Introduction
AGES AND LEVELS IN ELT
Some people believe that teenagers and adults are more inclined to fail to achieve language proficiency, while children tend to succeed at becoming proficient users. However, there are experts who claim that teenagers and adults can learn languages successfully if the context, the teaching process and the learning resources are appropriate. Besides, it seems age is not the most important factor when learning languages. This is so, as cognitive, psychological, and sociocultural factors appear to impact learning more profoundly.
On the other hand, proficiency levels present learners and teachers with opportunities and challenges when learning languages. For instance, beginners do not have any prior knowledge to activate or use as reference. However, they tend to be open to exploring and using different methods, tasks, exercises and materials. For their part, advanced learners have previous knowledge at their disposal. However, they tend to stick to the use of specific methods, tasks, exercises, and materials.
Because of their importance, we will explore, then, how age and proficiency levels impact ELT.
Task
GOAL
Create an infographic that presents and represents adequately, but succinctly key ideas about age and proficiency in ELT.
OBJECTIVES
- Find, categorize, and select information from a variety of resources.
- Give basic information about proficiency (cognitive learning process, role of the teacher, teacher talk, fluency and accuracy and techniques) and age (intellectual development, attention span, sensory input, affective factors, and authentic meaningful language).
- Use appropriate vocabulary, grammar, and discourse strategies.
- Use specialized websites (easel.ly, piktochart, venngage) and online file sharing (Scribd or Slideshare).
Process
STEPS
1. Get together in pairs or groups of three students and distribute the work.
2. Explore the chapters, websites and videos provided to fill in a compare and contrast table. Use keywords or short phrases.
Print material
Book chapters from Brown, 2007, Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (3rd ed.).
Online materials
Teaching across proficiency levels (http://blogrizkirmd.blogspot.com/2014/01/teaching-across-proficiency-levels.html) or (https://prezi.com/vetnvyn9qmiv/teaching-across-proficiency-levels/)
Teaching across age levels (http://blogrizkirmd.blogspot.com/2014/01/teaching-across-age-levels-learner.html) or (https://www.slideshare.net/RabiatulHamidah2/teaching-across-age-level)
Videos
Teaching across proficiency levels (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-66ay4H2lFU)
Teaching across age levels (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yzWwD7JzSg&t=868s)
3. Use the information you find in the resources above to complete the table below.
A compare and contrast table
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PROFICIENCY |
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Levels |
Cognitive learning process |
Role of the teacher |
Teacher talk |
Fluency and accuracy |
Techniques |
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Beginning |
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Intermediate |
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Advanced |
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AGE |
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Groups |
Intellectual development language |
Attention span |
Sensory input |
Affective factors |
Authentic meaningful material |
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Children |
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Teenagers |
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Adults |
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4. Create an infographic using https://www.easel.ly/create/; https://piktochart.com/ or https://venngage.com/ . When ready, save the file as a PDF or transform it from a PGF file to a PDF file. When done, upload it at https://www.scribd.com/. At the end, write an email to your professor, presenting the table above and the link to your infographic. Please, make sure the link works and is accessible to anybody
Evaluation
ASSESSMENT
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CRITERIA |
DESCRIPTOR |
5.0 |
4.5 |
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3.5 |
3.0 |
2.5 |
2.0 |
1.0 |
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CONTENT |
The infographic includes essential knowledge about the topic. Subject knowledge appears to be adequate. |
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GRAPHICS AND VISUAL INFORMATION |
All graphics and images relate to the topic and make it easier to understand it. Visuals help convey a clear and precise message. |
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ATTRACTIVENESS |
The infographic makes great use of font, color, effects, etc. to enhance visualization of the information or data. |
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MECHANICS |
No misspellings or grammatical errors. Capitalization and punctuation are correct throughout. Proper use of format for academic document. |
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ORIGINALITY |
The infographic displays inventiveness. Content and form appear innovative, unusual and/or novel. |
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Conclusion
Age covers cognitive, affective, behavioral, and sociocultural skills a person has according to his/her life span. To Cook (2008), it includes when L2 teaching should start and how long the learners are going to be studying. It also relates to whether the use of teaching methods should vary according to the age of the students or not.
Proficiency covers the aspects of being able to do something with the language (‘knowing how’) as well as knowing about it (‘knowing what’). To the Council of Europe (2001), it refers to “what someone can do/know in relation to the application of the subject in the real world” (p. 183).
Both are important factors EFL teacher need to know what they are and how to approach them in their classes.
Credits
Brown, D. (2007). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (3rd ed.). Allyn & Bacon.