The document discusses personal language learning environments (PLLE) and provides suggestions for building one's own PLLE. A PLLE includes one's workplace, home, social circles, community, courses, self-study materials, and media consumption. Building a PLLE allows one to take control of their learning by setting goals, monitoring progress, and recognizing that learning occurs both inside and outside the classroom. The document then provides many specific suggestions for incorporating English practice into one's daily activities and environments through media, technology, community involvement, home, school, and maintaining a language learning diary.
2. What is it
It is the environment in which you learn. It
includes:
your workplace
your home and family
your social environment and friends
your local community
the face-to-face and online courses in
which you participate
online and mobile self-study materials
media (TV, radio, newspapers)
3. Why should you consider
building one for yourself
to organize your learning for yourself
to reflect on what, where and how you
learn
to set your own goals
to monitor your own learning
to recognize that learning happens in
the brain, not in the classroom
4. Now think about all the situations in
which YOU practise English on your
own. How actively do you engage in
practising English outside your
classes?
Start creating your own map. Jot down
some ideas before moving on to the
next step.
Look at other people's examples.
Make your own PLLE (Personal
Language Learning Environment)
5. Media
Information & communication
technologies
Community
Home/family
School
Friends
6. THE MEDIA
Listen to the radio in English – on your
mobile device or on your PC.
Vaughan’s radio.
Watch TV and films in English – on your
TV set, PC or mobile device.
DON’T USE SUBTITLES; USE
HEADPHONES INSTEAD.
Get through the first 5 or 10 minutes. It’ll
eventually get easier. The visual support
will encourage you to keep watching on.
Get hooked on a series or a sitcom.
8. ICT
You don’t have time? Skype, Google
hangouts…
MOOCs
◦ COURSERA
◦ EDX
◦ FUTURE LEARN
APPS Mobile applications: vocabulary,
grammar, dictionaries
Websites:
◦ TED Talks Different speakers on different
topics
Exchanges online: tus clases, open
language exchange, my language exchange
9. ICT
BBC Learning English:
◦ 6 minute English
◦ The English we speak
◦ Words in the news
IMMERSION
◦ Set the language of your PC in English. Google
in English
◦ Set the language of your mobile in English
◦ Everything you download onto your PC/phone in
English
Listen to music in English and then search for the
lyrics online
How-to videos on you tube
10. COMMUNITY
If you’re Advanced Level, teach privately:
Learning by teaching
Find a non-native speaker of English:
your sister, your brother, a friend
Find a native speaker of English and
exchange English for Spanish: your
American neighbor
We live in Córdoba, there are lots of
tourists, find them, show them around,
help them find their way around
Meetup a group with common interests:
join a group of people who want to learn
English
11. HOME/FAMILY
Help your children do their homework.
Make the most of your holidays: Travel
abroad
Reading lots of books
Set an English-speaking day, e.g.
Sunday afternoons
Airbnb Host a room at home
12. SCHOOL
Regular classes: speak in English with
your classmates, inside and outside
the classroom.
Don’t miss classes
13. BEING AWARE IS THE FIRST
STEP FOR IMPROVEMENT.
Keep a diary of everything you do to improve your English
throughout the day. Your diary should reflect:
- How much listening practice you did today (Did you listen to
the radio today? Did you watch the TV in English today? Did
you listen to podcasts in English today?...)
- How much you read in English today (Did you read the news
online today?, Did you read a book or part of a book
today?...)
- How much you wrote in English today (Did you write an email
in English today? Did you write your shopping list in English
today?...)
- How much you spoke in English today (Did you have a
conversation with a native speaker today? Did you speak with
yourself in English today?...)
Your diary should reflect how much time you estimate you have
devoted to English today. That should give you an idea of
how much effort you are putting into your English learning
process.
14. If you don’t have much time
Every day when you go to bed spend
10 minutes:
- Writing a diary in English
OR, alternatively,
- Speaking with yourself in English: tell
yourself everything you’ve done all
day since you woke up.
15. Anything that you can do in English,
do it in English, e.g. Choose English at
the cashpoint
If at first you don’t succeed, try try
again