The other day my DOS asked me, how do you teach advanced students?
I answered as honestly as I could. Then I started musing about it, and hopefully other colleagues will contribute to the topic here, too.
First, I said to my DOS, go for pleasure, because most advanced students are passionate about English, finding real joy in their own understanding and power of communication, not to mention their feelings of gratification when they help colleagues with lesser language knowledge. They are “basking” in their success; the struggle of learning irregular verbs and infinitives and gerunds is behind them.
Naturally, advanced students come with a few gaps, some of which they stress over. Moreover, the vastness of the English language precludes their having learned every possible vocabulary word.
These two conditions misled me earlier, causing me to react with “bitty” lessons aimed at plugging the gaps in my advanced students’ knowledge, the result being a kind of cat-and-mouse lesson plan. “Do you know this word? You do? Oh, and how about this one? No? AHA!”
Time to think a lot about Joy and Pleasure. I think it is best with advanced students to bring in dense content related to some passion of theirs, whether profession-related or otherwise. It should be used as a springboard. On one hand, may be interesting idioms, expressions or terms. Likewise, a text may espouse views opposed to the students’ own. Or the student may debunk to his/her heart’s delight. Pronunciation, especially intonation can well deserve attention at this level, since it may have been neglected earlier in the rush to master practical English .
Naturally the Internet and Web 2.0 based resources must play a role in lessons for advanced students. Likewise the majority of materials, if not all of them, will be authentic and not from course books.
Kindly don’t misunderstand; an advanced lesson must have its parts and phases. However, they should all contribute in some way to creating a pleasurable experience for the student.
Looking forward to other ideas on this topic.
100% agree. You’ve given the number one principle of teaching (not only) advanced learners. Also DOGME is an excellent approach to advanced learners allowing for joy, pleasure and passion. Web 2.0 tools makes it easier to administer and record what happens in the lessons thus helping keep track of the possible ramblings. Following students interests may seem to cause frustration as teachers tend to feel insecure not having followed a certain syllabus however. But no syllabus an override the aims and objectives that are set up bearing in mind learners’ passions.
Really liked your reply and comment about Dogme. Could you elaborate a bit about the web 2.0 tools that could be used to record? Here’s a little “case study”: I walked in late to a class where the students were chatting in Hungarian, which I understand. My planned topic was past continuous passive. I overheard a student talking about a motorcycle accident and saying things which, when translated, were perfect examples of my lesson’s teaching point. Well! Off I went — threw out my materials and taught from his story and examples. (and first taught the expression, “Come into my parlour, said the spider to the fly…” haha). This is a sort of mini-Dogme, no? So how would you web 2.0 record it?