Minimizing Perceptual Mismatches

Laura BeechAubrey DevineKerry LitwinskiWhitney Rantz

“Please, when are we going to start the discussion?”

“What this anecdote tells us is that teachers and learners do not look at the same classroom event as a potential learning event. In other words, there can be, and often are, mismatches between teacher perceptions and learner perceptions of what is available to learn.”

What does ‘Mismatch’ mean to YOU?

Teacher Input vs. Learner Intake

Input: oral and written data of the target language to which learners are exposed through various sources, and recognized by them as useful and usable.

Intake: “What goes in and not what is available to go in,” aka, what actually goes in is determined by how learners perceive the usefulness of classroom events through which they are exposed to.

Learner Perceptions -Assia Slimani (1989)

• Focus on Uptake (Students’ report of their perception of what they learned after each of six lessons she observed)

• Learners learned several items that were different from what the teacher had planned for them.

• Students mentioned only 44 percent of explicit focus of lesson!

Main Idea of All Studies:

Each learner may interpret a classroom

activity differently!

Cognitive Mismatch

The difference between the teacher’s general knowledge and ability to process information versus the learner’s general knowledge and ability to process information.

• Student 1: In United States hmm…what’s apartments made of? Wood?

• Teacher 1: Wood.• Student 1: Wood? In United States…• Teacher 1: Uh…if…if you are building new apartments,

probably wood will be more expensive….uh…

Communication Mismatch

The learner does not have enough communication skills to express his/her point or opinions.

• Student 1: In this kind of exercise, you have to be careful and use our…which…do…uh…I forgot…like it eliminates…

• Teacher 1: Analyzing? It teaches you…you to analyze?• Student 1: No…hmm…through elimination of words you

can find the best answer for the…we must use our intellect.

• Teacher 1: Ok…

Linguistic Mismatch

The learner does not have the target language linguistic ability to perform the task.

• Teacher 1: Do you need any help?• Student 1: (Points to something in the text)• Teacher 1: Do you know what AC is?• Student 1: I don’t know…I don’t know.• Teacher 1: It is an abbreviation…uh…abbreviation

means to make something shorter…like Mr….United States-U.S….uh…it is an air conditioner.

• Student 1: Oh, air conditioner.

Pedagogic MismatchThe difference between the teacher’s intended purpose of the lesson versus what the learner perceived as the purpose of the lesson.

• Teacher 1: What do you think is the purpose of this lesson?• Student 3: So that we can make the right choice…how to buy through newspaper

ads…• Student 4: Increase vocabulary…and learn English…• Teacher 1: Learn English? By what…practicing? By what?• Student 4: By conversation…and writing.• Teacher 1: OK, do you think there is any one thing, one grammar thing we were

working on?• Student 4: Yeah.• Teacher 1: What part of grammar do you think?• Student 4: What part?• Teacher 1: Yeah, what part of grammar do you think we were working on?• Student 4: Capital…uh…comma.• Teacher 1: What do you mean?• Student 4: No, not too much grammar…vocabulary.

Strategic MismatchThe difference between what the teacher expects learners to do in order to complete a task versus what the learners do to complete the task (broad strategy seeking overall solution).

• Student 1: First, one hundred ten dollars. This is costly.• Student 2: Yeah.• Student 1: Second, uh…size…five.• Student 2: Small• Student 1: This one…size big.• Student 2: Which one… (laughs)…oh…yeah, that’s right. No.• Student 1: This…she has only seven…• Student 2: Seventy dollars.• Student 1: Seventy-seven.• Student 2: Oh…yeah…Seventy-seven dollars.• Student 1: It’s expensive.• Student 2: Yeah…number five.• Student 1: Yeah.

Cultural Mismatch

The learner is not aware of the target language cultural norms needed to complete the task.

• Teacher 2: (noticed Student 4 looking puzzled) Do you need any help?

• Student 4: She…she wants a used…a used wedding dress.

• Teacher 2: Yeah.• Student 4: Why?• Teacher 2: Well, you tell me why? Why does she want

to buy a used one? Hmm?

Evaluative Mismatch

The inability of the teacher to understand the self-evaluation tactics and questions of the learner.

• Student 1: Can we just say too expensive…or…• Teacher 1: Yeah, that’s fine.• Student 1: Too expensive…hmm…to buy?• Teacher 1: Yeah.• Student 1: (looks confused)

Procedural MismatchThe difference between how the teacher expects learner to go about a task versus how the learner goes about the task (focused strategy seeking immediate solution).

• Teacher 2: (to Student 2) Do you have any idea?• Student 2: I think…uh…we have to imagine that situation, we have

to find an apartment…so…I have to call them…ask price or something…I think it is better for us, this situation, so…uh…imagine you are the landlord…and you don’t say anything…hmm…I have to ask you how much is the price or where is it or can I have a pet or something…

• Teacher 2: (turning to Student 1) Do you understand?• Student 1: No.• Teacher 2: OK, let’s try again…

Instructional Mismatch

The learner does not understand the intended directions given by the teacher.

• Teacher 2: OK…hmm…what this lesson is…it is called advertisement. It is supposed to help you learn to read advertisements…hmm…and they do that by…they give you a paragraph to read and some question…a task to figure out. Read and remember the items…

• Student 3: (much later in the class, Student 3 asks a question) Do we have to memorize?

• Teacher 2: No…no…you don’t have to memorize.

Attitudinal MismatchThe contribution of the learner’s attitude towards the target language, instruction, classroom atmosphere, and relationship with the teacher towards misunderstandings.

• Student 3: This is…• Student 4: Large.• Student 3: Big size.• Teacher 2: To big? Too large? OK, same thing…• Student 3: Big for her…and uh…• Student 4: The price…• Student 3: A little costly.• Teacher 2: Too expensive.• Student 3: No…not…a little costly.• Teacher 2: OK, so you won’t choose that because it is too expensive…• Student 3: I think it’s costly.• Teacher 2: Yeah, in English we say too expensive.• Student 3: I can’t say costly?• Teacher 2: Well… (long pause). Costly is OK, yeah, but more often…probably we say

expensive.• Student 3: OK, you are my teacher…(laughs)• Teacher 2: No, you don’t have to agree with me…• Student 3: I don’t have to?

Pedagogic Insights

• Mismatches are UNAVOIDABLE– Part of the practice of everyday teaching!

• Mismatches are IDENTIFIABLE– If learners and teachers work together to achieve a rich

understanding

• Mismatches are MANAGEABLE– Can be converted into a learning opportunity!

Mismatches help to facilitate desired learning outcomes in classroom

Questions to Keep in Mind Today

1. How can teachers and learners identify perceptual mismatches?

2. How can they minimize the mismatches once they are identified?

Keep these questions in mind as we make our way around our learning centers!