LAI82 by Seyyedeh Mobina Hosseini

Designing adult language program

2025-07-14 22:15:29 UTC

Focus on real-life situations (like work, shopping, or talking to a doctor). Teach grammar and vocabulary clearly and directly. Practice speaking and listening often, without worrying about perfect pronunciation. Provide different modalities, for adults this can be magazines, books, movies, shows, songs and art.

Adult language programs

2025-07-14 22:16:18 UTC

I think that considering CPH, we should look at the strengths and weaknesses that adult language learners bring to the table. For example, an adult's advance knowledge of grammar rules in their native language can be applied to learning another language. Because of this, a program can be tailored to understand specific grammatical rules (ex. use of tense). Considering the challenges an adult learner has, such as inhibition, perhaps the instructor would want to consider low risk activities so speak to the ego of an adult. Adults tend to be more concerned about embarrassment and mistakes, so give them plenty of time to practice in a "safe space."

Critical period hypothesis-Andrew Othman

2025-07-14 22:17:47 UTC

I think adult language programs should make use of the strengths that adults have when it comes to language learning. For example, because adult learners usually have prior experience with language in many contexts, an overall comparison between the structure of the native language of the students and the language they are learning would be beneficial. I also think adult language programs should incorporate an element of independence to allow students to capitalize on their intrinsic motivation and follow their interests to some extent. In addition, I think such programs could benefit from the inclusion of lessons which highlight essential cultural elements surrounding the language, and context-specific language such as how to order at a restaurant or buy something at a store.

Ali's response

2025-07-14 22:19:48 UTC

even though the critical period Hypothesis suggest that younger learners may have an advantage in acquiring native-like pronunciation, I believe that adult language programs should be designed with flexibility, patience, and cultural relevance. in addition, adult brings life experience, motivation, and strong cognitive skills to the table.

Quote

2025-07-14 22:20:02 UTC

This really spoke to me: "Language is
at the same time: (a) a communication coding system that can be taught as a school subject; (b) an integral part of
the individual's identity involved in almost all mental activities; and also (c) the most important channel of social organisation embedded in the culture of the community where it is used." I think this is an important consideration to understand when teaching language learners. While the specifics of a language are important, language is also a key component to one's identity and a primary mode of "social transportation." Communication builds community - however that may look.

Language belongs to a person's whole social being

2025-07-14 22:21:05 UTC

"Language, after all, belongs to a person's
whole social being: it is part of one's identity, and is used to convey this identity to other people."

This quote resonates with me because I have seen in my students how language plays effects their identity. For instance, I have seen kids who are very outgoing and funny in their L1, while seeing them interact with other students in their L1, however in class they are very shy and reserved. So they almost have two personalities based on which language they utilize at the time.

Andrew Othman

2025-07-14 22:21:22 UTC

Gardner and Lambert (1972) mentioned that motivational factors can override aptitude. This resonates with me because in my own independent study of languages, I feel that my motivation was the most important factor. For example, I did not have external motivation to study Japanese having never visited, but I had my own interest and desire to learn which were "...transformed into action" (Pintrich and Schunk, 1996).

Izzy Tronolone

izzytronolone — 2025-07-14 22:21:25 UTC

I think that we need to view CPH along with the evolving language community and consider it a "sensitive period." Because, according to traditional CPH, it explains that as an adult langauge learning witll be extremely difficult and that mastery is not possible. Keeping this in mind, a lot of what data supports CPH is the value of implicit learning that we often see in children. Therefore, still including these experiences in adult learning is great! Think interactive experiences that value immersion and support the i+1 hypothesis (students being exposed to more langauge than they necessarily know, but that is not extremely above their level). Additionally, since adults don't soak up vocabulary like children do anymore, I often encourage my adult students to keep personal interactive journals where they can write down words they learn and corrections that they are working on.

Appealing to the Strengths of Adult Language Learners

2025-07-14 22:23:18 UTC

While the Critical Period Hypothesis suggests younger learners may pick up language more naturally, adult learners have advantages we can design around. They usually have stronger intrinsic motivation, they know why they’re learning—and they often have a better grasp of grammar and metalinguistic concepts. That means adult programs should include clear explanations, real-world practice, and chances for reflection. Scaffolding is still important, but we can lean into their ability to think critically and learn explicitly. Adult learners might not “absorb” language like kids do, but with the right support, they can make real, meaningful progress.

Quote

2025-07-14 22:23:41 UTC

This quote spoke to me: "Self-efficacy theory refers to people's judgement of their capabilities to carry out certain specific tasks, and, accordingly, their sense of efficacy will deter- mine their choice of the activities attempted, as well as the level of their aspirations, the amount of effort exerted, and the persistence displayed." (Dornyei 1998, page 119) because as a bilingual teacher it captures something we see in our students every day: belief in oneself matters.

When students especially English Language Learners (ELLs) feel confident in their ability to use a second language, they are more likely to participate in class activities, take risks like speaking in front of others or trying out new words and to keep going even when they make mistakes or face challenges. That is why I like to start the day everyday with positive self talk with my students.

“High motivation can make up for considerable deficiencies both in one's language aptitude and learning conditions.” — Dörnyei (1998)

2025-07-14 22:25:41 UTC

This quote stood out to me because it reinforces the importance of relationship building and differentiated support in the classroom. It reminds me that even students who struggle with aptitude or face difficult circumstances can thrive if they feel motivated, and that motivation often stems from feeling seen, valued, and supported. As an educator, this emphasizes the need to differentiate instruction and build trusting relationships with learners to foster that motivation. It’s an empowering reminder that good teaching isn’t just about delivering content, it’s about nurturing the emotional and psychological environment for growth.

Designing Adult Language Program

2025-07-14 22:25:48 UTC

We should focus on the strengths that adults might have over children learners. The strengths would be understanding grammar rules and understanding how language works. They also learn better when language is applied to real life scenarios, and providing motivations for them.

Emily Davis

2025-07-14 22:25:58 UTC

I think that creating adult language programs that include both group work (conversations, etc) and individualized attention along with actionable feedback is a good place to start. Perhaps students could come to class with scenarios that happened in their lives or will happen, and the whole class could practice their speech, writing, or reading for this particular instance (an important phone call, a doctor's appointment, reading directions, writing an email). I think that learning why students are in class will help you to have a sense of what students care about learning. Making sure to keep conversation open with the class so that the learners are able to give input about content, as well as have a comfortable place to make mistakes and practice is important for the foundation. The connection between the learners' L1 and the language they are learning is a great way to honor experience and get started with metalinguistic skills too.

Quote

2025-07-14 22:26:29 UTC

A quote that resonated with me was, “Motivation is necessarily a multi-faceted construct, and describing its nature and its core features requires particular care.” This stood out because I’ve experienced firsthand how motivation can shift depending on personal goals, environment, and confidence. As someone who started learning English later in life, I know how complex motivation can be, and this quote reminded me that teachers should take care to understand and support the different reasons each learner shows up.

Izzy Tronolone

izzytronolone — 2025-07-14 22:31:53 UTC

"It seems clear that a possible reason for the failure to find significant effects is that such studies lump all learners together. It could well be that those learners who benefit from a particular methodology are cancelled out by those for whom it is inappropriate" (Skehan, 1991, pg. 295). This stood out to me because I think that, ultimately, even as much research as we do on the most optimum learning styles and techniques, the best way to go about it is to understand your students at an individual level. Lumping all students together and looking at one strategy at a time can inform your teaching, but not guide it. However, being observant and knowledgeable about different techniques and differentiating your material is worthwhile.

2025-07-14 22:33:26 UTC

The quote that resonated with me is from the Dornyei article on Motivation-"In contrast, an intrinsically oriented school can begin to transfer itself into a more positive, affirming environment-The result:an appreciation of love, intimacy, and respect for the wisdom of age. (Brown, 1994: 41) I agree with Brown that having an environment that promotes creativity and a love of learning is a more effective motivating factor.

Emily Davis: Quote from Dornyei 1998

2025-07-14 22:40:55 UTC

"In contrast,
a strong sense of self-efficacy enhances people's
achievement behaviour by helping them to approach
threatening situations with confidence, to maintain a
task- rather than self-diagnostic focus during task-
involvement, and to heighten and sustain effort in
the face of failure. It is important to note that self-
efficacy beliefs are only indirecdy related to actual
competence and abilities as they are the product of a
complex process of self-persuasion that is based on
cognitive processing of diverse sources (e.g. other
people's opinions, feedback, evaluation, encourage-
ment or reinforcement; past experiences and train-
ing; observing peers; information about appropriate
task strategies)." - Dornyei 1998

2025-07-14 22:44:07 UTC

Considering the CPH, I would design adult language programs with an asset based lens. A welcoming environment where you learn from each others experiences, have the adults bring their life experiences into the classroom as often as possible.

Andy

2025-07-21 22:27:01 UTC

I would definitely use complex tasks because when we learn languages we often forget what we learned and have to go through the cycle of learning and relearning. So because this complex task helped students retain information even a month later, I think this is very useful for exercising students' brains in a way that will stay with them.

Guiding Questions

izzytronolone — 2025-07-21 22:27:03 UTC

Would you consider using complex tasks when teaching pragmatics and/or other topics? Why?
Do you think that production or process is more valuable in language learning?
Feel free to also ask questions or anecdotes that came up for you from the discussion of this study.

Simple vs. complex tasks

2025-07-21 22:29:27 UTC

Based on the results of the research study (and personal teaching experience), I would choose to use complex tasks. The study showed similar results in the immediate post-test, however the complex task group scored higher in the delayed post-test. This tells me that the complex task group was able to really make connections with the learning and internalize it. When this happens, students are able to apply that learning to other situations.

2025-07-21 22:32:32 UTC

I agree that using complex tasks when teaching pragmatics is effective because students are using skills that motivates them to retain information.

Kim

2025-07-21 22:32:51 UTC

Yes, I would. In my own classroom, I’ve seen how students respond better when they practice language through real-life situations like role-plays. For example, when we did a partner activity where students had to politely refuse an invitation, they were more engaged and used more appropriate phrases. Based on Kim & Taguchi (2015), I believe complex tasks like these help students understand how language works in real social settings, not just what to say, but how to say it.

Randino

2025-07-21 22:33:10 UTC

Yes, I would use definitely use complex tasks when teaching pragmatics because they help students practice real-life situations, like working in groups or having a conversation. I think the process is more valuable than just the final answer because students learn more by thinking, planning, and trying. I believe they would also benefit more becasue they would go through the entire process with support from their peers and learning through a hands on experience which would make it stick more, in my opinion.

izzytronolone — 2025-07-21 22:49:48 UTC

I do and want to continue using complex partner/group tasks to teach! I think that the process of working together to achieve something is not only good for students' language development and retention as displayed in the study, but also for their social and problem-solving skills. Another thing that I like to use complex tasks for that is similar to this is to have students write a story based on one or multiple pictures. I have used this to reinforce a variety of language elements, including direct vocabulary, past tense, transition words, paragraph building, etc.

Question 2

2025-07-28 20:38:23 UTC

Design opportunities for sharing culture, even including families when you are able if they want to. I also think normalizing code-switching. By making their ability to speak multiple languages as an asset, code switching becomes a positive. Ensure that students can see themselves and make personal connections to the curriculum whenever possible.

izzytronolone — 2025-07-28 22:43:16 UTC

I find that it is important to establish a culture of learning in your classroom where neither the teacher nor the student is the master of knowledge. As an ENL teacher who teaches students with a variety of L1s, most of which I do not know, I like to establish myself as a learner too. Because I am not a speaker of their L1, my ability to translanguage via teacher input is highly limited, but I do often ask my students what vocabulary words mean in their language, and they have to teach me how to pronounce them. We often have to repeat back and forth a few times, just like they have to do when I teach them new words in English. This helps to let my students take the baton and honors their funds of knowledge as multilingual students. Additionally, before we start a new topic, I like to have some circle questions for my students to gather some info on what they already know and how the concept that we are learning may connect to ideas in their culture.

Emily Davis

2025-07-31 03:07:43 UTC

As per Kim and Taguchi, complex tasks are helpful for learners because it supports them in activating “task specific linguistic structures.” With more complex tasks, learners can develop interlanguage skills. Also, different types of interaction features were affected in different ways dependent on the task. Through learner to learner interaction as well as interactions with the instructor, students work to build their knowledge and negotiate meaning. These kinds of tasks give them a chance to process and reason, which can help them remember the new information.