In this last part (first part, second part) we will talk about how the method works in practice, the student’s reactions and the observed results.
Bypassing limitations
The availability of “scripts” of the classes (see part 2) for the preparation allowed to get around some previously unavoidable situations.
One of the situations is related to new vocabulary. Often, when introducing a new topic, some activity(ies) are done to acquire vocabulary related to the topic. Some people absorb words quickly and put them into practice immediately. Others may take longer to express themselves as they constantly need to search for words. However, if they have the opportunity to contact them a little before classes, this difference is no longer significant. Consequently everyone will be able to express himself equally and at the same pace.
The same principle applies to reading and listening exercises. Some people will understand at first, others will need to repeat. There is nothing wrong with that, as each person has their own rhythm and is entitled to their time. So that no one is rushed or late, it is always best to get prepared.
As for grammar, there are students who prefer to hear the explanation, others who prefer to read the explanation. In both cases, the ideal is when they have access to both forms. Ideally, the student should read the explanation before class. It is common, when he did not understand at first, to ask imprecise questions, as he hadn’t time yet to process the new information. He just knows he hasn’t fully understood, but he can’t ask the question. Thus, if he has access to it in advance, during the class he will have an easier time discussing his doubts.
There is also the issue of verification exercises. These can also be done before class, but the teacher should only encourage to do them before class if they feel comfortable with the topic, otherwise they may be reinforcing the negative learning.
Finally, all this must be explicit in the script provided, in a clear, minimalist, intuitive and appealing way.
Constraints and the role of the teacher
With this we do not want to make a person learn alone. For this reason, in our program we choose the tasks he should and should not do before class. The idea is not for the student to learn alone, on the contrary, everything must be covered in class by the teacher. All topics must be covered in class, otherwise there is no guarantee that he has assimilated them. In short, the objectives are as follows:
– Replace lecture by debate and discussion
– Focus more on communication and oral interaction exercises
– Make better use of classroom communication (for some people this is the only serious contact with the language) through prior preparation
– Streamline the theoretical component and emphasize practice
– Stimulate interest and critical thinking
– Eliminate “dead times”: everyone, including teacher, must be occupied during class time
– Decrease the time needed to complete each level.
Results observed
One of the first results was the uniformity of the learning pace in the classroom. It is a fact that whenever we start a course, we make sure that all students in the same group are at the same level. We never put students of different levels in the same group. No matter how convenient this may be from a logistical point of view, we know that this would have a very negative impact on learning. It is possible to assess the level of each student, but the pace and learning capacity is extremely difficult. Without firstly observing the student’s performance in class, these assumptions are always based on prejudice (age, gender, profession, language(s), apparent motivation, etc.). Consequently, they are a beginning to the failure.
However, when students have access to a class guide, they have an equal opportunity for preparation. This, in turn, allows to be equally fit throughout the class, with advantages not only for those with a slower pace of learning, but also for those with faster learning.
Another positive point, especially for those who have more difficulties in self-study, is motivation. It is relatively easy to fall into the temptation not to make the homework. This is because there is an idea that the homework is just a repetition of what was learned and if it is not done, no serious consequences will ensue. However, by not doing the preparation, the person knows that he will have to focus much more on the “boring” part during the class. Everyone wants to enjoy the classes, so this is more than enough motivation to do so.
However, the most important aspect is the fact that students are able to assimilate much more information and, above all, put it into practice. The practice of communication is crucial, as most of them do not live immersed in the language, for various reasons, despite living in the country. Thus, by freeing up more class time and better training students for these tasks, the result can only be positive.
Last but not least is the teacher’s perspective. This approach made the classes even more dynamic and fluid, which for the teacher is positive. We believe that when the class is good, time passes quickly, not only for the students, but also for the teacher. If he is tired at the end, most likely the class was not as productive as expected. But everything is resolved with preparation.
Conclusion
We hope our experience will contribute to the development of language teaching, specifically of Portuguese, so that learning becomes more accessible. We believe that everyone can be fluent in the language. But we also believe that teaching methodologies have a big tendency to stop in time, when they should be a priority for innovation and development.