This webinar examines the dilemma that many language teachers face when trying to reconcile the needs of language learners as learners and the demands of a curriculum or a course book. Language learners could also benefit.

1. Learning Languages
&
Teaching Languages
Andrew Weiler
andrew@strategiesinlanguagelearning.com
Strategies In Language Learning
http://strategiesinlanguagelearning.com

2. A predicament
Student Learning
Curricula
Student Learning
Curricula
Curricula
Student Learning
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3. Macro Questions
Why do some of my students-
progress so slowly?
get stuck with “bad”
pronunciation?
keep producing the same
errors, even though I have taught
it and they have learned it
innumerable times?
not participating as well as I would
like?
not make time to apply what they
learn?
so dependent upon what I teach?
More importantly, what can I do to
change “this”?
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4. Micro questions
What do I teach them today?
Why do they keep leaving out
the articles?
Why do they keep speaking in
the present?
Why are their question forms
not correct?
Why are they unable to say “#”
phoneme?
What can I do to help them
improve what they do?
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6. Language Learning
Some basic facts:
ALL of us learn our first language to full proficiency ( to the
level of the people around us)
Language learning rates (in schools), after mother tongue is
learned, are very poor world wide.
In bygone times, before there were language
classes, languages were learned later on in life.
There are still many people who learn other languages
without ever attending language classes, many of them to
full proficiency.
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7. Learning…Languages
How do young children learn languages?
How do people (who don’t study languages)
learn languages?
How do we learn (to be a better partner, a
better driver, a better teacher, etc)
By focussing on the learning, separate to the teaching, there are
many benefits to be had. One is we can better understand how to
help our students utilise their learning powers.
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8. Some observations on learning
What are some of the observations (many are common sense)
we can make about learning?
engagement
awareness
noticing
sensitivity
will
feedback
trial and error
habit formation
learner in charge
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10. Engagement
Students want to pay attention
to what is going on from their
own volition
Through that, their awareness about
meaning/ language forms/ sounds/
expands
Engagement has them want to
apply what they have realised
Through applying “it”, their
understanding and their skills
improve (This is their perception)From this, their confidence
grows
As their confidence grows, they
want to engage more in the
process
And so the cycle starts again
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12. How can we recognise engagement?
Students:
- Pay attention without anyone asking them to do
that
- Are animated
- Enjoy themselves
- Show their improved skills and their confidence
is growing
- Experiment with what they are learning
- Initiate new lines of enquiry or questions
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13. An implication
We learn best when we build on what
we are aware of, know or can do.
If what we are learning sits too far
outside of that, then we can’t readily
accommodate it.
For example:
- Learning how to run before we can
walk – not possible….BUT
- Saying a word containing sounds we
have not mastered
- Learning how to ask questions before
the simple forms have been mastered
Consider SLA compared to FLA
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14. What can interfere with learning?
Our emotions
Fear of making mistake
Wanting to look like we “know”
Our beliefs
Vocabulary is best learned through translation
I can’t learn without studying
Our practices
Don’t look for meaning, rather rush to dictionary
Don’t listen for sounds, just looking for meaning
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16. Application
We can apply these concepts to anything we may
learn, and to our teaching.
By better understanding learning, we can become better at
what we do, both as learners and as teachers
“...to learn and not to do is really not to learn.
To know and not to do is really not to know.”
Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
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17. What to focus on...
Engagement is a key for our learning, as well as our
students. IF they are not enrolled in the
process, motivated by their interest – then they will
Keep replicating what they have done before
Copy what others are doing, without fully
understanding…hence not likely to learn for
themselves
Are not likely to apply what they have learned, nor do
any learning after class
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18. Returning to the issue…
We are teaching curricula with very little professional value
Assessment does have to be dealt with
Ultimately we are only looking for 2 key factors
Has their language improved?
Has it improved enough to go to the next level?
The key factor I believe for us is to provide an environment where the
language learning for our students is maximised.
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19. Curricula/Learning
I have tried today to provide a
bit of balance to this by
looking at the part we don’t
look at too often.
I have not provided answers
to problem, merely offered
some input that may help
stimulate some reflection
about this core problem that
faces us all.
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20. Thank you for listening
and
participating!
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21. For more information go to:
strategiesinlanguagelearning.com
Or find Andrew Weiler
at
andrew@strategiesinlanguagelearning.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LearnLanguageCoach
LinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/andrewweilersill/
Twitter: @Andrew_Weiler
F’book: https://www.facebook.com/Language.Coach.Andrew.Weiler