Feedback is information a teacher or another speaker, including another learner, gives to learners on how well they are doing, either to help the learner improve specific points, or to help plan their learning. Feedback can be immediate, during an activity, or delayed, at the end of an activity or part of a learning programme and can take various forms.

Example

A teacher agrees with learners that they will not be corrected during a conversation activity but that the teacher will take notes and give feedback afterwards.

In the classroom

In correction, it is typical to use feedback in a way that shows the learner has made a mistake, but allows the learner to attempt to correct it themselves. Facial expression, body language, gesture and intonation can all be used to give this type of feedback to speaking. Correction codes are used in writing to achieve this; if learners have made a word order mistake, the teacher marks 'WO' at that point, allowing the learner to go back and correct it themselves.

Meta-language is the language teachers and learners use to talk about the English language, learning and teaching.

Example

Words and phrases such as 'verb', 'noun', 'present perfect continuous', 'phrasal verb' and 'reported speech' are all examples of common classroom meta-language.

In the classroom

Certain classroom teaching materials rely on the learner knowing an extensive range of meta-language and teachers sometimes spend time teaching learners some of the more common terms.

Neuro-linguistic Programming is based on a model of communication and psychotherapy. In ELT this model has implications for learning, as it says that we all have different learning and perceptual preferences, and in order to learn well we need to both exploit our preferred styles and develop our less preferred ones.

Example

The teacher draws a mind map on the board to show learners the relationship between new words; in this way she is addressing the visual intelligence of her learners.

In the classroom

To exploit NLP in the classroom teachers need to use a variety of techniques, resources and methodologies to address different types of intelligence in learners. Tools as diverse as TPR, Cuisenaire rods and playing music all address different kinds of intelligence.

Feedback is information a teacher or another speaker, including another learner, gives to learners on how well they are doing, either to help the learner improve specific points, or to help plan their learning. Feedback can be immediate, during an activity, or delayed, at the end of an activity or part of a learning programme and can take various forms.

Example

A teacher agrees with learners that they will not be corrected during a conversation activity but that the teacher will take notes and give feedback afterwards.

In the classroom

In correction, it is typical to use feedback in a way that shows the learner has made a mistake, but allows the learner to attempt to correct it themselves. Facial expression, body language, gesture and intonation can all be used to give this type of feedback to speaking. Correction codes are used in writing to achieve this; if learners have made a word order mistake, the teacher marks 'WO' at that point, allowing the learner to go back and correct it themselves.