3.2 Focus on the Learner (FOL)

3.2 Focus on the Learner (FOL)

Candidate name: ______

Criteria / To standard / Not to standard yet / 1st Submission / To standard / Not to standard / 2nd Submission
Tutor feedback and resubmission guidance if necessary / Tutor feedback
Describe a learner’s backgrounds, motivations and learning preferences.
Identify learner’s strengths
Identify one grammar problem with at least two pieces of evidence
Select one appropriate activity to address the grammar problem and provide a rationale
Identify one pronunciation problem with at least two pieces of evidence
Select one appropriate activity to address the pronunciation problem and provide a rationale
Make sure at least one of the two activities is from a published ELT source
Correctly use terminology relating to the description of language systems
Use written language that is clear, accurate and appropriate to the task
Word count of 750-1000
Overall comments:
Overall grade
Tutor(s) signature(s) and date / Pass / Resubmit / Pass / Fail

Plagiarism declaration

I confirm that this assignment is my own work.

I have fully acknowledged the published/online sources I have consulted

I confirm that this assignment meets the requirements outlined in the Teaching House plagiarism policy (found in your Teaching House handbook)

Signed ………………………………………………………………Date ……………………………….

Print name ……………………………………………………….

In this assignment you will work with an individual learner from your teaching practice group and create a profile of him/her as a learner.

Gather information / •Choose a learner from your current group. Each person in your TP group should choose someone different if possible.
•Read the relevant section of “Learner English” by Swan and Smith (eds), 2001, Cambridge University Press. This provides information about problems that speakers of different languages usually have with English. This will give you an idea of what errors to look and listen for.
•Observe your learner during class. Identify
•their learning preferences
•their language strengths (skills and systems)
•their language weaknesses (skills and systems)
•Approach your learner and ask them to help you with this assignment. Give your learner the written homework assignment in Appendix 2 (or a written task of your choice). Arrange a time to interview your learner.
•Interview your learner taking notes in the suggested areas in Appendix 1. Listen out for grammar and pronunciation errors.
•Collect the written homework from your learner and analyze it for grammar errors.
Write section A of your assignment (400-500 words) / •Write about these areas for your learner, filling in the assignment grid below:
•General background information (name, home country, first language, age, etc.)
•General education and language education history
•Motivation for learning English
•Learning preferences and what evidence you have to think these are their learning preferences
•You should write in full, connected prose in this section.
Write section B of your assignment (400-500 words) / •Write about the language strengths that your learner has. These should be skills related and systems related. You can also add strengths related to their study habits, learning preferences, etc.
•Write about one grammar problem your learner has (use analysis from "Gather Information" stage) by filling in the grid below.
•Using the grid below, say what the problem is.
•Document two instances in which your learner showed they have this one problem and provide the correction.
•Find one activity that could help your learner with this problem (include the actual activity handout in the appendices) and say why it is helpful for your learner in particular.
•Write about one pronunciation problem your learner has (use analysis from "Gather Information" stage) by filling in the grid below.
•Say what the problem is, using phonemes if applicable.
•Document two instances in which your learner showed they have this one problem and what they should have said.
•Find one activity that could help your learner with this problem (include the actual activity handout in the appendices) and say why it is helpful for your learner in particular.
•Make sure you reference your material correctly with author(s), year of publication, title, publisher and link if relevant. Provide this information in a bibliography as well.
Turn in your assignment /

Attach the cover page to the front of your assignment and write your name on it.
Make sure you have attached a referenced copy of the actual material that you will use with your learner. This does not contribute to your word count.
Have a peer proof read your work.
Turn it in on paper by the deadline.

Word limit: 750-1000 words *See next page for other requirements and helpful hints.

Other requirements/hints:

In the input session about learner differences you went over some useful terminology to describe learning preferences and behaviors. Use some of it to describe your learner and describe their motivation in Section A.
There is also useful information in Learner English edited by Michael Swan and Bernard Smith, 2001. (CUP). It has information about students from various native languages and describes typical issues these learners have when learning English.
You are required to submit copies of two actual tasks (one to help your learner with a grammar problem and one to help with a pronunciation problem) as appendices to your assignment. You can find activities in resource books in your TH library. If you can’t find an activity that deals with your learner’s particular problem, you can make an activity yourself. You cannot, however, make both of the activities yourself. At least one of the activities (for grammar or pronunciation) must be from a reputable published (or reputable online) source.

Example problems and solutions: Grammar Example:

Grammar problem / Past simple tense
1st example of error / In her written text, Junko wrote “When I first arrive in America…”
Correction / She should have written “When I first arrived in America”
2nd example of error / “We see a show in theater”.
Correction / We saw a show at (the) theater”
Material / “Pictures into story” in Grammar Practice Activities (Ur, 1998: p215)
Justification for choice / In this activity, students receive a set of pictures, order the pictures as they like, then write the story. Junko could practise writing different forms of the past simple in a meaningful, narrative context. Though she prefers, and is stronger in, spoken activities, this written activity would help her develop her written accuracy, which is one of her main goals in learning English. Her job as a journalist means that a written activity would be suited to her English learning needs as well”.

Pronunciation Example:

Pronunciation problem / /l/ vs/r/ sounds
1st example of error / In her interview, Junko struggled to correctly produce accurate /l/ sounds. She said, for example, “I like (/raɪk/) to shopping”
Correction / I like shopping “I /laɪk/ (-) shopping”
2nd example of error / I have little (/rɪtər/) money for it.”
Correction / I have little (/ lɪtəl/) money for it”
Material / “Pronunciation Journey” from Pronunciation Games (Hancock, 1995: p36).
Justification for choice / This is a discrimination exercise in which she must listen and check the correct word from a minimal pair, e.g. light or right. This would help improve her recognition of these sounds. For production practice, Junko could read aloud sentences or tongue twisters containing /l/ sounds and a mix of /l/ and /r/ sounds, e.g. “I really like laughing a lot when I learn English”. She will also benefit from observing the teacher producing the sounds to learn the mechanics of how to physically form it. This suits her auditory learning preference and her interest in activities which make her laugh.

CELTA pass criteria: candidates can demonstrate their learning by:

a)showing awareness of how a learner’s/learners’ background(s), previous learning experience and learning style(s) affect learning

b)identifying the learner’s/learners’ language and/or skills needs

c)correctly using terminology relating to the description of language systems and language skills

d)selecting appropriate material and/or resources to aid the learner’s/learners’ language development

e)providing a rationale for using specific activities with a learner/learners

f)finding, selecting and referencing information from one or more sources using written language that is clear, accurate and appropriate to the task

Section A- Learner background
Category
(Please omit this column from your word count) / Write here in prose.
(Note, if you are handwriting this assignment, you will need to use more space to reach the word count and the required level of depth.) / Trainer comments (leave blank)
Learner background (age, occupation, nationality, languages, education, etc.)
Learner motivation
Learning preferences and rationale
Section B – Learner’s language abilities and needs.
Learner strengths (skills and systems)
Grammar problem (name of structure/language point)
1st example of error
(write whole sentence so context is clear).
Example: “We walking in Central Park when man stopped us. ”
Correction
Example: “We were walking in Central Park when (a) man stopped us. ”
2nd example of error
(write whole sentence so context is clear)
Example: “They broke the car as they drive to Vermont”.
Correction
Example: The car (broke down) as they were driving to Vermont.
Material to help the learner with this problem (source)
Justification for choice and how it will be used.
Be sure to refer back to the learner’s learning preferences, motivation, strengths and weaknesses, interests, etc.
Copy of material (attach the actual photocopy or scan to this document)
Pronunciation problem (use phonemes)
1st example of error (write full utterance so context is clear – use phonemes)
Example: “I like New York /beri/ (very) much”
Correction:
Example: “I like New York /veri/ (very) much”
2nd example of error
(write full utterance so context is clear)
Example: “My sister want to be a /bet/ (vet)”
Correction
Example: “My sister want(s) to be a /vet/ (vet)”
Material to help the learner with this problem (source)
Justification for choice and how it will be used.
Be sure to refer back to the learner’s learning preferences, motivation, strengths and weaknesses, interests, etc.
Copy of material (attach the actual photocopy or scan to this document, label the appendix and put the appendix number here)
Word count:
Must be between 750 and 1,000 words.