TEFL 6 Summary

Models describing differences in learning style

VAK Learning styles

Visual learners – prefer seeing; visual aids such as slides, diagrams, hand-outs, etc.

­ Detailed notes

­ Sit in front

­ Usually neat and clean

­ Close eyes to visualize or remember

­ Find something to watch when bored

­ Like to see what they are learning

­ Benefit from illustrations and presentations that use colour

­ Attracted to written or spoken language rich in imagery

­ Prefer stimuli to be isolated from auditory and kinaesthetic distraction

­ Passive surroundings ideal

Auditory learners – prefer listening; lectures, discussions, tapes, etc.

­ Sit where they can hear but needn’t pay attention to what is happing in the front

­ Hum or talk to themselves or others when bored

­ Acquire knowledge by reading aloud

­ Remember by verbalizing lessons to themselves

Kinaesthetic learners – prefer experience; moving, touching and doing; science projects,

experiments, active exploration, etc.

­ Need to be active, take frequent brakes

­ Speak with hand and gestures

­ Remember what was done, difficulty recalling what was said or seen

­ Move when bored

­ Rely on what they can directly experience or perform

­ Activities such as cooking, construction, engineering and art help them perceive and learn

­ Enjoy field trips and tasks that involve manipulating materials

­ Sit in a place where they can easily get up and move around

­ Communicate by touching and appreciate physically expressed encouragement.

Multiple intelligences Instead of having one intelligence it is claimed that we have several different intelligences.

o Kinaesthetic – body smart; enjoy and are good at sports

o Linguistic – word smart; enjoy reading, writing and talking about things

o Logical/mathematical – number smart; good at maths and other number activities, good at

solving problems

o Interpersonal – people smart; mix with other people and belong to lots of clubs, good at sharing

o Intrapersonal – myself smart; know yourself, your strengths and weaknesses

o Musical – music smart; enjoy music, can recognise sounds, timbre, quality of a tone

o Visual/spatial – picture smart; good at art, map reading, finding your way out of mazes, graphs

o Naturalistic – nature smart; like the world of plants and animals, enjoy learning about them

By being aware of which type of intelligence is being tapped by a particular activity, teachers can

keep track of which type they are emphasizing or neglecting in the classroom and aim for a different

representation if they so choose.

Language classrooms likely that verbal/linguistic intelligence and interpersonal intelligence will be

regularly activated.

The Five Minds (Gardner, 2007) Theory focused on cognitive abilities that individuals need to develop in order to be successful in a

changing world. Five minds, ways of thinking and acting in the world, which students need to

develop.

1. The Disciplinary Mind – a traditional body of information (historical developments in a particular

country or countries)

2. The Synthesizing Mind – bringing together, organizing, understanding, and articulating

information from various disciplines in a unified and coherent whole.

3. The Creating Mind – come up with new ideas, original solutions to problems, creative questions.

These minds focus on character or moral development.

4. The Respectful Mind – an awareness of, appreciation for, and openness to the differences and

individuality of others.

5. The Ethical Mind – cultivate the sense of responsibility for themselves and for the wellbeing of

others.

Teaching students in a way that includes these five minds might encourage students to develop

important skills for life and work in the world while also learning a language.

Sternberg successful intelligence Successful intelligence – a way to better match the patterns of abilities of students. Many children

fail to learn at a level that matches their ability to learn. Sternberg’s successful intelligence is the use

of an integrated set of abilities needed to attain success in life, within his or her sociocultural context.

Recognizing strengths making most of them

Recognizing weaknesses find ways to correct or compensate for them

Helps teachers reach a larger cross-section of students. Teaching and assessment should balance use

of analytical, creative and practical thinking.

Students have different life goals, success needs to be defined in terms that are meaningful to them

as well as to the institution. Sternberg encourages teachers to teach and assess achievement in ways

that enable students to analyse, create with and apply their knowledge.

Teaching analytically

Teaching analytically means encouraging students to

a) Analyse

b) Critique

c) Judge

d) Compare and contrast

e) Evaluate

f) Assess

Teaching creatively

Teaching creatively means encouraging students to

a) Create

b) Invent

c) Discover

d) Imagine if…

e) Suppose that…

f) Predict

Teaching practically

Teaching practically means encouraging students to

a) Apply

b) Use

c) Put into practice

d) Implement

e) Employ

f) Render practical what they know

The idea is not to teach each topic three times in three ways alternate teaching styles that some of

the time one teaches in a way more geared towards analytical thinking, sometime geared to creative

thinking and other times geared to practical thinking.

Key terms VAK Learning styles

o Visual learners (prefer seeing)

o Auditory learners (prefer listening)

o Kinaesthetic learners (prefer

experience)

Multiple intelligences

o Kinaesthetic – body smart

o Linguistic – word smart

o Logical/mathematical – number

smart

o Interpersonal – people smart

o Intrapersonal – myself smart

o Musical – music smart

o Visual/spatial – picture smart

o Naturalistic – nature smart

Five Minds

o The Disciplinary Mind

o The Synthesizing Mind

o The Creating Mind

o The Respectful Mind

o The Ethical Mind

Sternberg successful intelligence

o Analytical thinking

o Creative thinking

o Practical thinking

Activities catering for learning styles and

intelligences

Brain-friendly learning

Article: Scholen profiteren van breinonderzoek Veiligheid sfeer, houding van docent, sociale omgang met andere leerlingen

Voeding juiste licht, zuurstof, temperatuur, beweging, water

‘Sociaal leren’ samen leren, veel hersengebieden dan actief. Effect het grootste wanneer

samen werken op gestructureerde en coöperatieve manier gebeurt.

Emotie humor, spanning, etc.

Inspelen op informatieverwerkingsprocessen brein zoekt nieuwigheid, structuur, feedback en

betekenis. Het brein onthoudt in verschillende geheugensystemen, gebruikt meerdere

intelligenties bij het verwerken van informatie

Article: Reportage Het idee van rijpende hersenen is toch wat simplistisch Competentie ervaren dat ze iets goed kunnen

Ergens bij horen samenwerken, contact met andere leerlingen

Autonomie zelf ontdekken en uitzoeken

Article: Developing Thinking Skills in the Young Learner’s Classroom

Model 1 – Language and the development of the cognitive tools

Egan (1997): in order for an individual’s intellect to grow appropriately, the development of certain

‘cognitive tools’ is essential.

i. Rhythm and rhyme – develop an understanding of patterns, thus the cognitive tools for the

understanding of structures.

ii. Images and imaginative thinking – understanding oral and written language is not only

knowledge of words but is the ability to create and use mental images.

iii. Story thinking – understanding of the world and their own life experiences. Not everything is a

story, a story engages reader/listener emotionally, has a beginning, middle and end, and has

some sort of tension. Stories made for educational use mostly lack one of these.

iv. Humour and small talk – understanding double meanings, puns and word play are the cognitive

developments for children to engage in small talk. Being able to engage in small talk strengthens

self-image, creates social security and acceptance.

Model 2 – Multiple intelligences

Kinaesthetic – body smart

Linguistic – word smart

Logical/mathematical – number smart

Interpersonal – people smart

Intrapersonal – myself smart

Musical – music smart

Visual/spatial – picture smart

Naturalistic – nature smart

Model 3 – Combining the teaching of thinking with language teaching

Thinking skills. The input should be meaningful and intellectually challenging, children should

understand their real world purpose.

Brain-friendly teaching 1. Use music

2. Start with greeting, overview, class ritual

3. Begin with meaningful information

4. Create positive expectations

5. Give students a choice

6. Start with the known

7. Pose a problem to solve

8. Use novelty in presenting material

9. Use sound

10. Use colour

Brain-friendly learning - Find a motive (why)

- Find out what you can do

- Recycle

- Find out your learning style (VAK)

- Use coloured pens (highlight)

- Organize in logical ways

- Make digestible building blocks

- Take attention span into consideration

- Drink water

- Link things

- Alpha-brainwave, cognitive way, calm

brain

- Use mnemonics and donkey bridges

- Theta-brainwave, just before sleep

- Use laughter

- Use acting

Implications for language teaching/learning i. Flexible brains – think critically and hypothetically

ii. Positive stimuli – rewards, challenges, interesting topics, enthusiasm, positive feedback

iii. Filter information – train reading skills, organising information, highlight key facts

iv. Planning, freedom and long-term decisions – detailed planning, clear learning objectives,

small chunks (e.g. grammar)

v. Very strong and changing emotions – reflection, evaluation, appreciation

vi. Not yet active in the morning – use brainwave stage to read (to them), brainstorm

vii. More creative and inventive – task-based learning, projects, mind mapping, brainstorming

Key terms Scholen profiteren van breinonderzoek

o Veiligheid

o Voeding

o ‘Sociaal leren’

o Emotie

o Inspelen op

informatieverwerkingsprocessen

Reportage Het idee van rijpende hersenen

is toch wat simplistisch

o Competentie

o Autonomie

o Ergens bij horen

Developing Thinking Skills in the Young

Learner’s Classroom

o Model 1 – Language and the

development of the cognitive tools

­ Rhythm and rhyme

­ Images and imaginative thinking

­ Story thinking

­ Humour and small talk

o Model 2 – Multiple intelligences

o Model 3 – Combining the teaching of

thinking with language teaching

­ Meaningful

­ Intellectually challenging

­ Real world purpose

Learning in a brain-friendly way

Teaching in a brain-friendly way

The adolescent brain & language learning

Activating methodology To set in motion; make active or more active

How to make learners more active? - Stimulate and engage

- Personalise for/by pupils

- Challenge

- Pupils as tutor

- Reward

- Listen to pupils’ ideas, experience, input

- Let pupils work together

- Make pupils responsible

- Give options

- Give realistic tasks

- Attune to the needs of all learning types

- Create stimulating working environment

- Student-centred (vs. teacher-centred)

- Open-ended activities (vs. closed practice)

- Pupils acquire, immersed in target

language

- Interactive Teacher Talking Time and

Student Talking Time

- Use reflection

- Give learning tips

Why? 1. To enhance learning effects/results

2. Better motivation

3. More variation in tasks

Practical application READING: authentic material, real reason to discuss (info gap, puzzle), engagement is important

EXTENSIVE READING: use other media for support, compare book-film, have a library

LISTENING AND WATCHING: use new media (podcasts, voicethread.com), let pupils choose, music

WRITING AND SPEAKING: meaningful, realistic tasks, projects and tasks, let pupils explain their

answers, more active (productive skills)

VOCABULARY: be active with words, pay attention to pronunciation, useful phrases, visualise words

GRAMMAR: use flashcards, visualisation of structure, grammar games, practise in context

Engage, Study and Activate (ESA) One of the vital ingredients for successful learning is engagement, things are learnt better if both our

minds and hearts are brought into service. Discussions, pictures, dramatic stories, amusing

anecdotes, etc. When students are properly engaged, their involvement in the study and activation

stages is likely to be far more pronounced, the benefit will be greater.

Study activities are those where students are asked to focus on the construction of something.

Students can study in a variety of different way: we may show them a new grammar pattern, or give

them examples of language and ask them to try to work out the rules (discovery activities). The latter

gives students the chance to use the intellectual work, rather than leaving it to the teacher.

Activating is a way to get students using language as freely and communicatively as they can. The

objective in an activate activity is for them to use all and any language which may be appropriate for

a given situation or topic. Personalisation provides a bridge between the study and activate stages.

All three elements need to be present in most lessons or teaching sequences. The order is bound to

change depending on what we want to achieve. There is a danger that if we always do things in the

same order, students will become bored.

Straight arrows: first interested and engaged, then study something, then try to activate it by putting

it into production

Boomerang: teacher is answering the needs of the students. They are not taught language until and

unless they have shown that they have a need for it.

Patchwork: appealing balance between study and activation, between language and topic.

Key terms Characteristics

Benefits

o To enhance learning effects/results

o Better motivation

o More variation in tasks

Practical application

o Reading

o Extensive reading

o Listening and watching

o Writing and speaking

o Vocabulary

o Grammar

Elements for successful learning

o Engage

o Study

o Activate

o Straight arrows; boomerang;

patchwork

Cooperative language learning

What is it? Successful teaching strategy in which small teams, each with students of different levels of ability,

use a variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject. Each member of a

team is responsible for learning what is taught but also helping teammates learn.

What is its purpose? - Providing students with a well-defined framework from which to learn from each other is a way

to let students into a collaborative environment.

- The task increases the study skills of the student, they must utilize the skills the teacher has

taught them.

- The students gain from each other’s efforts.

- They recognize that all group members share a common fate

- Feel proud and jointly celebrate when a group member is recognized for achievement

- One’s performance is mutually caused by oneself and one’s team members

Why use it? Promote student learning and academic achievement

Increase student retention, improved behaviour and attendance

Enhance student satisfaction with their learning experience

Help students develop skills in oral communication

Develop students’ social skills

Promote student self-esteem

Help to promote positive race relations, promote positive relations among different ethnic

groups

Important elements □ Positive interdependence

□ Face-to-face interaction

□ Individual and group accountability, group goals

□ Interpersonal and small-group skills, cooperatively

manage things, social skills

□ Group processing, equal participation

□ Develop and use critical thinking skills and teamwork

□ Implement peer coaching

Cooperative Learning – TPLT Chapter 13 Teachers teach students collaborative or social skills so that they can work together more effectively.

- Positive interdependence

- Mixed groups

- Learn from each other

- Different ethnicities, get along with different people

- Social skills

- Language acquisition through target language

- Individually accountable

- Responsibility and accountability for each other’s learning is shared

Key terms Characteristics

o Positive interdependence

o Face-to-face interaction

o Individual and group accountability,

group goals

o Interpersonal and small-group skills,

cooperatively manage things, social

skills

o Group processing, equal participation

o Develop and use critical thinking skills

and teamwork

o Implement peer coaching

Benefits

o Promote student learning and

academic achievement

o Increase student retention, improved

behaviour and attendance

o Enhance student satisfaction with

their learning experience

o Help students develop skills in oral

communication

o Develop students’ social skills

o Promote student self-esteem

o Help to promote positive race

relations, promote positive relations

among different ethnic groups

Learner autonomy

Self-reflective

Motivation

Own choice and space responsibility and ownership

Individual goals taking charge

Transfer based

Active & aware

Independent or group work

Week planner

Social skills well developed

Teacher is seen as facilitator and a guide who can help the students towards their individual goals

and objectives, whilst the students, in turn, take responsibility of their learning and their progression

towards their aims.

Learn how to learn and take charge of own learning this leads to higher motivation leads to

more likely success in learning leads to confidence and further increased motivation.

Key terms Characteristics & requirements

o Self-reflective

o Motivation

o Own choice and space

responsibility and ownership

o Individual goals taking charge

o Transfer based

o Active & aware

o Independent or group work

o Week planner

o Social skills well developed

Teacher’s role

o Facilitator

o Help students reach individual goals

and objectives

o Teach how to learn and take charge of

own learning

Learner Autonomy

Self-reflective

Individual Goals

Transfer based

Motivation (intrinsic/ extrinsic)

Independence

Ownership/ responsibilty

Taking charge

Mixed ability Students are different in terms of their levels of:

Attention

Interest

Motivation

Learning styles

Types of intelligences

Physiological needs

Psychological needs

Speed

Maturity

World knowledge

Knowledge of and about

English

All classes are mixes ability classes. The differences are in the way they learn, their level of English,

but also in their personal background. The problems this causes are the level of the assignments.

Checklist: □ What’s the learning objective for the lesson? Is the same for all your students?

□ Are the learning working on their language proficiency?

□ Have you applied successful intelligence? (Sternberg)

□ Have you applied activating methodology?

□ Have you catered for the different learning styles/multiple intelligences?

□ What’s the best idea for each student?

□ Are the tasks both useful and motivating? (fun vs. instructive)

□ Are the ideas practical and feasible?

□ What activity is suitable for all learners or could be made into a useful activity for all learners?

□ What activity is a general all-purpose task (for a specific type of learner)?

Tips: i. Know your students and think of individual help/tips (acknowledge differences)

ii. Decide what the minimum learning objective for all learners is (use supportive gestures, let

students repeat the instructions)

iii. Give choices so pupils can use their strengths (or challenge their weaknesses)

iv. Vary with activities to cater for the differences (differentiation: same input, different

activities for different output, different grading)

v. Collect and use generalized all-purpose tasks for differentiation (task based learning)

vi. Mix strong and weak to motivate each other (grouping/ seating arrangement: mixed/same

ability together or mixed/same learning style together)

vii. Focus on language (smaller/bigger selection of points)

Key terms Differences between learners

o Attention

o Interest

o Motivation

o Learning style/multiple intelligences

o Psychological and physiological needs

o Speed

o Maturity

o Knowledge of the world

o Knowledge of and about English

o Skills and talents other areas

Dealing with differences in class

o Knowing the students

o Addressing students/instructions

o Grouping/seating arrangements

o Focus on language

o Providing skills tasks

o Managing learning

Technology in language learning - Visualisation

- Office

- Accessibility

- Motivating for students: different medium, adds variety

- Enables learners to make choices about material and pace

- Flexible, adapted to suit the needs of individual students

- Interactive, gives instant feedback

- Support autonomy as students select and evaluate material

- Used for self-study

Providing teaching resources & enhancing learning experience

Biggest implications of learning experience:

- Greater access to target language (and resources)

- Changes when and where learning takes place

- Can shape the nature of what we teach (learner initiated)

- Motivation

Main pointers 1. A tool that facilitates meaningful and challenging classroom work

2. An integrated part of learning

3. Used in a pedagogically sound way

Tools for the teacher Terms:

Blended learning – integrated part of learning. Old school courseware, digital material.

Flipped classroom – videos of explanation at home, homework in class. Use educational

technology, provides opportunity for learning through activity and influences the learning

environment.

CoP – Community of Practice, online, communities, practise together

PLN – Personal/Professional Learning Network, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.

Share and learn with others, question and answer.

BYOD – Bring Your Own Device

Tools:

Socrative – join a ‘room’

Twiddla – create online learning environment, work on something together

Nearpod – tablets only, work in a cloud

Pocket – a link or article that you want to read later, Pocket it

Duolingo – learning a language

Ted – videos, ideas worth spreading

Shakespeak – socrative, join rooms, share things

dejuf.yurls.net – using the smartboard

Key terms Enhancing language learning

Benefits

Providing teaching resources

Enhancing learning experience

o Greater access to target language (and

resources)

o Changes when and where learning

takes place

o Can shape the nature of what we

teach (learner initiated)

o Motivation

Tools for the teacher:

o Blended learning

o Flipped classroom

o CoP

o PLN

o BYOD