Our Students Today, we will talk about: -Learner characteristics -Classroom Management

What’s Your Learning Style? Take this short quiz. Select ONE answer for each question. At the end, add up how many A’s, B’s, and C’s you selected. The higher number is your dominant learning style. Next, go around the room and find students with similar dominant learning styles. Link arms and make a big group. “I’m a visual learner. How about you?”

More Styles? You will receive 10 pictures and 10 style descriptions. There are more styles than VAK. VAK represents how we learn through our senses. But we also have personality-based styles and cognitive styles. Let’s learn about some more styles. You will receive 10 pictures and 10 style descriptions. Work together to math the style description to its picture. This is a race. The first team finished is the winner! Loves to talk and listen; follows oral instructions easily; can have difficulty with the written word; prefers to have background noise when studying; enjoys group work.

Learning Styles Discussion It is important for both teachers and students to be aware of their learning styles. A typical classroom will have a large mix of learning styles. How can we address the different styles of the classroom? VARIETY! This will allow us to teach/reach many styles. It also forces students to stretch their own styles and work within new ones.

Age Student age also can affect language learning. Your classes will generally have students of the same age. But students learn differently at different ages, so we have to consider how they learn.

Age AGE + ADVANTAGES + - DISADVANTAGES - Children Adolescents Adults

Who is better at learning a language? BOTH can learn a language. NEITHER is better. Children learn the language more naturally. Adults learn the language more intellectually. The only advantage children have is in pronunciation. Children ADULTS

Language Level In addition, language learning levels are also usually diverse. Some schools have mixed-level classes. Some schools have leveled classes (A, B, and C classes) What are the advantages and disadvantages of these classes? Learner Levels 2 mins

Awareness & Adaptability Style, age, and level are important to consider. Because every student is different, it is possible for our classrooms to look like this: Kinesthetic Impulsive False beginner Visual Extrovert field-dep. advanced Kinesthetic Introverted Beginner VARIETY Awareness & Adaptability Visual/kines Deductive advanced Main Point: VARIETY Visual Concrete Global advanced Auditory Analytic High-int Visual Sharpener Low-int Auditory Reflective Metaphor High beg

Classroom Management Classroom Management Skills - 1 Physical Presence - 2 Organization – 10 activity Voice - 2 Talking to Students 2 TTT vs STT 2 Instructions Activity 15 L1 Debate ++

A good teacher has good classroom management skills. Classroom management skills include: Behavior management Physical presence and movement Classroom arrangement How we talk to students

Movement Many teachers teach in one spot. A motionless teacher can bore students. This teacher’s voice is only reaching some of the students. Teaching is an interactive activity. Therefore, some movement is necessary. Movement also includes gestures, stances, and use of space. “Most successful teachers move around the classroom to some extent.” (Harmer, 2007, p. 35) It depends on the activity, as well as your personal style. Explaining a grammar point Asking students questions Telling a story Students are working in groups ???

Classroom Arrangement A typical classroom looks like this. There are usually about 35 seats in a classroom. You are limited to how you arrange the classroom. Harmer suggests four kinds of arrangements Rows Circles Horseshoes Separate Tables

Classroom Arrangement Harmer also suggests changing the arrangements often. I disagree. In my experience and opinion: Groups of 4 or 5 Consistent/Persistent Ready before class Classroom management Changes a class of 40 to 9 Changes a class of 16 to 4 Group Dynamics Mixed or Similar

TTT should use comprehensible input. Talking to Students “The best lessons…are ones where STT is maximised.” (Harmer, 2007, p. 38) TTT should be used to engage and interact with students, and where appropriate summarize, tell a story, and so on. TTT should use comprehensible input. TTT – Teacher Talk time STT – Student Talk time TTQ – Teacher Talking Quality

Comprehensible Input – Giving Instructions Comprehensible Input – “language which the students see or hear and which they more or less understand, even though it is slightly above their own language level” (p. 270) Giving Instructions to practice providing comprehensible input Instructions must be simple Instructions must be logical Use gestures Check comprehension

Comprehensible Input – Giving Instructions You will receive a speaking activity. First, read and understand the activity. Then, write out how you would explain the activity to your target students.  This means write EXACTLY what you will say. After 5 minutes of preparation, you will explain your activity to your group members.  You will NOT read your notes! You partners will explain the activity back to you. They should also give feedback. Explain how Give each teacher a speaking activity, they need to prepare instructions to give to other teachers 5 minutes to prepare, 10 minutes to give instructions and critique Other teachers will rate their explanations Demonstrate in front of class

Comprehensible Input – Giving Instructions You will receive a speaking activity. First, read and understand the activity. Then, write out how you would explain the activity to your target students.  This means write EXACTLY what you will say. After 5 minutes of preparation, you will explain your activity to your group members.  You will NOT read your notes! You partners will explain the activity back to you. They should also give feedback.

How much Korean should be spoken in the English language classroom? L1 vs L2 In the classroom Next week! How much Korean should be spoken in the English language classroom?