Students Without a Cause

This blog is about a pair of adult students who intended to study English, but, for whatever reason, were unable to fulfil their objectives.

The joys of learning

First of all, this will begin with a positive spin, as learning is something precious and valuable and its importance cannot be over-estimated. We, as open-minded human beings, are always learning, evolving and, in some cases, we embrace change, looking to better ourselves by absorbing like a sponge, what we crave; which is information that teaches us new things that will somehow improve our understanding of various complexities in life. When faced with such an opportunity, and a positive attitude to boot, we will give it our best shot, or when more driven by nature, will go into over-drive and bury our heads in books, shut out all distractions and give 110%.

Slipped through the net

Now let me prepare you for what’s coming next. As teachers, you may come across learners who do not quite live up to the expectations you have of them or who had unrealistic expectations in the first place. It is not unknown, for example, for a qualification such as a B2 first Cambridge Assessment English exam to be required by some organisations for their employees. Ordinarily, this is a wonderful way for businesses to promote the development of learning and career development for employees who must often undergo preparation courses. Preparing for any exams should not be taken too lightly. Learning should always be enjoyable, but with exam training there must be an element of pressure. In one case, two students underestimated the level of intensity preparing for this very exam and quit their course after each completing only five 2-hour lessons. The frequency was at best once a week or even two and, at worst, twice a week. The teacher, a qualified Cambridge speaking examiner who was praised for being well- organised and structured, happily made the two-hour journey to work in-company.

Now is the time to start reading

Although the intermediate evaluation for one student noted that passing listening and speaking at this stage was possible, improving writing skills was key (i.e. linking words and paragraphs) and the score of the reading and use of English mock would be forthcoming; doing this practice test was part of homework set in the previous lesson. A tip for how to bridge the gap was to write proper notes during lessons, which was a problem for this young professional. During one lesson when the present perfect had been demonstrated, a couple of clear examples in context were given and put on the board, however, it was noted, were not written down by the student. This person struggles with grammar and needed as much help and practice as possible to get the gist of this challenging grammatical tense, which, it should be mentioned, does not exist in the student’s L1. Further, purchasing a grammar book had been suggested to both ladies, and initially it seemed, it would be bought, but, alas, the advice was ignored. Secondly, the course and ultimately the exam should be made more of a priority by her. At B2 level, 45 hours self-study had been recommended, which equated to 3 hours homework per week. Apparently, social commitments took up valuable study time and there did not seem to be any regret for wasting opportunities. Thirdly, a lack of reading and exposure to English outside lessons showed that advice and recommendations shared in the first lesson was not taken seriously at all.

Didn’t cut the mustard

Fast forward to the denouement, where both individuals quit. The news was passed on tactfully by the client, and, although regrettable, it still left a sour taste in the mouth. As it transpired, the teacher was not blamed for the short-lived nature of these two courses but praised for his professionalism, teaching ability and clear and timely messages, while the two learners were seen to have over-reacted. Comments on student evaluations had included the following revelations: it had not been expected that the L1 would not be used in the lessons (NB: it had not been forbidden, though maximum exposure to the L1 was encouraged), and 2 hours speaking in the L2 was considered too intense. In hindsight, communication was inadequate from the course participants as no comments were made face-to-face during the 10 hours which could have helped to solve any issues despite a flexible attitude from the teacher, which included having a course outline that could be changed after reasonable discussion, any work could be checked at the beginning of lessons during the homework stage such as emails and reports and the possibility was offered of practicing giving a presentation if called for by the employer with only a week’s notice needing to be given. Despite the disappointing outcome, if they do manage to start up again with somebody else, then the best of luck to them with the exam.