To praise or not to praise - that is the question

This week I've read two fascinating posts on giving praise to our students. The first was a guest post from Tereza which appeared on Sandy Millin's blog. You can read it here. In a nutshell, the author questions the benefit of giving praise, especially in excess. Originally from the Czech Republic, Tereza's now living in the US and she's been puzzled by the amount of excessively positive feedback she's got from her teacher who was "super impressed" with anything she did. It would seem she was an incredibly talented genius - at least if she was to believe all the feedback.

Tereza then goes on to argue that too much praise can be counter-productive. She writes:

"I have already lost the sense of what is meant honestly [...]. I basically have no measure whether I did well or bad because I always get a perfect evaluation. You have no idea whether people like you or how high they think of you because they always say you did a fantastic job. At the beginning, it makes you feel good, like you are really special, you do really so well. But with time, you get tired of that because you already see through it".

On the other hand, the second post by Lawrence Hilton, which can be read here, praises praise, even if it's to be excessive. With a beautiful analogy to desert flowers, Lawrence argues that positive feedback is like rain - it can turn a desolate, sandy landscape of a desert into a beautiful see of blossoming flowers. He would rather err by giving too much rather than to little praise to his students. After all:

"If they are not going to get praise and encouragement from the teacher at every step along the way, from where are they going to receive it?"

I was taken by both articles, because they persuasively argue their points. They were also very thought-provoking and they led me to reflect on my own teaching practice a bit.

I think both Tereza and Lawrence are right. Giving feedback is much more complicated than we might initially think, and there are good lessons to be learned from both articles.

It is definitely true that giving too much praise can be counter-productive. Students will very quickly see through it. They know they didn't put much effort into their homework, but the teacher still was "super impressed". This can lead to one of two things:

1. I don't need to work hard to get good grades/positive feedback, so why bother making more effort?
2. Maybe my teacher is right and I'm simply the best, so why bother making more effort?

In both cases, the result is a rather negative one. Other students will also probably realise that all are getting super positive feedback, despite varying quality of their work. It can't be motivating for a very strong student if the teacher is equally super impressed with their work, as with that of a very weak student.

As Lawrence, points out, though, if we don't praise our students, who is going to? We do need to encourage them:

"Foreign language students have to overcome their own feelings of insecurity, lack of confidence, feelings of shyness and fear of making mistakes. [...] A teacher has to instill the confidence and how can one do that without complimenting and praising the efforts that we are witness to in class?"

I agree with Lawrence that there are times when excessive praise (if given sparingly and judiciously, though) can work miracles. Sometimes you meet students who are terribly shy, lacking in confidence and their own abilities to the point of "I will never succeed" attitude. As a teacher, we need to encourage them to become more (but not too) self-confident. And a good way of doing it is by giving them slightly more positive feedback than they deserve.

However, we need to stop somewhere. We can't continue praising if there's nothing to praise for. But when and how?

In my opinion, we should be honest with our learners. We need to give praise when praise is due, but moderate it according to the student's performance. Students need to know what they did right, and what went wrong. Otherwise, if they only hear positive feedback, they won't know what to do to improve and do better next time. And if whatever our students do is fantastic and brilliant, we will be in a serious need of inventing even "more impressive" adjectives to praise them.

I also believe that the majority of students are far more robust than we think. Telling them they're wrong, or that they've made a mistake, is unlikely to cause tears or depression. Of course, the under-confident ones should be spotted and encouraged with highlighting positive feedback first. But if a student fails to do a task or make a mistake, we do need to tell them. How we do it, is a different kettle of fish and a good subject for a new post (here you can read my post on correcting students' writing). It goes without saying, though, that students expect us to point out their errors and help them improve.

An important consideration is also to respond to the content, rather than just the language. All too often, we focus on correcting errors and fail to notice the story the student has just shared with us. take a look at an example of feedback I recently gave to my 1-1 IELTS student on a recording he sent me. The student has struggled with fluency, is quite daunted by the speaking part and lacks a bit in confidence. We've been having classes for 3 weeks, twice a week 90mins:

"A very good effort, Ery! I used to do a lot of swimming myself. Really good exercise :) I might get back to it some time soon.
You structured your speech very well. You used good fillers to avoid pauses. You used some more complex sentences and there were a lot of error-free sentences. A good summary at the end as well. Keep up the good work and do more speaking, please. You've been improving, and it would be great if you could send me a recording like this at least every 2 or 3 days (it can even be more spontaneous if you don't have time to rehearse.
Some suggestions:

• at the end of sentences the intonation should go down/fall to indicate the sentence is finished 

• try to use substitution to avoid repeating go swimming or swimming so often, i.e. I do it/this sport/activity, I practise it/this sport

BTW, we say go swimming, not *go for swimming. Really looking forward to more recordings from you!"

I avoided using any extreme adjectives such as: fantastic or incredible, because his speaking was far from it. I commented on the content to let him know I actually listen to WHAT he says, not just how. There's quite a lot of positive feedback, because he needs to know what he already does well. Otherwise, he might fall back into his bad habits.

On the other hand, I included some suggestions. I didn't use the word error or mistake, because they have a negative overtone, while "suggestions" or "to improve" are neutral. But I think it would be wrong to overlook the errors and say: I was super impressed. You're really fluent. You're English is fantastic; because this is simply not true, and both me and the student know it.

To sum up, the key is a balanced feedback. Praise should be given when it's due. And it should be adjusted to the student's performance. We can't be super impressed with everything all the time. It's just not fair to the student in question, and to others who might be much better. And we definitely need to let the students know how they can improve and what the mistakes are. Otherwise we risk creating over-confident learners whose English is too impressive to continue working on it.

Be fluent in 6 months - first update

From the Author:

Dear All,
The blog has been permanently moved to wordpress. I'm not going to publish anything on the blogspot address any more, and I'll delete the blog within a week or two.
So if you'd still like to follow my posts (I hope you do), please visit the wordpress version and click follow there: teflreflections.wordpress.com You can also find regular updates on the posts on the new blog's FB page by clicking here.
Thanks for reading and commenting on the posts here, and I hope to see you soon on wordpress.
Best,

Marek Kiczkowiak

At the end of January I posted a series of three posts in which I discussed the idea that perhaps we can all learn languages much quicker than most people would have us think. Having reflected on my own learning experience (I speak 6 languages) and having seen and read about various polyglots, I first suggested that there are 5 language learning myths which prevent us from learning faster and achieving fluency by acting as a self-fulfilling prophecy. They are:

1. I haven't got the talent.
2. I'm too old.
3. I've got bad memory.
4. I need a complete immersion program abroad.
5. I haven't got enough time.

All 5 are only bad excuses which most of us tend to make at some point. And they all hamper our learning process. Here read more about why I think they're only bad excuses which stop you from ever achieving your language goals.

In the post that followed, I suggested a 5 step action plan based on positive and successful language learning experience me and other polyglots have had. They're quite simple and definitely not rocket science:

1. Make the language a useful tool.
2. Make mistakes.
3. Exposure is the key.
4. Use it or lose it.
5. A language parent/buddy.

Finally, as I'm a natural sceptic and a disbeliever in everything supernatural (and learning a language in 6 months seems such a feat), I decided to test the advice on myself. My mission has been to become fluent in Portuguese in 6 months. You can read more about it here (i.e. what I mean by fluent, why 6 months and why Portuguese).

And as I'm a language teacher, one of my main goals is to see whether I might discover any techniques or tricks which I can later use with my students to help them learn languages faster.

So it's been two months since my mission statement. I promised I'd give monthly updates, so I'm sorry you've had to wait for twice the time (if actually any of you have been waiting). You might be wondering then how far I got with my Portuguese. Well, here's a video of me speaking it so you can judge for yourself.

It's the first time that I've actually recorded a video, so please bear with me if it doesn't look or sound super slick. It'll be better next time round, I promise :)

 Here are some questions I thought most people might have after watching the video:

1. What did I say?

   Absolute gibberish! ;) I wanted to put subtitles but haven't figured out how yet, so if anyone knows, please let me know. I basically spoke about why I recorded the video, how I've been studying so far and what my sticking points are. I've probably amde hundreds of errors, so if you speak Portuguese, please point them out.

2. How much have I been studying?

   Depends. But in the strict sense of the word I haven't really been studying at all. I haven't got a grammar book and I don't go to language classes. On average I've probably done about 10 to 20mins a day, but there were two weeks when I couldn't study at all.

3. How have I been studying?

   I've been using Memrise (read my post about it here) to learn new words more effectively. So far I've probably learned around 600 hundred words and phrases, which is not bad for 8 weeks. I've done a small bit there on the basic conjugation of a few verbs to get an idea what it's about. I also watch Brazilian TV on the Internet regularly. I chose O Globo, because it seemed to have lots of free videos available. I'm also doing a language exchange, however, I've only managed to have 4 meeting so far, so definitely this is something I need to do more regularly.

Now it's a good time for me to reflect on the process to see what I've done well and what I can do better in the next couple of weeks.

1. It's going to be more difficult than I initially thought.

   Sorry to start with something a bit disheartening (note that I'm still convinced I can reach my goal). If you read my mission statement, you know I speak Spanish. It has been a definite advantage, as there are many words that are similar, but at the same time it's played against me a bit. At times I'm not sure whether I speak Portuguese or just Spanish with a Portuguese accent. A lesson I've learned is to notice the language patterns and use them to generate new words (for example, -ción is always (or almost) -são or -ção in Portuguese). However, overall it might be quite tricky to speak Portuguese without the influence of Spanish on it.

2. Make mistakes and pay attention to the corrections.

   Often students don't even notice that they are being corrected and just go on making the same mistakes over and over again. Of course, worrying too much about being 100% correct can be counter productive too. But I definitely think it's crucial to ask your language buddy to correct some of your errors (perhaps make it focused, e.g. past tense). And you should repeat the correct version a few times so it sticks. When you say the phrase you've had problems with again, be aware of the error you've been making and make a conscious effort to say it correctly.

3. Notice language patterns and imitate them.

   Noticing new language is also very important. If you hear a new phrase, ask what it means, record it if possible (I usually take a little notebook with me to the language exchange). The crucial part here is that you imitate this new language as soon as you get a chance. For example: A: The concert yesterday was class! B: Class? A: Yeah, it was brilliant. A: Oh. I went to a... class concert two weeks ago! It looks very straight forward but a lot of students don't take the opportunity to use the new language. The language kind of goes through one year and exits through the other. So the lesson here is: don't rely on the limited language that you have, but go beyond it. Imitate, imitate and imitate!

4. Out with grammar - in with vocabulary!

   Don't get me wrong. If you want to be 100% correct you might have to study some grammar at some point. However, I don't think it's as important as course books authors would have you believe. Especially at low levels.There are so many grammar points that are utterly useless for successful communication. My advice is to learn whole chunks of language or even whole utterances that carry communicative meaning (e.g. 'What's your name?' 'Can I have the bill, please?'). So far, I've picked up most of the grammar as I went along. Most importantly by repeating the patterns I hear on TV or from my language buddy (see point 2 and 3). For example, if I hear he's speaking about the past, I pay attention to how he conjugates the verbs, so I can quickly give it a shot myself.

5. Enjoy it!

   It's easier said than done, but a positive mindset is the key. Learning should be fun, so make it so. Choose topics that interest you (i.e. if you're crazy about cooking, start with food, cooking and restaurant vocabulary). And if you feel tired or demotivated, flick on a film or a short video. You don't always have to be consciously studying. Watching a fun video on youtube can be as good or even better than toiling over a boring grammar point.

Sticking points and action plan (apart from what I've already been doing):

1. Pronunciation.

   There are certain sounds that are very tricky for me. I've been trying to imitate how people speak. So far I think I'm definitely communicative and intelligible, but far from natural and correct pronunciation.

2. Do more language exchange.

   It's the key. Once a week is OK, but it doesn't give me as much practice as I need if I want to really be fluent in 6 months.

3. Watch videos with more natural/colloquial language.

   I've been watching mostly news and short journalistic reports and I can already understand almost everything. The problem is when people speak quickly on the street in a more unprepared and natural way.

4. Talk to myself.

   That's a tip one of the polyglots, Sid Efromovich gave in this video. He says he always talks to himself in the language he's learning in the shower (so nobody can hear him). It might sound silly or egocentric, but it gives you valuable practice and language rehearsal time, which together with normal language exchange can improve your fluency.

I'll try to post another update in about a month. If you have any questions or suggestions, please comment below. I'd  love to hear about your language learning experiences and whether you've found any of the tips helpful.

Tchau! Até mais!

Grit - motivating students

A couple of weeks ago I posted on "grit" as the key element to being successful not only in learning languages, but also in life in general. The basic idea was that there is no proven correlation between success and IQ or innate talent. The one thing that became clear from research was that the key to success was grit - "passion and perseverance for your long term goals" (Angela Lee Duckworth).

Since publishing the original post, I've been meaning to put the theory into practice. I finally managed to do so two days ago, and I wanted to share with you below the lesson procedure I used. I deliberately chose this 1-1 student as the first guinea pig, because she's repeatedly expressed her concern about her supposed lack of flare for languages. She's also started to doubt whether she can improve.

Overall, the student responded very positively, and was really keen to learn more about the subject. So, I'm planning to weave in some more on motivation and good learner traits (see my post on MORE learners) in the future classes. Of course, only time will show whether my student's newly-sparked "grit" will persevere.

If you end up using the lesson plan or something similar with your students, please do let me know about the reaction, feedback and effects. I'd be very curious to know whether we can actually teach our students to be grittier and more determined, and whether this in turn can improve their progress.

Lesson aims:

• learn how to listen better to TED talks through predicting the content and reading the speaker's bio note
• discuss the concept of grit and motivate the student to learn

Lesson procedure:

1.    Speaker Orientation: (NOTE: Set a strict time limit and if highlight the students should note down whole chunks of language rather than single words) You are going to listen to Angela Lee Duckworth’s TED talk. Before you do so, prepare for the listening by reading her short bio. Read the text quickly and write down 5 expressions (2 - 4 words) that will help you remember it. Retell the text to your partner/teacher.

“In her late 20s, Angela Lee Duckworth left a demanding job as a management consultant at

McKinsey to teach math in public schools in San Francisco, Philadelphia and New York.

After five years of teaching seventh graders, she went back to grad school to complete her Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is now an assistant professor in the psychology department. Her research subjects include students, West Point cadets, and corporate salespeople, all of whom she studies to determine how "grit" is a better indicator of success than factors such as IQ or family income”. (http://www.ted.com/speakers/angela_lee_duckworth.html)

2.    Listening for details 0 – 3mins: Listen to the first part of the video and tick the information from the bio you hear. Write down any additional information about Angela.

3.    Relistening: Which part of the video was particularly difficult/interesting? Choose min 1 you would like to listen again to?

4.    Reflection: (NOTE: If you have a large group, either get the students to use smartphones in pairs so that each pair chooses their own part of the video, or decide on 1 or 2 as a whole class) What did we do before we listened for the first time? Did reading the biography make it easier for you to understand the video? Why?

5.    Topic schema activation: What key concept(s) is Angela going to talk about? What do you think “grit” means? What makes people successful in your opinion? What is more important: talent or hard-work?

6.    Listening Gist 3:00 – 3.28: (NOTE: Don't let the students take any notes at this point) Listen to Angela. What is “grit”? Don’t worry about understanding every word. Focus on the general meaning.

7.    Listening for Detail and Lexis: Listen again and write down some key words that Angela uses to describe what “grit” is. Don’t worry about the correct spelling. Check any new words with your teacher. Discuss again what you think “grit” means. If possible use the words you noted down.

8.    Reflection:

·       What is the purpose of exercise 5? How does it help you understand the video?

·       How is task 6 different from task 7? Which is more difficult?

·       What tips for better listening have you learned today? How can you apply them at home?

9.    Listening for Detail and Lexis 2: Listen again and complete the quotations with appropriate words. Use one word per gap.

a)   “Grit is passion and _______________ for very long-term ________.”

b)   “Grit is having ___________. Grit is sticking with your future — day in, day ______, not just for the week, not just for the __________, but for years — and working really hard to make that future a __________.”

c)    “Grit is living life like it's a ___________, not a sprint.”

10.                      Discussion:

·       How do you understand the concept of “grit”?

·       How is it related to/different from motivation and determination?

·       Do you have “grit”? Do you know anybody who does?

11.                      Discussion 2: (NOTE: I used pictures of Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, Oprah Winfrey and Walt Disney, but you can use any others, as long as they show people who became successful despite having been turned down or failed miserably at the start) Your teacher will give you pictures of some famous people. Who are they? What is the connection between them?

12.                      Discussion 3:

·       What makes people successful?

·       Which is more important: talent or grit?

·       How can you cultivate grit?

·       What can you do personally to become more gritty?

NOTE: One possible follow up is to do 'going to' and write down a list of things students can do to be more gritty.

Another logical follow up would be to ask the students to watch a TED talk and use the listening techniques practised in class to help them understand it better. Next class they report both on the content of the video and on their experience using the techniques.