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TDC 3 - CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK AND EFFECTIVE LEARNING

CASA THOMAS JEFFERSON

TDC 3 – PRINCIPLES OF LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING

TEACHER: LUELI CERUTI

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CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK AND EFFECTIVE LEARNING

On November 11^th, 2013, I observed an adult group consisting of 10 students learning English as a foreign language in the basic level. My objective was to take notes on which types of corrective feedback were used during the class. After all, some types of feedback lead to more uptake on the part of the student while others lead to no uptake at all. However, before I start analyzing the class, there is one thing which must be pointed out. These students have just started learning the language. In cases like this, it is essential that the teacher create a friendly environment in the classroom to foster learning. And the teacher of this particular group definitely achieved that. All the students participated and were eager to learn, which paves the way to successful language learning. Also, it is important to remember that the production of the students is very controlled, since they master very few structures at this point. This being the case, it is totally acceptable that there were more display questions than genuine questions during the class.

EFL classrooms are instructional language learning settings. The focus is on the language itself, rather than on the messages carried by the language. This class was no different and the general goal of the lesson was verbs with opposite meanings. That being said, although they were dealing with verbs, they focused on the meaning of the verbs. Therefore, what I saw was an overall communication-based focus of instruction. Moreover, there was also an activity with a song (Don’t Worry, Be Happy, by Bobby McFerrin), in which the teacher used authentic material to elicit meaning from the students. This made the whole class experience more meaningful for the students.

There are many types of corrective feedback, each with its own appropriate uses. According to research on the topic, some types of feedback are more effective than others in the classroom setting. The types of corrective feedback that I observed during the lesson were varied. The teacher did not use recasts or explicit correction at all, which is a good thing in my opinion. Recasts lead to no uptake, while explicit correction might put the student under the spotlight in front of his peers, creating anxiety and hindering learning. On the other hand, there were plenty of clarification requests and elicitations, as well as repetition and metalinguistic feedback. These types of feedback generate high levels of uptake by students. As the class was taught in a school which follows the communicative approach, all the activities developed during the lesson were student-centered. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the type of corrective feedback that was mostly used during the class was elicitation, which generates a 100% uptake by students. All in all, it was a very effective class in terms of student uptake. The teacher did an outstanding job.

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The big question that comes to mind, however, is when to use corrective feedback in classrooms.  Too much feedback can be overwhelming and learners may see their performance as a failure, thus injuring their self-image and confidence. On the other hand, little feedback may help students improve in a few areas such as fluency, but it may be harmful to students' progress in the long run. At the end of the day, the goal is to find balance between giving too much or too little corrective feedback. Stay on the lookout for that teachable moment. Make sure you know your students well so you can be ready when the moment presents itself. Also, vary your types of feedback so students with different learning abilities can benefit from them equally. Unfortunately, there is no perfect recipe that works in all classrooms. Each teacher must adapt his classes, activities, and types of corrective feedback to his own students. Remember this: teachers are the pawns in this game of chess. The key players here are the students. The ultimate goal in any classroom, after all, is that learning takes place.

TDC 3 - Second Language Learning - How And When Should Grammar Be Taught?

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Grammar is a controversial topic when it comes to teaching a foreign language. For one thing, very few people truly enjoy studying grammar, even in their own native language. Since it’s full of rules and exceptions, it may raise havoc in the minds of those who attempt to conquer that territory. Those who know the grammar of their native language well seem to sail smoothly when learning a new language. On the other hand, students who haven’t mastered their first-language grammar might have a much more turbulent ride. Whether this happens because of factors such as students’ cognitive development, age, personality, motivation, or learner beliefs, it is the teacher’s job to create a peaceful learning environment with varied instructional activities so that learners with different abilities and learning characteristics can be successful in learning a second language.

There are many questions involving grammar teaching. What is the best way to teach it? Should it be descriptive or prescriptive? Should teachers approach it inductively or deductively? When should it be taught? Well, the answer to all of those questions is “it depends.” “On what?” you might ask. It totally depends on your students’ preferences. Teachers had better find out what they are if they wish to have a bloodless environment in the classroom. In my twenty-odd years as a foreign language teacher, I have noticed that adult learners prefer a more direct approach to learning grammar. They want to know the rules and they want to do lots of exercises to internalize a new grammar point. Younger learners, on the other hand, would much rather use the new grammar informally and just communicate. Could it be because adults are more developed cognitively and they understand the mechanics of the language? Is it a question of motivation? Is it because of their age? It doesn’t really matter why. The goal is to facilitate learning. So, forget what you would like or what you believe is better for your students. Take the time to find out what they like. It can easily be done in the first few weeks of classes. Pay attention to their reactions when doing a specific type of activity. Analyze their body language. Students will indirectly let you know what they prefer.

And this brings us to the most important question. When should we teach grammar? Being a believer of the communicative approach, and having studied the learning cycle of the brain, I find that a teacher must not start teaching a grammar point directly. It will create anxiety and learning will be hindered. There should be some kind of input for the learners first, be it a video, a dialog, or a conversation topic. Let the learners sink it in and reflect. Only then should the teacher introduce the topic for students to test their hypotheses through exercises and oral production. Let’s use the natural relationship between brain structure and learning to our advantage.

To make a long story short, learning a foreign language can be problematic and grammar usually plays a huge role in this scenario. In a classroom with students who have different learner characteristics and who will react differently to the same learning conditions, the teacher can easily find himself in a bind. The key to reduce anxiety and foster learning is to vary activities in the classroom. This way, learners with different abilities and preferences may achieve success in learning the new language. And who knows? If tension and negativity can be minimized, teaching and studying grammar might even become an enjoyable experience for both teachers and learners alike.