a n t to s p e a k a n d n o t to w o rry a b o u t m a k in g m is t a k e s . But
tV, /;1 d o w o r r y . ln e e d to g e t a g o o d m a rk in t h e e x a m .'

'I lik e m y e v e n in g c la s s b e c a u s e it is n o t a s b ig a s t h e c la s s a t
s c h o o l, a n d it 's m o r e f u n . S o m e t im e s w e p la y g a m e s a n d lis t e n
t o s o n g s . A t s c h o o l w e d o m a in ly g r a m m a r e x e r c is e s , and
t h e r e 's n o c h a n c e t o s p e a k . I n t h e e v e n in g c la s s w e have
d is c u s s io n s in g r o u p s , o r w e w r it e a s to ry to g e th e r. A n o th e r
d if f e r e n c e is t h a t t h e t e a c h e r s p e a k s t o u s o n ly in E n g lis h , b u t a t
s c h o o l th e te a c h e r o fte n e x p la in s t h in g s in I t a lia n . T h e o n ly b a d
in ~ h e e v e l1 in g c la s s is t h a t s o m e o f t h e b o y s m is b e h a " , e
a n d t h e t e a c h e r d o e s n 't know h o w to c o n tro l th e m :'

w q rk in p a ir s . Y V r i! e q u e s t ip n s f o r ~ . d ia g n o s t ic in t e r v ie w w it h t h e I . e a r n e r s in y o u r t e a c h in g p r a c t ic e c la s s .

( I f t h is is n o t p o s s ib le , w r it e q u e s t io n s t h a t y o u r t r a in e r m a y b e a b le t o a n s w e r . ) F in d o u t a b o u t t h e ir
..
p u rp o s e s , g o a ls and e x p e c ta tio n s , a n d t h e ir p r e v io u s la n g u a g e le a r n in g e x p e r ie n c e s .

H o ld ih t e r v ie w s w it h y o u r le a r n e r s :

C o m p a r e y o u r le a r n e r s ' r e s p o n s e s . W h a t a r e t h e im p lic a t io n s fo rth e w a y y o u t e a c h t h is g r o u p ?

2 L e a rn e rs a s in d iv id u a ls

o r k in g r o u p s . D e s c r ib e t w o v e r y d if f e r e n t le a r n e r s . C o m p a r e t h e ir :

• personality
• previous educational background
• m otivation

L e a rn in g s ty le
There are a variety of ways of describing learning style. One is to im agine two intersecting axes
or clines: a s tu d ia l- e x p e r ie n tia l axis, and a p a s s iv e - a c tiv e axis, as in the following diagram :

s t u d ia l

A B

p a s s iv e a c t iv e

C D

e x p e r ie n t ia l

A s tu d ia lle a r n e r is one who prefers m ore form al study (such as in classroom s) over learning by
experience (such as through chatting with native speakers). But, at the sam e tim e, a studial
learner m ay be either active or passive in the way they study. An a c tiv e s tu d ia lle a r n e r (Type B),
for exam ple, would be self-directed, actively working out rules from exam ples and capable of
working alone. A p a s s iv e s tu d ia lle a r n e r (Type A), on the other hand, relies m ore on the teacher,
likes to be told the rules, and is less confident about taking initi~tive.

1 D e s c r ib e t h e c h a r a c t e r is t ic s o fT y p e C a n d D le a r n e r s . W h a t k in d o f a c t iv it ie s m ig h t t h e y e n jo y ?

2 W r it e e ig h t q u e s t io n s t o u s e a s a d ia g n o s t ic t e s t o f le a r n in g s t y le . F o llo w t h e e x a m p le b e lo w .

1 D o y o u lik e le a r n in g a n d m e m o r is in g r u le s fr o m g r m p m a r b o o k s ? ( Y e s = T y p e B le a r n e r ) .

M u ltip le in te llig e n c e s
Another way of viewing learning style is in term s of different kinds of in te llig e n c e . Som e
intelligences that have been proposed are:
• verbal: the ability to use language in creative ways
• logical/m athem atical: the ability for rationaL analytic thinking
 • visual: the ability to form m ental m odels and use m ental im agery
• kinesthetic: the ability to express oneself through body m ovem ent
• m usical: m usical and rhythm ic ability
• interpersonal: the ability to understand other people's feelings and wishes
• intrapersonal: the ability to' understand oneself
According to this view, the best learning opportunities are those that m atch the learner's m ost
developed intelligence. Thus, learners with a strong logical/m athem atical intelligence would
benefit from problem -solving activities such as ones involving sorting sentences into different
categories and then working out rules.

Read this a c tiv ity and decide which intelligence it favours.

1 Ask for one student to volunteer to be interviewed about a topic of her

choice, and ask for a volunteer interviewer.
2 Tellthe group that any tim e anyone wants to take over as interviewer,
they just go up and touch the current intervieweron the shoulder; they
then take over as interviewer.
Students can also replace the interviewee in the sam e way.
A group m em ber can do this at any tim e.
3 Explainthat the idea is to do it in a harm onious way, so that the interview
proceeds sm oothly.

2 Suggest language learning activities that would favour these intelligences:

• visual intelligence
• kinesthetic intelligence
• m usical intelligence

m L e a rn in g s tra te g ie s a n d le a rn e r tra in in g

watching a TV program m e or a film in English, I try to sit next to those

try to echo what the speakers are saying under m y in class who I know
breath, alm ost at the sam e tim e they are saying it. like to do pairwork.

I write new words on to

Post-it notes and I stick them on W hen I'm reading in English and I
a big m ap of the world I have in m y study. I try to m ake an com e across a word I don't know,
association with the word and the place on the m ap. I try to read on a bit, to see if the
m eaning com es clearer.

1 W hat aspects of language learning (such as gram m ar, vocabulary, etc.) does each strategy
target?
2 W hat learning principle does each one seem to exem plify? For exam ple, Learner A: r e p e titio n
a id s m e m o r y ; p r o d u c tio n h e lp s p r o n u n c ia tio n .