Assignment 1: Focus on the Learner
Part 1: Class Profile
The learners of the class under observation are at the Upper Intermediate level and are
between the ages of 17 and 36. Most of them are college students (in their early 20s).
The students are from the northern region of India (e.g., Deepak, Sid and Sonak - Delhi;
Krish – Uttar Pradesh; Shela - Rajasthan, etc.).
Students are motivated to learn English for improved communication skills, better career
opportunities, enhanced job interview performance, travel purposes, and plans to move
abroad in the near future. However, most want to learn English because it is the most
required language in the job market and has global relevance.
Most of the students have Hindi as their L1, while a few have Punjabi (e.g., Preeti ) as
their L1. Rahul understands Bengali,This seems to have affected their English-speaking
skills. For instance, since most of the students are Hindi speakers, their English accent
tends to be quite strong, except for students T, V, and K For instance, student A.
pronounced “pen” as “p æn” and “bed” as “b æd.”
As quoted in Learner English (Michael Swan & Bernard Smith, 2001) – “The phonological
systems of South Asian languages and English differ in important respects” causing
interference between languages (in the case above – Hindi and English). According to
Swan & Smith – “/e/ and /æ/ sounds are often confused,” as can be seen in the above
instance.
The learners’ exposure to English at secondary and senior secondary levels at school
significantly interferes with their ability to learn English with a communicative approach
Grammar and speaking are among the perceived weaknesses, and listening and reading
skills are the perceived strengths of the whole class. The learners’ idea of a good
language lesson would include focusing more on activities that involve speaking (out of
the four skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
Part 2: Needs
Learners often use grammar rules from their L1 when using English, which hampers their
understanding and application of tenses. Upon reviewing the written assignments of the
learners, it was clear that many struggled with distinguishing between the simple present
and present continuous tenses. For instance, Rahul’s written sample stated, “I am
watching movies on Sundays,” instead of “I watch movies on Sundays.” This error
highlights not only a misunderstanding of habitual actions but also the confusion
between the simple present and present continuous tenses.
Additionally, Vanessa’s written sample stated, “I cherish moments spent with family
whether we are sharing a meal, watching movies, or just having a good time,” which
could be revised to, “I cherish moments spent with family whether we share a meal,
watch movies, or just have a good time.” This indicates a misunderstanding of the correct
tense to describe habitual actions versus actions happening at the moment of speaking.
Upon observing the spoken use of the learner's language, it was determined that they
struggled with differentiating between the /s/ and /ʃ/ sounds, likely due to interference
from their first language (Swan & Smith, 2001). For example, Reeshu pronounces "shelf"
as "'self," and Raj pronounces "shop" as "'sop." These substitutions illustrate the
challenges they face in articulating these phonemes correctly.
The learners’ receptive skills (i.e., listening and reading) were moderately good, given the
Indian education system's emphasis on these areas. However, they require significant
support in productive skills (i.e., speaking and writing) to accurately convey their
thoughts using the appropriate tenses.
Part 3a: Grammar Activity
To help the learners with verb tense, I have chosen a “Put the verbs into the correct form:
present continuous or present simple” activity (English Grammar in Use, Murphy, 2019).
This activity teaches learners correct use of the simple present and present continuous
tenses by requiring them to fill in verbs based on context and engage in dialogue.
For this activity, the learners will be provided with handouts that contain both Tony’s and
Leila’s dialogues, which the learners need to complete. They will be asked to work in pairs
to help each other gain a clearer understanding of actions that are usually done and
actions that are currently happening.
The rationale for choosing this activity is to give the learners an opportunity to practice
the simple present and present continuous tenses in a way that helps them remember
the correct usage and to improve their productive skill of writing. Forming them into pairs
will allow them to build on what they already know and benefit from each other’s
conceptual knowledge.
Part 3b: Pronunciation Activity
To enhance the learners' pronunciation, I have selected an activity titled “Minimal Pairs”
(Ship or Sheep?, Ann Baker, 2006) to aid them in distinguishing between the /s/ and /ʃ/
sounds. By listening carefully to sentences that include minimal pairs, students will
enhance their phonetic awareness, which is essential for clear pronunciation and
effective communication. I will model the correct pronunciation and then conduct choral
and individual drilling.
In the next part of the activity, learners will listen to a series of sentences and will need to
tick the correct option (a or b) that they hear. The pairs include words such as “Sue's” vs.
“shoes,” “ass” vs. “ash,” and “puss” vs. “push.” This structured approach encourages
active listening and helps students engage with the sounds they are learning to
pronounce. The activity contains six items where students will identify specific words
based on what they hear. For example, they will choose between “sack” and “shack,” or
“seats” and “sheets.” This will reinforce their understanding of the subtle differences
between the sounds and improve their ability to recognize these sounds in various
contexts.
The rationale for choosing this pronunciation exercise is to provide learners with practical
experience in distinguishing challenging sounds. By actively participating in this exercise,
students will build confidence in their pronunciation abilities, ultimately leading to more
fluent and accurate speech in their daily communication.
Part 4: References & Appendices
References:
1. Learner English (Second Edition): A teacher’s guide to interference and other
problems, Michael Swan and Bernard Smith, 2001
2. English Grammar In Use (Fifth Edition): A Self-study Reference and Practice Book
for Intermediate Learners of English, Raymond Murphy, 2019
3. Ship or Sheep? Student’s Book (Third Edition): An Intermediate Pronunciation
Course, Ann Baker, 2006
Appendices:
1. Grammar Activity (from English Grammar In Use [Fifth Edition], Raymond Murphy,
2019):
2. Pronunciation Activity (from Ship Or Sheep? [Third Edition], Ann Baker,
2006):
Answer key: