Learner training with young learners

Learner training can be started with learners as young as 5 years old. This article includes learner training activities you could try with your young learners.

Involve the learners in planning the course

With older teenage learners, this can be particularly rewarding. Using a copy of the basic syllabus, the class look through the plan of units in the coursebook. (This can usually be found at the beginning of the book.) Anything on the syllabus and in the book we mark as 'compulsory'. Anything else we mark as 'we'd like to do if we have time' or 'definitely not'. This involves the learners in the decision-making process and takes away the feeling of slogging through the book for no particular reason.

Learner goals 

At the beginning of each term ask learners to make three resolutions about learning English. Try to make them realistic, achievable and specific. For example:

• I'm going to have a dictionary beside me when I'm writing.
• I'm going to do homework on time.
• I'm going to keep my vocabulary notebook up to date.

At the end of the term ask the learners if they managed to keep their resolutions.

Raising learners' awareness

Write the aims of the lesson on the board at the beginning of each class. Example:

• Animal quiz - to revise names of animals we studied last week.

When introducing the activity, as well as explaining what learners have to do, explain the reasoning behind it.

Ask learners to remind you of what they did in class today, and just as importantly, why they think they did it.

Get learners to keep a learner diary and at the end of each class give them five minutes to complete their diary with entries under these titles:

• Today I studied
• Today I learnt
• One thing I said very well in class today
• One mistake I made today 

Thinking about learning

• Ask learners to think about a time when they did something very well at school (it doesn't have to be in English, it could be winning a race) and ask them to tell the class.
• Ask questions to try and draw out why they were successful in that activity. As a class, try to draw up a list of points, habits, attitudes that lead to success. If you think your learners would prefer to write about it, ask them to do that.
• You could create a wall display together called 'Success in learning'.
• Prepare a set of questions for learners to answer.
  • Do you revise what you have learnt regularly?
  • Do you look over your vocabulary notebook?
  • Do you use a dictionary when you do homework?
  • Do you do your homework when watching television?
  • Do you participate in class?
  • Are you prepared to ask questions if you don't understand?
  • If you don't understand a word, do you forget it or try to work out its meaning?
• Learners can then discuss these questions in pairs or as a class.

Correction and assessment

Self-correction: Get learners to keep an 'X-FILE' of the mistakes they make in their written work with a corresponding correction. 

Example:

Check this from time to time and point out if they are repeating the same mistakes again and again.

Peer correction: Set learners some written work and after they have completed the first draft, ask them to work in pairs and see if they can spot any mistakes in their partner's work.

Self-assessment: If your school gives out learner reports, ask the learners to complete a copy of the report beforehand. Typical reports have categories such as: progress in listening; reading; writing; speaking; homework; participation in class. Compare their report with the one you have written and any differences can be discussed with the learner.

'Can do' statements: These are increasingly being used with primary learners. After completing a topic, the learners decide whether they can do certain things:

• Name six animals
• Count to 10

If the learner can successfully name six animals, they might tick the statement or draw a smiley face.

Organising learning

Experiment with various learning strategies: learners may need to be shown different learning strategies. For example, each term have a different way of recording class vocabulary:

• A vocabulary bag where students add new words each class. These words are tested over the next few classes and then discarded when they are learnt.
• A vocabulary wall where new words are attached.
• A vocabulary notebook. 

At the end of the year, ask learners which way was more successful for them.

Portfolios: These are a great way to help learners review what they have done over the term or year, organise and assess their work.

The learners choose a certain number of pieces of work they want included in the portfolio and this is the work that is then graded by the teacher.

At home: Show learners resources they could use to extend learning outside the classroom.

• If your school has a library or study centre you could incorporate a visit as part of the class.
• Create a classroom library. Ask each learner to buy a graded reader of the appropriate level and then the learners can swap books throughout the year.
• Give learners website addresses where they can practise English, for example LearnEnglish Kids

Coursebook: It's well worth looking at your coursebook. Many of these now have self-assessment or reflection activities at the end of each unit.

Conclusion

Many people believe that young learners aren't capable of taking responsibility for their own learning and that all responsibility should rest with the teacher, but by using a few of these ideas we can start the long but important process of developing learner autonomy and ultimately improving the effectiveness of their learning.