The Ideal Student
As you familiarize yourself with Language-Learning theories, models, and methods, you will prepare yourself for future blog posts that will put these theories into practical activities and shape your curriculum. Remember though, a teacher is nothing without her students. In order for your students to walk away stronger than they came to you, your students will need to bring some things to the table. Of course, you cannot control your students, but you can set them up for success. Research has found that there are three factors that determine the success and learning potential of any student:
Their attitude towards the language
The amount of learning they do beyond the classroom
The number of learning strategies they use in their learning
Some tips and tricks to ensuring the success of your students:
Help your students love the language:
Be enthusiastic about the English Language! A smile everyday goes a long way!
Show your students the benefits they will receive if they grow in their English Language abilities
Help your students decide why they want to learn English and cling to it!
Encourage learning beyond the classroom:
Give assignments that will ensure English Application at home
Encourage group assignments that require work out of class
Provide students with ideas for further English exposure (movies, books, TV shows, etc.)
Help your students become familiar with the learning strategies in their tool box:
Students are more likely to work through problems if they have multiple tools on hand. Their success is not determined by which strategy, but by how many they use! Some examples of strategies you could help your students use include:
Reading English books (reading comprehension and vocab expansion)
Watching English movies with subtitles (matching what you hear with what you see and vocab expansion)
Using flashcards for vocab practice
Having conversations in English with a friend in the class (production and comprehension practice)
Having conversations in English with a native speaker (production and comprehension practice)
Listening to English podcasts (Listening Comprehension Practice)
Listening to native English speakers and repeating what they say (Listening and Pronunciation Practice)
Above all, help your students feel your love for them and your confidence in their ability to learn and progress! A student succeeds when they know that someone believes in them!
