In the following three articles we will present the methodology developed by our School. In this first part we will talk about how it happened. In the second we will show the fundamentals. Finally, on the third we will see how it works, how it increases the efficiency of learning and some results we’ve been observing.
Previous methodology
Our School ever based, and will continue based, in the Communicative Method, with some adjustments to the target audience.
We have good reasons to believe it is an efficient methodology, not only for the results obtained by students, but also by comparison with the performance of students, who previously had learnt by other methods.
We believe the learning should be done through thematic and practical contexts, focused on grammar simplification and oral interaction. Particularly in Portuguese language, we emphasize oral comprehension. That’s because for student usually it is the hardest skill to develop.
Besides this, we will continue with the same step by step approach, small groups, in order to guaranty that all students in a group start from the same point, and maximize the language immersion. Nevertheless, without stressful situations for students.
Why students look for us
This is the question we should ask ourselves if we want to deliver a better service every day.
The answer is simple: because they want to learn faster and easier. This is only possible by increasing the learning efficiency. Learn fast and without effort is an illusion, because learning a language always requires autonomous study and, consequently, effort.
However, it also requires non autonomous work, and it’s here where teacher comes. Teacher’s job is not only teach, but also drive and give to student what he couldn’t get by himself.
This is another reason why students look for us: to get what only a well prepared teacher and a School with a suitable methodology are able to provide, allowing him to learn in a much more efficient way.
The structure of the lessons
Despite the diversity of activities, lessons followed, mainly, a specific structure that we sum up in the following paragraph. First there is an introduction (warm up) to prepare students for what we will talk about.
In order to talk about a subject, it’s necessary to know the vocabulary and structure connected with that subject. So, is done an activity to get new vocabulary. Then, we observe a practical situation.
For example, a dialogue or a text. The creation or selection of this content is very important, because it’s through its analysis that student will assimilate new grammatical and communicative structures. Through context, becomes easier to teacher explain and to students understand.
Contrary to vocabulary, grammar should be a posteriori, that means firstly should appear doubt and only after that the explanation. Since students got the vocabulary, grammar and the communicative structures needed for the subject (and corresponding level), it’s time to put in practice what was learnt.
In this part the focus is the oral interaction. The activities are countless and creativity in the only limit. This one is the most important part of the lesson, where the Teacher’s role is crucial, because without him the “magic” doesn’t happen. This is because, and it’s always good to remember, students don’t learn grammar and vocabulary to make exercises, but to communicate, being the exercises just a simple form of repetition and confirmation.
Other exercises, as oral comprehension and written expression, should also be given to students as homework.
Criticizing the method
Receive compliments is pleasant, but to criticize constructively is useful. When the others don’t do, we should do it with ourselves. And it was what we’ve done. We are going to talk about some key moments that make us ask, always considering the principle that everyone can be fluent in a language.
The short term memory
This case happens mainly in vocabulary exercises, that are necessary to perform the next task. All tasks are more productive when student practices vocabulary a priori, because it allows a better performance and assimilation. In addition, it guaranties that student has the basic structures to answer the questions.
However, we verify that sometimes they cannot use immediately all new vocabulary, because short time memory couldn’t yet assimilate all information. For sure student can search the word/structure he needs. Although, in case he cannot do it in useful time, he will chose the simplest and more direct options, at the end losing a good opportunity to deep his vocabulary.
Processing
Again we reinforce that everyone can learn the language, but even being at the same starting level, students will process new information at different rates. This can be due to several factors, such as: mother tongue, experience (or not) with foreign languages, language immersion, language learning aptitude, character and motivation.
This is most often at the first contact with new information. On the other hand, when this information is presented for the second time, in a different context or with a review character, this difference between students is no longer relevant.
Time
There is always a part of the class where students have to individually do some tasks to verify what they have just learned in a more theoretical way. Here we observe that some students do tasks faster than expected and others more slowly. This doesn’t say much about ability, but only about student speed.
Therefore, we feel that there is no point in rushing him. This will only destroy the learning process. It’s like going to the gym: everyone must lift the right weight at the right time. Overloading will only injure the athlete.
And should faster students be waiting, thus wasting class time that could be used in a more interesting and productive way? Certainly no. The way to get around this situation we will explain in the next part.
Conclusion
This was the first part of our article. In the second part, we will talk about how to overcome these problems and, in this way, we arrived at a new strategy that allowed us to increase the efficiency of teaching Portuguese as a Foreign Language.