4th LdL lesson in Lindau

Our latest BGE-and-LdL lesson at the Akademie Schönbühl went quite well. First I did a plenary pronunciation exercise and a game exercise in pairs (during which I also observed and, if need be, corrected pronunciations of single individuals). The pronunciation will continue to be a challenge for me. Then we had groupwork: there was again a preparatory phase in groups of 3-4 people (revision group, dialog group, word-list group, game group, cultural contrast group). The single presentations took a bit longer than planned because some people didn’t know a game which I had expected as internationally known (“Happy Families”/“Go Fish”) and because people still have to get accustomed to some presentation techniques, e.g. the presentation of the dialog in three steps: (1) presentation in slow motion with the “sandwich technique”, i.e. when you say a new word/phrase, then a background interpreter gives the German equivalent and the literal German expression before the new word/phrase is uttered again (e.g. How are you? — Wie geht es Ihnen?, wörtlich: Wie seid ihr? — How are you?), (2) presentation in normal speed, (3) dialog hand-out plus reading.

During the single presentations, I will take care that the presenters stick to the wording on my sheet when they explain something and that good learners (“false beginners”) don’t choose expressions that the “true beginners” are not able to understand yet.

Joachim Grzega

1st BGE lesson with adults

Last Tuesday I had my first BGE lesson at the Akademie Schönbühl: 16 adult learners + 1 future BGE teacher. The group is very heterogeneous: some already have basic knowledge in English (“false beginners”), some are true beginners and represent the actual addressees of the course. Due to this heterogeneity I have to pay attention that the beginners are not scared off and I have to be ready to offer special services to these participants. On the whole, though, the atmosphere was very good and not even the video-camera was bothering. The principle of rapid “teacher-role rotation” worked well and it seems that LdL will be well suitable for the group. I’m also glad to see that I can use some of my self-teaching material and that I don’t have to revise and supplement my adult group material from scratch.

Joachim Grzega

Dealing with Heterogeneous Learner Groups

Jean-Pol Martin has recently told me that he is currently teaching a very heterogeneous group. In my view, one of the most central problems to solve in classes at German schools and universities is differentiation. How do you manage that everyone will leave a lesson saying “I’ve learned something new that will help me.” For my BGE primary school course I developed materials that will allow learners to decide themselves whether they want to learn by themselves or in pairs, whether they want to deal with the language actively or passively, whether they want to deal with simple or more sophisticated tasks. At university, I try to meet differentiation by having the students choose topics for their seminar papers themselves (according to their interests and needs). This can be a simple or a complex task (my task will be to find out together with the student if the task can be completed in a reasonable span of time). Nevertheless, when presenting the topic in class, everyone has to make this topic as interesting as possible for the others. LdL at its pure form. And this is also what JPM has experienced as effective.

Sometimes, though, the course contents are neatly defined by official regulations. Here, I have to find a way that everybody reaches the minimum level required in an effective and very efficient way, and I have to see that those who acquire the level earlier can advance even further. One of the things that I use is to present students two baskets of exercises—easier ones and more difficult ones. This way all everyone can decide for himself or herself from which level s/he wants to draw a slip of paper (with an exercise) be tested. Even the simple exercises, however, will seek that the learner (and everyone else in class) can check how well s/he has acquired the minimum level.

Joachim Grzega