When students should ask for help

This piece is all about why timely questions matter on the part of learners to facilitate the learning process.

Ignorance is bliss

Teachers are trained to give clear, concise instructions which inform, instruct and give the learners the information they need in order to understand something such as verb tenses when looking at grammar, or, more generally, task setting before an activity. The key to success all round is timely communication from the learner to ensure that there are no misunderstandings and that the task in hand is crystal clear. Without this necessary intervention, the whole activity could potentially fail. The teacher is responsible for explaining and laying out how things work as best as he/ she can do so. However, this does not mean that the intended meaning is always understood by the learner. It could be that he/ she has preconceived ideas, has trouble concentrating or lost his/ her train of thought, for example. It may be useful for an example, when something is unfamiliar to learners. Even the method of learning may seem alien to some, i.e. guided practice vs controlled practice. In some cases, some students are not used to using their imagination or creativity, or even having the freedom to express themselves freely. This could be a cultural phenomenon or down to the culture of the institution where the learner had previously studied.

Safe learning environment

Creating a safe learning environment can only help. When students feel at ease around each other and their educator, and can make mistakes without being too self-conscious, then there is a good chance that these learners will be comfortable asking questions when they arise and will be forthcoming about doing so. Still, this does not guarantee they will. Even when there is a degree of trust and mutual understanding, it is human nature for learners to continue to have insecurities and have a fear of failure. It could be that they don’t wish to seem stupid or try to avoid confrontations, but this very human psychological misgiving can be unhelpful and destructive. By doing an activity wrong, they may miss out on much needed practice, and, perhaps even worse, they may feel like they have done something ignorantly, which may affect their self-confidence. Therefore, it is wise for teachers, however experienced, to be on the lookout for signs of confusion or hesitation in our learners, so you can help them to come out of their shell and speak their minds. Truth be told, if you don’t know what the problem is before it's too late (so before the activity is done not afterwards), then how can you help them? Consequently, one has to ask who the responsibility actually falls with to ensure that there are no misunderstandings. Perhaps it’s a two-way street. Nevertheless, in relation to autonomous learning, the onus very much lies with the student. Just like they should write notes, be curious and look words up plus do their homework; this falls in line with taking the initiative by taking the bull by the horns. The teacher may have to spring to action if all else fails and the pupils are needy, dependent, non autonomous, or in some cases, completely unfamiliar with a particular system. An example of this could be that in some parts of the world such as East Asia it is not common to speak your mind when language learning in the classroom.

Lord, give me strength ?

Teachers need nerves of steel and have to explain things over and over again. After a while, experienced teachers recognise typical questions before they get asked or halfway through. Through an unfathomable level of patience, waiting to hear what’s been heard umpteen times before and answering in a calm manner without any hint of irritation is a great virtue to have. Reminding students they are free to ask questions and you don’t bite may seem to work, but beware, there will always be shy, more introverted types who may be tougher nuts to crack and you may need to dig deeper in order to find out that something was misunderstood and why. Student psychology is an interesting area to explore. In the last lesson of an eleven-week business English course, one student recently admitted that one thing she most liked about the course was that everyone made mistakes, and she wasn’t the only one to make them. This comment resonated with other students and they all felt like they were in the same boat with this shared experience; they could identify with what had, collectively been unrealistic expectations, and, unconsciously, irrational fears they had had regarding performance and a lack of self-belief. Ultimately, they needed to get through the course, and along with their classmates, had to continuously make mistakes to feel they were in a safe learning environment and come out the other side.