How to Know Our Learners Better

In English Language Teaching, the learner is at the core of the teaching process. Understanding the learner's needs, motivation, and interests is essential for shaping lessons that foster engagement and create a positive learning environment.This article presents a detailed analysis of a specific learner, focusing on their background, classroom behavior, and learning preferences.

Part 1 - Focus on the Learners

Information about the student’s background

Age: 67 years old

Nationality: Born in Japan, moved to Brazil at the age of 8 or 9

English Proficiency: B2

Reasons for Learning English: Shizuko’s primary motivation is to communicate with her English-speaking daughter-in-law and visit her son who resides in the United States. Additionally, she believes English is a widely spoken language globally so it is necessary to learn it for travelling to other countries.

Previous English Learning Experience: She began learning English in high school after previously studying French. She continued studying English for the TOEFL exam while in college in the U.S. After retiring, she pursued further English studies at various language institutions in Brazil.

What you have noticed in his or her classroom behaviour

Degree of participation: Shizuko is not very proactive during whole-class activities, and she rarely speaks voluntarily. However, she actively participates in group work and stays fully engaged throughout the lesson, following the class pace closely. She is very involved in class activities overall.

Quantity or output in different stages of the lesson: During almost all group activities, she engages well and remains focused on the teacher’s instructions.

Fluency/accuracy of output: Her English is not very fluent, but she is able to express her ideas and intentions. There are frequent pauses in her speech. Most of the time, she uses appropriate words, but occasionally selects inaccurate vocabulary. For example, she said, 'I don’t work out' to express that she worked from home.

Similarity of level amongst the group: She is in the lower-intermediate range within the class, while Fernando, Sue, and Xiaoming are in the top tier.

The student’s learning preferences

Shizuko prefers engaging in group conversations with classmates over working individually. This is evident from her classroom participation—she rarely speaks during whole-class activities but is highly engaged in group work. She appears more relaxed and comfortable in group settings.

She enjoys studying phrases and grammar but finds listening and reading lessons more challenging. Shizuko believes these skills are difficult due to the presence of many unfamiliar words in the listening and reading exercises. During listening practice, when sharing answers with group members, I have observed that her accuracy tends to be lower compared to others.

Part 2 – Focus on Errors

Grammatical Errors	Correction	Reason for Error
omit the preposition “to” e.g. I think French grammar is similar Portuguese.	I think French grammar is similar to Portuguese.	Lack of understanding of adjective + preposition collocations: In English, 'similar to' is a fixed collocation. The student may not have fully grasped this collocation, leading her to mistakenly believe that 'similar' can be used independently when making comparisons between two nouns.
Pronunciation Errors	Correction	Reason for Error
add a vowel sound after word e.g. I thinky French grammar is similar Portuguese. /θɪŋki/	I think French grammar is similar to Portuguese. /θɪŋk/	L1 influence: In English, almost any consonant can serve as the final sound of a word, whereas in Japanese, only the nasal consonant "n" can do so (Irwin, M., 2011). This means that most syllables in Japanese are open, which contrasts with English, where many words end with consonants. As a result of these linguistic influences, Shizuko unconsciously adds a vowel sound to English words that end in consonants.
Vocabulary Errors	Correction	Reason for Error
Phrasal verb misunderstanding e.g. I didn't work out.	I worked from home.	The student is unfamiliar with this idiomatic meaning, she assumes that "work out" refers to any form of working, including working from home.

Part 3 – Selecting material

Activity

UsingEnglish.com. (n.d.). Quiz: Adjective + Preposition. UsingEnglish.com. Retrieved from https://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/501.html

Rationale

What area has been chosen and what rationale

Address grammar error – the omission of the preposition "to" when using "similar to" for comparisons

The omission of the preposition "to" in sentences like "I think French grammar is similar Portuguese" indicates a misunderstanding of adjective-preposition collocations, which are critical for grammatical accuracy in English. Understanding how adjectives like "similar" pair with prepositions is fundamental to sentence structure. Errors in this area lead to unclear comparisons and disrupt sentence flow. Given the importance of prepositions in conveying meaning, mastering their use with adjectives is crucial for fluency. Additionally, the student shows a reasonable vocabulary and comprehension of sentence structure. By correcting this specific grammar issue, the student’s accuracy and confidence will improve, resulting in smoother communication.

Although there are some pronunciation challenges, they do not significantly impede understanding. Pronunciation improvement requires longer-term practice, whereas addressing grammatical collocations can provide more immediate improvements in both spoken and written language. Focusing on grammar, particularly prepositions, will have a broader and more immediate impact on overall language accuracy.

The rationale for choosing this activity

The sentence “I think French grammar is similar Portuguese” indicates that the student understands "similar" as an adjective but may not be aware that it requires a preposition when followed by a noun to make comparisons. The controlled practice activity above, designed in a multiple-choice format, helps the student recognize that "similar" is typically followed by a preposition when comparing two nouns. Furthermore, the exercise includes other common adjective + preposition combinations, such as "interested in" and "married to", helping the student build a stronger foundation in using collocations properly. By highlighting these patterns, the activity aims to address potential gaps in their overall understanding of adjective-preposition pairings, ensuring that the student can apply these rules across various contexts.

However, this activity is culturally neutral and appropriate for diverse learners. It focuses on universal grammatical structures without requiring cultural knowledge that may be unfamiliar to the student. To make the exercise more engaging, I could adapt it by incorporating more personalized or context-specific examples that resonate with the student's interests or background. For example, setting a theme like travel could allow the student to practice the same structure in a context that is both familiar and motivating.

References：

Irwin, M. (2011) Loanwords in Japanese. Amsterdam: John Benjamin