BESIG Conference Dubrovnik, November 2011 Tailored Trainings

Adrian Pilbeam Tailored Trainings

 What comes to your mind then?  Students’ needs  Expectations  Reasons for taking course  Learning experience  Learning styles  Motivation  Chemistry between you Tailored Trainings

 How much do you focus on the planning side: ◦ Content, exercises, structure, objectives?  How much do you focus on the background? ◦ Learning experience: school, previous courses ◦ Learning styles???? ◦ Motivation: did their boss send them?  How much do you focus on the chemistry between you? ◦ Do you really want to work with them? Are they worth your time? Tailored Trainings

 “After three years of lessons you should know English by now.”  “Objectives? Can’t we take those from the last course?”  “What I can do in English? Mhm.”  “Where I have improved? You have to know that. You are the teacher.” (Boss to student) (Students when discussing objectives) (Students when asked about their skills) (Students in the feedback session at the end) Tailored Trainings

 “We only talk in our lesson.”  “I don’t really need English in my job.”  “What I find difficult in English? Everything.”  “If you say the book is good, then let’s take it.” (Student to boss) (Students when discussing objectives) (Students when asked about their skills) (Students in the needs analysis session) Tailored Trainings

 Students find it difficult to articulate needs, skills and objectives  Students are unsure about assessment  Bosses exercise pressure on results  Companies want to see return on investment  Teachers want to teach, need to earn money  We want to get new courses or continue courses Tailored Trainings

 “ Learning how to learn” in your own language?  Lernen lernen.  Lära sig att lära sig.  ??? Tailored Trainings

 In the classroom?  Outside the classroom?  At work?  At home?  In our free time?  Everywhere! Tailored Trainings

 Teachers’ suggestions: Exposition: street, personal contact, situations, practice Activities: speak, read, listen, repetition, reinforcement Structure: Analysis, investigation, language detective Creativity: visualising words, memory hooks, context Dedication: interest, encouragement, self-organisation Tailored Trainings

actively involved realistic self-critical tolerant willing to experiment inquisitive organised self-aware  ( from Learning to Learn English – Gail Ellis and Barbara Sinclair- CUP) Tailored Trainings

Learner’s awareness: Why am I learning English? (My goal) How do I learn? (Self-reflection) How can I learn better? (Use of strategies) Was I successful? (Evaluation) Why not? (Monitor) What shall I do next? (Plan) Tailored Trainings

 Learners often implicitly experiment with strategies and have learning preferences.  But learners are rarely informed explicitly about why they are doing certain things while learning languages! Tailored Trainings

 Language detective Systematic learner Learns by analysing structures Tailored Trainings

 Telephonist Learns through dialogue/talking Communicative learner Tailored Trainings

 Radio listener Learns through listening and repeating Auditive learner Tailored Trainings

 Bookworm Learns through reading (written words) & pictures Visual learner Tailored Trainings

 Dancer Learns by means of moving Kinaesthetic learner Tailored Trainings

 Movie-goer Learns through pictures, listening, and subtitles (written word) Audiovisual learner Tailored Trainings

 Matching pairs  Twister  Mindmapping  Word fields  Word trees/families  Free conversation  Pictures/videos  Which learning types would fit? Tailored Trainings

 Musical chairs  Twirl  Crosswords  Learning tandem  Text work (true/false, finding information)  Gap fill  Associations/memory hooks  Which learning types would fit? Tailored Trainings

 Visualise & verbalise: Giving them direction and orientation Tailored Trainings Learning objective Learning progress Learning success Taking students on a road with a destination Visible progress boosts motivation

 General assessment: ◦ Can be done by TOEIC test or other tests ◦ Can be done using CEF  Specific assessment: ◦ Can be done at beginning of course (not necessarily first session) ◦ Can be done during the course (monitoring) ◦ Can help to prepare needs analysis and course objectives Tailored Trainings

In needs analysis and assessment (beginning of course): Simplified way of using CEF definitions (Self-reflection) Becoming aware of what I want to be able to (My goal) Helps to define what I like doing (Use of strategies) Tailored Trainings

Simplified way of using CEF definitions (Self-reflection) Was I successful? (Evaluation) Why not? Recommendations for next course (Monitor) What shall I do next? Prepare new can do and want to be able to statements (Plan)  Visualise and verbalise in the course report filling in achievements and recommendations Tailored Trainings

 Monitoring your students’ success  Giving them feedback builds confidence  Making them aware of language success  Making them aware of further needs  Learning about your own performance  Preparing the next course Tailored Trainings

 If students can see progress, they are more motivated  More motivated learners learn better  They also learn how to organise their learning outside the classroom  More satisfied customers lead to customer retention Tailored Trainings

 Progress report and feedback should lead to more learner autonomy  People need/want to invest own time  Responsible for own learning process  Need to overcome school thinking (homework is something the teacher wants)  Teaching is not the same as learning Tailored Trainings

Teacher’s challenges :  Flexibility, adapting style to learner’s needs  Learner-oriented, not teacher-oriented  Dogme approach: use participants material and topics as classroom material (unplugged, but not unprepared)  Respect for students’ learning objectives: If they want to focus on fluency - okay. If they want to focus on accuracy - okay. Tailored Trainings

Teacher’s challenges:  Teacher as a learning partner: trust & support  Helps learner to leave consumer status (students often see themselves as recipients, not as producers)  Helps learner to develop learning strategies that will work outside the classroom Tailored Trainings

 If you want your students to be good learners – make them Tailored Trainings