Professional development program “Shaping the way we

teach English”

Federico Arteaga C.
Centro Colombo Americano Manizales
2009
 Session goals

 To celebrate language.
 To explore different learning styles
present in large groups.
 To go over the categories seen in
Gardner’s multiple intelligences theory.
 To find and design activities usable to
diagnose the learning styles of our
students.
 A word on motivation: factors
(Stella Hurd)

 The demands of self-instruction.

 Shift of control from teacher to learner.
 Difficulty in coping with the materials.
 Assessing personal progress.
 Perceived inadequacy of feedback.
 Frustration at unresolved problems.
 Lack of opportunities to practise with
others and share experiences.
 How do you keep yourself
busy…
 … standing in line at the bank?
 … during a commercial break on TV?
 … while your students take a test?
 … before Sunday service begins?
 … on rainy afternoons at home?
 … while you listen to a story you
don’t want to hear?
 … right now?
What do your students do while
you speak?
 Draw? What?
 Talk? What about?
 Stay put? Do they fidget? Do they
stare at you?
 Play? With what?
 Do something different? What?
 Learning styles

“Learning styles are characteristic

cognitive, affective and physiological
behaviours that serve as relatively stable
indicators of how learners perceive,
interact with, and respond to the learning
environment (Keefe, 1979:4).”
 What affects our style
 Age.
 Gender.
 Personality traits.
 Cognitive ability.
 Cognitive development stage.
 Socio-economic status.
 Preferred learning styles and strengths.
 Educational background.
 Language proficiency level.
 Motivation.
 Something to read

http://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg
/1573
Things to consider and adapt

 Input using different types of language:

formal, informal, academic, social.
 Input with a wide variety of content
depending on the purpose of the activity:
1. Social needs.
2. Survival needs.
3. Academic needs.
 Different media of delivery.
Things to consider and adapt

 Using learning strategies at the macro

level (letting students know what they
will do and why) and at the micro level
(techniques for teaching certain
vocabulary items).
 The creation of procedures that allow
Students to take responsibility for their
own learning.
 Usage of different group sizes for
different tasks.
 They must have it really difficult…
Those who accept authority as the truth
Instead of truth as the authority.
-G.Massey ~Egyptolgist