PRIMALS 7–10

Pedagogical Retooling in Mathematics, Languages,

and Science for Grades 7–10 Teachers

Session 2
UNDERSTANDING ENGLISH
LANGUAGE LEARNERS (ELLs)

(Adapted from Addressing the Learning Styles, Learning

Strategies, and Academic Needs of English Language
Learners, a Trainer’s Training Resource Package by Denn Marc
P. Alayon)

Learning Action Cell Session Guide

English 7–10
 Prepared by:

DENN MARC P. ALAYON

Senior Education Program Specialist
Bureau of Learning Delivery
Department of Education Central Office

Objectives
At the end of the session, teachers should be able to:

1. state the characteristics of a good language learner;

2. distinguish learning styles and learning strategies;
3. explain the importance of considering learners’ learning styles and teaching
learning strategies in the class;
4. discuss the rationale for addressing learners’ academic needs in the
classroom; and
5. demonstrate desirable classroom teaching practices that reflect gained
understanding on addressing learning styles, learning strategies, and
academic needs of learners.
Key Understandings
1. The good language learner willingly and accurately guesses; wants to
communicate; is uninhibited about mistakes; focuses on both structure and
meaning; takes advantage of practice opportunities; monitors own speech and
that of others; thinks in the L2; and addresses affective aspects of learning
(cited by Brinton, 2018).

2. Attributing a set of strategies to ALL LEARNERS is problematic because there

are many variables in language learning; there are large individual differences
among language learners; what is effective for one learner may not be effective
for another; and what works in one situation may not work in another (cited by
Brinton, 2018).

3. Why should language teachers consider their learners’ learning styles

and strategies? Learners are the single most important element in the
classroom; no single methodology fits all learners; knowing about learner styles
and strategies benefits the teacher; and clashes between learners and
teachers may result from teachers’ unawareness of learners’ styles (cited by
Brinton, 2018).

4. Language learning styles and strategies are among main factors that help
determine how and how well learners learn second language (L2). These
factors influence the learners’ ability to learn in a particular instructional
framework.

5. Learning Styles are general approaches that learners use in acquiring a new
language; overall patterns that give general direction to learning behavior
(Cornett, 1983, p. 9); biologically and developmentally imposed set of
characteristics that make the same teaching method wonderful for some and

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 terrible for others (Dunn & Griggs, 1988, p. 3). Some examples include:
auditory (learning through listening); visual (learning through seeing); and
kinesthetic (learning through movement)

6. Learning Strategies are specific actions, behaviors, thought processes, steps,

or techniques used by learners to enhance their own language learning
(Scarcella & Oxford, 1992, p. 63). When the learner consciously chooses
strategies that fit his or her learning style and the L2 task at hand, these
strategies become a useful toolkit for active, conscious, and purposeful self-
regulation of learning.

7. Six Main Categories of L2 Learning Strategies (O’Malley & Chamot, 1990)

Cognitive Strategies reasoning, analysis, note-taking, grouping/classifying,
(enable learners to inferencing, summarizing, synthesizing, deducing, applying
manipulate the rules, using visual imagery, transferring from the L1,
language material in elaborating, linking ideas, outlining, recognizing information
direct ways) to develop stronger schemas (knowledge structures),
practicing in naturalistic settings, and practicing structures
and sounds formally
Metacognitive attending selectively, planning, goal-setting, identifying
Strategies one’s own learning style preferences and needs, planning
(enable learners for an L2 task, gathering and organizing materials,
manage the overall arranging a study space and a schedule, monitoring
learning process) mistakes, and evaluating task success, and evaluating the
success of any type of learning strategy
Memory-related learning and retrieving information in an orderly string
Strategies (acronym), learning and retrieval via sounds (rhyming),
(help learners link one images (mental picture of the word itself or the meaning of
L2 item or concept with the word), a combination of sound and images (keyword
another but do not method), body movement (total physical response),
necessarily involve mechanical means (flash cards), or location (on a page or
deep understanding) blackboard)
Compensatory guessing from the context in listening and reading, using
Strategies antonyms, and “talking around” the missing word to aid
speaking and writing, using gestures or pause words in
speaking to help make up for missing knowledge
Affective Strategies identifying one’s mood and anxiety level, talking about
feelings, rewarding oneself for good performance, using
deep breathing or positive self-talk
Social Strategies asking questions to get verification, asking for clarification
(help the learners work of a confusing point, asking for help in doing a language
with others and task, talking with a native-speaking conversation partner,
understand the target and exploring cultural and social norms
culture as well as the
language)

8. Strategy Instruction (Purpura, 2014)

a. Task Completion – Learners complete a selected response task (e.g. T/F,
multiple choice, gap fill)
b. Awareness Raising – Learners identify the strategies they used to complete
the task.
c. Modeling – The teacher demonstrates a new strategy.

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 d. Practice – Learners complete tasks to practice the strategy.
e. Evaluation – Learners evaluate the new strategy.
f. Extension – Learners complete a second task that requires them to use a
new strategy along with familiar ones.
g. Final Evaluation – Learners evaluate the new strategy and share their new
experiences.

9. What are the academic needs of English language learners? (Reilly, 2001)
a. The need to feel secure and important
b. The need to understand the learning competencies
c. The need for time to integrate learning
d. The need to understand the learning process
e. The need to receive feedback
Materials Time Allotment
 Session PowerPoint presentation 2 hours / 120 minutes
 LAC session video
 white cartolina
 metacards Alignment to the PPST
 permanent markers 3.1, 4.1, 5.3, 1.1, 1.2, and 1.5
 crayons
 cut out paper leaves and tree of
wisdom
References
Brinton, Donna M. "Learners’ Styles and Strategies." Lecture, Teacher Training
Workshop, The Regional English Language Office, U.S. Embassy in the
Philippines, Manila, February 27, 2018.

Brophy, J. 1998. Motivating students to learn. Boston, Mass.: McrGraw-Hill.

Dörnyei, Zoltán, The Psychology of the Language Learner: Individual Differences in

Second Language Acquisition, 2005. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Jones. V, and L. Jones. 2000. Comprehensive classroom management: Creating

communities of support and solving problems. 6th ed. Needham heights, Mass.:
Allyn and Bacon.

Martens, B.K., A. S. Hiralall, and T.A. Bradley. 1997. A note to teacher. Improving
student behavior through goal setting and feedback. School Psychology Quarterly,
12, 1, pp. 33-41.

Oxford, Rebecca L., Language Learning Styles and Strategies: An Overview, 2003

Rogers, C. R., amd P. Kramer. 1995. On becoming a person: A therapist’s view of

psychotheraphy. 3rd ed. Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Supporting English Language Learners, A Practical Guide for Ontario Educators,

Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2008

Reilly, Peter. "English Teaching Forum 2001, Volume 39, Number 2." U.S.

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 Department of State. Accessed March 23, 2018.
https://americanenglish.state.gov/resources/english-teaching-forum-2001-volume-
39-number-2#child-958.

"A Boring Class (Short Animated Film)." YouTube. August 24, 2017. Accessed April
06, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPFBgzewlyQ.

Procedure

Introduce the session by saying: “Good ______ everyone. I am __________ of

____________. Welcome to an exciting LAC session 2. Our topic for today is
“Understanding English Language Learners”. This session will lead us to
understand our language learners better because we will discover more about
them and we will learn about their academic needs in the classroom. Our resource
person for this session is Mr. Denn Marc P. Alayon from DepEd Central Office –
Bureau of Learning Delivery, Teaching, and Learning Division. Before we start, let
us take note of the following session objectives. (Present the abovementioned
session objectives to the participants.)

Activity (30 minutes)

Activity 1: Is it a Fact or a Bluff?

Present the following statements to the participants. Ask them to say “fact” if the
statement is a factual information and “bluff” if otherwise.

1. Being uninhibited about mistakes is one of the characteristics of a good

language learner.
2. Attributing a set of strategies to all learners is problematic.
3. All teachers should not consider their learners’ learning styles and
strategies.
4. No single methodology fits all learners.
5. Learning styles are specific actions, behaviors, thought processes, or
techniques used by learners to enhance their own learning.
6. Feedback does not relate closely to goal setting.
7. Learners need to be told what they are supposed to learn.
8. Addressing the learners’ academic needs makes language teaching more
effective and learners more successful.
9. Affective strategies help the learners work with others and understand the
target culture as well as the language.
10. Clashes between learners and teachers may result from teachers’
unawareness of learners’ learning styles.

Note to the facilitator: Checking of answers will be done before the end of the
session as post-discussion assessment.

Activity 2: All for One, One for all for Graffiti Wall

Note to the facilitator: Prepare four graffiti walls (white cartolina) posted in each

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corner of the room. Other materials such as permanent markers and crayons,
which will be used by the participants for this activity, should be placed under each
graffiti wall.

1. Divide the big group into four small groups. Assign each small group to
each graffiti wall with an assigned topic.

Group 1 – Characteristics of a good language learner

Group 2 – Considering learning styles of my learners
Group 3 – Teaching learning strategies to my learners
Group 4 – Academic needs of my learners in the classroom

2. Tell the groups to go to their assigned graffiti wall. Have them use
permanent markers and/or crayons to write or draw “graffiti” pertaining to
their assigned topic. A time limit of 15 minutes is given.

3. Then, ask the participants to move from “wall to wall” to write their ideas or
draw relevant pictures/doodles on other graffiti walls. Let them fill in the
graffiti walls of other groups with ideas and/or pictures or doodles. A time
limit of 10 minutes is given.

4. Once the graffiti walls are done, have one representative of each group to
explain the output.

5. Provide feedback on the groups’ outputs.

Analysis (15 minutes)

Process the activity further by asking the following questions:

1. What have you enjoyed most in doing the activity?

2. What insights or realizations have you gained during and after the activity?
3. In your English class, do you help your learners to become good language
learners? If yes, how?
4. What are your other ideas about learning styles, learning strategies, and
academic needs of the learners?
5. Is it important for you to learn the learning styles, learning strategies, and
academic needs of the learners? Why?

(Note to the facilitator: Point to the graffiti walls when asking the analysis
questions. Relate the graffiti walls to the questions. For example, you may say:
“You’ve shared a lot of ideas about the characteristics of a good language learner
as shown in this graffiti wall. In your English class, do you help your learners to
become good language learners? If yes, how?”)

Abstraction (40 minutes)

Show to the participants a video titled “A Boring Class” then discuss it by asking
the following questions:
1. What classroom scenario was shown in the video?

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 2. What makes the class boring? Why?
3. What needs of the learners were neglected by the teacher?
4. As teachers, how can we avoid such undesirable classroom scenario to
happen?

Before letting the participants watch the resource person’s video, present to them
first the following questions:

Pre-viewing Questions
1. What are the characteristics of a good language learner?
2. What do learning styles and learning strategies mean? What are the
differences between the two?
3. What are the types of learning styles? What are the categories of learning
strategies?
4. Why should language teachers consider their learners’ styles and
strategies?
5. What are the academic needs of learners in an English language
classroom?

Ask the participants to jot down their answers to the pre-viewing questions as they
watch the video.

Viewing Session

Title: Understanding English Language Learners

Resource Person: Denn Marc P. Alayon, PRIMALS JHS National Training of
Trainers

Discussion

After watching the video, let the participants process the information they gathered
by asking them to share their answers to the pre-viewing questions presented
earlier.

Reflection Questions

Let’s talk about your learners:

1. How well do you know your learners in your classroom?
2. Do you know their learning styles? If yes, how did you assess their learning
styles?
3. Do you teach them relevant learning strategies? Why or why not?
4. Do you know their academic needs in your English class? If yes, do you
address them well?
5. As teachers, why is it important to know your learners’ learning styles, to
teach them relevant learning strategies, and to address their academic
needs in the classroom?

Application (35 minutes)

Four! Three! Two! One! Action!

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Divide the participants into four groups. Ask them to demonstrate through a role
play the desirable classroom teaching practices that reflect their gained
understanding on the topics discussed. Assign each scenario to each group:

Group 1 - The teacher considers the learning styles of his/her learners and
teaches them appropriate learning strategies.
Group 2 - The teacher addresses the learners’ need to feel secure and
important.
Group 3 - The teacher addresses the learners’ need to understand the learning
goals and the need for time to integrate learning.
Group 4 - The teacher addresses the learners’ need to understand the learning
process and the need to receive feedback.

Let each group present. Then, provide feedback on each group’s presentation.

Lead the participants to the checking of answers to Activity 1: Is it a Fact or a

Bluff? as post-discussion assessment.

Answer Key:
1. Fact 6. Bluff
2. Fact 7. Fact
3. Bluff 8. Fact
4. Fact 9. Bluff
5. Bluff 10. Fact

Exit Slips

Wind down the session by asking the participants to complete the following
sentence stems. Ask them to write down their answers on the cut out paper leaves
then paste them on the tree of wisdom posted on the wall. Let them present their
outputs.

In this session, I’ve realized that _________________________.

Hence, when I go back to my own class/school, I will _______________________.

Closing

Say: “Before we end our LAC session today, let me share with you a quote from
Sir Ken Robinson, a British author, speaker, and international advisor on education
in the arts. Let us reflect upon this quote.”

“Education needs to address the world around our learners but also the world
within our learners.” (Robinson, 2015)