UNIT 25: LEARNER-CE -CENTRED FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING. ADVANTAGES, RUDIMENTS AND APPLICATIONS. APPLICATIONS. IDENTIFICATION IDENTIFICATION OF ATTITUDES ATTITUDES TOW TOWARDS ARDS FOREIGN LANGUAGE. ITS APPLICATIONS. 1. LEAR LEARNE NERR-CE CENT NTRE RED D FORE FOREIG IGN N LANG LANGUA UAGE GE TE TEAC ACHI HING NG AND LEARNING All class activitie activitiess can be done using information information that learners themselves themselves bring to the class. This methodology involves pupils active partaking, and every single activity is based on the knowledge and experience of our pupils. The advantages of this method are: Exploding learners’ potential: interests, ideas, beliefs, Analysis of needs: analysis is always positive for developing abilities !revious learning experience: teachers must know their interests and needs. "earners as authors: they prepare their material !eer teaching and correction: they learn from each other "earners learn better when the content is relevant to their past experience and present concerns. They learn how to learn. There are different types of learners: Activ !"#$#%: through games, pictures, video, They need to use the language by doing things. A$"!&tic"! A$"!&tic"! !"#$#% !"#$#%: they they prefer prefer studyi studying ng gramma grammarr, throug through h books, books, finding their own mistakes, C'(()$ic" C'(()$ic"tiv tiv !"#$#% !"#$#%: they they en#o en#oy y learn earniing by obse observ rvin ing g and and listening to native speakers, talking to friends, watching T$, T$, A)t*'#it&-'#i$t+ !"#$#%: they like teachers to explain everything, taking notes, reading, etc. These differences must be taken into account to follow the principles of learner%centred teaching. &f our learners prefer traditional learning activities we should start with them and try to move gradually towards acceptance of more communicative activities. M"t#i"!% They are by definition limited to those produced by the learners in the clas class. s. The The mate materi rial al shou should ld refl reflec ectt the the outs outsid idee worl world d and and have have some some authenticity. L"#$i$ *' t' !"#$ 'ifferent pupils have different ways of learning and different preferences abou aboutt mate materi rial als. s. They They must must beco become me more more and and more more inde indepe pend ndent ent and and effective learners.
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)ognitive learning: planning, hypothesising, reflecting, classifying, matching, predicting, *ocialisation: collaboration, peer%corrections, )ommunication: participation, &t is extremely important the curiosity and a positive attitude towards foreign language learning. Ht#'$it& There are mixed%ability groups, so homogenous materials cannot provide effective practice. &t has a positive effect on pupils’ attitude. A%%%%($t "$+ v"!)"ti'$ Evaluation involves both, teachers and pupils. !upils should learn how to assess their own progress and also materials, activities, etc., to be aware of their own role as active agents during the learning process. !upils can fill a diary form about what they have learnt, what mistakes have been made, what they would like to learn next, T"c*#% #'! &n a learner%centred approach the teacher will be a curriculum developer. +eshe must adapt the syllabus to the pupils, contribute with ideas and opinions, answer pupils’ -uestions on vocabulary, grammar or procedures, provide what pupils ask for, etc.
There can be some resistance from learners who have specific preconceptions about the learning process. *ome learners will feel that they are only learning when doing the type of activities they are used to. &n any syllabus there would always be pupil%centred teaching activities. To face the responsibility for the se-uence of events in the classroom it is necessary to record all the work done. 2. IDENTIFICATION OF MOTIVATIONS AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENGLISH. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS. A learner%centred course should be #ustified in terms of relevance and motivational potential for our pupils. e must know first the type of pupils we have. e need their description and interests. /nce their needs are analysed, we can get to know their motivations and attitudes towards English. e need to know their language proficiency and patterns of language use, and also their sub#ective needs, such as expectations and attitudes towards English, which are much more difficult to diagnose.
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e can use standardised interviews and proficiency assessments, classroom observation, self%rating scales, .. E.g.: +ow do you like learning1 hen you speak, do you want to be corrected1 here do you like learning from1 'o you find these activities useful1 'o you find your English is improving1
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