Confidence building to learn English
Peer intervention as a teaching method:
Dr Asantha U Attanayake
Peer intervention is used in the form of a correction method in the
language classroom. Contemporary times, in English language teaching, it
is used as one of the correction methods and not as a major part of
teaching methodology. But in the Sri Lankan context, for adult learners
(those who have five - ten years of English language learning background
in school behind them), I have experimented that it helps immensely in
language teaching as an independent discourse. In other words, it could
be used as a complete language teaching methodology.
Basic mechanisms
One basic requirement is that learners are in small groups (of four -
five). They work on the basis of the sameness. When the sameness is
emphasized, sharing steps in. The idea is to make learners use their
previous knowledge to accomplish the task given to them. It is assumed
here that any Sri Lankan adult learner who decides to follow an English
course would have some knowledge of basic language structures, some
basic vocabulary, and some ability to read at least a couple of words in
English. It is understood that this knowledge has various levels in it.
One might find this disadvantageous in a classroom that requires
catering to different language improvement needs. But when using peer
intervention as the main teaching technique, this heterogeneity in
language ability is exploited as one of the main assets.
The struggle
In using peer intervention as a complete teaching methodology, a task
is given to a small group, for instance, a simple task such as to read
instructions and understand the task or read a small paragraph. Students
are asked to read aloud in the group. One student reads aloud while
others listen or they could take turns to read aloud.
As it is natural for them to find many words that they do not know
how to pronounce, there is a struggle to pronounce those words from the
part of the reader. It is crucial that this struggle takes place and the
reader and the other members in the group feel this effort. It is at
this juncture that peer intervention is required.
Peer intervention comes in here as a support for the struggle. There
is a possibility that a group member or members who listen to the loud
reader will know the correct pronunciation and helps in the reading.
This I would name as the first correct input. Correct input is essential
in the learning process, yet it has to be given only when it is required
to make the learning effective and meaningful. The necessity is created
via creating the struggle. Then the first correct input from peers will
be helpful and remembered by the reader/s who struggled. In addition,
those who listened without knowing how to pronounce the very word/phrase
would also benefit as they also faced a silent struggle.
On the other hand, there is uncertainty from the part of the reader
and listeners when faced with a word/phrase whose pronunciation is not
known by anyone in the group. Still, in such an occasion, the most
important elements for the discourse that I am discussing here are
present: the struggle and the need to know the way to pronounce the
word/phrase correctly. This is true about getting to know the meaning of
a word as well.
Teacher’s role
A teacher needs to give students the time required for loud reading
and should see that the loud reading takes place. Herein, teacher is
required to monitor the task by going round the class, moving among
groups, listening to students’ reading aloud, making sure that every
member in the group gets the chance to do loud reading, etc.
The next step is the second correct input. Once the group members
read the instructions/paragraph within a time period that is sufficient
as perceived by the teacher depending upon the proficiency level of the
students, teacher must read the text (for instance, instructions to
carry out the task or the paragraph) aloud. With the previously created
struggle to read/pronounce, students will be alert to catch the
word/phrase they could not pronounce while they were reading aloud.
This way, that is, by creating a struggle, the learners are made to
feel the need to know the correct way of pronunciation and then by
giving the opportunity to listen to the correct input twice, their need
is gratified. This is the opposite of Behaviourism. Behaviourism is a
learning theory that only focuses on objectively observable behaviours
and discounts any independent activities of the mind. Where Behaviourism
professes that behaviours are acquired through conditioning, herein,
learners are made to undergo an internal process of ‘searching for’ in
the form of a struggle. Once what the learners ‘search for’ through a
mental process is given in the form of correct input, then the entire
learning process becomes a cognitive exercise.
Sameness
In carrying out a task, be it reading or writing, sameness is
emphasized. Learners in a group are asked to write the same thing and
are required to check for the sameness among the group members.
Herein, the philosophy behind is that the first correct input would
be given by a member/members of the group. This is on the assumption
that a learner who knows how to pronounce a word correctly or how to use
the simple present tense correctly (if it is the task assigned to them)
will not agree to read or write it incorrectly for the sake of getting
the sameness in the group.
He/she will argue, point out to others the correct way/correct verb
to use and this becomes the first correct input. The second correct
input will come from the teacher, and what has been done by the group
will be checked immediately when the teacher’s input is given.
The other importance of checking for/emphasizing on the sameness of
answers within a group is that it makes the learner continuously
interact with his/her small group. For this interaction, certain amount
of Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) in English is
required if the environment to be conducive to English language
learning. While monitoring, the teacher needs to give basic essential
utterances for the groups to interact in English. For instance,
utterances like, “What is your answer?”, “Mine is this”, “I think it
is...”, etc could be given to groups and could even be drilled/parroted
as the chance to use them immediately in groups will produce immediate
results. Herein, students whose proficiency level is very low will be
more than happy with the newly found ability to use one or two
utterances in English in groups in order to carry out a task. This will
make them feel confident about themselves and this confidence in speech
will project them to be confident in doing the task (loud reading, fill
in the blanks, etc) assigned to them in the group.
Psychological approach
In relation to English language teaching in the Sri Lankan context,
more than a pure educational approach, what is appropriate and effective
is a psychological approach. Herein, building confidence, developing
confidence and maintaining it are three key concepts that should be used
at different levels of teaching according to my perception. This is
because, unlike in other countries, especially Western and European
countries who profess the theories and teaching methodologies for
English language teaching to the entire world may not necessarily have
the attitudinal problems we encounter here in Sri Lanka.
Our closest neighbour India, as I stated in a previous article, does
not discriminate a person who speaks in an accent that is highly
inflexed with one of the 1652 mother tongues available in the sub
continent. In addition, India has been able to produce a scholarly
generation who speaks sense no matter what subject area they speak
about. Therein, accent, pronunciation etc do not matter much (but one
should not be misled here that the situation there is 100 percent
perfect, but it is certainly better than ours especially where
discourses at an academic level are concerned) as content and the
quality of argumentation are what one is evaluated on.
Unfortunately in our context, we have not taught our English language
learner who has undergone the English language learning process about 10
years to talk sense! Neither have we been able to persuade, or convinced
the elitist community who have been projected as superior in their
accent and pronunciation (Forget about the content they speak, whether
it makes sense or not!) that what is important is not imitating or
aiming to be like the native speaker of English, but to produce a native
Sri Lankan speaker of English (with all kinds of Sri Lankanness attached
to English) who uses rich content in his/her speaking. Herein, I admire
the task of the Presidential Task Force on Language and IT and its
convener, Sunimal Fernando’s untiring efforts to bring about a mass
attitudinal change in relation to the speaking in English.
Teaching methodology
So, in short, in addressing the issue of teaching English to the vast
majority of Sri Lankan youth who are from rural areas, the approach must
be that of a psychological one. Therein we need to develop a homegrown
teaching methodology with necessary incorporation of the accepted
theories vis-a-vis language teaching the world over.
What we need to consider is the kind of language teaching we have
carried out over the decades and the kind of input we have given to the
learner in the process. It is obviously some knowledge about grammar
which stands alone as a discrete entity, independent of being used in
communication (be it speech or written), some vocabulary items and
essentially “what is your name?” with the definite answer “My name is
.......” and “How are you?” and “I am fine thank you” as the sure answer
(forget even if the student is down with viral flu), the ultimate
results of the so-called Communicative approach being used for teaching
English, the achievements of the goal, communicative competence in the
Sri Lankan context. The output is 63 percent failures in O-L English in
2006 that amounted to 73 percent in 2009.
Yet, without disregarding the fact that there has been some input
over the years through their school career, we need to make use of it in
planning curriculum for Sri Lankan learners of different levels and age
groups. In such a context, making use of the learned knowledge, peer
intervention could be used as a complete teaching methodology for adult
learners in the manner that has been discussed through this article.
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The writer is a lecturer in English
Language, English Language Teaching Unit, Colombo University |
What is important here is the process whereby the learner struggles
and it is felt by the others and the support extended by the peers to
cope with the struggle; and secondarily the support by the teacher. The
mechanism should be carefully monitored by the teacher, and for this
teachers should be trained accordingly.
Teachers must be made aware of the characteristics that are specific
to the Sri Lankan learner and the failure we experience in teaching
English. Without this, teachers may not be fond of deviating from the
Western or European professed teaching methodologies which they have
been following throughout their careers.
A complete paradigm shift is required in changing the attitude of the
teachers of English and others who are at the decision-making level (to
be open to changes as regards teaching methodologies) in developing and
supporting a homegrown methodology to teach English in our country.
The writer is a lecturer in English Language, English Language
Teaching Unit, Colombo University
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