UNIT 14: LEARNER NEEDS

Before starting to teach it is essential teachers know which could be some needs for students. Little things such as giving students praise for their achievements could go up their passion for the new language. In this unit I learned that there are personal needs, learning needs and professional needs. Personal needs like goals, learning expectations, support, and so on, are based on learner’s age, gender, cultural background, motivation and others. Learning needs such as specific target language, specific language subskills, learner autonomy, and so on, are based on learner’s past language learning experience, learning styles, level of skill and knowledge, etc. Professional needs, e.g. specific vocabulary and grammar, specific functions, etc. are based on learner’s professional language requirements for employment. I also learned that teachers have to know ways to address learner’s needs such as materials and topics, types of feedback, treatments of individual learners, learning strategies, and so forth.

Now that I know that a teacher has to know the learner’s needs, I would try to talk with students, one by one, to know their needs and with the data I would choose the suitable material so that they can understand in a better way the new language. 

1. The Asha Leader (3011),Universal Design for Learning: Meeting the Needs of All Students, retrieved from: http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2011/110830/Universal-Design-for-Learning--Meeting-the-Needs-of-All-Students/

2.Smart Classroom Management (2010), How To Praise Students And Influence Behavior

simply effective tips and strategies, retrieved from: http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2010/11/27/how-to-praise-students-and-influence-behavior/