Let me ask a question to English language teachers: Have you ever put yourself in your students´ shoes to really feel what it is like to learn another language? Some of you may know the numbers from 1 to 10 in German and others may not. If you do, can you remember how long it took you to learn them? If you don´t, how long do you think it would take you to pick up the following? Eins; zwei; drei; vier; fünf; sechs; sieben; acht; neun; zehn. Let´s consider what is at stake here: spelling; pronunciation; memory strategies; the umlaut over the “u” in fünf; repetition to consolidate the vocabulary, etc. I would say you´d probably need at least 40 minutes in the first lesson if you had never seen these numbers before. Afterwards, various recycling activities would be needed in subsequent classes to really remember the vocabulary and be able to use it.
As a beginner student of another language, I really appreciate it when my teacher gives me ample practice to repeat the words after her. I also like to look at how she mouths the pronunciation of the words so I can visualize which positions my mouth and tongue should be in! As I am quite kinaesthetic, I feel I need to write down the words and have them in my notebook as a security blanket. Having silences in class is not a problem for me as it gives me precious time to think about and absorb the new words. Furthermore, being focused on the matter at hand (for example numbers) makes me feel like I am really learning. If we go on to another topic too soon, I feel like I haven´t had enough practice, and therefore do not feel confident to use the vocabulary. My teacher shows me videos on You Tube about the same subject and this motivates me to do something at home during the week before my next lesson.
The fact of the matter is that students have different ways of learning according to their learning style, strengths in multiple intelligences and motivation factors, among others. I believe that when it comes to beginner students, not only are these aspects important, but also basic techniques the teacher can use such as repetition, giving students time to practice, consolidate and produce the language and being supportive and patient.
I strongly recommend English language teachers to learn a completely different language to see just how it is to be in their students´ shoes. After all, nothing like a reality check!
