Luiz Dentelo, a Cambridge ELT teacher trainer based in Brazil, attended a Better Learning panel discussion where ELT experts described What does success for language learners look like? Here he shares his summary and personal reflections on how we can define success for teachers, schools and students.
I have always been interested in reading and finding out what makes learners savour success and also reflect on what makes successful teachers. And as a teacher trainer I’m always trying to find ways to help teachers achieve a higher level of performance.
I was really attracted by this wonderful panel topic because it empowers us to change our vision related to language learning and teaching. The panel discussion featured Chair Eric Baber (Product Training Director), Laura Patsko (Senior ELT Research Manager), Lenise Butler (National Director of Language Programs of UVM in Mexico) and Silvana Richardson (Head of Teacher Development for BELL) covering challenging topics around what constitutes success for the whole learning process.
How can research help us define success?
Laura pointed out that when we conduct research to define or discover what constitutes or promotes success, there’s a balance to be struck between identifying some general principles of effective learning and then identifying and addressing individual parameters and practices. As learners define their learning success quite differently, research has to respect this variation. As a result the definition of success hinges on the definition of goals, of asking the right questions as there are many factors involved and lots of individual variation. And we also need to interpret the findings appropriately with reference to a particular context.
What skills and competencies should be included in the evaluation of students?
Lenise started saying that nothing should be evaluated that was not clearly worked with students. She pointed out that this usually happens with competencies which are more difficult to evaluate. According to Laura, skill is something we can use in the classroom to carry predetermined results, whereas competencies are more the ‘how’ of how we are working with our students’ abilities, behaviours and attitudes to fulfil complex demands in language learning.
She finished her talk by challenging us to include Intercultural Communicative Competence and other aspects like Critical Thinking, analysis, curiosity, meta-cognitive thinking, attitude, behavior, perception of self and de-centering in our lessons.
What does success mean for the teacher?
Silvana started beautifully describing a successful teacher as the teacher of successful students. She went on to explain that teachers are successful when students become more responsible for their own learning, and when they become prepared to live in a global world. According to her, a successful teacher understands how precious class time is and maximizes both quantity and quality of learning.
What about a successful school?
A successful school is able to create and maintain the right conditions in a way where everyone is significant. It also provides professional development, and it is future-looking. Silvana concluded by saying that a successful school should ask what value they add to their learners and their lives. In my opinion this panel shows us, because of the evolving nature of learning, the importance of research considering different learners’ needs and the interrelationship between successful teachers and institutions to better students’ lives.
Watch the full panel discussion here and let us know your thoughts too in the comments below.