teaching one-to-one: advantages, expectations and challenges - disal

Teaching one-to-one: advantages, expectations

and challengesBruna CaltabianoDisal – São Paulo, BrazilJuly 18, 2014.

Find someone who...

What are the advantages of one-to-one for the student?And for the teacher?

- Natural flow of communication

- Getting to know the students better and understand their language needs

- Monitoring students more closely

- Personalizing materials

- Tailoring lessons

- Relaxed and informal environment

- Positive personal relationship with the teacher

- Immediate feedback- Relevant topics and

materials- Studying at own level

and pace

(Wisniewska, 2010)

What are the challengesfor the student?

And for the teacher?

- Constant participation- Less variety of interaction- Self-consciousness of his/her own mistakes- Different expectations- Irregular intervals- Impossibility to compare the progress with other students

- Materials can be covered more quickly- Difficulty in providing variety- Pressure to teach according to student’s expectations- Cancellations at short notice- No access to the materials you need- ‘Solitary’ job- Interactivity with the same person for

some time (Wisniewska, 2010)

UNDER PRESSURE

HIGHLY MOTIVATED

‘LEARNING PROBLEMS’

INTROVERT

DEMANDINGANXIOUS

(Wilberg, 1987)

The environmentThink of your last experience teaching one-to-one. Visualize the setting:

• The room• The furniture• The light• The background• Where you are sitting

Seating ArrangementsAdvantages & Disadvantages

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4

Teacher’s Roles teacher

friend conversation partner

observer and listener feedback provider

mentor and guide learner

(Wisniewska, 2010)

Conversation PartnerActivity: Getting to know you

(Adapted fromWisniewska, 2012)

08/23

(Adapted from Rinvolucri, 1984)

Observer and ListenerActivity: Grammar Auction

(Adapted fromWisniewska, 2012)

Mentor and guideActivity: Independent Learning Checklist

Speaking- Speak with customers from other countries- Speak with my American friends- Phone my teacher- Join an online learning community

Listening- Listen to the

BBC news on the radio

- Listen to songs in English

- Watch movies in English

Reading- Read online

news- Read a novel

Writing- Write emails to

my teacher- Write a learning

diary/blog- Write new words

in my vocabulary notebook

LearnerActivity : Famous entrepreneurs

(Adapted fromWisniewska, 2012)

Like me!My God,

not another workaholic!

Shall we get down to some

real work now?

You know I’m being extremely patient..

Now let me seduce you with my charm and personality..

You’re messing up my lesson

plan!

What a relief that’s

over!

Teacher’s Messages

(Wilberg, 1987)

Teacher’s concerns oWhy isn’t he more responsive?oWhy doesn’t she make more of an attempt?oWhy just sit there waiting for me to perform?oWhy can’t he show me more charm?oWhy doesn’t she show a bit more enthusiasm?

Why doesn’t the student live up to my demands and

expectations?

Aligning Expectations

• Main reasons for learning English• Necessity X Desire• Examples of materials• Topics • Importance of skills, grammar, functions

• Why should I use this material?• Is it relevant to my student’s goal?• Is it culturally appropriate?• What problems might come up?• Does the material provide opportunities for

supplementing and extending?

Choosing and Adapting Materials

• Planning• Personalization• Role reversal

• Modeling• Recycling• Supplementin

g

Adapting

From: In Company – Upper Intermediate, Macmillan

Feedback

• How often do you ask for feedback on your lessons? How?

• How often do you give feedback? How?

Bibliography• Wisniewska, Ingrid. Learning one-to-one.

Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 2010.

• Rinvolucri, Mario. Grammar Games. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1984.

• Wilberg, Peter. One to one: a teacher’s handbook. Language Teaching Publications: London, 1987

Websites• http://

eltnotebook.blogspot.com.br/2007/02/one-to-one-content-and-methodology.html

• http://busyteacher.org/3424-teaching-english-one-on-one-tips-and-tricks-for-a.html

• http://www.onestopenglish.com/business/teaching-approaches/teaching-one-to-one

• http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/teaching-one-one

bruna@caltabianoidiomas.com.br

caltabiano.idiomas

@caltabianoidio1

www.caltabianoidiomas.com.br