Giving Learners Choice Brian Tomlinson

Each and every language learner is: Different.

Each learner differs from: learners in other countries learners in other institutions learners in the same class

Each learner differs in their: experience of life need to learn English motivation to learn English motivation to do a particular activity interests abilities attitudes to English preferred learning styles

Each learner differs in what is likely to engage them.

Each learner differs: from teacher to teacher from peer to peer from day to day

And yet: We treat learners as though they are all the same.

We expect them all to: use the same coursebook do the same unit at the same time do the same exercise at the same time to get the same right answers.

Ways of Giving Learners More Choice in what materials they use in what activities they do in who they work with in how they help themselves to learn in where they learn in when they learn in how they learn.

Conclusion Give learners more choice and they’ll give you more in return.

They Came from the Sea - Part 1 Choice of: Activity Beach Who to show their beach to Acting or not How to respond to the narrative The content of the narrative Participation in re-telling of the story Participation in the circle story Telling their story Participation in revision of the story Length of story completion Content of story completion

The learners are given choice thirteen times. And yet none of the choices are likely to: be overwhelming cause dilemmas cause delay lead to a feeling of missing out