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The
Remedial English Project
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For a long time specialists in learning
disabilities have said that students with difficulties in normal learning situations
should not be exposed to a second or foreign language unless it is needed for cultural
adaptation and does not affect the remedial program being followed. The reasons for this
belief were: ( 1 ) phonological interferences, especially where there is a speech
impairment; ( 2 ) cognitive difficulties due to students failing to give attention
to appropriate stimuli; and ( 3 ) memory failure.
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Throughout my teaching career, I have been
interested in the problems slow learners face with L2. This paper gives the conclusions of
a five-year research project with slow learners studying English in primary and secondary
schools.
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At the outset, we should consider who is a slow
learner and who is learning-disabled (LD). Statistics show that two out of every ten
students in a class are slow learners. The number within the whole school population may
not be very high, but just the fact that there are slow learners demands our concern.
Actually, there are two kinds of slow learners. The first is the student who does not
learn successfully due to general socio-cultural problems, frustrating past language
classroom experiences, inadequate use of strategies, or lack of interest. The second type
of slow learner is the student formally diagnosed as "learning-disabled"by
specialists in child psychology.
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In Peru, although public schools cannot afford
to assist LDs effectively, there are a growing number of private schools in Lima devoted
to aiding and mainstreaming such learners. These institutions range from preschool to
secondary levels. One of the leaders in programs for the learning-disabled is PALESTRA.
The project presented here, the Remedial English Project (REP) was initiated by PALESTRA
in March 1992. A number of students in the experimental group had been formally diagnosed
as learning-disabled. The rest belonged to the school's low-level language class due to
their apparent indifference and poor performance in learning English.
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The project started with systematic data
collection pertaining to student attitudes towards L2. Later on, such, information was
contrasted with the students' typical learning styles in order to construct a profile of
the "slow learner" of English.
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Although conditions do not always allow schools
to open remedial English classrooms, I believe that we, as teachers, have something to say
about what is best for our students, especially if they have specific learning needs.
Establishing "special classes" on the basis described below will not only
personalize instruction, but also demonstrate our true concern for their actual progress.
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Traditional approaches requiring memorization,
mimicry, and focused listening were not successful because they insufficiently utilized
the five channels of sensory perception. But dyslexics, slight or severe, cannot easily
reproduce words or phrases seen only a few times.
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Modern trends agree on the importance of notion
and function in teaching communication. However, a functional approach is not sufficient
to optimize success for slow learners. Some variations in the methodology and techniques
need to be made. Here are some of these changes:
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A. Program content: Slow learners
often lack self-esteem. But they are also very sensitive to exaggerated or artificial
praise. Thus, set minimum standards for your objectives and expectations, based on what
the students can achieve and not necessarily on what they should accomplish for their
level. In this way, goals can be reached at every stage, and positive feedback will come
naturally.
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Their weakest skills are generally writing and
reading. That is why, for example, hyperactive or attention-deficit students tend to
disturb the class and misbehave whenever these skills are emphasized. Focus your priority
goals on oral expression and (graded) listening skills, and devote less time and effort to
polishing grammar structures, spelling, and detailed reading.
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Many slow learners show difficulties in
perception. They tend to ignore details and go for overall comprehension and production.
They do not notice, for instance, the apostrophe or the plural forms when reading. In the
same way, some may omit forms of speech when writing or speaking. Since many of these
problems are also present in their L1 use, we cannot expect a lot of drilling to help very
much. Experience has taught me that these students enjoy classes which demand more active
participation in speaking. The only times when this did not prove successful was when
learners felt rejection due to frustrating exposures to the language in front of peers.
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The point is that the students' utterances must
fulfill communicative objectives. Conversational activities appeal to their easily
distracted personalities. Devote most of your class plan to doing them regularly. Oral
projects demanding descriptions, storytelling, discussions, etc., can also generate
interest and competition in class.
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B. Activities and techniques:
Every step in the learning process should be carefully planned. Let us go through each
stage briefly:
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Warmup . Most slow learners need support
and encouragement to maintain their interest in the language and in the class. They are
not usually motivated by the reward of knowing a new language per se. Active involvement
and positive reinforcement are recommended throughout the lesson. Boost their interest by
using a different warmup activity every day.
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Presentation . Slow learners work more
effectively when they know the functional objectives for a lesson. Discuss the relevance
of the functional objective and obtain the students' commitment to learn. It is also
advisable to break down the objective into component parts.
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Controlled practice . Clear
instructions,and use of cues, prompts, and monitoring techniques are suggested. The tasks
must be related to specific criteria, each one not taking longer than ten or fifteen
minutes, due to the students' short attention span. Use corrective feedback and
reinforcement, and aim at increasing fluency first, then accuracy and appropriateness.
Remember that LD students frequently encounter a lot of difficulty at this stage, because
they must retain structures and vocabulary. Periodic practice may not always be
sufficient, and they will need other strategies, such as overlearning (a lot of drill
activities), reinforcement, and also self-management skills.
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Production . LDs have great difficulty
when learning objectives require generalization or transfer of skills to other contexts
and settings. We cannot expect this capability just to happen. It must be systematically
taught. One suggestion is to center dialogs and stories around contextualized
communicative functions likely to happen to the students in real-life environments.
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Try to consider activities that involve the use
of different sensory channels: auditory, visual, tactile, or kinesthetic. Some slow
learners have a single sensory preference, so they acquire language primarily through that
channel. Widen their sensory learning styles with activities like blindfolded pair or
group work, guessing, etc.
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There are many motivational resources at hand to
enhance active participation, i.e. bulletin boards, reward tokens, bonus points, etc.
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Providing slow learners with a feeling of
success is a hard job, but the following activities are useful:
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- Give daily evaluations.
- Use simple vocabulary in directions and instructions.
- Use standard formats and limited types of responses for each assignment.
- Provide multi-sensory prompts to elicit correct responses.
- Analyze and break down difficult tasks.
- Increase time-on-task rates (more teacher questions, group participation, effective use
of signals, gestures, etc.).
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C. Testing: I have obtained
excellent results by presenting tests divided into two components: an objective section
including multiple-choice, true or false, fill-in, matching, or other similar types of
exercises, worth up to 50% of the overall score; and an essay section with exercises like
guided dialogs, broad general questions, and free production. Since slow learners show
limited retention, they need specific guidelines and cues to recall the information they
acquire.
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D. Behavior and discipline: Many
emotionally-disturbed children reflect deficient learning skills and strategies. Many of
them come from family environments characterized by conflict and/or neglect; and because
they are insecure, these children demonstrate inappropriate/disruptive behavior towards
peers and teachers. Since the class itself may provide social reinforcement, the teacher
should avoid confrontation or argument with these children in front of their classmates.
Call the problem student aside on a one-to-one basis, discuss the problem, and set
boundaries for the appropriate behavior.
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Slow learners tend to ignore parent-like
lectures. Talk less and provide behavioral rewards that are more socially positive, such
as group cooperation, respect, and neatness. This is pertinent whether you are teaching at
the primary or secondary levels.
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I am sure the weaker students will benefit from
our better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. As long as we continue trying
new ways to assist these children, they will be able to make progress and most of all,
overcome the fear and/or negative impressions of L2.
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A.
Augusto Lescano teaches EFL to elementary and high school children in Cuajone,
Peru. His interests include psycholinguistics and teaching the learning disabled. |
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Return
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- Castillo, R. 1991. Teaching learners to learn. English Teaching Forum, 29, 3, pp. 28-30.
- Finocchiaro, M. and C. Brumfit. 1983. The functional-notional approach: Theory to
practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Gearhart, B. 1985. Learning disabilities: Educational strategies. Times Mirror/Mosby
Publishing Co.
- Kirk, S. and J. Chalfant. 1984. Academic and developmental learning disabilities.
Denver: Love Publishing Co.
- Mercer, C. and A. Mercer. 1989. Teaching students with learning problems. Columbus,
Ohio: Merril Publishing Co.
- Wenden, A. and J. Rubin. 1987. Learner's strategies in language learning. Englewood
Cliffs: Prentice-Hall International.
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