How to be a good learner

How important is the students’ motivation How important is the students’ motivation? How should teachers talk to students? How can teacher promote students’ motivation? Who is responsible for learning? How can teachers help learners to be independent/autonomous in learning? What characteristics do good classroom learners share? What is special about teaching adults? What are the different levels? How should we teach the different levels?

How important is the students’ motivation? Integrative motivation: When the students love the subject or simply interested to see what it is like. For example, when they want to learn English to watch American TV or work with English people. Instrumental motivation: When the students want to integrate into the culture of the target language.

How can teacher promote students’ motivation? Students’ motivation can be enhanced by teachers’ choice of topic, activity and linguistic content that they may be able to turn the class around. It is by their attitude to class participation, their conscientiousness, their humour and their seriousness that they may influence their students. It is by their own behaviour and enthusiasm that they may inspire.

Who is responsible for learning? Learning is a partnership between teachers and students. However, learners should take charge of their learning.

How can teachers help learners to be independent/autonomous in learning? Starting very gradually with a piece of home work or some solo work in class where individual students have to investigate a grammar issue or solve a reading puzzle on their own. Getting students to do various kinds of homework like written exercises, compositions or study is the best way to encourage student autonomy.

Encouraging students to take charge of their learning by guiding them in their choice of work either at home or in self-access centres (if they exist) and by being available to discuss individual plans of study.

What characteristics do good classroom learners share? A willingness to listen A willingness to experiment A willingness to ask questions A willingness to think about how to learn A willingness to accept correction

What is special about teaching adults? Adults come to lessons with a long history of learning experience. They come with their own record of success or failure. They are frequently more nervous than younger pupils are. The potential for losing face becomes greater the older you get.

They bring life experience into the classroom which younger learners do not necessarily have. They may well have a view of the importance of learning which make them stick to a course of study in a specifically adult way.

What are the different levels? Beginner learners are those who do not know any English. Advanced learners are those whose level of English is competent, allowing them to read unsimplified fact and fiction and communicate fluently with native speakers. Intermediate learners are those who are between these two levels. They have a basic competence in speaking and writing and an ability to comprehend fairly straightforward listening and reading.

How should we teach the different levels? The way we teach different levels is language. The activities that we use.

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