Since the late 1980s, second language researchers and cognitive scientists have investigated the role of strategies in learning a language. They agree that explicitly teaching language-learning strategies helps students learn a second language (Kormos 2017). In fact, learners who use learning strategies, such as monitoring and tracking how they learn, tend to succeed more at school than their classmates who do not use such strategies (2017). As a result, it is more important than ever for teachers to consider teaching learning strategies in their language classrooms.

This week, Teacher’s Corner explores teaching learning strategies to benefit language learners, both those with and without language learning difficulties. The strategy of self-regulation is particularly important; it refers to how involved a learner is in his or her own learning process (Kormos 2017). The activity presented here gives teachers a simple technique to teach self-regulated learning, which helps learners set their own goals, monitor their own progress, and evaluate their own outcomes. In this sense, learners are involved in their own learning processes and can utilize such learning strategies again in other language-learning contexts. Use this process for any assignment or activity that learners would do in class. The more they incorporate this type of strategy, the more comfortable they will become, and the more likely they will be to use it in the future.

LEVEL

Any level

GOALS

Students will be able to:

• Identify a language-learning goal
• Create a plan of action to meet the goal
• Monitor their progress in meeting the goal
• Evaluate their success in fulfilling their goal

MATERIALS

• 3 different colored markers for each student
• Large sheets of paper

PROCEDURES

This activity will be modeled using an assignment to write a 5-sentence paragraph that summarizes one’s morning routine (see Appendix A). However, any assignment or activity can be used with this process.

1. Preparing for the self-regulation activity
   
   1. Tell students that following this activity, they are going to write a paragraph using what they’ve learned about the standards of a good paragraph.
      
      1. Hand out the assignment description and tell students to read through the assignment individually.
      2. Have students turn to a partner and explain in their own words what the assignment asks them to do.
      3. Bring the class together and ask students to reiterate the steps of the lesson.
   2. Ask students to think about what they want to accomplish during this assignment.
      
      1. Have them turn back to their partners and discuss what possible goals they have.
      2. Ask students to share some of their ideas; the teacher writes some of these ideas on the board as examples.
      3. Explain that now students will write down two goals they have for this assignment and one personal writing goal. For example, “I will write a clear controlling idea”; “I will make sure to write five sentences that support my controlling idea”; “I will work hard to make sure each sentence has a subject and a verb.”
      4. Give students 5-10 minutes to come up with their goals. As they work, the teacher should walk around to check in with learners and discuss what they write.
2. Enacting a self-regulation strategy
   
   1. Give each student a large piece of paper and three different colored markers.
   2. Tell students to divide their paper into 3 columns and to write each column heading in a different color.
      
      1. Column 1 has the heading: goals
      2. Column 2 has the heading: plan
      3. Column 3 has the heading: evaluate
   3. Have students write their three goals (from Step 1) in the first column.
   4. Explain that now students must come up with a plan to meet their goals. To help them, ask them to consider the following questions as they develop their plans:
      
      1. How much time do I need to work on this activity?
      2. What should I do before I write?
      3. Where can I check or ask questions when I need help?
      4. How will I decide if every goal is met? When will I know I’m done?
      5. What do I need to do to meet my personal goal? What will I do to check that work?
   5. Give students time to work individually on an outline of a plan. Tell students to have a plan that follows an order or a checklist. For example, they could create a series of steps: “First, I will… Then, I will…” Or they could create a list of things they want to do that they can check off when completed.
      
      1. Some students might need more guidance. Give them specific suggestions. For example, suggest that they have a plan that has a specific number of tasks listed, or suggest they use prompts such as, “First, I will…”
      2. Teachers can move around the classroom and check in with students as they work on their outlines.
      3. After creating their outlines, students should write their plan in the second column.
   6. Self-regulation includes self-monitoring, so remind students that as they work on their assignment, they should follow their plan. This might mean they do any or all of the following:
      
      1. Once they complete a task listed on their outline, they cross it off the list.
      2. Students make notes on their plan explaining what they did and when.
   7. After students have finished their plan, they can move on to complete the assignment.
3. The final part of a self-regulation strategy
   
   1. When students have finished their assignments, but before they turn them in, have them evaluate their work according to their original goals.
      
      1. Tell students to take out their assignment and their chart.
      2. Post the following questions on the board and have students fill in Column 3 with the answers.
         1. 1. How does your final work compare to your original goals? Write two sentences explaining your answer.
            2. How useful was your plan? Which strategy worked best? Which strategy didn’t work?
            3. How would you change your plan for a similar assignment in the future?
            4. Where in this process were you most successful?
   2. Once students have finished this part of the activity, have them submit the assignment and chart. After the teacher has evaluated and returned the assignment and chart, review the whole process. Reviewing gives students another opportunity to reflect and consider how to support their own learning process in the future.

Reference

Kormos, Judit. The second language learning processes of students with specific learning difficulties. Routledge: New York, 2017.

APPENDIX A

Assignment: Writing Summaries of Morning Routines

Directions

Write a one-paragraph summary of your morning routine. The summary must follow these guidelines:

• Write 5-7 complete sentences.
• Include a topic and controlling idea in your first sentence. For example, your topic is your morning routine and your controlling idea is how you describe your morning routine. Is it busy? Is it slow? Is it always changing?
• The next 4-6 sentences should explain what you do in the morning. They should also show how your routine is an example of your controlling idea.
• Your final sentence should be a final thought explaining how you feel about your morning routine.

Format

• The first line should be indented.
• You should include a title.
• Your name should be written on the top left-hand side of the paper.

Universal Design is a concept from the field of architecture (TEAL 2017. The idea is that when buildings and their many components are well-designed, they are functional and accessible for people of all abilities. One of the most common examples of this concept are automatic doors. Doors that open automatically are designed to create an accessible entrance and exit for people with physical disabilities. However, everyone benefits from the convenience and ease of an automatic door, from people carrying their groceries in both hands to parents pushing strollers. In recent years, the field of education has borrowed this principle of universality and applied it to the classroom and learning. The idea and intent behind Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is to plan and use curricula that best serve all learners regardless of their abilities and backgrounds (TEAL 2017).

In this week’s Teacher’s Corner, teachers learn more about UDL and consider how its principles apply to the language-learning classroom. Be sure to return for next week’s Teacher’s Corner, when we follow up with a lesson plan and specific questions and adaptations necessary to implement UDL.

PRINCIPLES OF UDL

Many organizations and institutions have taken up the idea of using Universal Design in the education setting. These groups have provided foundational information for understanding the concept, and they share a number of principles for UDL and a variety of suggestions for implementing these principles. Using information from CAST, an educational research group, and the TEAL Center, a project of the U.S. Department of Education, we present a brief overview of the principles of UDL.

CAST (2018) summarizes the major principles of UDL, saying that educators should offer “multiple means for engagement, representation, and action and expression.” (Engagement addresses the why of learning, representation addresses the what of learning, and action and expression addresses the how of learning). In this sense, consider the following questions:

• Can learners engage with the material or activity in different ways?
• How is the content presented to learners? Are there multiple representations of content and input?
• Can learners act on what they’ve learned or express their understanding of what they’ve learned in a variety of ways?

In short, UDL asks educators to diversify how material is presented, how activities are conducted, and how students demonstrate their understanding in order to accommodate and support all learners regardless of abilities (TEAL 2017).

In addition, for each of these principles above, teachers should consider how they will include the aspects access, build, and internalize (CAST 2018). For example, within the principle of engagement, we consider the aspect of access: how do students access engagement? They might access it, for example, through having a choice in how they will work through the material: either alone or in groups. The next section offers more specific suggestions using the framework presented here.

IMPLEMENTATION FOR THE LANGUAGE CLASS

Teachers wondering how to implement UDL should recognize that the principles outlined above are in line with best practices in teaching and learning. Language teachers are already trained to consider the diversity among their learners and the many elements of English that will challenge a variety of learners. Here are some specific suggestions in terms of presentation and practice (TEAL 2017; CAST 2018).

Presentation

Presentation of language skills and content must come in multiple formats regardless of the target skill. For example, if a teacher plans to give a spoken summary of a reading text, best practices would recommend that the teacher also give students the summary in a written format. Here are a few more questions and suggestions regarding the presentation of material:

• Can learners get their input from other means? Can learners learn the material from other sources, such as distance learning, peers, or field experience?
• Are there multiple formats for learners to interact with the content? For example, do students have the opportunity to learn from a video, a podcast, or manipulatives?
• Repeat, summarize, and check understanding. For example, present the material using a summary and then review the presented material with a list.
• Highlight patterns, clarify information, and offer opportunities for inquiry.
• Has background knowledge and learner motivation been activated? For example, how can teachers use learners’ background knowledge to prepare and excite them about the activity?

In essence, teachers present content in multiple ways so that all learners have the best chance possible to understand the material. Success in understanding will then help students when practicing the material and lead to successful learning.

Practice

As with presentation, students need a variety of ways to engage and practice the target language skill. Learners must be able to show what they can do with the language in a way that best supports their abilities.

• How does the lesson incorporate opportunities for hands-on learning, role-plays, music, etc.?
• Can learners show their work and learning through multiple ways? For example, for those that excel at speaking, can they do a short presentation to a group while other learners show their understanding through a graphic organizer?
• How are language learning and learning strategies encouraged and developed?
• What opportunities are developed to encourage authentic practice and use of language?

Ultimately, consider the vast array of best practices in language learning and expand those further to incorporate the principles of UDL. These principles complement and add to language learning practices while supporting all learners in the language classroom.

References

CAST. The UDL Guidelines. Accessed August 31, 2018, http://udlguidelines.cast.org/.

TEAL Center. “TEAL Center. Fact Sheet No. 2: Fact Sheet: Universal Design for Learning.” LINCS. Last modified July 6, 2017, accessed October 15, 2018, https://lincs.ed.gov/state-resources/federal-initiatives/teal/guide/udl.

Teacher trainers are tasked with many responsibilities, but none cause as much stress for teachers and teacher trainers as evaluative observations. Teachers can feel intimidated by the presence of an observer in their classrooms, particularly if that observer is judging their teaching. Teacher trainers might feel uncomfortable in their role as an observer and with a position of some authority. At times, observations can feel awkward and insincere for everyone involved. What if there was a way to make observations relevant and empowering for both teachers and teacher trainers? One possibility is conducting an observation that ends with a robust discussion on language teaching strategies and techniques. In this Teacher’s Corner, the teacher observation is presented as a more collaborative and less intimidating opportunity for teachers and teacher trainers to review a lesson by discussing what actually occurred in the lesson and what variations and adaptations could be made in other situations.

OBSERVATION PREPARATION

Before an observation ever takes place, a lot of goodwill can be created simply by the teacher trainer talking with teachers about the observation process. To begin, the teacher trainer should explain the purpose and structure of the observation to any teachers who will get observed. The purpose of observations will vary depending on the teaching situation, but the structure of the observations can follow what is outlined in this article. As teacher trainers talk with teachers about the process, they should also encourage any and all questions teachers might have. It is important to that both the teacher trainer and teacher feel comfortable with the process and have a clear understanding of how the observation will proceed.

Schedule the observation by contacting the teacher and offering a few possible times and days that would work for the teacher and the students. Conducting an observation unannounced or without the agreement of the teacher can start the process off badly and defeat the goal of having a collaborative process. Once again, explain the process and outline of the observation and ask for questions.

The day before the observation, confirm the time with the teacher and ask if there is anything the teacher would like the trainer to know ahead of time. Plan to arrive to the class shortly before it starts. Greet the teacher and take a seat in a spot that is unobtrusive but still gives a clear view of the teacher and students. Leave it up to the teacher as to whether to explain the presence of the observer.

CONDUCTING THE OBSERVATIONAL OBSERVATION

In this type of observation, the observer logs, or records, the lesson as it happens. The observer writes down what the teacher and students do and discuss during the class. It is also good practice for the observer to first note some information about the class and the context. For example, the observer might sketch the layout of the classroom, write down the number of students, or note any other information pertinent to the observation. Once class starts, the observer begins by logging the first thing the teacher or students do upon the start of class.

Included in these purely observational notes, the observer might note any of the following:

• Details about any interactions between students or students and teachers
• Language the teacher uses to present information or give directions
• Descriptions of processes, such as group strategies or transitions between tasks
• Language used to make corrections and give feedback
• Use of the classroom space throughout lesson
• Teacher’s movements around the classroom
• Technology and tools used to deliver the lesson

Once the lesson ends, the observer should take some time to review his or her notes, make clarifications, or add observations that he or she made but did not have time to log during the lesson.

LESSON REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

Ideally, the lesson discussion and reflection should be done immediately after the lesson or within an hour. This way the lesson and what occurred are fresh in the mind. After organizing his or her notes, the observer should try to make a copy of the notes for the teacher to reference throughout the discussion. In preparation for the discussion, the teacher can take a few minutes to reflect on the lesson and write down responses to the following questions:

• What went well in class for you??
• What was difficult about class today for you?
• • What was normal about the lesson? (In the sense that something in class happens regularly and is a good example of a typical day in the class)
• What was unusual about the lesson?
• What two moments in the class would you like to discuss in greater detail?

Once the observer and teacher are prepared, they can begin to discuss the lesson. First, teachers and observers should go through the observation log, focusing only on reviewing the observable events of the class. Both the observer and teacher can make note of points they want to discuss as they review the lesson, but they should avoid making extra comments or giving opinions during this part of the process. Instead, they should focus on remembering the lesson as it progressed.

After reviewing the lesson, the observer can begin the reflection part of the discussion by asking the teacher for any reflective thoughts. The observer can encourage the teacher to review the notes he or she made on the lesson log and the answers to the questions he or she prepared earlier. After the teacher has had a chance to speak, the observer can begin discussing the aspects of the lesson that were important to both of them. For example, if something happened with a student during the class that required discipline, the observer and the teacher should talk through the moment. How was the teacher feeling? Has the teacher seen this before? How has it been handled in other classes? If the teacher were to have a similar incident occur, how would he or she handle it differently? The observer should be a part of this discussion rather than simply asking questions. In that respect, both the observer and teacher should talk about the lesson as it occurred and how things might go differently in another class, with a different group of students, or with a different level of learner. Reflective discussion can be a difficult skill for teachers and observers to master, but the whole process should be a collaborative reflection that encourages a conversation about best practices in language teaching. Both the observer and the teacher should ask questions and reflect on the questions asked. Other possible questions include the following:

• How can we present the same topic using different types of technology?
• What is the advantage of giving feedback to students as in this instance? If feedback was done differently, what might change on the part of the learners?
• The structure of the lesson started out like this… What additional techniques could be used for organizing this type of lesson?
• What other assessments can be used to achieve the same goal? What are the strengths about the assessment that was used?
• How are objectives usually communicated to students? In this class, how were the objectives communicated? What are other ideas for explaining the objectives?

Before concluding the discussion, the observer can take a few minutes to review some of what was discussed and to explain any next steps regarding the observation, such as if the observation will be part of the teacher’s professional development file. It is also good practice for both the teacher and observer to finalize the lesson log and write a summary of the reflective discussion to share with one another. This way, both the teacher and observer have a written record and an understanding of how the conversation was perceived by their colleague.

At the end of this discussion and reflection, observers should feel that they achieved their purpose and carried out a successful observation of a colleague. Teachers should leave the discussion feeling as though the lesson was objectively observed and that they had an opportunity to share their teaching knowledge and skills. Both the observer and the teacher should feel as though they had participated in a fruitful exchange of language teaching practices and strategies.

Although teachers spend much of their time working with students, it is very important that they connect with fellow teachers. These meetings and gatherings can be formal or informal and should give teachers time and space to discuss teaching challenges, student issues, content questions, and research on language teaching and learning. When teachers are given opportunities to talk with their colleagues, they can return to their classrooms feeling more energized and better informed. They also can feel comfortable knowing that they have a supportive group of colleagues who are experiencing similar highs and lows in their classrooms.

In this week’s Teacher’s Corner, teacher-trainers can learn about a simple way to bring teachers together while strengthening their language teaching knowledge. A monthly discussion group lets teachers read about new research in language teaching and discuss how that research might be adapted to their language classes. This week, we outline how to get a discussion group started, where to find content, and how to recruit and retain participants

DISCUSSION GROUP LOGISTICS

For some teachers and teacher-trainers, two of the biggest barriers to professional development are the time involved and the interest in the subject. Address the following issues before the first scheduled discussion group:

• Identify a time and day that is convenient for all or for most teachers at the school. Start by identifying times during the day when teachers are required to be at school but can use the time for different purposes. For example, if all teachers have an hour at the end of each school day, add this hour to your list of possible times.
• Contact teachers through e-mail and in person to get their feedback on a language teaching discussion group. Present the idea as a bi-monthly, monthly, or quarterly meeting when teachers read an article related to current research in language teaching then come together to discuss the article and how to move from research to practice. Remind teachers that participation is voluntary and that teachers can participate as time and interest permit. For example, some teachers might not be interested in every topic and shouldn’t feel compelled to attend every meeting. At the same time, encourage those who are not always interested to attend and share their unique perspectives.
• Offer teachers the opportunity to choose content. One option is for one person (someone new each time) to choose an article to read before the next meeting. Alternatively, teachers could vote on a set of topics that interest them. Then, the trainer could select the content to share with teachers before each meeting.
• Identify a location that is accessible to all interested teachers and that can accommodate a fluctuating number of participants.
• Offer small but appealing incentives to encourage participation. For example, hold the meeting over lunch time and suggest teachers bring their lunch, but provide a dessert. Offer coffee or tea at a late afternoon meeting. Also suggest that teachers can add their participation in this group to the professional development section of their résumés.

CHOOSING CONTENT

As previously mentioned, teachers can choose content each time, or teachers can create a list of topics and the trainer chooses content. Either way, teachers and trainers benefit from knowing about sites with free and open resources on language teaching and learning. Here’s a list of websites to get the selection process started.

• English Teaching Forum from American English is a quarterly journal that presents research, teaching ideas, and materials for teaching English.
• TESOL International Association offers several free online resources such as newsletters, bulletins, and blogs that present and discuss current research in the field.
• The Chronicle of Higher Education offers some free materials that discuss issues and research in higher education, including English language learning.
• The Center for Advanced Research in Language Acquisition from the University of Minnesota shares papers, conference materials, and resources related to language acquisition.
• Center for Applied Linguistics promotes, funds, and conducts research in applied linguistics and posts some research briefs as well as a number of links on their site.

CONDUCTING MEETINGS

Busy teachers are more likely to participate when meetings are engaging, relevant, and efficient. Try some of the following tips to make each discussion group successful.

• Offer an agenda. Let participants know how the discussion group will proceed and how much time will be spent discussing the research versus how much time will be spent brainstorming ways to apply the research to the classroom.
• At the beginning, offer a little background information on the topic to get participants thinking about the topic and the article they’ve read. Background information might include information about the researchers, the project, or the origin of the research.
• Prepare a few questions to initiate discussion. Teachers could even submit their own questions ahead of time or write them down on note cards to give to the trainer. This way, if the discussion starts to go off topic, the trainer has a way to steer the discussion back to the topic.
• Open the discussion up to the whole group by asking for reactions and thoughts on the reading. Encourage everyone to speak openly about their reactions. Explain that the discussion is intended to enrich their own thinking about the topic.
• When the conversation slows or the meeting is at the halfway point, begin to switch the focus of the discussion to how the research and its results could be used in the language classroom. What are the implications for teaching? For learners? How might this research inform lesson or curriculum design?
• Take notes throughout the discussion and spend the last two minutes reviewing what was discussed and the options for applying the research.

When language teachers and professionals take time to review current research in the field, they expand and add to their own language teaching and learning knowledge. By sharing their knowledge with colleagues, they further challenge themselves to think about who they are as teachers and how they can grow professionally.