Session 03: The Learner II

Question 1

Outline the Decomposition Process with its key terms

Answer 1

1. Decomposition (Process): breaking down complex language skills (e.g. writing, speaking) into smaller components like grammar, vocab, etc.
2. Interlanguage: dynamic, changing sub-system. Evolving, non-fixed ideas of all sorts of languages, huge at the beginning of learning a new language
3. Developmental stage: Stages of development everyone learning a language goes through
   4: Developmental sequence: Time variaton of the developmental stages; everyone has his own pace going trough these stages
4. Leaner variety: Individual variation, every learner is different

Question 2

Name the three approaches of the history of “learning”

Answer 2

1. Comenius: homogeneous school classes, blinding out diversity, huge classes
2. Herbat: “Verschiedenheit der Köpfe”, all learners are completely different, and pupils need to be adressed individually
3. Trapp: school can never be completely individual, focus on average learner (with some focus on individuality)

Question 3

Name the parameters for learning

Answer 3

-Intellegence
-Aptitude
-Personality
-Motivation
-Learner preference

Question 4

Name learning strategies

Answer 4

• Affective strategies: positive mind-set
• Social strategies: help understand other cultures
• Cognitive strategies: help to establish connections between new and already known information
• Metacognitive strategies: involve origanizing tasks or learning by finding resources, establishing a time scedule with goals
• Communicative strategies: e.g. guessing the meaning of unfamiliar words from the context

Question 5

Name conesquences for learning in the classroom

Answer 5

classroom= a group of individuals
outside factors: political agenda, ideological state, school ethos
inside factors: emotions, motivation, physical condition, social differences
-> teachers need to differentiate and try and form groups BUT this is not possible, the aim is to get as close as possible

Question 6

Give examples for what teachers can differentiate?

Answer 6

• content: what we teach
• process: how students come to understand
• product: how students demonstrate what they have learned
• affect: how students link thought and feeling
• learning environment: the way the classroom feels and functions

Question 7

To what can teachers respond to?

Answer 7

• readiness: current knowledge and skill level of students
• interests: what students enjoy learning about
• learning profile: a students preferred mode of learning

Question 8

What should teachers NOT do when it comes to differentiation?

Answer 8

• Asses mistakes differently based on different skills
• Varying difficulty of questions for certain students
• Grading differently

Question 9

What is the difference between external and internal differentiation?

Answer 9

External: depens on school organizational structures and education policy
-> putting learners into groups to get homogenous groups
-> but: these groups do not exist, so it does not solve the problem
Internal: open, flexible and dynamic and can be structured individually according to a learner group (e.g. offering a variation of learning options)
-> possible contexts of individualisation: quantity, quality, goals, contens, methods