- This topic has 147 replies, 143 voices, and was last updated 2 days, 16 hours ago by
.
-
Posts
-
The Inlingua teaching material and resources can be effectively used to teach private 1 on 1 lesson as well. There are so many useful visual and audio material as well as numerous activities, discussion topics and useful content. The usual presentation, practice and production stages of the lesson will however be affected by this setting, as there won’t be any group discussion, working in pairs or weaving. The trainer can still perform the presentation stage using ask me questions, long and short answers, creating context, feeding opposites and synonyms, presenting timelines, asking ‘wh’ questions, using local examples and negative build-up. Specially during this feeding stage, the lesson will not look much different from a group session. The trainer can still use miming, visuals, lead in questions and ask the learner to brainstorm their ideas during the eliciting stage. From the practice stage onwards though the lesson will look more different to a group lesson as there can be no weaving or chaining technique used. The trainer will have to be become the person who asks the questions or answers when it’s the leaner’s time to ask the question, increasing the TTT. However, overall, the learner will get more talking opportunity compared to a group session as the attention will be focused on them and there will be more turns for them to speak. Finally, during the production stage, there can’t be any pair work or group discussion. However, the trainer can still use the cue cards to perform the practice exercise and reduce their TTT. Additionally, they can use the role play technique, but will have to be part of that role play themselves. Talking points and questionnaires can still be directed at the learner, and visuals and realia can be utilised in this part.
Even though TRPs are meant to be used to teach English to small classes, they can surely be used to one to one lessons too. I will talk about this by taking into consideration the 3 passages of a lesson: presentation, practice and production.
During the presentation stage I think adaptation is quite easy to reach, bacause it’s true that it is learner-centred, but it’s always something a person can do on its own. There will surely be less ideas, but the learner can do it anyway. The teacher coul lead the learner a bit. The moment in which we have to elicit vocabulary is harder to adapt, because there is nobody helping the person who doesn’ t know the word or the expression, so either the TTT raises because the teacher has to lead the student through thinking, or we have to surrender and feed vocabulary.
Practice stage is the most difficult stage to adapt, among our three stages. The learner does not have the possibility to weave, to chain, no pairwork is possible unless the learner works with the student, but also in this case our TTT sensitively raises. The teacher doesn’t have the possibility to do choral repetition either. In this case the teacher can maybe increase the number of examples and make the learner make some example himself, in order to be sure he understands and take TTT as low as possible, in order to maintain a learner-centred lesson. I do not see any problems in adapting activities such as reading, listening, questions answering. Maybe we can replace a discussion by (e.g.) making the learner write a list of pros and cons about the topic he is dealing with during the lesson, or by making him take both sides of a discussion and motivate them, which could also bring to the production stage actually.
At this stage the trainer could give the learner some minutes to think about a topic linked to the TL he is dealing with and at the end of the time given he could talk freely about that, rather than having a conversation with a peer. The trainer could also take part in the conversation and make the learner talk freely with him. In a one to one lesson the trainer does not have the chance to exploit presentation, nor discussion as he is supposed to, but he can turn them in presentations or written assignments.
A trainer has also to consider that a one to one lesson needs more material to be taught than a class lesson, because just one person certainly has less doubts to clarify and puts in the lesson a smaller number of ideas to discuss about. This is certainly another thing to consider during a lesson adaptation.All the TRPs can be used to teach in a one to one lesson.
The trainer can use the visual and realia, or the cue cards, he uses normally in any group lesson but he, or she of course, has to make some adjustement working with his lonely learner. The most important thing he must do, is to well prepare the lesson in advance. This is due because with a group, the use of the cue cards has got a way to be used that, once acquired, it is always the same and the group works together without the trainer active participation.
Actually, this is not possible in a one to one lesson, where the trainer is the second member of the work. So, he has to remodulate the cue cards he intends to use for those specific structures, form or vocabulay, he had in mind to teach to his learner.
For example, if the trainer is going to teach the way to ask and give personal informations, he can for sure handles “Identity cards” but avoiding to have one of the students going around the classroom asking questions to the others.
The trainer is the “others” and he has to keep this well in mind giving his support while, at the same time, he has to keeps the TTT low and the LTT hight.
The trainer may use other instruments like role play and simulation or questionnaires.
Doing that he can take advantage of some techiniques like “ask me questions”, “negative build up” or “talking points”, always having regard to keep is TTT as low as he could.
He could also trys to lounch a weave with his learner just giving him, or her, only the starting point to speak.Inlingua TRPs can be adapted to one-to-one lessons easily; only some techniques such as pairwork and groupwork, weaving, chaining cannot be used in one-to-one session. Eliciting can be adapted to one-to-one lesson; the trainer can use mime, gestures, visuals, realia, and cue cards to help the learner elicit the meaning, new words or phrases. Warm-up section can be adapted to one-to-one lesson easily; the trainer can have the learner talk about the target topic through starting an interesting discussion; however, the trainer should keep teacher talking time low. Reading and listening exercises can be adapted to one-to-one lesson; for example, in a reading exercise, the trainer can have the learner first read the title to create interest, and to give the learner a reason for reading the text. Then the trainer can have the learner read the first paragraph for general understanding, to check the learner’s understanding, then the trainer can ask some concept questions to have the learner talk. The questions related to the reading exercise can be discussed by the learner. The same applies to the listening exercise. Listening exercise can be adapted to one-to-one lesson as well; the learner can practice listening. And after the listening exercise, the trainer can ask some short questions to have the learner talk. It is important to note again that the trainer should keep trainer talking time low.
We all know that TRPs are meant for groups or even small groups, however, I do think it’s possible to adapt them to one-to-one classes. It is definitely a challenging task but it is absolutely achievable. I believe that the key into adapting the TRP into ANY class is a very well understanding of the phases of the lesson and the method. For instance, when it comes to presentation, I believe it’s easier to adapt the lesson since it’s the phase in which the trainer starts leading the student into the topic and we usually do this in a fairly simple way so this is like a very controllable part of the class and we as trainers we get to set the difficulty from the very beginning. Now, when it comes to feeding and eliciting can be a bit harder because the student is on its own and there are no peers to brainstorm or help him think about the concepts, here we have to be very careful so we don’t end up talking too much or more than the student. When we talk about practice it may be even harder since we cannot simply go with the infallible technique of weaving not even pair work, however, there are other useful tools we can still use and adapt really well in this phase. We could use more examples or simply yes/no questions or even lead-in questions, luckily in this part we can use activities like listening or reading that can easily be done with just one student. Now, when we move into the production stage it becomes fairly easy, since in this part we usually let the students discuss in a more free or even completely free. So, depending on the level we could use the tools given by the TRP like Resource Sheets or communication activities, to get the student talking, also we could ask them about some personal experiences and it should be not that hard to get them talking.
The inlingua TRPs can easily be adapted to accommodate teaching one-to-one learners by using most of the techniques for feeding and eliciting the target language in the Presentation Stage, and by selecting techniques which do not require working with other learners during the Practice and Production Stages. For example, in the Presentation Stage, the trainer can use Yes/no and WH-questions, set the context, use local examples, synonyms and antonyms, timelines, negative build-up techniques and elicit long and short answers. One feeding technique which would be increased would be the ask-me questions. The eliciting techniques of mime, brainstorming, visuals and realia and lead-in questions can easily be used with one learner. During the Practice Stage, where the focus is on learning to use the target language accurately, weaving can be conducted but, of course, only between the trainer and the learner. The completion weave, transformative weave, contrasting weave, the questions and answers weave and the statement/response weave can all be used for controlled and then freer practice. The trainer would need to provide the necessary words/phrases for substitution although the learner could be given a list of word/phrases to weave or think of their own examples. The 3-learner-weave, chaining and choral repetition cannot take place although individual repetition can. During the Production Stage, visuals and realia, questionnaires, talking points, communicative activities, and cue cards can all be used to help the learner use the language to build up fluency. It may be suitable to use role plays and simulations where the learner takes over the majority of the talking time. Find somebody who activities and pair and group work with students cannot be done although pair work with the trainer can be achieved. The reading and listening activities enable the learner to see the written word and listen to the language as well as engage in more speaking.
One of the most important factors that need to be considered when dealing with one-to-one learners at inlingua is to ensure that the learner does most of the talking. The reading and listening activities provide numerous opportunities for a single learner to learn and consolidated vocabulary and practice and produce the target language through responding to the questions, summarizing ideas, and giving their or other people’s opinions on the topics etc. Other factors include being aware that the pace of the lesson may be determined by the learner. A further point is that in one-to-one teaching sessions, the trainer and learner may become friendly, or possibly dislike one another! It is necessary to keep the relationship friendly but professional. Each lesson should have clear goals and these need to be communicated to the learner.
In order to keep TTT low in a one-to-one lesson, the trainer should give the learner the chance to practice and produce the language throughout the lesson. Having one-to-one lessons usually provides the learner with more opportunities to talk and gain individual feedback.
The inlingua TRPs could easily be adapted to acommodate one-to-one learners. Starting with the warm-up session, the process of intorudcing the new topic and asking the questions to get the learner interested and engaged in the lesson would not have to change much. The presentation stage would not need much modification either. The only challange would be keeping the TTT lower. The trainer would have to use lead-in questions rather than brainstorming. The most challenging part is definitely the practice stage because weaving is more practical when it is carried out with groups. There is no room for chaining or choral repetition either. However, the trainer can obviously take the role of a learner in order to help one-to-one learners during the weaving stage. The part where production takes place is the one that would need more modification than the others because group work and pairwork are the backbone of this stage. One-to-one learners should get used to doing activities on their own with the help of the trainer. The trainer should also think of ways of incorporating games that would not need a group to be played to make the lessons fun.
According to the fact that we usually see group lessons in inlingua centres, the TRPs are mostly made for group lessons. However, sometimes conducting one-to-one lesson can be demanded. To my mind, the TRPs can be easily adapted into one-to-one lessons. Despite the fact that having the learners brainstorm is one of the useful ways to get various ideas from the learners and it triggers the learners to give more ideas about the topic, during the one to one lesson it could work not so well because there will only be the ideas of one person. In eliciting and feeding part the same problem can be seen. In this case the trainer could be the one to help but by doing this TTT raises. Obviously, there will not be pair works or groupworks but still the trainer can be the part of the work in order to make the lesson more interesting. Weaving part could not occur due to the lack of learners.
How can the inlingua TRPs be adapted to accommodate one-to-one learners?
Although Teacher Resource Packs have been designed for small classes they can be adapted to accommodate one-to-one learners. This really depends on the techniques and methods that the trainer uses. For example, if a standard weaving can be used in a group of 3 learners, the trainer can create an imaginary person by using a picture or have the learner to call an imaginary friend to feed the target structure.
Timing really matters when adapting the lessons. All the learners should be given the same amount of time to practice the language, the learners hear the target language more than once so it is a good practice for them. However in one-to-one lessons only one learner is in the center so the learner doesn’t hear the target language until his/her turn comes. That is why, they might need more practice exercises before stepping into production.
Let’s examine all the stages of an Inlingua lesson one by one.
Presentation
Almost all the techniques of feeding and elicitation, except brainstorming can be used for both individual and group learner. Ask me questions, negative build-up, local examples, long and short answers, lead-in questions and etc.
Practice
Practice stage is the most difficult stage to adapt, among three stages. Because most activities such as chaining, weaving and choral repetition cannot be adapted for one-to-one learners. In this stage the trainer can introduce an imaginary person or be the person himself-herself. In order not to take the risk of TTT it is better to use an imaginary friend.
Production
Pair work or group work, “find someone-who” cannot be applied in one-to-one learners and communication activities would be limited. The trainer can prepare cue card, prompt cards and pictures beforehand. For example, the trainer may have the learner ask a question and they show the picture of an imaginary learner with a cue card.
Monologues can replace dialogues. The learner might be introduced some little articles with different ideas of different people. The learner may share his/her own opinion after delivering the ideas of other people. At the end she/he can ask the trainer about her/his opinion in order to practice question sentences. So, listening and reading activities might be used in order to fill the gap.
Error correction
As we don’t have peers in the class to conduct peer correction, the trainer has to think of other techniques such as asking questions in order to decrease TTT. For example, she can use “OR Question”, (careful not to supply the correct answer), gestures and mimes.Inlingua TRPs can be easily adapted to suit 1-1 lessons.
Of course, some stages will be different or modified. The presentation stage will remain the same, but the practice and production stages will surely be affected by the absence of a group.
As for the presentation, the trainer will be able to carry out some brainstorming (even if the potential of this activity would be fully expressed in a group class), miming, lead-in questions as well as use visuals and realia.
As far as the practice stage is concerned, of course there is no place for choral repetition or chaining, for instance. Weaving can be done by having the student ask a question to an ‘imaginary friend’ and then asking the student to put on the friend’s hat and say what he/she would say.
Also, the question and answer technique and statement / response could be used with an individual student, in this case the teacher would take the place of the classmate, although this increases TTT.
During the production stage there is actually more time for the learner to speak compared to a group lesson, especially if the group is large. It is also true that during this section TTT increases due to the trainer taking part in the communicative activities. What is essential here is to try and limit TTT as much as possible, while posing motivating and stimulating questions to the learner in order to prompt them to speak.
The trainer can use all sorts of materials from the back of the inlingua books (communication activities, extra practice, etc.) and Resource Sheets from the TRPs, Talking Points, cue cards, visuals, questionnaires and role plays.This question is not easy to answer due to the several factors it comprises. First of all, it always depends on the type of course and level to be taught. You always have to review the techniques available. Let’s check first the APP programs. Levels 1 and 2 are challenging similarly, if we check the three stages of an inlingua lesson, we will find different challenges for each one. During the presentation stage, it’s not that difficult: the objective is to elicit and feed vocabulary then it does not pose a big problem, the trainer can focus on the one-to-one learner and approach the same way, obviously without the brainstorming session, anyway, here, understanding is the main objective so, as long as the student understands the target language, it would be a success.
The practice stage is a lot more challenging because one of the best techniques has to be adapted. That is the so-called ‘weaving’, which can not be managed the way it has to be managed and it would look more like a ‘questions and answers’ round than a ‘weaving’, let alone the trainer becomes the guide and the peer. Nevertheless, the trainer must always follow the instructions for the weaving box, in order to achieve accuracy, that way, for instance, the learner can use fixed phrases in the context of a given scenario, answering and asking the right way, either it’s a word, a phrase or a correct verb tense. On the one hand, the trainer has complete control of the outcome due to the attention paid to the one-to-one student, it is also more consistent, and accuracy can have a higher rate. On the other hand, the student neither can analyze other people’s rights and wrongs nor experiment with peers.
Lastly, the production stage is easier to manage: the trainer pays full attention to the learner, and the learner can work freely with different roles: for example, in a role play, he/she can be the customer and the salesperson.
For levels 3, 4, and 5, one-to-one lessons are a lot easier, I dare to say, even more adequate. For these levels, students already have a vast knowledge and understanding of the structures of the language. They are freer to discuss and to have deep conversations, steered by the trainer. All three stages are easier to manage: eliciting and feeding are done the same way, ‘weaving’ is no longer needed, so instead of it we use questions, and the practice stage is more organic, just by raising issues to let the learner experiment with the language.The TRPs can be easily adapted to suit 1-1 lessons, with of course some obvious changes.
Some stages will have to be modified or different altogether. The presentation stage can be the same, but the practice and production stages will certainly be affected by the obvious lack of a group.
Presentation, the teacher can use some brainstorming, miming, lead-in questions as well as use visuals and realia. This is not really affected by the amount of people, save brainstorming.Practice, there won’t be much repetition and certainly no chaining. Weaving CAN be done by having the student ask a question to someone we invented, or simulating a situation. To play a bit and then asking the student to put themselves on the ‘friend’s’ shoes and say what he/she would say.
Also, the statement / response could be useful in 1-1, in this case the teacher would take the place of the classmate, although this increases TTT, but the technique and results are still as valid.
Production. There is actually more time for the learner to speak compared to a group lesson, especially in big groups. While it’s essential here to try and limit TTT as much as possible, it will be more difficult than in groups, and we can still use this to make the key questions and make the student elaborate properly, by posing motivating and stimulating questions to the learner in order to prompt them to speak.
The teacher can use all the materials from the inlingua books (Talking Points, cue cards, visuals, questionnaires and role plays, communication activities, extra practice, and Resource Sheets from the TRPs, etc)In my opinion, all resource packages can be adapted to one-to-one classes, if the appropriate modifications are made, adapting them correctly, to achieve the target language. It should also be taken into account that the activities that are normally carried out in pairs or groups, in this case, will be different as it’s a one-to-one.
You can use visuals and realia, the Qs, cue cards, mime … But, for this, the trainer always has to organize and plan the classes in advance, since surely the part of the presentation will be very similar, but the part practice and production will be quite different. Unlike what I have read in some comments from my colleagues, I consider that brainstorming can also be done in a one to one, possibly the same amount of ideas are not produced as if it is done in groups, but it’ss totally feasible anyway. .Even though the TRP’s are mainly created for groups, the general skeleton of learning with the Inlingua methods is learning through speech.
Keeping in mind the 3p’s may not work as well, it can be slightly tweaked. Instead of weaving, pair-work, group work, I could still use the presentation stage with a lot of ‘ask me’ questions, hand gestures, timelines, and asking ‘why’ questions, still keeping TTT as minimal as possible. I could use in the practice stage more ‘ask me’ questions and using resourceful material, like cue cards, and realia; however TTT will need to increase slightly at this stage, the learner will still have more of a chance to practice their fluency.
In the production stage, i could use a serious of role plays, that can help the learner put the words or target language more in to context for them.
There are also so many useful visual and audio material, to help accompany each element of the lesson. I think one on one lesson come with its own set of positives as overall, learners will get more talking opportunity compared to a group session. Finally, during the production stage, there can’t be any pair work or group discussion.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
