ESL Teaching Techniques Adriana Margarita Herrera Fey

ESL Teaching Techniques Adriana Margarita Herrera Fey

Questions Session 4 Saturday, September 9th, 2017
1. What is considered a multi-level class?

It is referred to as a group of learners within a similar range of age who have varied
proficiency levels of English. This is to say that some are stronger in the language than
others, fact which is very challenging for the teacher. Language though, is not the only issue
that makes a class a multi-level one. Features such as learners’ educational background,
cultural expectations, learning styles, learners’ personalities, even their age, goals and so
on are part of the things that make the members of a group heterogeneous.
Given that instructors will rarely find a homogeneous group to teach, there are different
techniques that can be used to cater for these needs, being one of the most common ones
the planning of different lessons with different objectives for the different proficiency levels
in the class, while students work in groups at their own pace and abilities. This requires
much creativity from the teacher apart from being time consuming. Another technique is to
“teach to the middle” and then planning different, appropriate, leveled tasks depending on
the students.
A teacher must bear in mind that the activities should be challenging enough to engage
the learners, but not so difficult as to generate a feeling of frustration and surrender.
2. How do you make student's works individual and personal?
As mentioned in my request in “padlet”, this question is quite vague, but since I didn’t get an
answer, I gave it my own interpretation. This question may have to do with engaging learners
in the activities and subjects that we plan as teachers.
Personalization is a technique used by teachers to help achieve this goal, and it means
connecting learners’ experiences, ideas opinions, preferences and feelings with what goes
on in the class. It also allows them to communicate real information about themselves, thus
making learning more relevant and meaningful.
3. What is lack of authority?
It refers to when the teacher has lost or never gained the moral ability to control a group of
people for a particular area or activity. This may be due to several reasons, some of which
might include the following:
a) Poor communication, being unable to convey meanings and messages – This may
cause confusion when delivering instructions or giving explanations, making learners
feel anger, frustration apart from confusion.
b) Poor organization, which makes the teacher difficult to be followed and making students
struggle with the teacher’s requirements – This may also cause the same feelings of
confusion, anger and frustration.
c) Poor sense of humility and high sense of arrogance. This teacher may feel the students
feel dumb while being corrected or stating their point of view which in turn may cause
anger in them.
d) Poor qualifications, which make teachers vulnerable to more prepared students who
might question them maybe not to challenge them, but to clarify information which is now
confusing. It is evident for the students when the teacher does not master the topic. This
also includes the teacher who doesn’t read the learners’ homework and doesn’t give
feedback on their progress since students are expecting some kind of comment on
assignments that have taken time and effort to be done.
4. How do you make your students feel autonomous?
Learner autonomy refers to the idea of having the student shoulder the responsibility of
their own learning. It has to do with taking the initiative in identifying their own needs,
planning their own learning goals, being able to identify material resources for learning and
choosing the proper strategies to have positive outcomes in learning, all which in my
perspective are closely related to personality and commitment rather that to outer influencing
factors. Nevertheless, there are several ways to help students reach their autonomy, but it
is probably developing teacher autonomy the most important characteristic of an instructor
that will lead him/her to then, help the students be independent as well.
After becoming an autonomous teacher it is compulsory to find out more about the
learners. Once having more information, it is important to work on their motivation, help them
develop their learning strategies, building a sense of community, and helping them self-
monitor.

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ESL Teaching Techniques Adriana Margarita Herrera Fey

Questions Session 4 Saturday, September 9th, 2017

1. What is considered a multi-level class?

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