Teaching English One To One

MASARYK UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AND LITERATURE
TEACHING ENGLISH
ONE-TO-ONE
Bachelor Thesis
Thesis Supervisor: Mgr.S.Hanuov,Ph.D.
Thesis Author: Helena Skalov
Announcement
Hereby I state that I worked on the Bachelor Thesis by myself. All the sources of
information that I used are listed in the bibliography.
Helena Skalov
Brno 15th January 2007
.
2
Acknowledgement
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mgr. Svtlana Hanuov, PhD. for her
kind help and valuable advice that she provided me throughout my thesis as my
supervisor.
Content
1.
2.
TEACHING ONE-TO-ONE................................................................................ 6
1.1.
Individual and group talk ............................................................................. 7
1.2.
Adjusting to others ....................................................................................... 7
1.3.
Involvement and proximity .......................................................................... 8
1.4.
A basic working paradigm ........................................................................... 9
1.5.
Advantages and disadvantages of one-to-one ............................................ 11
1.5.1.
Advantages and disadvantages for teachers....................................... 11
1.5.2.
Advantages and disadvantages for students....................................... 13
LEARNER ......................................................................................................... 15
2.1.
Motivation.................................................................................................. 15
2.1.1.
The spectrum of motivation ............................................................... 15
2.1.2.
Factors of motivation ......................................................................... 16
2.2.
Learners needs .......................................................................................... 17
2.2.1.
2.3.
3.
Assessment tools ................................................................................ 18
Learning styles ........................................................................................... 19
2.3.1.
The Visual learning style ................................................................... 20
2.3.2.
The auditory learning style................................................................. 20
2.3.3.
The tactile / kinesthetic learning style................................................ 20
2.3.4.
Multiple Intelligence .......................................................................... 21
THE SYLLABUS .............................................................................................. 22

3.1.
Syllabus content ......................................................................................... 23
4.
THE PRACTICAL PART ................................................................................. 24
5.
CONCLUSION .................................................................................................. 49
6.
RESUME ........................................................................................................... 50
7.
THE LIST OF LITERATURE........................................................................... 52

APPENDIX
INTRODUCTION
Why have I chosen this topic? The reason for it is simple - I have a lot of
experience with teaching one-to-one because I have given private lessons for many
years. I have found many advantages as well as disadvantages of it. The idea of oneto-one teaching often provokes quite extreme reactions in teachers. They either love
it or hate it. But both students and teachers can profit more from a one-to-one lesson
compared to large groups, which I will specify more later.
I think that teaching one-to-one is really interesting topic but it is not well
explored area and few experts focus on it. I would like to describe it in more detail. It
is suitable for those who are involved in, or wish to begin, such teaching. The thesis
can be helpful indirectly for all the potential students who would welcome and
benefit from the approaches outlined in the thesis.
My thesis is divided into two parts the theoretical and the practical part. The
theoretical part is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the theory of
teaching one-to-one and its advantages and disadvantages for both teachers and
students. Then I will describe the individual and group work, a basic working
paradigm and several big words that are connected with teaching one-to-one, such as
adjustment, involvement or proximity. The confrontation of teaching one-to-one and
in a group is introduced through the whole thesis.
The second chapter describes the learner. It includes the learners motivation,
learners needs and definition and description of learning styles. The last chapter of
the theoretical part deals with the syllabus and its content.
The practical part is centred on my students that I give the private lessons to. I
present their casuistries in which I talk about their previous learning experience, their
motivation for teaching one-to-one and the process of our classes. Then I describe
their perception of learning and I present their results in the questionnaire of learning
styles. I describe the activities that I use to develop their abilities and that are suitable
for their learning style. Last but not least is the fact why teaching one-to-one is
suitable for them and which advantages and disadvantages one-to-one classes have
for these students.
1. TEACHING ONE-TO-ONE
I have given my private lessons for many years and I really enjoy it. Teaching
one-to-one means that there are only two people a student and a teacher. I feel that
this is its biggest advantage. I have been teaching at the basic school for a few
months and it is completely different. There are so many children in a class and they
cannot learn so much as in the private lesson.
The definition of teaching one-to-one is: By one-to-one teaching we mean
the instruction that takes place between one teacher and one student. Sometimes it
happens in the context of an independent study or tutorial. (www.utdallas.edu).
I know that the topic of one-to-one teaching provokes personal, sometimes
passionate responses from many English language teachers. There are many teachers
who give their private lessons besides their teaching at schools. It may be because of
money or just because of fun from it. But when I talk to a teacher who teaches at a
basic school about the topic of one-to-one teaching, he or she admits that except of
many advantages, teaching one-to-one is also sometimes difficult. They describe the
teacher role as being blurred between teacher, psychologist and friend. And on the
other side - learners can complain that the teacher is not pushing them to do enough
homework like at school.
This area is not very explored and I have found only few sections on teaching
one-to-one, while there was lots advice on the classroom management of groups.
That is a pity because also skilled and wise teacher can have some troubles in private
lessons. It is somehow assumed that teaching English as a foreign language means
organizing huge groups of students, while the reality is that one-to-one is a normal
and often significant part of our teaching lives. We know from psychology that we
learn the best, for example, when we talk about something to our friends or otherwise
when our friends explain something to us.
1.1.
Individual and group talk
It is true that most of the communication that we are involved in during our
lives is done in pairs. We may often be in group settings but we usually address
individuals, not the group as a whole.
Communicating with individuals, as opposed to groups, is easier, more
efficient, and more comfortable for at least three reasons:
Feedback attention is focused on one person. When we are communicating with
two other people, our attention is divided between the two and our efficiency of
monitoring the feedback diminishes.
Adjustment possibilities, our ability to adjust to attended feedback, are also
normally reduced proportionately to the increase in the number of people we are
expected to adjust to.
Affective inhibition, or emotional energy, that may cause reluctance to
participate, may also increase with the number of people involved in the
communication. (Murphey, 1991).
I suppose that it is important to say and explain what the communication is.
People often say: We get along because we are able to communicate. Or That
teacher talks a lot, but he does not seem to communicate. So the word
communication is a common word.
King claims that it refers to a process in which a response is evoked by a
message sent and received. There are three necessary elements, according to that
definition: sending a message, receiving a message, and responding to the message.
(1994, p.3)
1.2.
Adjusting to others
Adjustment is a big word in one-to-one encounters. The possibility for greater

individual adjustment in one-to-one is probably its main advantage. Trying to adjust
to a class of twenty different personalities, interest topics, and momentary emotional
fluctuations, and at the same time physically giving eye contact and attending to boy
language, is practically impossible. When circulating and adjusting individually to
each student, a teacher even then only gives a few minutes to each and may have to
go through enormous change in order to tune in appropriately.
1.3.
Involvement and proximity
One-to-one implies that two people are involved in interaction. It is easy to be

uninvolved in large classroom situations, nearly impossible when someone is talking
to you alone. It is also hard to be uninvolved when you are conveying your own
knowledge, which is the reason why teachers are potentially the greatest learners and
why students can often learn more when encouraged to teach their classmates and
share their information and ideas.
The one-to-one principle of maximally adjusted communication for learning
has further application beyond language teaching. We can watch any ski school class
winding its way down a slope behind its teacher like a snake and if we watch closely
and for long enough we will usually find that the student who is just behind the
instructor does a much better job of imitating and following her path. The other
students skiing further back seem to wander and to be vaguely following but,
because of the lack of proximity, the teacher has trouble communicating with them
and receiving their feedback. (Murphey, 1991).
Contrastingly, students taking one-to-one instruction may become quickly

tired and frustrated if teachers teach in a conventionally class-intensive way and see
correction and information giving as their major role. This is not to say that one-toone cannot be intensive, rather that it is intensive in a different way, hopefully a more
relaxing and humanly interpersonal way.
1.4.
A basic working paradigm
In one-to-one teaching the emphasis is on the student providing the content,

and the teacher providing the form. This means a basic paradigm radically different
from the traditional present-practice-produce of much classroom language teaching.
(Wilberg, 1987, p.13).
When a new student comes to private lesson, he or she initially presents his or
her needs, why they want to learn English and what they expect. A teacher needs to
know if they studied English anywhere before our first lesson and at what level they
are. These pieces of information can be supported by interviews during our first
lesson.
According to Murphey the central axiom for one-to-one is that throughout
the whole course space needs to be created for student input; there must be
opportunities for continuous re-definition of needs. The basic strategy must not be
intensive, pressurized teaching but rather creating space for learning. (1991, p.6).
The approach involves:

a) creating space for student input and learning
b) structuring this space (formatting)
c) re-presenting student content in appropriate forms (re-formulation)
d) analyzing and making the student aware of language forms (auditing)
All these activities must be carried out within a framework of authentic
communication between student and teacher. It is the relationship between two
individuals which forms the basis for all the teaching and learning activities.
AD a) Creating space for student input and learning

Create space for learning means both psychical and psychological space,
intellectual and emotional space.
Nowadays more and more teachers are discovering the value of music,
physical exercise, and guided relaxation techniques as stress-reducers in the
classroom.
In terms of activities it is vital to give writing, silent reading and pleasure
listening their place in each days lessons. It is much more difficult for a one-to-one
teacher to keep a low profile and just let the student get on with something, yet this is
just what is required.
AD b) Formatting
Formatting means creating space for the student to input the content of
communication. A format is a framework of communication that offers this space,
allowing the student to determine the content and context of a written or oral text,
independently of textbooks and text-tapes. An example of a format can be anything
that serves the aim of creating space for authentic student input rather than mere
language practice.
AD c) Re-formulation
The aim of teaching is not to teach the student his or her business but to raise
awareness of language forms and their role serving communicative content. To do
this, these forms must be made visible. One way of doing this is to reformulate the
students input. Instead of a haphazard, interruptive correction of the students
language we reformulate it in a structured way for the student. This can be done
orally, sentence by sentence, with the student recording our reformulation of each
utterance. Or it can be done in writing, on the board or in our own time after the
lesson. Either way the result is a model of language tailored to the students
communicative and linguistic needs.
The next step is to make the student aware of the language forms, and able to
audit the language models for him- or herself. This means the ability to identify the
new language it contains and practice it.
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AD d) Auditing
Auditing involves two types of skills:
the identification of language and sonic forms
identification with these forms in speech and writing
Auditing is listening for form, and reading for form, rather than content. The
micro-skills of identification are applied in the macro-skills of reading, writing,
speaking and listening. The objective is to replace the teaching of language by a
teacher with the training of students in the skills possessed by the teacher. These
teacher skills are auditing skills: the ability to recognize, recall, and thus reproduce
language forms.
It is often said that before students are able to hear a sound they must be
taught to speak it. In fact there are many students who are perfectly capable of using,
say, a third person -s but never get into the habit of so doing because it is not
reinforced by natural acquisition through listening. This is because the students still
do not hear it. (Wilberg, 1987).
1.5.
Advantages and disadvantages of one-to-one
Teaching one-to-one has many advantages but there are some disadvantages
too. I am going to talk about disadvantages, because there are some as in any way of
teaching, but also about advantages, which prevail, for both teachers and students. I
will specify particular advantages and disadvantages and I will write my comments
on them.
1.5.1. Advantages and disadvantages for teachers

Advantages
Only one level - this means no mixed abilities or fast finishers to deal with.
When a teacher teaches at the basic school, he or she perceives the mixed level of
students knowledge as one of the biggest problem. There are many skilful students
who can work separately but there are also many pupils who need teachers help all
the time and a teacher cannot help them all during one lesson.
As Harmer says One of the biggest problems teachers face is a lesson where the
students are at different levels some with quite competent English, some whose
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English is not very good, and some whose English is only just getting started.
(2000, p.70)
Teachers can learn something too. Students can teach us about their interests,
work and experiences.
There are fewer time constraints. This means we can spend as long as necessary to
address our students needs, and explore areas of personal interest.
Teachers can select material they are sure will interest and motivate the student.
It is not difficult to find any material that the students are interested in but when there
are twenty students with different interests at school- then that is difficult.
When a teacher wants his students to communicate with him, it is very important
and suitable to talk about our common things such as in real life. Kings
consideration of communication explains that: The word communication is related
to other words with the same root: commune, communal, community, for example.
Communication has to do with finding something in common. Human
communication involves sharing meanings, sharing ideas, sharing understandings,
sharing experiences finding something in common. That is the basis of all
communication: two human beings (or more) finding something in common. (King,
1994, p.6)
Disadvantages
The teacher is always on. There are not many situations in our lives when we
spend ninety minutes talking constantly to one person. The teacher has to be really
on and answer various questions and enquiries all the time.
There is a limited range of activities. This means no pair or group work, which
can be a bit monotonous for the teacher, and the student. It is true that many
activities, for example for practicing grammar, are in groups but you can adjust
everything.
Schools often do not give a syllabus for one-to-one classes so it is more difficult
to record and show progress to the student. But I think that the students needs are
the most important and everything should be set up according to them.
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1.5.2. Advantages and disadvantages for students

Advantages
Students have the constant attention of the teacher so they can listen to and speak
more English than they might in a group situation.
Students do not feel ashamed when there are not so many fellow-students like in the
class at school and they are much more open and they speak much more too.
I agree with Harmer who talks about the relationship between a student and a
teacher. Although, the character and personality of the teacher is a crucial issue in
the classroom, by far the greatest number of responses to the question What makes a
good teacher? was not so much about teachers themselves, but rather about the
relationship between the teacher and the students.(2000, p.2)
I also think that a teacher can be easily empathetic to one student than in a
group of students. I agree with King who explains the empathy in this way:
Empathy is based on two Greek words that mean feeling inside. If you have
empathy, you do more than stand beside the other person, you try to get inside the
other person. With empathy, you do not feel for their hunger, anger, or pain; you feel
the hunger, anger, and the hurt the other person is feeling. (1994, p.153)
Empathy is connected with confidence that is in my opinion also very
important in teaching one-to-one.
The trust-performance cycles suggest an interesting parallel - the mutual
dependence of a trusting relationship and effective communication performance.
When the teacher can be characterized as trusting and supportive, communication
practice is generally good. The aura of openness makes possible candid expressions
of feelings and ideas.(Haney, 1992, p.14)
Student can contribute to classes more and feel part of the learning process by
bringing material like books, songs, and articles from local newspapers to class.
Especially in one-to-one class it is important what students want and need and there
are no specific materials and course books that Prabhus statement can pitch in.
What a teacher does in the lesson is not solely, or even primarily, determined by the
teaching method he or she intends to follow. (1992, p.103)
If a student brings some material according to that it is possible to practice
grammar or whatever, there is no problem and the teacher can be glad that his
student is really interested in English.
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Their strengths and weaknesses are addressed more consistently and fully without
the competition of other students for the teachers time and they are not pressured by
the progress of other students. (www.onestopenglish.com).
Disadvantages
There is a similar potential for exhaustion as they too can be in constant
interaction in an unnatural way with the teacher.
It can be difficult to measure progress without other students to compare with and
the possible lack of a syllabus.
The lesson format can become monotonous if a teacher lacks the confidence to
experiment with change of pace and type of activity. They might assume a student
would not be open to activities such as dictation, songs, moving around the class,
chants, drilling etc
It is possible to use the energy raisers as warm-ups at the beginning of a
lesson and some other activities also at the end of a lesson to make sure students
leave the lesson in an alert, happy frame of mind. Because as Davis and Rinvolucri
say Discipline problems with school children often stem from their desperate need
to move, stretch and recharge their batteries after long period of sitting. As language
teachers we need to bear peoples physical needs clearly in mind. (1990, p.47)
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2. LEARNER
2.1.
Motivation
I think that one of the most difficult things in teaching one-to-one is the
motivation. There are many reasons why children need or want teaching one-to-one.
There is a big difference between what children want and what they need. If they
want to learn English in their free time because they are simply interested in English,
there is no problem but if they need to learn English because they have bad marks at
school, for example, and their parents make them learn, that is a big problem because
children themselves do not want to learn English and they are just bored and annoyed
because of it.
As Harmer says: Motivation is some kind of internal drive that encourages
somebody to pursue a course of action. If we perceive a goal (that is something we
wish to achieve) and if the goal is sufficiently attractive, we will be strongly
motivated to do whatever is necessary to reach that goal. (1992, p.3)
To teach a student that is highly motivated is more pleasant. But it must be
motivation for a long time and for a good reason. I agree with Harmer who mentions
that that students who felt most warmly about a language and who wanted to
integrate into the culture of its speakers were more highly motivated (and learnt more
successfully) than those who were only learning language as a means to an end (for
example getting a better job). (2000, p.8)
2.1.1. The spectrum of motivation
Real motivation might vary from genuine fanatical commitment to a company

on the one hand, to simply taking a break from routine or having a holiday on the
other. In between there is a whole spectrum of motivation that Murphey mentions:
The student who enjoys being the centre of attention, who finds relief and
diversion from loneliness or boredom in one-to-one.
The student whose current communicative needs is not as important as future
ones. For example a student who dreams secretly of abandoning a present job and
going to live in an English-speaking country.
15
The student whose motivation is intrinsic, and based on a genuine interest in the
culture of the foreign language.
The student whose real learning problems are principally psychological and
hopes for a magic cure from one-to-one. (Murphey, 1991)
2.1.2. Factors of motivation

Skenham mentions Corders phrase that is in my opinion true, Given
motivation, anyone can learn a language. This brings out the importance of
motivation and the way it can overcome unfavorable circumstances in other aspects
of language learning. (1991, p. 49)
According to Harmer there are some factors of motivation that have an
influence on motivation and students learning. There is physical condition, methods
that we use, success and last but not least the role of teacher. I will specify these
factors and add my opinion on them.
Physical condition
It is clearly that physical conditions have a great effect on learning and can alter a
students motivation either positively or negatively. We can say that the atmosphere
in which a language is learnt is vitally important. Some institutionalized education
can influence negatively and stressful and it can have a negative effect on
motivation. So it is better when the private lessons are as much pleasant and familiar
as they can. The pleasant atmosphere ensures that students are open and they learn
easily.
Method
Also the method by which students are taught must have some effect on their
motivation. If they find it deadly boring they will probably become de-motivated,
whereas if they have confidence in the method they will find it motivating. It is a big
problem in English lessons at school because even if a teacher tries to make his or
her lessons interesting, it is not so easy as in the private lessons where he or she can
modify the methods right on the students needs. But when I study in various books,
despite various attempts, there is unfortunately no research that clearly shows the
success of one method over another.
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Success
Harmer says success or lack of it plays a vital part in the motivational drive of a
student. Both complete failure and complete success may be de-motivating. I know
that when someone is very good, he or she has no reason to work more and more
hard and when someone knows only a failure, he or she thinks learning and effort is
for nothing. I agree with Harmer that it will be the teachers job to set goals and tasks
at which most of his or her students can be successful.
The teacher
In my opinion a teacher has a big role in students motivation and effort. I do not
agree with Harmer who says that it is not important and significant whether student
likes the teacher or not. I suppose that especially in teaching one-to-one it is
important very much. I am sure that there are further important things such as if
the teacher makes his course interesting, explains clearly, speaks good English,
makes all the students participate, shows great patience or teach English through
enjoyable and interesting classes as Harmer mentions as well. (Harmer, 1992)
2.2.
Learners needs
Before we start teaching someone, we need to know his or her needs and the
reason that they want to learn English for. When people want to go to the private
lessons, they frequently have very specific learning goals and needs. They may want
to get a job, need English at school or they may want to move abroad. The other
thing we need to know before starting is what the students want. These two things
are often very different from each other.
The teacher can find out students needs and students wants by asking the
student questions about him and the language (which is what I will be calling needs
analysis).
It is obvious that The needs assessment process can be used as the basis for
developing curricula and classroom practice that are responsive to these needs.
Although learner needs assessment includes both what learners know and can do and
what they want to learn and be able to do, this digest focuses on ways to determine
what learners want or believe they need to learn. (www.jalt.org).
17
So the needs analysis is really very important. With a thorough needs

analysis, all other activities in the curriculum development process may be
accomplished.
When the teacher decides how to go about needs analysis with a student, he
or she does it either before a class or during the first class. The teacher asks the
student, for example: How long have you been studying English? How far do you
want/need to go with your English? Which skills do you need/lack most? Which
parts of the language do you find most difficult? Where do you use English? When a
student is answering, the teacher writes down the answers. Here are some forms that
we can use.
2.2.1. Assessment tools
Needs assessments with learners, can take a variety of forms, including

survey questionnaires on which learners check areas of interest or need, open-ended
interviews, or informal observations of performance. In order for needs assessment to
be effective, tools and activities should be appropriate for the particular learner or
groups of learners.
Types of needs assessment tools and activities include:
Survey questionnaires - frequently they consist of a list of topics, skills, or
language and literacy uses. The learners indicate what they already know or want
to know by checking in the appropriate column or box, or they may be asked to
use a scale to rank the importance of each item.
Learner interviews - interviews with learners, either one-on-one or in small
groups, in their native language or in English, can provide valuable information
about what learners know, what their interests are, and the ways they use or hope
to use literacy.
Review of reading materials - an instructor can spread out a range of reading
materials on the table (e.g., newspapers, magazines, children's books, comics, and
greeting cards), and ask learners which they would like to read and whether they
would like to work in class on any of them. A similar activity can be done with
different types of writing. (www.ericdigests.org)
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2.3.
Learning styles
When someone tries to learn something new, he or she prefers to learn either
by listening to someone talks to him or her about the information or some people
prefer to read about a concept to learn it; others need to see a demonstration of the
concept.
As wikipedia mentions Learning Style Theory proposes that different people
learn in different ways and that it is good to know what your own preferred learning
style is. On these sites there is also mentioned the fact that over 70 learning style
models have been proposed, each consisting of at least two different styles.
(www.en.wikipedia.org)
Another website mentions how it is important to know our own learning
style. There is written that learning styles are a way to help improve your quality of
learning. By understanding your own personal styles, you can adapt the learning
process and techniques you use. (www.learning-styles-online.com)
Many people recognize that each person prefers different learning styles and
techniques and everyone has a mix of learning styles. Some people may find that
they have a dominant style of learning, with far less use of the other styles. Others
may find that they use different styles in different circumstances. There is no right
mix. You can develop ability in less dominant styles, as well as further develop
styles that you already use well. By recognizing and understanding your own
learning styles, you can use techniques better suited to you. This improves the speed
and quality of your learning.
The basic learning styles are:
the visual learning style
the auditory learning style
the tactile/kinesthetic learning style (www.learning-styles-online.com).
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2.3.1. The Visual learning style

This type of student learns best when information is presented visually and in
a written language format. In a classroom setting, he benefit from instructors who use
the blackboard (or overhead projector) to list the essential points of a lecture, or who
provide him with an outline to follow along with during lecture. This student benefits
from information obtained from textbooks and class notes. He tends to like to study
by himself in a quiet room. He often sees information "in his mind's eye" when he is
trying to remember something. (www.metamath.com).
These learners need to see the teacher's body language and facial expression
to fully understand the content of a lesson. They tend to prefer sitting at the front of
the classroom to avoid visual obstructions (e.g. people's heads). They may think in
pictures and learn best from visual displays including: diagrams, illustrated
textbooks, overhead transparencies, videos, flipcharts and handouts. During a lecture
or classroom discussion, visual learners often prefer to take detailed notes to absorb
the information. (www.ldpride.net)
2.3.2. The auditory learning style

This type of student learns best when information is presented auditory in an oral
language format. In a classroom setting, you benefit from listening to lecture and
participating in group discussions. You also benefit from obtaining information from
audio tape. When trying to remember something, you can often "hear" the way
someone told you the information, or the way you previously repeated it out loud.
You learn best when interacting with others in a listening/speaking exchange.
(www.metamath.com).
They learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through
and listening to what others have to say. Auditory learners interpret the underlying
meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed and other
nuances. Written information may have little meaning until it is heard. These learners
often benefit from reading text aloud and using a tape recorder. (www.ldpride.net).
2.3.3. The tactile / kinesthetic learning style

You learn best when physically engaged in a "hands on" activity. You learn
best when you can be physically active in the learning environment. You benefit
20
from instructors who encourage in-class demonstrations, "hands on" student learning
experiences, and field work outside t he classroom. (www.metamath.com).
Tactile/Kinesthetic persons learn best through a hands-on approach, actively
exploring the physical world around them. They may find it hard to sit still for long
periods and may become distracted by their need for activity and exploration.
(www.ldpride.net).
2.3.4. Multiple Intelligence

The Multiple Intelligence is very close to the learning styles but it cannot be
replaced. Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University,
developed the theory of multiple intelligences in 1983. It suggests that the traditional
notion of intelligence, based on I.Q. testing, is far too limited. Instead, Dr. Gardner
proposes eight different intelligences to account for a broader range of human
potential in children and adults. He suggested that there are at least eight different
types of intelligence:
1. Linguistic intelligence the ability to use and understand language.
2. Logical-mathematical intelligence the ability to understand mathematical
operations, logical reasoning, and scientific thinking.
3. Intra-personal intelligence the ability to understand your own thoughts and
feelings.
4. Inter-personal intelligence the ability to understand other peoples moods and
feelings.
5. Musical intelligence the ability to understand and play music.
6. Spatial intelligence the ability to understand the relationships of objects in
space on maps, in the street and so on.
7. Kinesthetic intelligence the ability to control your fine motor movements.
8. Naturalistic intelligence the ability to classify, understand and use the natural
world. (www.thomasarmstrong.com).
21
3. THE SYLLABUS
Teaching one-to-one has no formal syllabus. There is nothing according to
that we should teach. It can be an advantage but also a disadvantage. Prabhu defines
a syllabus as a form of support to the teaching activity that is to be carried out in the
class and a form of guidance in the construction of appropriate lesson plans.(1992,
p.86)
Before we start to teach students, we have to decide which skills we want
them to develop and when. From books that I have studied for this thesis I
understand that just the syllabus organizes what skills we should concentrate on.
Each syllabus can be different. As Harmer says: Some syllabuses are fairly
short lists of grammatical structures or functions. Some are much more detailed,
containing lists not only of language, but also of topic and subject matter or activities
and task.(1992, p.27)
I agree with another Harmers thought about the shape of a syllabus that may
depend according to him on a large extent on the needs of the students who are going
to be taught. The syllabus for a group of agronomists might look very different from
the syllabus for a group of waiters. The level of the students will be vital too since
we would expect a beginners syllabus to be very different from one for advanced
students. The age of the students may have a lot to do with it as well especially
where the selection of themes and topics is concerned. (1992, p. 27)
22
3.1.
Syllabus content
In my opinion the most difficult thing about learning a language is that there
is simply so much to learn. Learners must know grammar; vocabulary and they have
to be able to make themselves understood. In order to help learners achieve this,
Willis suggests the syllabus designer must first specify syllabus content as
economically as possible. Almost any language course specifies what the designers
believe that learners at a certain stage of language development need to learn and
know. (1990, p.41)
We define language content in terms of functional rather than formal
structural units because these are seen as being more immediately relevant to what
learners will need eventually to do with the language once they have learned it. The
emphasis is on the objectives and not the procedures of language learning, on
purpose not process. It is a need or goal-oriented rationale, expressed by Wilkins in
the following way: The process of deciding what to teach is based on consideration
of what the learner should most usefully be able to communicate in the foreign
language. (1991, p.131)
23
4. THE PRACTICAL PART
24
The practical part

In the practical part of my bachelor thesis I will describe students who attend
my private lessons and I will write the casuistries about them in my thesis.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
The casuistries contain

The school that they study and their previous learning experience
Reasons for one-to-one class and their motivation for it
One-to-one teaching process
Their skills
Their perception of learning
Their learning styles
My observations from one-to-one classes
What do I recommend them?
Suitable activities
Besides students names, age, school that they study and their previous
learning experience, I describe their reason and motivation for one-to-one classes and
one-to-one teaching process. Then I describe their type of learning style. They fill in
the questionnaire of learning styles and according to the results of the questionnaire I
decide which learning styles they have and what I would recommend them and why.
The first section of the Learning Style Survey deals with sensory preferences
that are divided into three areas here: visual, auditory and kinesthetic (movementoriented). The second section deals with the personality types. I divide them into two
parts: extraverted and introverted. The third part of my questionnaire consists of two
parts: global or particular learner. The forth part of the questionnaire tells us if a
student is a synthesizing or analytic type. And the fifth part of the questionnaire tells
us if a student has either a deductive or inductive thinking.
Then I write my own observation from one-to-one classes, the advantages and
disadvantages of teaching one-to-one for each student and then I suggest some
recommendation.
At the end of each casuistry I suggest some activities that can develop skills
that my students are not good at and that are suitable for their learning style and I
describe methods and types of exercises that I use in teaching them.
25
CASUISTRY I.
Katka
NAME
AGE
FIELD OF STUDY
REASON FOR 1-TO-1
PREVIOUS LEARNING EXPERIENCE
MAIN PERCEPTION OF LEARNING
Katka
17
Grammar school
Longing for improvement
Basic school
English Summer Camp
Visual
1. Katkas field of study and previous learning experience

Katka is 17 years old and she has visited my private lessons only for three
months. She started learning English at the basic school. Nowadays, she studies at
the grammar school. There is a special system of classwork and evaluation. It is
based on autonomous working of children. The different style of evaluation is based
on the continuous tests that are evaluated in percents. They have something like an
exam period during which children have to pass all tests; otherwise they cannot
continue in their study.
She has attended English Summer Camp for three years where she has
improved in English very much, mainly in her knowledge of vocabulary and the
ability of speaking.
2. Reasons for teaching one-to-one and motivation

Katka is not very satisfied with English lessons at school. She has excellent
marks but she feels that she does not learn anything new. As I write in the theoretical
part Both complete failure and complete success may be de-motivating and
because of excellent marks she stopped learning English because she did not need it
for school and she did not develop at all. But later she has found out that although
she is very successful at school, it is not enough. She claims that she has little
possibilities to speak aloud and she sometimes has a problem with grammar. Because
she feels that she cannot learn it at school, she contacted me for private lessons. She
wants to practice her speaking and conversation and she needs to improve grammar
as well.
26
Katka is accustomed to working hard and learning every day. She is very
intelligent and highly motivated. She has many foreign friends from the summer
camp and she wants to make herself understood well. She likes learning English and
she wants to improve in it by herself. These are the factors that motivate her for
learning English in her free time.
3. One-to-one teaching process

Our private lessons proceed in this way. I always ask what Katka needs for
school. She is able to do her homework alone so we rather concentrate on grammar
or a topic that they go through at school. But because she often knows and
understands things that they learn at school, we learn from other textbook, it is
Textbook for Language Schools and we go further in grammar. Katka wants to
practice her speaking, so I always prepare some listening or a topic for conversation.
Because Katka is interested in various topics, I look for various interesting
articles for her. We read them, translate them and we often speak about them. This is
what I write in the theoretical part about in teaching one-to-one there are fewer
time constraints. So I can spend as long as necessary to address my students needs,
and explore areas of personal interest. It is interesting and enjoyable for her and she
can improve her pronunciation, vocabulary and speaking this way.
4. Skills
Katka is very good at speaking thanks to her experience from English
summer camps. She has no problems with listening or reading but I noticed
immediately in the first lesson that Katka has problems with writing. I gave her a
piece of paper with many sentences to be translated and I saw a panic in her eyes.
She explained me that she does not have any affirmed testification about some
learning disorders, such as reading or writing disorder but she admitted that she has
problems with it and she makes many mistakes during writing. We settled that she
need not write everything, only that what she does not know or does not remember.
5. Perception of learning
When we talked about Katkas learning styles, she told me that when she
learns, she has to walk across the room and she has to read it aloud. She can learn in
this way, for example, the history, literature or subjects like that but when she learns,
27
for example, English grammar or mathematic, in a word some rules, she need to sit
and concentrate on it completely.
She takes notes during lectures but they are not very much detailed and she
does not need them to be colored. She has her own system how to distinguish the
headlines and notes according to different style of writing and she does not need
colors. She remember things better when she sees them and even if a teacher speaks
to her, she visualizes the things in her mind they are, for example, diagrams or
pictures. These items tell us that Katka is a visual type.
6. Katkas learning styles:

I. How to use my physical senses:
A Total: 33
B Total: 13
C Total: 25
These results tell us that Katka is highly visual type or has visual style of
learning. But she has also kinesthetic learning style that explains her movement
during learning.
Katka prefers seeing what she is learning. Pictures and images help her
understand ideas and information better than explanations. A drawing may help more
than a discussion about the same. When someone explains something to her, she may
create a mental picture of what the person talking describes. She finds it helpful to
see the person speaking. She watches a speaker as well as listens to what he or she
says.
My commentary:
I can confirm results mentioned above from our English lessons. Even if she
does not want to write a lot, she writes down only things that she does not know and
she remembers them. She does not need long explanations because she has got a
logical thinking; she is able to cope with a brief explanation and she understands it
immediately. Because I know that she needs some diagrams or pictures, I use them
when I explain her grammar.
During our conversation she helps with moving her hands and explaining
things in this way; it is caused by the tension to move and it helps her to express
what she wants to say better.
28
II. How I expose myself to learning situation

A Total: 9
B Total: 19
Katka is more likely introverted.

Introverts as a whole prefer to spend time alone and work better
independently than in group setting and they are often silent and passive in large
groups. It causes that they do not express their opinions even if they are right.
My commentary:
Katka is certainly an introvert. She prefers teaching one-to-one and a private
tutor but she is also satisfied with a large group because also the others ask many
questions and have different opinions and it helps her sometimes to understand
things better. But when she works in a large group, she admits that she tends to keep
silent and she only listen because she is very shy. Because of these facts I think that
teaching one-to-one really suits her. She feels that she has learnt a lot after our
lessons because she is on all the time and she is not bashful at all because there is
only her and me.
III. How I receive information

A Total: 16
B Total: 13
These results are very close to each other. Katka is more likely global learner
but she often tends to be a particular learner too.
A global person likes to start with a big idea or concept, then go on to study
and understand the parts. But the result from the total B tells us that it depends on
the situation and on the particular subject.
My commentary:
These results are almost at the same level and I think that this is caused by the
fact that she learns different things in a different way. She is able to cope with some
items by only reading them (such as history or literature) but sometimes she needs to
go deeply to the problem to understand it and set it in her mind. When she reads
something aloud for several times, she has a complex idea about an issue and she can
deduce further contextual things. On the other hand when she learns particular things
about some issue, she remembers it very well and for a long time. I suppose that this
combination is the best.
29
IV. How I further process information

A Total: 15
B Total: 10
In this item appears that Katka tends to synthesize.

It is connected with the previous item. She is able to combine and compound
many pieces of information together and make a rule or just a global view of it.
My commentary:
Katka can connect her knowledge very well and she really enjoys it when she
can put together and combine different subjects and different pieces of her
knowledge. She enjoys, for example, making a project when she has to use many
senses and interconnect many subjects. For example, a project of the United States of
America where she has to look for the information about it, translate it in English and
make a big poster. So we use various articles where she can connect her knowledge
of English and some other subjects that are concerned with an article.
V. How I deal with language rules

A Total: 5
B Total: 13
This means that Katka has inductive thinking.

It means that she does not need to be taught the rules but she is able to
discover them from her experience of use, from her previous knowledge or from a
new example.
My commentary:
Her intelligence enables her to recognize a rule or a key in a new issue. She
likes puzzles and riddles very much and because she does them very often, she is
very good at them. I suppose that this ability of recognizing the rules or the ability of
generating the rules results from the brilliant ability of doing puzzles and riddles
because she practices her logical thinking all the time.
So when we learn a new grammar, I always try to give her some examples of
it and she tries to guess what the rule is. She likes it and I suppose that she
remembers it better.
30
7. My observations from one-to-one classes

I have taught Katka only for three months but I see that she is very quickwitted and she knows everything in a moment, so she learns a lot during one lesson
with a private tutor. It is obvious that she has a talent for second languages and even
if she is shy, she has no problem with speaking in English in one-to-one class.
Advantages: I suppose that one-to-one classes suit Katka very much. Not only
because of the fact that she is shy in a large group but also because I think that
she cannot develop and improve her knowledge in the large group. At school she
has to wait for other people and it restrains her.
Disadvantages: Katka is aware of her brilliant knowledge of English and she is
satisfied with her achievement but she needs to have some competitor so as she
feels the requirement for learning English more and more and not to stagnate.
8. What do I recommend her?

For Katka, it is important to make her own notes even if she has problems
with writing. This is a good way to remember important details she would otherwise
miss. She should either try to write as much as possible even if there will be many
mistakes or try to write the notes on computer or notebook. It does not mind if her
handwriting does not look neatly but it is important that they are hers.
Katka tends to do things quickly and in an unorganized way. She tends not to
do exercises in the order but jump from one exercise to another like her thoughts
flow. It might be helpful for her to establish concrete beginning and ending points
during doing a task or learning. And a private tutor can keep an eye on it.
Sometimes she is stressed by a lack of time but it is not a problem during oneto-one class where she can have as much time as she needs, so this is a big advantage
of teaching one-to-one for her.
She should continue in teaching one-to-one because it has, in my opinion, a
great influence on her knowledge of English. She seems to underdevelop at school in
the ability of speaking and in knowledge of grammar as well. In the private lessons
she can develop her skills, she is not shy and passive and she can show us how clever
and good at English she is.
31
9. Activities
I suggest activities for Katka which can be done during our one-to-one
classes, which suit to her learning style (it means that she can see them) and in which
she can use skills that she is good at (it means speaking and reading) and she can
develop language area that she is not certain of (it means grammar).
I have decided that the best activities for Katka are those in which she can use
her needs for visualizing, her ability of speaking and in which she does not have to
write which stress her. These activities are focused primarily on practice of grammar
but she has to use also speaking, observing and describing pictures and her good
memory.
1) Possible candidates
This exercise is based on using of either or and neither nor that describe
possible or impossible alternatives (also, none of any of ).
Materials: Brief description of the qualifications of four or five people, and jobs they
might be asked to do. You can see the pictures in the appendix III.
Procedure: At first my student watches the pictures. Then I ask her to tell me which
of the people described might or might not be able to cope with each job, using either
or or neither nor.
Either Ali or Anita could cook a meal.
Neither Mark nor Christine could move heavy furniture.
This could also be done orally, or in writing.
Possible questions:
Who could .. ?
1. help move heavy furniture?
2. sing the high part in a song?
3. advise you about Universities
studies?
4. cook a meal?
5. entertain a Spanish visitor?
6.
7.
8.
drive you to the airport?

teach you to ride?
entertain an Arabic-speaking
quest?
9. play in a basketball match?
10. paint a picture?
My commentary: I have chosen this activity for Katka because she is a visual type of
learner and she likes when she can see everything that she needs. She has several
pictures that she can describe and compare. She can watch a written example at any
time she needs so it can cross her mind better. She can practice grammar and she can
do it orally, without any writing.
32
2) Describing changes
This exercise is good for practicing passive sentences in various tenses, oral
brainstorm, optionally, the structure need(s) doing/to be done.
Materials: Pairs of pictures showing a situation or place before and after a set of
changes like those in the pictures in the appendix III.
Procedure: I ask my student to imagine that the second picture is the present and to
describe what has been done. Or let her assume that the first is the present, and
describe what they know will be done (in the second picture). Or she can imagine
that she is midway between the two, and describe what is in the process of being
done in order for the situation in the first picture to change into the second.
Variations: Showing only the first picture of one of the pairs, I ask my student to
guess what changes will be made or, in the case of the untidy room, need to be
made.
My commentary: This activity is focused on the same principles as the previous one.
Katka can practice grammar and she can use her need for visualization. Other
possibility is that Katka must not watch the pictures during the exercise what could
practice her memory that, I think, she would appreciate and enjoy.
3) Are you a good witness?

The students can use the past progressive to describe given past situation in this
activity. The sentences are based on pictures cue (see appendix III).
Materials: A picture depicting a large number of things going on a scene in a street,
for example, or in the living room of a large family.
Procedure: I tell my student I am going to give her a test to see if she is a good
witness or not. She will have to look at a scene and then recall details in response to
questions. I show her the picture for two minutes, and then I hide it and give her a
series of questions to test her perception and memory.
Variations: She can be asked to tell me everything she can remember that was going
on in the scene.
My commentary: From the name of the activity we can guess that this exercise is
focused on the students memory. But she can practice grammar and speaking too.
The main intention is to amuse Katka with this. I think that it is funny and recreative
exercise but it still carries out our obligation about practicing grammar.
33
CASUISTRY II.
Alena
NAME
AGE
FIELD OF STUDY
REASON FOR 1-TO-1
Alena
17
Grammar school
Her improvement
School-leaving exam
PREVIOUS LEARNING EXPERIENCE Almost none
Auditory
1. Alenas field of study and previous learning experience
Alena is 17 years old. She studies at the grammar school and she has very
good results. She learnt German at the basic school, so she began to learn English as
late as at the grammar school. But I think that she has managed to learn everything
what her fellow students, who has learnt English since the basic school, know.
They have an older teacher who I know that many students do not like
because she is very demanding, hard to please and she wants them to do a lot and to
work hard. But Alena is satisfied with this because she knows that she has been able
to learn so much just because of these great demands. This shows us that Alena is
very careful, hard working and goal seeking.

Alena contacted me two years ago when she began to learn English and she
was confused and sometimes lost in English. She knew that it was enough for
passing this subject at school but she took a fancy to English and she wanted to learn
more and more. Now, she feels that she is interested in English much more than in
German and that she knows more in English than in German, so she would like to sit
for the school-leaving exam in English. This is a big motivation for her. I think that
she is able to pass it without any problems but she needs to learn vocabulary and
grammar.
She is very active. She does many sports, including aerobic, dancing and
skiing. She loves singing. She sings in a chorus and it is connected with English too
because she learns English because of English songs as well. She translates English
songs for her own and she knows their texts by rote. This is also a big motivation for
her.
34

Our lessons have three parts. All these parts go from Alenas needs. It means
that she has the opportunity to determine the content of our lessons according to what
she feels that she needs and wants, as I describe in my theoretical part. At first, I ask
Alena if there is something that she does not understand at school. We often practice
grammar for some tests or I examine her in vocabulary. She sometimes needs help
with her homework. Then we practice some new grammar that I think she will need
for the school-leaving exam from the Textbook for language schools. And then we
learn themes for speaking part of school-leaving exam.
As I write in the theoretical part of my thesis Nowadays more and more
teachers are discovering the value of music, physical exercise, and guided relaxation
techniques as stress-reducers I try to use this. Because I know that she enjoys
various English activities, I try to prepare some of them for her. If we have time, we
listen to a song and translate it. She likes it and I know that she can learn something
from it too.
4. Skills
Alena is skilful and there are many areas that she is good at. She is quite good
at speaking and listening but sometimes she has a problem with writing.
Her big disadvantage is her laziness. She is able to learn almost everything
but only when she is under the pressure and she knows that she simply has to. So she
needs the private lessons because without them she would not learn anything more.
Also when I examine her in new vocabulary it is because of the fact that it helps her
and she does not have to learn it at home.
According to what she has told me, she thinks that she cannot learn. She has
no fixed rules how to study and because she has always so many things to do, she has
problems with concentration and even if she studies, for example, history, she thinks
about English or geography or about a text for her chorus. She claims that she cannot
learn at a quiet and calm place. She needs to listen to music that does not interrupt
her at all. She needs frequent breaks and she needs to move a lot during her breaks,
for example, she dances for a while.
35
The experience and ability of learning long texts enables her to improve in
learning other subjects. She is accustomed to learn by listening to it and hearing it, so
she cannot remember anything, she tries to sing it. She sets it to music or an easy
melody and it helps her to remember it better. She found it out when she was
desperate by learning something and she began to sing it. Later, when she was
examined, she remembered it and since then she has done it sometimes.
She uses highlight pen but she admits that it is not for better lucidity but
because she wants her notes to be nice and colored. But it is true that she always
notices the colored notes and she remember it. When she learns something, she read
it aloud but if it is something technical or logical she needs to write it down. She is
able to count for a long time but she is not able to read a text for a long time.
6. Alenas learning styles:

A Total: 23
B Total: 28
C Total: 11
From these results it is clear that Alena is mainly an auditory type but she
tends to be visual too.
It means that Alena prefers listening and speaking activities (discussions,
lectures, audio tapes or role-plays) and she also relies on the sense of sight and
books, video, charts or pictures help her to learn as well.
My commentary:
This is obvious from the casuistry where I describe her ability to learn
something by listening to it and by her own melodies and songs. It is caused by her
love and desire for music and also by the fact that she has learnt numerous texts for
many years, so she is accustomed to learn things in this way.
Teaching one-to-one suits Alena very much just because she has an auditory
learning style. She needs to hear it and she can listen to me during our one-to-one
classes. I can repeat something to her several times and she remembers it.
36

A Total: 15
B Total: 7
These results tell us that Alena is more likely extrovert than introvert.
In learning a second language it means that extraverts enjoy discussion, roleplays and dialogues. An extraverted person enjoys time spent with people than alone.
My commentary:
Alena is an extrovert at first sight. She always smiles; she is outspoken and
very sociable. Her experience with singing and performing enables her to be released
and not to be shy or nervous. She loves working in a group of people, she is not shy
at all and when she works with some other people, she is a leader. She has no
problems with conversation, role-plays or dialogues. To speak in front of the class
makes no problems for her. And even if she makes a mistake, she is not sad or
stressed by it and she makes nothing of it.
Because she is not shy, she speaks during English lesson a lot and it means
that she develops very quickly. It is the same in our one-to-one classes and even if a
large group of people suits her more, she can learn very much in our lessons as well.

A Total: 15
B Total: 9
These results mean that Alena prefers global learning.

Global learners tend to learn in large jumps by absorbing material in a
random order without necessarily seeing any connections until they have grasped the
whole concept. (www.jcu.edu)
My commentary:
As Alena admits, she has no set way how to learn. She is not very nit-picker
and she manages with a global knowledge. She does not want to know any specific
information about a subject at first.
When I teach Alena, I see that she needs to know the whole conception of a
topic at first. She does not need to know any details but she is able to make a total
idea or concept of a piece of knowledge. Only then she is interested in its details.
When she learns something, she can use it in another subject or she applies it in a
different situation.
37

A Total: 14
B Total: 7
These results tell us that Alena has synthesizing thinking.

This is very close to the previous item. As Katka, Alena is able to compound her
pieces of knowledge and she has brilliant general knowledge.
My commentary:
Alena does not know things in their details but she knows almost everything.
She can sell her global knowledge much more than somebody who knows something
very deeply. She enjoys when she can tell me something interesting about history in
English because she can connect her knowledge of history and her ability to speak in
English.

A Total: 4
B Total: 12
From these results it is obvious that Alena prefers inductive learning.

It is clear that Alena is more inductive learner. It means that she is able to
cope with only one piece of information and she can apply it further. She likes to
apply generalizations to experience, and to start with a particular thing (observations
or data) and she continues with generalities (rules or theories).
My commentary:
Alena cannot learn some theorems but she has to understand it. She needs to
know how she can use it at first. Then she needs to know where she can use it. Only
then she is able to care about its specific using, its advantages or disadvantages or its
exceptions. When she knows the basic rules, she can explore it more deeply and she
begins to connect it with something else. Because I know this fact, I try to regulate
our lessons and my explanations in this way.

Alena has attended my private lessons for two years. She knew hardly
anything when I started to teach her but nowadays, she is able to speak fluently and
she wants to know more and more because she is really highly motivated. Alena is
very clever student but as I said she is sometimes very lazy and she does not want to
38
learn on her own. I see that she is really auditory type of learner and I can offer and
realize her learning style in this way, it means in one-to-one class.
Advantages: I think that teaching one-to-one suits her very much. She needs to
learn English also in her free time when she wants to set for the school-leaving
exam. She needs to study English hard and very often. And the other thing is that
she really needs someone who forces her and works with her all the time. Only in
this way she is able to concentrate on learning.
Disadvantages: Alena is really an extrovert and she loves working with people.
She enjoys activities in a large group and she could miss this in teaching one-toone.
8. What I recommend her

Because Alena is an auditory learner, she should sometimes learn with
someone. If she cannot learn with a private tutor, she could learn with a study
fellow student. They could review key information and prepare for exams better
because Alena needs to hear it and this would be an easy way to improve her
learning style.
It is not often possible to learn with somebody else, so when she studies by
herself, she should talk out loud to aid recall. She should not be disturbed by anyone
and she should read her notes and textbook out loud.
Because she is an auditory type, it would be good to tape record lectures for
her. Or, create her own audio tapes by reading notes and textbook information into a
tape recorder. And when she would prepare for an exam, she could review the tapes
on her way to school or during her breaks at school.
Alena admits that she has problems with concentration on learning. So I
would recommend her to learn step by step and when she learns a sequence of steps,
she should write them out in sentence form and read them out loud. She has to learn
how to organize her learning process. She can make a list of duties or subjects that
she has to learn. She can plan how much time she needs for each duty and she has to
comply with it. She can include breaks, of course. In this way, I also lead our one-toone lessons. I always tell her what we will do and how long. I think that it is very
important to do this.
39
9. Activities
I try to combine Alenas learning style and areas that she needs to practice.
Alena has mainly an auditory learning style and she needs to hear everything when
she learns. She needs to practice grammar, vocabulary and writing where she often
makes mistakes. She is quite good at speaking, so she could use this ability during
practicing grammar or vocabulary.
I have prepared three activities for Alena that we can do in our one-to-one
classes:
1. In the first one she can practice vocabulary of various topics. It could be suitable
for the speaking part of school-leaving exam.
2. The second activity is good for revising her global knowledge of various
vocabularies where she can practice also her writing.
3. The third activity is a listening exercise in which I combine her need for auditory
instruction and a need for practicing grammar. I think that this practicing of grammar
is very suitable for her.
1) Word clap
This activity is usually played in a group of people but I think that we can do it in a
pair as well.
Procedure: We maintain a four-beat rhythm, clapping our hands on our thighs three
times (one-two-three) and then both hands together (four!). The game should start
slowly, but the pace of the clapping can gradually increase. The idea is to take turns,
to shout out a different word from a pre-selected lexical set (for example, fruit and
vegetables) on every fourth beat. We could play this as a competition and a player
who either repeats a word already used or says nothing has a point minus. And then
the lexical set is changed. It can be: the area of family, shopping, clothes, furniture,
nationalities, jobs etc.
My commentary: I think that this activity is very suitable for Alena because of her need for
rhythm and melody. When she repeats some vocabulary in a set rhythm, she remembers
these words better. She likes melody and she uses it in her learning, so she could certainly
enjoy this activity.
40
2) Quick revision games - Five things

Procedure: I give Alena a set of slips with five things she has to name.
Examples:
Name five drinks
Name five things that move
Name five things you would be doing if you weren't here
Name five ways to get rich
Name five animals
It means that she has to write these words that makes her problems and she can
practice it in this way and as well as various vocabulary.
Then we would speak about everything she has written. For example: What is her
favorite drink and food? Does she have any pet? Would she like to be rich? Why?
etc.
My commentary: She could use her ability of speaking, she could practice her
vocabulary further and she would practice grammar in this way as well. I think that
this activity is very good for one-to-one class because there is only she and I and she
has to answer my questions and speak all the time.
3) Talking about quantity

This is an exercise in which Alena can practice grammar and then she can check it
with the tape, so she hears it what helps her to remember it better.
Procedure: At first, Alena fills in the gaps with some or any that we have gone
through. (You can see the exercise in the appendix III.)
After doing this exercise, we listen to the tape and check the answers. We discuss
some items that she does not understand and we can listen to it once more.
My commentary: The first step is to fill in the gaps according to what she has already
known and the second step, that is very important for Alena, is that she can hear it
once more either from the tape or from me. I think that Alena appreciate this type of
exercise because the more she hears it, the better she will remember it.
41
CASUISTRY III.
Simona
NAME
AGE
FIELD OF STUDY
REASON FOR 1-TO-1
Simona
25
Faculty of Art, Masaryk University
Preparing for an exam at university
Longing for speaking fluently
PREVIOUS LEARNING EXPERIENCE Passively from the grammar school
Visual
1. Simonas field of study and previous learning experience
This girl is 25 years old. I have been teaching her for two years and I think
that she is really skilful and clever.
After finishing the basic school, Simona studied at the grammar school and
now she studies at the Faculty of Art of Masaryk University. She studies the
European Union there. She is bored with the university education but she is really
enthusiastic with learning languages. She learns German, Spanish and English and I
have to say that she is very good at it.

Simona studied English at the grammar school but German was her first and
more important language so when she began to visit my private lessons, she knew
only few English words and phrases. But she has improved very much and nowadays
she knows quite a lot, she is able to speak and understand in English and she is very
good at grammar.
At first she needed English only for the university study but then she has
taken a fancy to English and now she is interested in it very much.
Her big advantage is her enthusiasm and diligence. She is highly motivated
which I describe in the theoretical part. She worked in the USA last summer. She
was really excited with it and she wants to go there again. I see how hard she works
and how much she wants to be able to speak fluently. She is really hardworking and
she wants more and more homework and new vocabulary.
42

Time to time Simona needs something to translate for school but it is not
often and we concentrate on further study of English. We use the Textbook for
Language Schools and the textbook English Grammar in Use by Murphey. The
big advantage of teaching one-to-one is a choice of various resources, so I often copy
also exercises from other books for her.
We mainly practice grammar that she needs for an exam at school but she
needs to practice speaking too. So we use books mentioned above for grammar and I
search for other materials for speaking and conversation. They are various
magazines, listening and some speaking activities.
4. Skills
Simona has a very good memory and she has logical thinking, so she is very
good at grammar. Once she has understood something, she remembers it forever. It is
the same with writing. She learns how to write a word and then she has no problem
with it. But she has problem with reading and speaking. She is affected by
pronunciation from German, so she does not pronounce English words very well. But
we work on it. We use various English tapes by native speakers.
As I said, she is very good at grammar, she is able to translate sentences
perfectly but when she is supposed to speak, she is not able to speak fluently. But
just because of a private tutor, she can speak, she is no stressed when she has to
speak in front of me and she has improved it and it is better and better.
When Simona learns, she needs to be alone. She cannot be disturbed by
anybody and she needs to learn in a completely calm and quiet background. She
walks around the room and she reads it aloud. Sometimes it helps her when she
imagines that she explains it to somebody.
At school, she underlines and colors her notes and it helps her to be
acquainted with her notes and to remember the important information. She needs her
notes to be well-arranged and she needs lots of diagrams or charts.
Simona is really thoughtful student and she needs to know everything into
any details. She always asks me many questions to understand it properly. I know
that she has to really understand something before she uses it.
43
6. Simonas learning styles

A Total: 32
B Total: 11
C Total: 21
From these results it is clear that Simona is visual but she tends to be
kinesthetic too.
It means that Simona relies more on the sense of sight. She has quite a lot
points in the third part too what means that she also has a kinesthetic style
preference.
My commentary:
I have known Simona for two years and I have to agree with these statements.
She always draws various pictures or diagrams when we are learning, for example,
new grammar. She admits that when she learns something, she has to walk and she
cannot sit. In my opinion she is very creative and she likes doing various projects.

A Total: 5
B Total: 17
These results tell us that Simona is more likely introvert than extrovert.
Simona comes out much more introverted, so it means that she likes to do
more independent work or enjoys working with one other person she knows well.
My commentary:
As I know Simona, I have to admit that she is really introverted. She likes
talking and communicating but only with one or two person. She is very shy and as
she confesses she has always had problems at school with conversation and speaking
aloud. This is no problem in teaching one-to-one and because we have got to know
each other well and we understand one another well, she is not bashful during our
lessons at all and speaking makes no longer problems to her.

A Total: 11
B Total: 17
These results mean that Simona prefers particular learning.

Simona has more likely particular style preference. She focuses more on
details and remembers specific information about a topic well. Sequential learners
44
understand new information in linear steps where each step follows logically from
the previous one.
My commentary:
As I mention in Simonas casuistry, she really focuses on details. To be able
to understand grammar, she needs to know everything and she has always many
questions because she is never satisfied with simple explanation. Even if she has set
rules and I explain it to her, she thinks more and more about it if there is something
that she still does not understand.

A Total: 8
B Total: 15
These results tell us that Simona has analytic thinking.

Simona is really analytic, she does well on logical analysis and contrast tasks,
and she tends to focus on grammar rules. It means that she likes to learn things stepby-step, or sequentially. She has to understand something before you move on.
My commentary:
This is connected with the previous statement. It responses to what I claim in
her casuistry. She has very good logical thinking and she needs logical explanation
for everything. As she admits, sometimes she feels that she needs to understand each
part of what she learns.
She cannot go further in grammar until she understands everything about the
previous grammar item.
She is satisfied when she can combine and connect a new piece of
information with something that she learnt before.

A Total: 11
B Total: 3
From these results it is obvious that Simona prefers deductive learning.

It is clear that Simona is more deductive learner. It means that she likes to go
from the general to the specific. She likes to apply generalizations to experience, and
to start with rules and theories rather than with specific examples.
45
My commentary:
When she filled in my questionnaire, she told me that she really needs
grammar rules to talk about something. Without it, she cannot converse. When I tried
to give her an example of a new grammar and I wanted her to make a rule from it,
she knew that there was something new, something that she did not know but she
could not generalize the rule. When I told it to her, she was able to make sentences
and examples immediately.

I have known Simona for more than two years. I know that she is very
hardworking and she is accustomed to study a lot and under the pressure because of
her study at the university.
I think that one-to-one classes suit her very much because she needs
somebody who will explain her everything in details that is not possible in a normal
class. She admits that she always has had to go for further tuition at school.
Advantages: Simona is introverted so teaching one-to-one suits her much more
than teaching in a large group. As I said, there is not enough time for long
explanation at school and she needs much time to understand something
properly.
Disadvantages: I see only one possible disadvantage of teaching one-to-one for
Simona. It is the fact that she likes games and making various projects and it is
not usual for one-to-one class. It is often done in a group or at school.
8. What I recommend her

Because Simona needs colored notes to see what is important, I recommend
her to use "color coding" when studying new information in her textbook or notes.
When she learns something new, she should help with diagrams and illustrations and
write out the explanations for the information.
She can do the diagrams and pictures very well so she should take advantage
of it and do it as often as possible to have well-arranged notes that she will
understand very well. Graphic organizers can link verbal and visual information to
help her make connections, understand relationships and recall related details.
Because even if she learns best when she read it, she should not forget that she
should read it loudly, so as visual and verbal aspects were connected.
46
Because she needs to connect everything with something she already knows,
she has to try to connect new information to prior knowledge and try to generalize it.
Simona as an analytic learner likes facts and she likes learning things in
sequential steps. She needs clarity and without rules, she might feel lost. So she does
not need be afraid of asking for specific rules and goals. This is possible in our
teaching one-to-one because there is only her who I teach so I have enough time to
attend to her.
9. Activities
I think that the most suitable activities for Simona are those in which she can
practice speaking and her pronunciation. She is a visual type, so describing some
pictures or photos would be convenient. I know that she is good at grammar but
during speaking she is not able to concentrate on both speaking and grammar rules.
Simona has no problem with writing, so these activities can be done only
orally or something can be written for practice.
All these activities we have done during our one-to-one classes and I think
that they are very good just for this type of teaching.
1) Icebreakers
This activity is very good for the first lesson. It can be played with more than one
student but it works well for breaking the ice and I can come to know more about my
students and I also can identify their weaknesses, their needs as well as their interests
from their responses.
Procedure: I give the student ten pieces of paper and tell her to write down ten
questions, one on each paper. She can ask anything she wants. I do the same, write
ten questions but I should try and make them quite unique so that I will not repeat
those the student asks. When we are finished, I mix up the questions and line them
up on a table between us. We take turns in drawing out the pieces of paper and
answering questions.
My commentary: I think that this activity is very good because students can practice
not only speaking but also listening. They can listen to somebody who knows
English well and from whom they can learn. And because of these reasons it is very
suitable activity for Simona.
47
2) Did I say that?

This activity is very suitable for one-to-one class or it only works one-on-one.
It is good for speaking practice, eliciting vocabulary, and error correction. Students
can become more aware of the mistakes they make.
Procedure: I start by giving the student a photograph or picture. I explain that she is
to tell me about the photo and I will write down everything she says. If she gets
stuck, I ask a question to keep her talking. I write down verbatim what the student
says.
When she ends the story or description, we go over each sentence together. I read the
sentence out loud and show her what she said. (The students are sometimes surprised
at what they said.)
I give her the chance to correct the errors, pointing out the "perfect" sentences. If
there is a more common or better way to say something, I will let the student know.
Then I give her my notes about what she said and how it was corrected.
My commentary: I think that it is very good for Simona because she has problems
with speaking and she cannot speak fluently and without errors. Thanks to this
exercise she can correct her errors, realize them and be aware of them for the next
time.
3) Association dominoes
Materials: A large number of pictures of readily recognizable objects, animals,
people. I have used the pictures from the box introduced in the appendix III.
Procedure: There are many pictures on the table but we cannot see them. A student
draws out one picture after another and she has to give them next to one central
picture in the way that she has to suggest a convincing point of similarity. For
example:
A table may be stuck next to a dog because: they both have four legs.
Or a pencil may go by a table because : they are both made of wood.
In case of uncertainty, I decide whether to accept a particular link or not. The same
kind of similarity may not be used twice.
My commentary: I suppose that in this exercise Simona can use and combine her
knowledge of grammar that she is sure of and speaking that she needs to practice. I
think that she is creative and she has always any ideas how to combine or describe
things so I think that she could enjoy this activity.
48
5. CONCLUSION
In my Bachelor Thesis I tried to disclose further aspects of teaching one-toone, as learners motivation or learners needs and highlight its advantages.
The practical part is connected with the theoretical one and what I have found
out from my students in the practical part correspond with the pieces of knowledge in
the theoretical part.
The theoretical part of my Bachelor Thesis deals with the theory of teaching
one-to-one and just its advantages and disadvantages for both teachers and students. I
think that there are really many advantages. It depends on each of us but I suppose
that everybody can profit from one-to-one classes. It is a unique opportunity for a
student to have a teacher only for himself. And a teacher can monitor the students
errors and progress on a continuous basis and he or she can gather material to suit
individual needs and prepare tailor-made lessons for a student. One-to-one lessons
are handled with greater spontaneity, naturalness and responsiveness to the
individual personality, level and style of the student.
Teachers can draw from the learners needs and requirements and on the
contrary, students can contribute to classes more and feel part of the learning process.
Very important fact is that the teacher of one-to-one class can adjust the lessons not
only according to learners needs but also according to learners learning styles. If I
know that my student gets benefit from an exercise in which he or she can see
everything and there is an example of required sentence, I give him or her a picture
to describe with an example of what I want from him or her to say. If I know that my
student needs to hear everything, I make him or her possible to listen to the tape
recorder with required exercise. This is possible only in one-to-one class, not in a
lesson with a large group. Because there are, lets say, fifteen students and it means
that there are fifteen various learning styles.
It has proved true that teaching one-to-one can suit to nearly everybody
because the private tutor can take into account the students learning needs and can
lead the lessons in this way. In spite of some disadvantages, that can be different for
each of us, I suppose that everybody can profit from teaching one-to-one.
49
6. RESUME
My Bachelor Thesis deals with the topic of Teaching English one-to-one.
I would like to highlight the advantages of teaching one-to-one, which is the
main aim of the thesis. It is, for example, adjustment of the lessons to the students
needs or the fact that the student himself can participate in the content of the lessons
that are therefore based on students interests. The teacher is available for the student
all the time and he or she can develop students skills.
The emphasis should be on the motivation of the learner in teaching one-toone. The teachers task is to encourage a student and develop his or her motivation.
Another factor of teaching one-to-one is syllabus. The teacher can establish a
textbook that he or she will teach from. The teacher also can change materials
according to learners needs and requirements. Although it may be more
comfortable to teach from one set coursebook and follow its instruction, to draw
from various materials and to use various techniques and activities is more
interesting without any question.
From my research it is obvious that it is important to care about diversities in
learners learning styles and the private tutor can have a respect to learners needs
and he or she can lead one-to-one lessons in suitable way.
50
RESUM
Ve sv bakalsk prci jsem se vnovala individuln vuce anglitiny.
Hlavnm clem tto prce bylo vyzdvihnout pedevm vhody tto formy
vuky, kter se zde nabzej. Je to napklad jednoduch pizpsoben obsahu vuky
danmu studentovi nebo skutenost, e sm student se me podlet na obsahu a
nplni hodin, kter tak mohou bt zaloeny na tom, co studenta zajm a bav. Po
celou dobu vuky je uitel kovi pln k dispozici, me mu okamit cokoliv
vysvtlit a postupn rozvjet jeho dovednosti.
Pi individuln vuce by ml bt kladen draz pedevm na motivaci ka.
lohou lektora ale tak je podncovat tuto motivaci a rozvjet ji. Dalm dleitm
faktorem individuln vuky je sylabus. Zde si lektor me urit, ze kterho
uebnho textu bude vyuovat. Me tak materily mnit a obmovat podle poteb
a poadavk studenta. Akoli je pohodlnj vyuovat podle jedn uebnice a dit
se jejmi pokyny; je pro ka i uitele bezesporu mnohem zajmavj erpat
z rznch materil a vyuvat tak rzn techniky a aktivity.
Z celho vzkumu je zejm, jak je dleit dbt na odlinosti ve stylech
uen k, a prv soukrom uitel me tyto poteby ka zohlednit a vst vuku
vhodnm zpsobem.
51
7. THE LIST OF LITERATURE

DAVIS, P., RINVOLUCRI, M.: The Confidence Book. England : Longman, 1990.
ISBN 0582-03766-2.
HANEY, W.,V. Communication and interpersonal relations. Homewood : Illinois,
1992. ISBN 0-256-02834-6.
HARMER, J.: How to teach English. England :Longman, 2000, ISBN 0582-29796-6.
HARMER, J.: The Practice of English Language Teaching. New York : Longman,
1992. ISBN 0582-04656-4.
KING, R.,G. Fundamentals of human communication. New York : Macmillan
Publishing, 1994. ISBN 0-02-364270-X.
MURPHEY, T. Teaching One to One. New York: Longman, 1991. ISBN 0-58203272-5.
PRABHU, N., S.: Second Language Pedagogy. Oxford : Oxford University Press,
1992. ISBN 0-19-437084-4.
SKEHAN, P. Individual differences in second-language learning. USA : Chapman
and Hall, 1991. ISBN 0-7131-6602-9.
WIDDOWSON, H.,G. Aspects of Language Teaching. Oxford : Oxford University
Press, 1991. ISBN 0-19-437128-X.
WILBERG, Peter. One to one. Hove : LTP, 1987. ISBN 0-9067-1761-2.
WILLIS, D.: The Lexical Syllabus. London : Collins ELT,
370284-7.
Websites:
http://www.utdallas.edu/dept/ta/tabook/onetoone.htm
http://www.onestopenglish.com
http://www.jalt.org/pansig/2004/HTML/Kikuchi.htm
http://www.ericdigests.org/1998-1/esl.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_styles
http://www.learning-styles-online.com/
http://www.thomasarmstrong.com/multiple_intelligences.htm
http://www.metamath.com/lsweb/fourls.htm
http://www.ldpride.net/learningstyles
http://www.carla.umn.edu.pdf
52
1990. ISBN 0-00-
APPENDIX
53
THE LIST OF APPENDICES
The appendix No 1: Supplement for theoretical part

Suggested Needs Analysis Questions List (chart)
The appendix No 2: Supplement for practical part
Definition of some terms (text)
Learning Style Survey (chart)
The appendix No 3: Activities (pictures)
Possible candidates (picture)
Describing changes (picture)
Are you a good witness? (picture)
Talking about quantity (text)
Association dominoes (picture)
54
I.
Appendix for theoretical part
Suggested Needs Analysis Questions List
Needs
About the Present | At work
Whats your job precisely?
Do you use English?
What do you do?- situations/ medium/
channel/ genre (see Bus Needs 2)
What percentage of each?
Which of these do you find difficult/
need to improve?
What fields/ topics do you need to talk
about/ need vocabulary of?
Which of these areas do you need most to
improve your English?
What exactly do you need to do that?
Outside work
Are you doing anything to improve your
English at the moment?
Do you do anything else in EnglishCNN, subtitled movies, DVD, business
papers?
What resources do you have at home/
work?
Dictionary- bilingual/ monolingual
Internet access
TV/ DVD
Press- general and specialised.
Do you travel to English speaking/ other

countries?
About the Past
Same questions as above for past.
Whats the last thing you did in English?
Have you studied English before?
How long/ to what level?
About the Future
What are your short term and long term
aims for English?
Whats the next thing you have to do in
English? Any big conferences/ meetings/
business trips/ conference calls/
presentations coming up?
How far do you want to go with your
English (each skill)?
Wants
How do you like studying English?
What did you think of your previous
lessons?
Whats the best way to learn a language?
How much homework can you do?
55
II.
Appendix for practical part
Definition of some terms
I suppose that it is important to explain some terms that I use in my practical part in a
survey.
Synthesis is commonly understood to be an integration of two or more preexisting elements which results in a new creation.
Analysis it is a study from the abstract item to the factual item.
Induction is a reasoning progression that proceeds from particulars
(observations, measurements, data) to generalities (governing rules, laws,
theories).
Deduction proceeds in the opposite direction. In inductive one infers principles,
in deductive one deduces consequences. (en.wikipedia.org).
56
Learning Style Survey
I have to remark that the Learning Style Survey is designed to assess your
general approach to learning. It does not predict your behaviour in every instance,
but it is a clear indication of your overall style preferences.
For each item, circle the response that represents your approach. Complete all
items. When you read the statements, try to think about what you generally do when
learning. Do not spend too much time on any item indicate your immediate feeling
and move on to the next item.
For each item, circle your response:

0 = never
1 = rarely
2 = sometimes
3 = often
4 = always
Part 1: How I use my physical senses
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
I remember something better if I write it down.

I take detailed notes during lectures.
When I listen, I visualize pictures, numbers, or words in my head.
I prefer to learn with TV or video rather than other media.
I use color-coding to help me as I learn or work.
I need written directions for tasks.
I have to look at people to understand what they say.
I understand lectures better when professors write on the board.
Charts, diagrams, and maps help me understand what someone
I remember peoples faces but not their names.
A Total:
57
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
I remember things better if I discuss them with someone.

I prefer to learn by listening to a lecture rather then reading.
I need oral directions for a task.
Background sound helps me think.
I like to listen to music when I study or work.
I can understand what people say even I cannot see them.
I remember peoples names but not their faces.
I easily remember jokes that I hear.
I can identify people by their voices (on the phone).
When I turn on the TV, I listen to the sound more then I watch the
screen.
B Total:
I would rather start to do things, rather than pay attention to
directions.
I need frequent breaks when I work or study.
I need to eat something when I study or work.
If I have a choice between sitting and standing, I would rather
stand.
I get nervous when I sit too long.
I think better when I move around (tapping my feet).
I play with or bite on my pens during lectures.
Manipulating objects helps me to remember what someone says.
I move my hands when I speak.
I draw lots of pictures in my notebook during lectures.
C Total:
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
0 1 2 3 4
0 1 2 3 4
0 1 2 3 4
0 1 2 3 4
0 1 2 3 4
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
Part 2 : How I expose myself to learning situation
1
2
3
4
5
6
I learn better when I work or study with others than by myself.

I meet new people easily by jumping into the conversation
I learn better in the classroom than with a private tutor
It is easy for me to approach strangers.
Interacting with lots of people gives me energy.
I experience things first and then try to understand them.
A Total:
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
7
8
9
10
11
12
I am energized by the inner world (what I am thinking inside).

I prefer individual or one-on-one games and activities.
I have a few interests, and I concentrate deeply on them.
After working in a large group, I am exhausted.
When I am in a large group, I tend to keep silent and listen.
I want to understand something well before I try it.
B Total:
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
58
Part 3: How I receive information
1
2
3
4
5
I prefer short and simple answers rather than long explanations.

I ignore details that do not seem relevant.
It is easy for me to see the overall plan or big picture.
I get the main idea, and that is enough for me.
When I tell an old story, I tend to forget lots of specific details.
A Total:
6
7
8
I need very specific examples in order to understand fully.

I pay attention to specific facts or information.
I am good at catching new phrases or words when I hear them.
I enjoy activities where I fill in the blank with missing words I
9
hear
When I try to tell a joke, I remember details but forget the punch
10
line.
B Total:
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
0 1 2 3 4
0 1 2 3 4
0 1 2 3 4
0 1 2 3 4
0 1 2 3 4
Part 4: How I further process information
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
I can summarize information easily.

I can quickly paraphrase what other people say.
When I create an outline, I consider the key points first.
I enjoy activities where I have to pull ideas together.
By looking at the whole situation, I can easily understand
someone.
A Total:
I have a hard time understanding when I do not know every word.
When I tell a story or explain something, it takes a long time.
I like to focus on grammar rules.
I am good at solving complicated mysteries and puzzles.
I am good at noticing even he smallest details regarding some task.
B Total:
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
0 1 2 3 4
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
Part 5: How I deal with language rules
1
2
3
I like to go from general patterns to the specific examples in

0 1 2 3 4
learning a target language.
I like to start with rules and theories rather than specific examples. 0 1 2 3 4
I like to begin with generalizations and then find experiences that
0 1 2 3 4
relate to those generalizations.
A Total:
59
4
5
6
I like to learn rues of language indirectly by being exposed to

0 1 2 3 4
examples of grammatical structures and other language features.
I do not really care if I hear a rule stated since I do not remember
0 1 2 3 4
rules very well anyway.
I figure out rules based on the way I see language forms behaving
0 1 2 3 4
over time.
B Total:
Understanding your totals

Once you have totalled your points, write the results in the blanks below. Circle the
higher number in each part (if they are close, circle both).
Part 1:
A Visual
B Auditory
C Kinestetic
Part 2:
A Extraverted
B Introverted
Part 3:
A Global
B Particular
Part 4:
A Synthesizing
B Analytic
Part 5:
A Deductive
B Inductive
(www.carla.umn.edu.pdf)
60
III.
Activities
KATKA:
1) Possible candidates
61
2) Describing changes
62
3) Are you a good witness?
63
ALENA:
3) Talking about quantity
The exercise:
1. We have got sun cream, so we do not need to buy . of that.
2. What about travelers cheques? We have not got ., have we?
3. We have got .. rolls of film I bought last years.
4. Well, in that case, we will need .. batteries for it.
5. Could you buy me of those when you get the film?
6. We should take cash with us as well.
7. Have you got cash?
8. I will get . from bank.
9. Would you like me to buy you books to read?
64
SIMONA:
3) Association dominoes
65

Teaching English One To One

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Teaching English One To One

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MASARYK UNIVERSITY

Thesis Supervisor: Mgr.S.Hanuov,Ph.D.

Thesis Author: Helena Skalov

Individual and group talk ............................................................................. 7

Adjusting to others ....................................................................................... 7

Involvement and proximity .......................................................................... 8

A basic working paradigm ........................................................................... 9

Advantages and disadvantages of one-to-one ............................................ 11

Advantages and disadvantages for teachers....................................... 11

Advantages and disadvantages for students....................................... 13

The spectrum of motivation ............................................................... 15

Factors of motivation ......................................................................... 16

Learners needs .......................................................................................... 17

Assessment tools ................................................................................ 18

Learning styles ........................................................................................... 19

The Visual learning style ................................................................... 20

The auditory learning style................................................................. 20

The tactile / kinesthetic learning style................................................ 20

Multiple Intelligence .......................................................................... 21

THE SYLLABUS .............................................................................................. 22

Syllabus content ......................................................................................... 23

THE PRACTICAL PART ................................................................................. 24

THE LIST OF LITERATURE........................................................................... 52

Individual and group talk

Adjustment is a big word in one-to-one encounters. The possibility for greater

Involvement and proximity

One-to-one implies that two people are involved in interaction. It is easy to be

Contrastingly, students taking one-to-one instruction may become quickly

A basic working paradigm

In one-to-one teaching the emphasis is on the student providing the content,

The approach involves:

AD a) Creating space for student input and learning

Advantages and disadvantages of one-to-one

1.5.1. Advantages and disadvantages for teachers

1.5.2. Advantages and disadvantages for students

2.1.1. The spectrum of motivation

Real motivation might vary from genuine fanatical commitment to a company

2.1.2. Factors of motivation

So the needs analysis is really very important. With a thorough needs

2.2.1. Assessment tools

Needs assessments with learners, can take a variety of forms, including

2.3.1. The Visual learning style

2.3.2. The auditory learning style

2.3.3. The tactile / kinesthetic learning style

2.3.4. Multiple Intelligence

4. THE PRACTICAL PART

The practical part

The casuistries contain

1. Katkas field of study and previous learning experience

2. Reasons for teaching one-to-one and motivation

3. One-to-one teaching process

6. Katkas learning styles:

II. How I expose myself to learning situation

Katka is more likely introverted.

III. How I receive information

IV. How I further process information

In this item appears that Katka tends to synthesize.

V. How I deal with language rules

This means that Katka has inductive thinking.

7. My observations from one-to-one classes

8. What do I recommend her?

drive you to the airport?

3) Are you a good witness?