learning, teaching, training : an infinite loop

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language learnerslanguage teachers all need to teacher trainers

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language learners - understand language language teachers all need to - find new ideas and ways ofteacher trainers doing things

- put things into practice

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We should all be extending our knowledge and understanding of the language because …

1. The more you know about something the better you can teach it

2. Your learners need to see good examples of language learning and you are their most immediate model

3. It is infinitely interesting.

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Make a note to yourself.‘Things I learnt this week’ (or if needs be, this month)That could be a new word, a term or more about an area e.g. I learnt more about how double comparatives work I also learnt they are actually called comparative correlativesSo that’s an area and a term.Then write the name of the area, term or word in the chat box or the poll over on the right so we can all see.If you can’t remember anything make a note of that on your list.

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With your learnersEncourage them to bring real questions to class.Let them see that sometimes you don’t know either, but you can find out and so can they.Help them to know what sources to go to and how to use them.Introduce them to - Corpora- English English dictionaries- Good grammar reference books- Collocation sites- Sites like wordsift https://wordsift.org/,

hask http://pelcra.pl/hask_en/HomeLudwig https://ludwig.guru/

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For yourself

Always work answers out for yourselfFollow people who write or speak about language - David Crystal (blogs), Gretchen McCulloch (podcasts), Bas Aarts (blogs)- Set yourself reading goals (an article or a chapter each week ?)

Or why not a language exam ?

Or a teaching award ?

Or do other things that interest you in English but as you do them, stop to take note of the language some of the time.

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Area two – finding new ideas and new ways of doing things

Why is this something you should be doing ?

Because of the old saying …

There are two kinds of teachers who have been teaching for 20 years …

The teachers who taught the same year 20 times over

And the teachers who gained 20 years of experience

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Make a note to yourself.The book I am reading at the moment.The last article I read.The last blog post I readThen write the name of the book over on the right in the chat box or the poll box so we can all see.If you can’t remember anything make a note of that on your list.

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For your learners

Help them find ideas of things to do.Recommend things to read / watch / listen to that are level appropriate.Recommend activities that will help with specific elements of language e.g. sites like lyricstraining.com to work on pronunciationOr listen and write to work on bottom up processing in listening

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For yourself

Sign up for newslettersFollow blogs for practical idease.g. Rachel Roberts on eltresourceful

Leo Selivan on LeoxiconTry anything / everything on Jamie Keddie’s lesson stream

Start a bookclub online or F2FOr a lunchtime journal article club Start contributing to things like ELT Research bitesOr just present in house to each other

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Area three – putting things into practice

Use time management techniques and make action plans with ideas for …Language Ideas Feedback on implementation

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Make a note to yourself.What is the last thing you wrote (in English) – that was completely yours, not adapted from something ?A worksheet for learners ? A text for class ?A blog post ? An essay for a course ?A chapter for a book ?Then write the name of the thing over on the right in the chat box or the poll box so we can all see.If you can’t remember anything make a note of that on your list.

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For your learners

Introduce them to time management skills

Teach them to give peer feedback

Teach them to evaluate themselves

Give them some practical techniques (like recording themselves).

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For yourselfLanguage and ideas Make materials – share them at work, get feedback Publish them online for others to useBlog about what you do Offer to do a workshop at work for your colleaguesSign up to present at a local conferenceTeaching Record yourselfShare recordings with others and give feedback Share plans with others and give feedback Start peer coaching in your institutionAsk the learners what they learnt

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For yourselfLanguage and ideas Make materials – share them at work, get feedback Publish them online for others to useBlog about what you do Offer to do a workshop at work for your colleaguesSign up to present at a local conferenceTeaching Record yourselfShare recordings with others and give feedback Share plans with others and give feedback Start peer coaching in your institutionAsk the learners what they learnt

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If you are satisfied with the list you have made, ask yourself if you are working openly and modelling these behaviours for your language students.

If you think the list could be more varied or some things are missing, start thinking about how you could change that.Make a plan, involve colleagues, both you and your institution benefit from anything you do – working together with others is often more motivating.

If you aren’t sure where to begin with that, think about doing a teaching award with us at ITI.

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