How do you balance the needs and expectations of different language learners and users?

Factors like nationality, L1, age of students and learning environment are very important. Teaching Spanish in Ghana and in the US is more than enough to make me understand that your audience matters. Students in Ghana will need more focus on speaking skills, and use of authentic materials, since they have little exposure to the Spanish language in Africa, as compared to students in the US, who may have many Spanish speakers from who they can have some input. Equally, the curriculum of children will largely differ from that of adults. Whilst the focus on children should be more of fun ways of learning vocabulary and phrases through songs, rhymes and arts, adults will focus on the complexity of grammar, writing, etc.

This is true, but at the same time, there are some things that anyone learning a new language should start with, such as phonetics, learning the sounds of the new language. Many people think that it's not possible to learn to pronounce a new language correctly, but that's actually not true. It is possible; it involves learning the correct mouth position for every new sound. There's a core vocabulary that everyone will need, including "How are you?" "Please," and "Thank you." Everyone will benefit from understanding some grammar. For example, many languages distinguish between formal and informal speech, and we may need to know how to ask, "How are you?" both formally and informally.

non language communication aka facial and body movement is a very important aspect of learning a new language and communicating across cultures. Language classrooms differentiate not only in language differences but in cultural differences as well. This makes it particularly challenging for the instructor as they need to address the many aspects of a language learner.

And this is why a fully integrated approach to language acquisition and really learning in general, requires learners and instructors to deal with all the complexities.

Another very important thing to keep in mind is that language is not always phonetic. There is not always sound. For example, I teach and interpret American Sign Language. Although there is no sound, there are other very important things to keep in mind… Such as eye contact, facial expressions, body language, and mouth movement as well as your hand signs. So there is a visual piece to language as well. 93% of your communication is nonverbal. Only 7% of the words that come out of your mouth… Or the signs made with your hands.

In my experience, unless someone is preparing for a language exam, they are not concerned with the level they achieve. Language is a tool, and people have things they want to be able to do with that tool. For adult business English students, it's more important to enable them to do the thing they want to do than that they achieve a certain level of language proficiency. Many students end business English courses with a higher level of proficiency, greater knowledge of specific content, and classroom experience of the skill they are trying to acquire. The problem is, if they don't have the confidence to apply it in a real-life situation, I've wasted their time and mine.

The first day of our interpreter training we set clear and realistic expectations for our students/participants. An example of this is that while we cover a lot of material in 40 hours, we make clear that our students will not have the language proficiency of a physician who's completed medical school and decades of continued education by the end of our class. This not only allows our participants to stay motivated but creates a healthy learning environment which results in everyone feeling satisfied by reaching their goals.

At the start of my course, I discussed goals with each student. This varied from mastering basic conversation to grasping business-related terminology. These discussions helped in setting realistic expectations and provided a clear direction for the course, ensuring both I and my students were aligned.

Goal setting is an ongoing process that should be revisited throughout the learning journey. While it's crucial to establish clear and realistic goals initially, it's equally important to reassess them regularly. How are the learners progressing toward what they set to accomplish? Is there anything we need to reconsider? What's working well? What could we be doing different to be more successful in our team work? As a language coach, I invite and encourage learners to continuously evaluate their progress and adjust goals as needed. This proactive approach allows us to ensure we're heading in the right direction and make necessary adjustments before any issues arise.

I agree learners need to set goals, even if they are not going to sit an exam, as smart goals provide the learners with motivation and a means to measure progress, which is not always easy for them to see.

L’armée américaine est une des armées les mieux entra?nées sur le plan linguistique … voilà pourquoi ?? ?? ils pratiquent la langue dès le jour 1 avec des natifs ?? ils ne s’embarrassent pas de livres et d’exercices à dormir debout ?? ils travaillent directement sur des simulations de terrain ! En somme, il y a 1 millions de (mauvaises) manières de travailler la langue mais le mieux reste de l’apprendre en faisant !

Creating personalized learning pathways based on initial assessments of learners’ proficiency levels, learning styles, and goals can significantly improve engagement and outcomes. This personalization can be achieved through adaptive learning technologies that modify instruction in real-time based on learner performance and engagement levels.

Creating materials that are designed to be adapted, and having the experience to analyze needs on the fly and the tools to adapt to them is essential. I don't see it as adapting the materials and methods, but rather going into the lesson with a framework and making each lesson unique based on the students, their needs, and what works on the day.

Depending on my students’ goals, I adapted my teaching materials. For instance, for those interested in business Chinese, I included more formal language and real-life business scenarios. For casual learners, I focused on day-to-day conversational skills. This flexibility in teaching methods was key to addressing diverse learning needs.

Esto es la manera en la que el Language Coaching trabaja. Se adapta a la forma en la que cada estudiante aprende, dandole material especifico para sus necesidades.

One of the more important ways we can support students is by creating an environment where they know that mistakes are ok. Some students pull back on engaging for fear of making mistakes and being embarrassed. It's important for them to know that there isn't anything wrong with making mistakes. As a matter of fact, the classroom is the best place for it because the teacher is there and can help.

The point of a language is communication. So, yes, providing feedback is necessary, but there also comes a time - especially if the student is at an advanced level in their language learning - when getting a point across matters more than grammar. At this stage, I feel it is important to prioritise fluency and whether or not they are making themselves understood, rather than correcting every single mistake they make.

I enjoy the use of "teach back" sessions during class to provide my feedback to students who present body systems anatomy and physiology. We also have role play sessions which allows my co-trainer and I to provide helpful feedback and support to our interpreters in training to make sure they are applying their new skills correctly while building their confidence. This learning environment allows the students to feel engaged, share their thoughts, challenges, and opinions which I believe is ideal to in order to make improvements.

O mundo perfeito é ter a possibilidade de feedback em cada aula. Mas o feedback n?o é apenas dizer para o aluno se ele está bem ou n?o, mas sim fazer ele perceber isso. é necessário criar atividades onde o aluno possa perceber o seu próprio progresso. As atividades ditas "task-based" s?o muit úteis nessa perspectiva.

I offered regular, constructive feedback to help my students improve. This included correcting their pronunciations, grammar, and offering tips during and after lessons. I also made sure I was available for extra support, answering questions outside of scheduled sessions.

The language learners need to be at the center of the goal-setting process, with frequent conversations about their progress as they go. Making the student an active agent of their own learning gives them more motivation, opens them up to seeing challenges as opportunities, and ensures flexibility from both sides, not just from the teacher.

Eu sempre acho útil contar com as tecnologias educacionais como aliadas no processo de ensino. Conhe?a diferentes plataformas, sites e aplicativos e entenda como eles podem auxiliar a que você tenha mais agilidade na adequa??o das suas aulas para os seus diferentes alunos.

Flexibility was crucial. If a student struggled with a particular topic, I was ready to adjust the pace or revisit concepts. This responsiveness ensured that the course remained effective and relevant to each student’s learning curve.

Totalmente de acuerdo con ser flexible y receptivo. Es una cualidad importante en los coaches o teachers. Esto les ayudara a tener un proceso más fluido y a conectar con su estudiante. Logrando que se sienta 100% apoyado. En cuanto a la virtualidad que hoy manejamos, también hay que tener plan A, B y C en caso que la conexión a internet no este muy buena.

It's important to challenge students at a point slightly above their comfort level to facilitate learning. This could come in the form of adjusting your speech, vocabulary, activity, or lesson content. For example, if they only know how to use 'will' to speak about the future and don't know how to use '-ing' for that purpose yet, then it might be best to speak with them using 'will' in that regard until they get there. At the same time, it's just as important not to go too high above their level that they feel lost, confused, and frustrated. This could quickly demotivate them, weaken their confidence, and hinder their progress, or cause them to give up.

é preciso dar relevancia às práticas do ensino de um segundo idioma. A constante adapta??o dos materiais didáticos, a busca de elementos da vida real e atividades que simulem situa??es que realmente ser?o vividas pelo aluno constituem o método mais eficaz para um aprendizado focado e eficiente.

Primeiro, conhe?a o perfil de seu aluno, o que ele traz de bagagem de vida e qual é a experiência que teve com a escola e principalmente com idiomas. Depois inicie uma metodologia que atenda a esse perfil. N?o é o que ensinar, mas como motivar a aprender.

As Krisia Justesen has posted, I also begin by assessing each individual learner, and asking them what their language learning goals are: a promotion, admission to a desired school, moving to a new culture with family, etc. From there I focus on designing a specific learning plan for each student, or a general learning plan for a class. These plans always include real-life application of their new language skills via practicing with native speakers in their language goal community.

It's mandatory to comprehend the cultural ethnic differences . Diversity may add colors but acceptance flourishes colors to it. Language and ethnicity barriers could removed once a healthy environment is nourished among us.