Boosting language-learning

The rapidly advancing world today places more importance on overall language ability and command over the language. Popularly known as cognitive skills, they are the core processes that we use, to read, learn, think, remember, reason and pay attention. When it comes to most languages, these cognitive processes help us to use four basic skills: writing, reading, speaking and listening.

In most academic institutions, cognitive skills are not explicitly taught and delivered in the classroom today. So the primary challenge is in improving the teaching methodologies by integrating modern innovative techniques with classroom teaching and closing the gap. Therefore, traditional pedagogies in cognitive language skill teaching should be reworked, formally through a curriculum, designed by experts. This will pave the way for active and productive learning, which could be less serious and more fun for young learners.

What educators can do

The current scenario requires educators’ engagement at several levels, especially for early childhood education. Educational authorities need to create a student-centric curriculum and teaching methodology focused on enhancing skill concepts in writing, reading, speaking and listening across different grade levels in primary and secondary schools.

Unconventional avenues of teaching language pedagogy and linguistics are to be replaced with digital game-like activities making the cognitive training curriculum viable in classrooms. Also, trained teachers and instructors should be able to implement skill-based learning using the latest teaching aids through the efficient use of technology by students. Diagnostic assessment modules must be introduced to help foster slow learners or students who have learning issues.

For the teachers

Apart from the educators’ efforts, school teachers and instructors should also take necessary action. For example, students can be assisted to develop all four cognitive skills by implementing the latest strategies within the language curriculum.

Teachers need to observe how their students listen at school. Listening is tough for most students, and teachers need to develop strategies to help children listen with understanding. Unfortunately, very little has been done to teach this skill to students in most schools across the country.

Break the skill into identifiable components, and then make students practise roleplays, dramatise scenarios and make posters. Begin by asking them to rephrase or restate what you say or other students’ points of view to enhance their own listening skills.

Use the metacognition technique, wherein you set an idea, and begin by asking, “What they understood about that idea, does it make sense?” Students will engage in clarifying questions, and develop the habit of thinking, helping teachers monitor their listening skills.

If the children find it difficult to understand and retain what is been discussed in the classroom, ask them to repeat the words they hear mentally. This will reinforce what they hear and help them stay focused.

As reading is one of the most important skills in learning, they need to implement some strategies that will work towards improving reading skills in young learners. Teachers can start by introducing motivation games.

Teachers need to identify students with low cognitive abilities, to monitor them closely, especially for difficulties with reading fluency. Today, there are a lot of new technologies to devise training activities for remote learning, and reading comprehension for young learners. Students should be encouraged to keep a vocabulary book of useful words and phrases.

Skill activities

To teach speaking is to teach students how to organise their thoughts. The teacher should develop a range of skill activities to help improve speaking in the classroom. One such project for the primary children is playing word games with co-students or roleplays that will boost critical thinking.

Other strategies are concept mapping, visualisation, mnemonics and sounding out words aloud. Middle school-level pupils could engage in interactive speaking sessions, as well as online classroom activities where they feel encouraged to speak and exchange ideas.

Writing is another very important skill. Teachers need to make writing a fun activity, by engaging students to write a coherent story through teamwork. Here, the learner-centred approach would work wonders, as this places more emphasis on the processes and the child who is learning.

Using this methodology, skill-based writing activities can be used like creating a classroom journal for students, story completion, retelling favorite stories and word challenges. These will provide constructivism and comprehensive well-grounded explanations of learning and child cognitive development.

Using innovative e-learning and virtual reality technology within the classroom, teachers can get students to enjoy interacting with students from other countries.