Putting the learner at the center of a learning experience to learn language

Why putting the learner at the center of any learning experience is very important particularly in bilingual schools

In order to enhance the learning experience a holistic approach - a classroom without boundaries - can create an environment which focuses on learners’ goals and aspirations as it brings value to their lives. Anything that is fun and engaging becomes motivational and inspiring. The most important thing is to focusing on the learner.

Think of it as user experience design for digital products and websites, but for learning products and services.

In traditional learning and training, teachers use face-to-face lessons, learning facts and recall. What is the learning product and what does it look like?

Using a problem solving approach

Teachers can use many media sources to inspire students to access the knowledge, videos, references, or any another form of content to help them learn against their learning objectives.

Technology can be used to help develop skills, simulations, games help learners practice in a low-risk environment. Role play is excellent for the kinaesthetic learners.

A focus on motivation, encouragement, empowers the student to practice the transfer of knowledge, skills, and attitudes from one person to another by acquiring knowledge or developing skills without explicitly being told to do so.

They are developing the skills that improve performance by acquisition and knowing how something fits into their world inspires them, for example learning to drive a car.

Teachers can creating learning experiences that learners love ...if they put learners interest at the heart of their planning.

This approach can also be applied to language learning - as well as content learning.

Digital

To prepare our students for their digital-driven futures, we need to acknowledge that technology is moving faster than ever before, and on how to also equip students with the necessary reading and writing skills - using real life activities but still embracing technology enabling language learning as one - despite using or learning several languages.

Second language teaching

Krashen hypothesises that second language acquisition is very similar to the process children use when acquiring their first language.

Meaningful interaction in the new language occurs naturally using communication which focuses on the message conveyed and the understanding - not the grammatical form of the language.

Students learn best when...

Students learn best when they are focused on the purpose of communicating, and interacting naturally. They learn, quite rapidly and modify their speech into shorter, less complex sentences using pitch and intonation to help pass on their message to their peers. They use technology to assist independence, When solving problems, or involved in activities that involves interaction, their drive for solving the problem empowers them to develop language skills driven through the activity.

Learning is more rapid because language is being made more understandable to the learner. An individual’s emotions directly assists with the learning of a new language just like learning new content it required practice. There is no fun in the grammatical way of teaching, or indeed to perceived relevance to the learner.

Presenting and classroom environments

There is no difference between doing a presentation in a new language which can lead can to anxiety, and embarrassment than presenting a Physics theory.

Therefore classrooms that are fully engaging, non-threatening, and affirming of a child’s native language and cultural heritage, or background knowledge can have a direct effect on the student’s ability to learn, by increasing motivation and encouraging risk taking.

The importance of authentic communication in a learning environment is important to developing self belief and self confidence.

Classrooms as learning environments

Children are equipped with an innate ability to learn languages naturally and subconsciously and learn better through motivational hands-on experiences as they can make sense of the need for learning and from real life experiences.

Dr. Tassos Anastasiades