1. What expectations do I have from the learner for self-study?
Reflecting on Tim’s 19 Episode Blog reflections I am delighted to add my conclusions from a Tutor perspective on how Tim’s Spanish Language learning developed during the new language journey that we undertook together.
The main conclusion is that I strongly believe that tailoring the area of study to the learner’s area of requirements is the root for a successful outcome. It gives relevance to the learner and an appropriate end goal. This also allows me as the tutor to plan for the outcome, which allows the learner to see their progression as documented throughout Tim’s documented learning journey.
Tailoring the language learning around the relevant business area makes the learning purposeful and also encourages and motivates the learner to continue and finish the course. Being monoglots in the UK it’s always been a great tendency for learners to give up most language learning journeys as they find it “too hard, don’t understand tenses”.
It’s a simple problem; we as Brits have been programmed over years and years to believe it’s too hard as the Uk language curriculum has not been given importance and has been squeezed overtime in the education’s curriculum. Go back 200 years ago and Brits were multilingual!
Therefore, the main expectation I have from my learners is to gear your own journey and provide me with the base knowledge and I will deliver the target language knowledge. Hence why, I ask that any language learner of business completes my initial self-assessment, to set out the ground knowledge allowing me to then plan accordingly.
2. Has the use of Teams to deliver online learning been a hindrance or a blessing?
Prior to the COVID pandemic, I used online platforms to deliver Welsh tuition to a learner in North Wales, this was pre-Teams era, and therefore was glitchy but possible. However, post pandemic and the invention of Teams, which I use daily for my own work, has made the language learning journey a breeze through the opportunity to conduct online sessions from the comfort of my home office with all of my resources to hand.
I also believe that from a learner’s perspective that learning from the comfort of your own home encourages positive learning. If you feel happy and comfortable and not stressed then you learn better. Think about going to a gym class in the middle of winter, you’ll find any reason not to get in that car to attend; but all those factors are taking away with the use on online learning platforms; literally can be from the comfort of your own sofa!
3. The importance of practice, practice, practice and recycle, recycle, recycle: the use of modal verbs and sentence builders to get by.
Over the years as a Language tutor it is clear that the challenge of the use of tenses has been a barrier in language learning. Consequently, I much prefer the use of modal verbs and sentence builders to allow the learner to get by without having to worry about conjugation structures.
So, what are modal verbs and sentence builders?
Modal Verbs are a set list of auxiliary verbs which express a need or a possibility e.g. “to have to, should, must, want etc”. I compiled a not so extensive list of these modal verbs in the ‘I form’ which is always proceeded by an infinitive, this helps avoid any complex conjugation, thus allowing Tim to express his needs and possibilities in the simplest way but being understood.
For example, to say I want to buy a train ticket using a modal verb = Quiero comprar un billete de tren. The modal verb is ‘quiero’ and the infinitive is ‘comprar’. Having a huge list of handy infinitive verbs was one of Tim’s jobs he had to create to prepare for his 3-month language learning journey in Spain, and ones which would help him get by and not have to worry about complex conjugation further enhanced through the handy tool of Sentence Builders.
The structure is designed to be simple and easy:
Therefore, having a themed table of sentence builders as illustrated above, the learner can then create their own language journey. Each table would be a huge list of vocabulary that you use to simply build a sentence and communicate; the end goal = to be understood. Language learning has never been complicated and never will be, but it’s simply about having the correct tools and relevance for each learner which equals success!
In conclusion and reflecting on Tim’s journey and progress I found that using a variety of resources such as Teams, the BBC coursebook, supportive and structured PowerPoints, plus videos links and authentic Spanish materials, allowed for Tim and future learners stimulation and encouragement through the opportunity to experience a varied language programme and importantly making the learning more interactive and fun!
This in turns promotes engagement plus with the supportive materials presented to the learner in advance of each session, allows the learner to not be blind sided at the start of each session. The supportive materials provides for further revision post each session and preparation for the following session which Tim has highlighted as “Learning by self”.
With this Language Learning for Business Case Study providing wide ranging in and out of country reference points I now look forward to the opportunity of discussing the specific aims and objectives of individuals and business groups wishing to expand their business into new countries!