a learner-centred approach

8/18/2019 A Learner-centred Approach

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A learner-centredapproach

Part 1By Diachenko Tatiana


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learner-centred or learning-centred) approach?

I included some pair work in the lesson

They were alltalking anddoing things

I, the tdidn't

much asd


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However, …

I can be working in a group or apair - I can be talking and doing

things - and yet fnd that thesubject matter is o no interest

or releance to me, and I fndmysel doing things simply

because I hae been told to dothem!


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The phrase learner-centred suggeststhe learning is not just directed at thlearner, but in some way focused o

them, drawing its sense o direction them, maybe drawing its energy andpower rom them!


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Learner-centred teaching is a

haing trust in your students' abilities to learn atheir abilities to make decisions about what andto learn!

a greater degree o empathy with each indiidu

creating a political climate in which students camore autonomous within a class!


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Wh! do " want #! lessons tostudent-centred?

The more a person makes decisions orthemseles, the more motiated he or slikely to eel! The more a person is told w

do, and the less say he or she has in whhow and when, the less the person is likeeel interested or committed to the task


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$ull! learner-centred approach

"earners make their own autonodecisions about what to work on

to study and so on, perhaps takiaccount o guidance, adice orinormation rom the teacher!


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What aout the teacher?

The teacher#s role is not to orget allresponsibilities and sit back reading a news

There is a real need or e$pert acilitation si!e! to do those things that help people learwork autonomously, work together, listen bto each other and discuss and negotiatesuccessully!


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1 &tart s#all

Don#t jump in the deep end, o%ering huge decor students to make! &tart by o%ering ery smchoices in discrete points!

ould you like me to e$plain that again(

&hall I write that on the board(

The crucial point is that you go with what theydecide )rather than what you think best or th


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' er inar! choices

+ie limited or options to oer some decismaking power, but to constrain the choices

ould you like to work in pairs or groups o t

ould you like to hae fe minutes or ten mto do this task(

ould you like to write a story or do a gramme$ercise or homework(


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* Allow divided outco#es

There doesn#t always need to beagreement on decisions! I hal the cchooses one option and others choosomething di%erent, where possibleeach student to do what they chose


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+ "f !ou oer a choice, #ae itgenuine

Don#t o%er a choice i you are not abgo along with the outcome! I studenmake a decision that you don#t agre

with, swallow hard, make your iewsknown i you wish, and then go alontheir decision!


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.ae an! constraints asolutclear

I there are some things that are not discussa)e!g! the school re.uires you to use a certaincoursebook or do a certain e$am*, then makethat students understand that this is not neg

The interesting thing is to take creatie deciswithin those constraints )e!g! we hae to usebook !!! but how shall we use it(*!


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/ 0ont #ae a ig deal aoutchoices

Initially, don#t announce that you aretrying an e$periment or that you wanmake students more autonomous! /u

start doing it! /ust let students get usthe act that you are giing them chato say what they want a little more!


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2 3et students to notice that not ever!onethe sa#e viewpoint

hen you start o%ering choices, di%erenceopinion will .uickly appear! Don#t simply gothe frst to shout out! llow a number o st

to gie their iew! ctiely encourage .uiestudents and weaker ones to state what ththink! 0ncourage eeryone to get inoled


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4 Avoid wordings that i#pl! that the teacheso#eone who needs to e pleased

&tudents need to work or themseles anto be able to ealuate their own successeproblems! atch out or habitual instruct

such as 1hat I#d like you to do or me nothat imply that students are working or tteacher rather than or themseles!

5 3 d di i


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5 3et students discussing so#edecisions

hen you hae time, and the decseems worth discussing, get stud

to state why they think their decisis the best one, and try to persuaothers to change their minds!


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16 0e#onstrate that !ou are listening, uthave an opinion

2ou are also a member o the class and an important3eel ree to join in any discussion about what to do, swhat you think is the best path, but don#t orce themollow your suggestion! The class will be ery impres

you make your case strongly, they decide another rothen you are seen to ollow their choice without argu

This will send a powerul message about how you truand are willing to genuinely share your power!

7 it


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#a7orit!

2ou may eel that there is not time to discuss eery decision, and it may welltime well-spent i you did so! &o when you o%er a decision to students, the siis usually to go with the majority answer, 14ost students said that they wantethis !!! so let#s do that#! 5oweer, the minority may need to hae their oice hespecially i they seem to be re.uently oerruled! 6esere the right to go wit

choices at times, maybe by saying something Iike,1ell, we always do it that how about doing it this other way, or a change(#

1' A di t l t


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1' As dierent people to #aeach decision

s an alternatie to whole-class decision maksome decisions, ask an indiidual to decide! 3e$ample,

3or the ne$t task we could do the speaking e$e

on page 78 or listen to a song I#e brought in! hat shall we do(

4ake sure that you ask a range o people o

1* 0 t l t d i i i


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1* 0ont let decision-#aing georing

+et decision-making crisp and to the point! 2ou need tobalance between o%ering students a real decision and too long to reach the conclusion! &tudents will soon gethey fnd that they spend too long bumbling around, mdecisions that drag on too long! :nce the class has bee

trained in making decisions, aoid o%ering basic or poichoices! Don#t string things out too long! Don#t waste truitless fne points! Take appropriate teacher authoritydecide inconse.uential classroom-management decisio


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1+ 8estrain !ourself fro# eing the power,authorit!, the decider

"ook or opportunities where studentscould do something themseles that unow you hae habitually done on auto

pilot! &lowly, oer time, train yourselto automatically jump in to make decto order, to select, to organise!

1 er choices #ore often as


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1 er choices #ore often as go !

:er time, slowly increa

the number o choiceso%ered!

1/ er #ore open decisions a


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1/ er #ore open decisions ati#e goes on

4oe on rom binary decisions t

more open ones that allow a rao ideas and possibilities!


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12 er #ore i#portant decisi

&tart to o%er decisions that are amore crucial or longer-term issue

)e!g! whether to start a bigproject*!These will almost certainre.uire discussion!


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14 9rain !our learners in listening andnegotiating sills

;oint out when students don#t listen to ooer each other! 0ncourage them to statcases more clearly! Discourage any angr

dismissie comments! Teach students tosummarise all points and arguments andlook or balance and compromise!

15 9rain students to evaluate


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15 9rain students to evaluatethe#selves

+et students used to re


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'6 Hand over a ig decision and a strateg!deciding

hen you eel that your class is ready, gie themdecision )e!g! what project to do, which courseboochoose* to make on their own, but also lay down tmethod by which they will reach that decision! ra timed plan or them to ollow, e!g! brainstormingpossible projects, appointing adocates to consideand minus points or each one, selecting the decismaking method )e!g! majority ote*> and then pladiscussion meeting at which proposals are introduadocates, discussed and eentually a decision is


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'1 As ig :uestions

hen you eel that you and your class are ready

opening up the biggest .uestions or discussion

hat#s the point o learning 0nglish(

Is this the best way to study it(

hat other ways could we learn the language(

rgue your belies, but don#t eel that you need or guide them to correct or school-approed ans


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The end

a learner-centred approach

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