3052. Teaching Is Risky Sometimes


 
I guess and assume that with my adult students I should let them choose between two possible ways of learning English and carrying out their activities for learning English.
Ultimately they’re the protagonists of their learning and acquiring English processes!
For example when I ask them to summarize a given text, I tell them they can either read their written summaries or say those summaries orally; this is, they can choose between either reading or speaking. My experience so far is interesting and positive.
Even at the next class I will tell them that when I let them choose between two possibilities what I want is to make them responsible of their learning process. I think we have to offer the chance of choice among several different ways of learning: in that way they become more aware that it’s them the ones who have to organize both their learning and acquiring English processes.
Even in teens’ case I would offer them several different ways of carrying out activities, sometimes at least. I would tell them they can choose because they’re the ones who should wish to learn and acquire English as a foreign language.
And when they tell me, one by one, what they’ve chosen, I would reply with a serious mode, so as to let them know I respect their (more or less) mature way of learning. Even so when they could choose and select modes that are simpler and easier – I then would also respect their ways of doing things!
All this is educative too. They can see I treat them in a serious way, and that’s educative, definitely. I treat them as mature people, and not as children, and they like it! My experience at treating kids in that way is pretty positive. / Photo from: YouTube How to repair a flat roof leak. This photo has to do with the one on the previous post: they show dangerous tasks, as it’s risky to give our students the chances of choice: that’s risky too but worthy anyway!

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