Kerry Wilson Assignment One: Focus on the Learner Stafford House

Pre-Intermediate Group

Class Profile
The Pre-Intermediate class is a fairly eclectic group. The most common first language is Spanish, but
Romanian, Turkish and Slovakian are also represented, as well as Mandarin and Polish. The age range
is quite broad, from 19 to late 40s. Most students have a secondary, if not tertiary education, and the
majority have already studied English at school or at a language centre, although one student says he
learned English exclusively online and through mobile applications. Several speak more than one
language already. The educational background of the students is therefore conducive to learning a
second language. Generally the level appears to be appropriate, although one student has asked to
be moved up to the Intermediate group.

The strongest common denominator in the group is their motivation for learning English: almost all
wish to improve their job prospects, and most mention some form of cultural assimilation as a goal.
They are therefore generally intrinsically motivated, with a strong extrinsic incentive.1 This is
demonstrated in their enthusiasm during the lessons. Attendance has already proved to be quite fluid,
however, as work and family commitments take precedence. One learner also mentioned that
because the classes are free, there is less inducement to attend. External factors might negatively
impact the motivation of some students to learn English effectively in this class.

As might be expected in such a diverse group, the individual learning styles of the students are quite
different2. The questionnaires suggest a strong bias towards the visual and linguistic preferences, and
certainly in class visual and verbal stimuli (paintings, realia and IWB presentations) have been received
enthusiastically. A few students appear to be extrovert, and clearly prefer collaborative, verbal
exercises. One is definitely an introvert and indicated that she does not like working in pairs at all,
which has affected some of the pair-work exercises in class.

Skills:
Reading:
Interestingly, only one student felt confident to list reading as a strength in her questionnaire. One
student is obviously weak in this area and required significant support to complete the questionnaire
effectively. A few struggled with an exercise testing their ability to read for gist – they were not
confident in reading a text quickly, and some referred to the text after reading. They were generally
successful in guessing at meaning from context, although two or three students seem very reliant on
vocabulary apps. A number of students clearly found the detailed reading task enjoyable, and were
confident in giving correct answers.

Listening:
Most students identified this as an area for improvement, and some have commented informally that
they struggle to understand English spoken at a natural cadence. One student has a hearing disability,
and to accommodate her, audio clips were played twice. This helped other students who might
otherwise have found it difficult to listen for general meaning. In other listening exercises, however,
they were quite competent at listening for gist. The listening-for-detail tasks were also performed
well, even when some of the vocabulary was unfamiliar. A few students have markedly better listening
skills than others, and especially enjoyed the listening tasks as a result. As a group they appear to
comprehend verbal instructions well, and do not often require extra explanation.

1
Noels, K, (2001) Motivation and Second Language Acquisition, University of Hawaii, p45
2
Sheerin, S (1989) Self Access, OUP p 4-6
Kerry Wilson Assignment One: Focus on the Learner Stafford House

Writing:
The students are all familiar with Latin script, and use punctuation confidently and correctly in their
writing (one consistently used a colon correctly when listing hobbies). When asked to write 7-10 lines
on a particular subject, most students organised their writing into paragraphs, and were able to
complete the task within the given time limit. One student found this particularly difficult, however,
and was hesitant in her writing. With a few minor exceptions, spelling was correct throughout the
group. There were, however, many instances of syntax and grammar errors. Tenses and phrasal verbs
posed a significant problem for many students: phrases such as “I born in..”, “I living in…” and “I was
growing up in…” were endemic in the group. A common issue was incorrect use of indefinite and
definite articles (“I go to the different restaurant”; “I create a videos using computer”). Noun/verb
agreement also seems to require work throughout the group.

Speaking:
The students are mostly enthusiastic contributors to discussion, and are keen to improve their spoken
English. This eagerness is a strength, even though they can be hesitant in their speech. A few students
have good grammar, vocabulary and listening skills, but their pronunciation is a barrier to normal
conversation. Some of the more extrovert students are natural communicators, and tend to use hand
gestures or find alternative vocabulary to convey meaning. A couple of students regularly resort to
the use of an app to translate a word or phrase during conversation. This weakens their overall
speaking skills, rather than augmenting them.

Language Errors
Grammar:
Error Correction Reason for error
“I not watch the I did not watch the movie. L1 interference: in Spanish there is no
movie.” equivalent for “did not”, “do not” and
“does not” to express a verb in the
negative.3 “No” is simply placed in front of
the verb phrase.
“I like go to the I like going to the theatre. Lack of familiarity with the use of gerund
theatre.” form of the verb, possibly L1 interference
(Slovak does not use a gerund form).

Pronunciation:
Error Correction Reason for error
/’prefə/ /pri:’fɜ:/ Lack of familiarity with the correct stress on
the second syllable (not the first), which
prompts the short /ə/ sound. Perhaps the
word has been learned without hearing the
correct pronunciation.
/’ tɪn/ /’θɪn/ The interdental unvoiced /θ/ sound is not
common in many languages, and the /t/

3
Swan, M. & Smith, B (2001) Learner English (2nd Ed), Cambridge University Press, p100
Kerry Wilson Assignment One: Focus on the Learner Stafford House

(and sometimes /s/) sound is the closest

approximation that can be made.

Helping the learner:

Gerund forms:
I would use Exercise 7B from English File Pre-Intermediate4, entitled “Being Happy”. Conversations in
everyday life often involve questions about what one likes, or what one’s interests are. The reading
exercise helps the student to become familiar with the gerund form in a context that will be
encountered often, and therefore will build confidence. I would use the Vocabulary Bank exercise
(p158) to familiarise them with using the gerund form, and then progress to the Grammar Bank
exercise (p138) for practise and extension.

Forming the “th” digraph:

I would display a photograph showing the correct positioning of tongue and teeth to form the “th”
sound. A small mirror might be helpful for each student to identify and correct their own positioning.
Students should practice both the voiced and unvoiced “th” sounds, even though the error is with the
unvoiced sound, because they should be familiar with the difference in production and use of these
similar sounds. Then I would ask students to say individual “th” words in choral drill from a handout.
This would avoid embarrassment if a particular student is struggling, and provide practise. Further
practise would involve saying the attached tongue twisters, in pairs5.

Bibliography:
Noels, K, (2001) Motivation and Second Language Acquisition, University of Hawaii, Second Language
Teaching and Curriculum Centre
Sheerin, S (1989) Self Access, OUP p 4-6
Swan, M. & Smith, B (2001) Learner English (2nd Ed), Cambridge University Press
Latham-Koenig C, Oxenden C, Seligson P, (2012) English File Pre-Intermediate (3rd Ed), Oxford
University Press
Karakaş, Ali & Sönmez, Ecehan. (2011). The Teaching of [θ] and [ð] Sounds in English.

4
Latham-Koenig C, Oxenden C, Seligson P, (2012) English File Pre-Intermediate (3rd Ed), OUP
5 Karakaş, Ali & Sönmez, Ecehan. (2011). The Teaching of [θ] and [ð] Sounds in English.
Kerry Wilson Assignment One: Focus on the Learner Stafford House