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MethodologY
Teaching Teenagers
Current Teaching Issues
The students
Today’s teenagers, just like previous generations, are a varied and fascinating group of individuals. They are changing physically, sometimes at astonishing speed, and are often preoccupied with their appearance. They are coping with new and strange emotions and at the same time they are learning to think in a more abstract way, which allows them to discuss issues and ideas. Through this whirlwind of change, teenagers are trying to establish their identity and learn who they are. Unlike previous generations, today’s teenagers are surrounded by technology, which they can generally use with ease and efficiency. They live in a world where sounds, images, words, and ideas come at them in a constant stream from many different sources. They usually think nothing of surfing the Internet, texting, listening to music, and watching TV at the same time. New technology also gives teenagers increased contact with their peer group – often the most influential group of people in a teenager’s life. The need to appear cool and be accepted by this group can often be the strongest motivating force in a teenager’s life. These peer group pressures, coupled with rapid mental and physical changes, may from time to time lead to conflict with family, friends, and authority. Another pressure on today’s students is the increasing need for qualifications that demonstrate their skills in foreign languages, especially English. Given all of the influences mentioned, teenage students of English need teaching materials that reflect their world and that broaden their skills to facilitate their goal of gaining qualifications. In addition to helping students attain competence in the English language, classroom materials should help students explore and establish their own moral and ethical values. What is right and wrong can be a challenging area for teenagers, and it is important that they have the chance to hear the opinions of others, voice their own, and judge for themselves.
The teaching situation
Motivation Many students will have had several years of formal instruction in English before they start a course. These experiences may not always have been successful or enjoyable. Consequently, students may bring to the classroom preconceived ideas about whether or not learning English is fun, and whether they are “good” at languages or not. If their 1
experience of learning English has not been positive, their level of interest and motivation may be low. On the other hand, their previous experience of learning English may have been a positive one, in which case, their level of motivation when they join an English class may be quite high. In either case, it is essential that their new English course include topics that are interesting to them and exercises that are intellectually challenging and that have “real-world” value in their eyes.
Large classes
In a significant number of schools, large classes are the norm rather than the exception. Large classes make it difficult for teachers to ensure that all students have the amount of practice in for them to make significant progress. Furthermore, large classes make it more difficult for teachers to pay individual attention to students. The use of pair work and group work allows each student to have more practice time in class and may enable more proficient students to help less proficient ones. Once pairs or groups have been set up, the teacher can then monitor students and provide more individual attention to those students who need the most help.
Not enough teaching hours
Students frequently have only three English lessons per week and it is sometimes difficult for teachers to feel that they are achieving enough in the time available. They may feel unable to cover the work as thoroughly as they would wish or to ensure that all students are making enough progress. Teachers and students need to have a clear goal in the time available and a sense of progress as they move through the book. Extra materials are necessary for those students who risk falling behind, and reinforcement and review for those students who are keeping up.
Monitoring progress
Close monitoring of students’ progress is increasingly a feature of teaching in schools today. This results in a heavier workload, as teachers have to prepare and grade tests, give assessments, and write student profiles. Plenty of review and testing material helps with the assessment of students’ progress.
Multi-level and mixed-ability classes
Many English classes today are multi-level. Some members of the class will have studied English for many years and a few are joining the class as complete beginners to foreign language learning. Classes are invariably also mixed ability. In one class, there will be students who have a natural aptitude for learning languages, with excellent skills and strategies, and others whose natural aptitude lies elsewhere. These students 2
Learning differences
As research makes more advances into the nature of learning, more students are being diagnosed with conditions known as Specific Learning Differences (SLDs) (for example, dyslexia). These learners need special attention.
Principles behind an effective language course
1 Motivate
The design of a course, and the topics and issues it deals with, must motivate students from the start. This can be achieved by:
- using authentic location photography, magazine articles, website articles, and e-mails, as well as games
- using teenage characters with whom students can easily identify
- focusing on situations, topics, and emotional issues that students recognize and respond to
- presenting authentic functional language and everyday expressions that teenage native speakers of English use in daily conversation
- including topics that expand students’ knowledge of the world.
2 Maintain interest
Learning tasks must involve and challenge students both linguistically and cognitively to maintain students’ interest and ensure that learning is effective. This can be achieved by:
- cognitive stimulus through memory exercises and puzzles
- interesting and varied exercises to encourage practice of key language (for example, fun quizzes and questionnaires)
- personalization of the language to allow students to talk about themselves and their opinions
- real-life functional exchanges that provide realistic communicative practice of everyday language
3 Enable all students to succeed
An effective course material should make it possible for every student to achieve success at his or her level of ability. 4
Teaching issues Though most teachers are busy with planning, preparation, teaching, and grading students’ work, it can be useful for a teacher to pause from time to time to consider any ongoing teaching issues and problems that they may have, and to try different approaches in the classroom to find out which ideas work best. This can refresh and renew teaching techniques and keep lessons alive for teachers and students alike. Below is a brief review of some current issues with suggestions for modifying teaching techniques.
Teaching teenagers
A typical class of teenagers will include students with a wide-ranging level of physical development, emotional maturity, and cognitive ability. Indeed, some students will appear to be one or two years older than other students. This is because teenagers develop at different rates. Girls tend to develop faster than boys, but there are also different rates of maturity among girls and boys. Although teenage behavior can be erratic, most teenagers, given the right classroom environment, genuinely want to learn. However, there are certain conditions that turn teenagers off. Most of them don’t like being seen as different. Acceptance by their peer group is very important. If asked a question in class, they may not want to answer in case they are seen by their friends as not smart enough or, alternatively, too smart. Teenagers are often shy and self-conscious and feel embarrassed if asked to do activities like miming or performing. They also don’t like being patronized. Many teenagers have a wealth of knowledge about particular subjects, and they are often happy to share this knowledge in pairs or small groups. Tapping into this knowledge and openly acknowledging those areas where students know more than the teacher can help to create mutual respect in the classroom.
Tips
- Avoid asking teenagers to do something that may embarrass them in front of their peers, unless you know that they have a particular talent for performance.
- Avoid activities that students might see as childish or patronizing, such as miming or answering questions the answers to which are obvious.
- Take the opportunity to put students into pairs or groups. Pair and group work allow them to work in English with reduced risk of embarrassment and also allows shyer students to make their voices heard.
- Learn as much as possible about your students as individuals and as learners. A successful class is often one that allows students to achieve the goal in whichever way suits them best. 5
Discipline
It is unusual for teachers not to experience discipline problems whatsoever with a class of teenagers over an academic year. It is in the nature of teenagers to explore boundaries. Sometimes, however, discipline problems will start to interfere with learning in the classroom. This can occur when, for example, students start chatting too much in their own language, refuse to speak English, fool around, fail to participate, speak rudely to the teacher, and so on. When dealing with discipline problems, it is vital that the teacher does not take the behavior personally. The teacher is the professional in the classroom and all students, consciously or otherwise, want the teacher to fulfill that role in a fair and consistent manner. By responding to poor behavior on a personal level, the teacher becomes a part of the cycle of bad behavior, and the aim is always to break the cycle. Although there are many reasons for discipline problems, there are some common themes. First, problems outside the classroom, for example, with friends and family can be a reason. In such cases, it is useful to build a relationship with the student that allows him or her to express his or her problems. You may not be able to solve the problem but at least by listening, you will let the student know that you acknowledge him or her as an individual and not merely as a problem. In some cases, you may be the only adult in the student’s life, who listens or finds the time to listen to him or her. Second, students may be bored in class. They may find the pace of the lesson too slow or the topic irrelevant or not interesting. Even the most popular of topics will not reach every student. If you suspect that boredom is affecting some of the students in your class, remember to frequently change the pace and types of activity during the lesson. Teenagers are generally used to a rapid pace of information, and changing the pace and activity can help to keep them occupied. You can involve students by building on personalization activities and asking students wherever possible to relate the content of the lesson to their own lives, even if it means occasionally reverting to their first language. Third, students may learn in a way that is different to the way the lesson is being taught. For more information on learning styles and actions to take, see the “Learning styles” section. If punishment is necessary in a class, it should be done according to the policy of the school. All students should know what the punishments are and what behavior will trigger those sanctions. Teenagers are very quick to recognize and respond to injustice, so it can be useful to establish with students what is expected from them in class. If you wish to take this further, you can draw up a contract with your students and allow them to say what they expect from you. All parties can then sign the contract. With a contract, you are more likely to have the class on your side if and when discipline problems arise. 7
Tips
- Be fair and consistent as much of the time as possible.
- Don’t take poor behavior personally.
- Get to know your students and try to build a relationship, even with the most difficult ones.
- Vary the pace and focus of the lesson to keep students engaged.
- Personalize as much of the material as possible so that students feel involved in the class.
- Vary your teaching style to cover different learning styles.
- Establish with your students early on what is acceptable behavior.
- Focus on praising and rewarding appropriate behavior rather than punishing bad behavior.
Mixed-ability/Mixed-level classes
All classes are, in some way or another, mixed-ability classes. Differences in language ability can result from different factors. Some students are simply better language learners than others and have better skills. As a result, they will learn faster and more effectively. Other students will have an advantage because they knew more English before joining your class. There are a variety of techniques and resources that can help the teacher with mixed- ability classes. The first aim should be to maximize the potential of all students in a class regardless of ability. To this end, it is important to improve and develop students’ language learning skills. One area that all students will benefit from is some guidance on how best to learn vocabulary. Talk to students about the different ways in which they can learn new words. Some students may prefer to keep a special vocabulary notebook; others may prefer to record the words on heir MP3 player; still others learn best when they write the words on self-adhesive notes and post them around their bedroom. Reviewing language regularly is helpful for every learner, but essential for less- proficient learners. Any new language that is not reviewed and practiced will inevitably be forgotten. The better students in a class tend to finish activities before their classmates. For these fast finishers, it can help to have some extra activities so that the teacher can devote more time to helping the less-proficient students. The same activities can be done as homework by those who need further practice and reinforcement. The work that a student does as homework before or after the lesson is also important in helping less-proficient students to achieve success. Teachers can ask less-proficient students to prepare a conversation or text by looking up the meaning of new words and phrases before they come to the lesson. These students then have a head start when it comes to reading or listening to the text and can even explain the meanings to other 8
Kinesthetic learners
Kinesthetic learners process new information best by doing something active with it rather than learning through an academic approach. They enjoy repetition, discussing, applying new language to real-life situations, and explaining it to others. They tend to like pair and group work. They also like to get up and move around rather than stay still in their seats. The emphasis for these students should be on doing and using, rather than studying their books. In addition to the sensory preferences of learners, individuals also have preferences related to the way they think (cognitive style).
Reflective learners
Reflective learners prefer to think about new information quietly first. They often prefer to work alone and can dislike pair and group work.
Sensing learners
Sensing learners like learning facts, are good at getting details and memorizing. They often dislike complications and surprises.
Intuitive learners
Intuitive learners often prefer to discover rules and like guessing meanings of new words. They can be good at understanding new concepts. They like innovation and don't like repetition and memorization exercises.
Verbal learners
Verbal learners get more out of words and respond well to written and spoken explanations. They like to see words written on the board and enjoy reading and listening.
Sequential learners
Sequential learners understand new information in logical steps. They perceive the details well but may not see the overall idea quickly. They respond well to clearly laid- out pages with numbered sequencing of exercises.
Global learners
Global learners tend to learn in large chunks, getting the “big picture” first before they see the details. The details may not be clear in their minds even after understanding 11
- Visual: an aptitude for visual appreciation and expression such as art, photography, etc.
- Naturalistic: an aptitude for understanding and working with the natural world, such as animals and the environment.
Tips
- Recognize that you may teach according to your own intelligences. If you are high in mathematical intelligence and lower in kinesthetic intelligence, you may find that you spend more time teaching grammar and allow less classroom time for active tasks. Be aware of this and try to vary your approach in class.
- Acknowledge multiple intelligences through a wide variety of topics and tasks. Lessons based on musical themes, the environment and sport, for example, appeal to students with different intelligences. Visual intelligence can be stimulated by many varied types of photos and illustrations, and musical intelligence is stimulated by audio material as well as by songs.
- Encourage students to develop their intrapersonal intelligence by asking them to reflect on their learning. (See the tip on self-assessment in the Assessment section.)
- Make use of pair work and group work, which appeals to students with higher levels of interpersonal intelligence. Assessment Assessment of students’ language abilities is often required by school or government policy, expected by parents and sometimes dreaded by students! Assessment is therefore important. Test results can show the teacher where remedial work is needed and which students need extra help. From the students’ point of view, tests can give them a sense of achievement as well as focus their minds on areas that require improvement. There are different types of test. A proficiency test assesses a student’s current language competence and is not related to a course of study. Most schools use this type of test as an entry test to determine which class a student should be placed in. A progress test assesses the student’s retention of language taught during a course and is based strictly on the syllabus taught in a course or the language taught in a series of lessons. Progress tests are usually divided according to language areas and test grammar, vocabulary, functional language and skills in separate sections. In this way, students and teachers can build an accurate profile of the students’ abilities. 13
Tips
- Plan to give progress tests at regular intervals. Make sure that assessment does not take up too much class time. Too much testing can be discouraging.
- Give students warning of a test so that they have time to review.
- Check and grade tests as quickly as possible and return them to students.
- Encourage self-assessment after a test by asking questions like: “Was the test difficult?” “Which part was difficult?” “Do you want some more practice of this grammar point?”
- Assess productive skills through classroom activities. Develop a set of criteria for students’ performance while they are writing or speaking in class (for example, How successful were they at communicating the message? How accurate were they in their use of grammar and vocabulary? How fluent were they? How intelligible?). Give students feedback after the activity.
- Talk to students about their test results. By doing this, you can show them where they are strong and help them see in which areas they need to study more. Specific Learning Differences (SLDs) Specific learning differences are conditions that make understanding and producing information difficult. SLDs are not indicative of low intelligence. In fact, students who have a learning disability are often very bright. However, their performance in class may hide their true potential, and they may fail in formal assessments. Many of these students find it particularly difficult to learn in a formal classroom setting, but learn very well in more informal, individualized settings. Not all schools are able to provide additional support, and it is often left to the class teacher to deal with these students and support their learning. Most class teachers are familiar with the classroom behavior of SLD students. They will be the students who do not speak at all in the lesson, refuse to do written exercises, refuse to cooperate with peers in pair work and rarely do homework. These students are labeled variously as: ‘difficult’, ‘lazy’, ‘spoiled’, ‘poorly disciplined’, ‘a slow learner’, ‘disturbed’ or ‘stupid’. This labeling implies that there is nothing the teacher can do and if students pick up on this message they may feel bad about themselves and develop low self-esteem. However, identifying the problem, taking a positive attitude towards it and helping SLD students to develop appropriate strategies can make a huge difference. Types of SLDs
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is characterized by difficulties in reading and spelling. Dyslexic students have problems with both phonic and whole word-recognition skills. The initial, middle, and end sounds of words are incorrectly identified and sequencing of sounds is confused 14
Tips
- Identify students who may have dysgraphia and adjust expectations accordingly.
- Students may not be able to write long texts, but it is still important that they learn to write. Writing is an important life skill and a teacher will not be helping a dysgraphia student if he or she allows the student to do no writing at all.
- Encourage students to use a lighter grip on their pencil or pen if they seem to be holding it too hard.
- Allow students extra time to complete writing tasks.
- Break down the process of writing into stages. Start from copying and writing words and phrases, to producing whole sentences and eventually short paragraphs.
- Make sure students have support provided for writing. For any writing exercise, there should always prompts and clear examples of sentences or model paragraphs for students to follow.
ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Students who behave consistently badly in class, beyond what one might normally expect in a class of teenagers, may be suffering from ADHD. If there is the possibility of a formal assessment, speak with the parents to encourage them to have the child assessed. ADHD is marked by three areas: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Inattention: Students fail to give close attention to details and make careless mistakes. Their work is usually untidy, and they often lose things. They have difficulty concentrating, and they often fail to finish work. Hyperactivity: Students are restless and fidget a lot. They are often very noisy and talk incessantly. Impulsivity: Students often blurt out answers before questions have been completed, have difficulty waiting for their turn, and often interrupt or butt into conversations or games.
Tips
- Identify students who may have ADHD and adjust expectations accordingly.
- Have a clear routine. Warn the student if you are going to change this routine.
- Praise acceptable behavior as much as possible.
- Avoid long and complicated instructions. Keep things short and understandable 17
