Approaches to Teach Reading

Language Experience Approach (LEA)

TSL 3106

Language Experience Approach (LEA)

1

•An approach to reading instruction based on activities and stories developed from personal experiences of the learner.

2

•The stories about personal experiences are written down by a teacher and read together until the learner associates the written form of the word with the spoken. TSL 3106

(Van Allen and

Halversen)

•“LEA to teaching reading and writing builds on the learner's own language and knowledge and is an effective way to encourage self expression and build awareness of the connections between oral and written language"

(Taylor)

•"LEA is a whole language approach that promotes reading and writing through the use of personal experiences and oral language"

Language Experience Approach (LEA)TSL 3106

Features of the Language Experience Approach

Materials are learner-

generated.

All communication skills--reading,

writing, listening, and speaking--are

integrated.

Difficulty of vocabulary and

grammar are determined by

the learners own language use.

Learning and teaching are personalized,

communicative, creative.

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Variations of the Language Experience Approach

• Basically, it is possible to distinguish between two main versions of LEA: the personal and the group experience (Taylor):

The personal experience

The group experience

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The personal experience• The most basic form of the LEA is the simple transcription of

an individual learner's personal experience.

• The teacher its with the learner so that the learner can see what is being written.

• The session begins with a conversation.

• Once a topic evolves, the learner gives an oral account of a personal experience related to that topic.

• The teacher may help the learner expand or focus the account by asking questions.

The personal experience

• This technique keeps the focus on the content rather than the form of what is written.

• Errors can be corrected later, during revising and editing stages of the writing process.

• The relationship between the teacher and learner should be well established before attempting the LEA, and

• the teacher should be supportive of what the learner has to say.

The Group Experience

• The experience may spring from an event the learners had participated in or from the topics the learners have in common

• Can be used in small groups, pairs or as a whole class activity.

• There are some steps involved when implementing the language experience approach into a class (Taylor).

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1

•Choosing the common experience

•Teacher cooperates with students to select an activity that can be discussed and consequently written down

2

•Discussing the experience

•Engages learners in a whole-class debate

3

•Composing the written account

•Cooperates together on developing a written account which should be visible to all learners

•Teacher does not correct the learners' mistakes since the focus is mainly on the students' ideas

4

•Reading the written account

•The teacher and the learners read it aloud focusing on key structures, vocabulary and pronunciation

5

•Expanding the experience

•Various follow-up activities can be performed.

•Mistakes are corrected and the text edited

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The Roles of the Language Teacher in a Class Using the LEA

Organizer: Organization skills of the teacher.

Prompter: The teacher encourages learners to participate

Resource: giving advice, translating when it is necessary

Tutor: "to model the writing and the thinking process aloud“ in LEA classes ("Leading from Behind").

Motivator: creating the right atmosphere for composing, generating the ideas, for stimulating students to make more effort in order to complete the LEA activities

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The Main Advantages of the

LEA

The LEA is an integrative approach.

The LEA enriches learners'

vocabulary.

The LEA can be used in mixed-ability classes.

The LEA can be adjusted for

learners of all levels.

The LEA takes advantage of cooperative

language learning.

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The Main Advantages of the

LEA

Students learn in less stressful

learning environment..

The LEA stimulates learners' self-

expression.

It increases students' motivation to learn the target language.

It helps learners to understand the connection between the written and

spoken form of the second language.

There are numerous possibilities how to

exploit the created text further.

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It brings together writing,

reading, art, and language.

It extends the learners'

creativity in storytelling

through writing.

It helps learners understand that what they think and say can be

written.

It is learner-centered and demonstrates

that the learners' thoughts and language are

valued.

It provides reading material that is predictable and

readable because it uses the learners' natural language.

Benefits of the Language Experience Approach:

Highly motivating

Boosts self esteem

Aids comprehension

Can be used to develop sight

vocabulary and comprehension

via cloze exercises.

It is enjoyable and allows the child and

his or her life to become known.

Benefits of the Language Experience Approach:

Insufficient participation of the

less proficient learners.

Limited error correction

The preparation for the LEA class may be very time-consuming.

The Major Disadvantages of the LEA

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