Teaching EFL to teens requires very specific approaches based on their brain development and emerging identity. We look at some basic guidelines to enhance motivation, retention and learning of EFL by teens and young adults.
12. “A subordina,ng conjunc,on always comes at
the beginning of a subordinate clause. It
"introduces" a subordinate clause. However, a
subordinate clause can some,mes come a>er
and some,mes before a main clause….”
18. Who Are Teens?
What’s going on with their lives?
- hormones / sexual development
- independence / autonomy
- ques9oning of authority / rebellion
- social hyperac9vity / peer pressure
What’s going on with their future?
- pressure over educa9on, career
prospects, type of friends, values
What are their cultural references?
What is their rela9onship with
educa9on?
English: how do they see it as
relevant to them?
21. THIS IS SO LAME!!!
Can’t wait to check out who tagged me on
As if! I’m sitting next to the biggest
geek in the class. I’d rather die.
BORING BORING BORING BORING BORING BORING
!!!
boring boring boring
boring
boring
What-ever…… boring
boring
boring
boring
Blah Blah Blah
I definitely like
Matt; he’s so
cute. I hope he
likes me too…
24. Teen Brain
Development
Phenomenon #1
last
Prefrontal
Cortex
• Reasoning
• Organizing,
priori/zing
informa/on Limbic
1st System
• Control of
Impulses • Physical
Coordina/on
Not fully mature
un.l age 25! • Emo/on
• Mo/va/on
25. Teen Brain
Development
Phenomenon #2
Maturing of brain as
Grey MaQer is lost
Adolescent Pruning Of Brain Cells
The brain selec9vely strengthens or
prunes neurons based on ac9vity.
Synapses con9nually used will flourish;
those that are not used will wither away.
26. Teen Brain
Development Mylena/on (increase in White MaXer)
Phenomenon #3
Speeds the
brain’s
informa9on‐
processing
capacity
equivalent to
3,000 X
increase in
computer
bandwidth
29. Phased development of
cogni/ve func/ons:
EFL teaching implica/ons
Use teen craving for
NOVELTY and
EXCITEMENT to get their
ATTENTION.
+
video, music, movement,
news, games, anecdotes
‐
worksheets, lectures,
objec9ve texts
30. Phased development of
cogni/ve func/ons:
EFL teaching implica/ons
Break large, long‐term
assignments down into
short‐term objec9ves
Remind them of
concepts, objec9ves and
deadlines frequently.
31. Phased development of
cogni/ve func/ons:
EFL teaching implica/ons
Use short formats.
Teens can only focus
on someone talking
for 15 minutes at a
9me they need a
change in state of
mind every 20
minutes.
32. Phased development of
cogni/ve func/ons:
EFL teaching implica/ons
For young
(13 – 16)
teens, don’t
make topics
too abstract
33. Phased development of
cogni/ve func/ons:
EFL teaching implica/ons
The teenage
brain quickly
discovers a
need to
CONNECT.
INTEGRATE THIS
into Communica/ve
Task Work
34. Pruning of neurons
maintaining only most‐
used connec/ons:
EFL Teaching Implica/ons
Aim for
relevance
and
usefulness
to their
lives
35. Pruning of neurons
maintaining only most‐
used connec/ons:
EFL Teaching Implica/ons
Repe99on with varia9on. Get them to not just
read a vocabulary item, but also…
use it in a story use it in a sentence
play a game based on it see a photo of it
unjumble it hear it in a song
hear it spoken by a f
amous actor
37. Vastly increased
processing bandwidth:
EFL Teaching Implica/ons
Provide data capable
of being processed
into knowledge while
avoiding boredom
filter (lexical /
communica.ve rather
than gramma.cal
approach)
38. Vastly increased
processing bandwidth:
EFL Teaching Implica/ons
Provide ANALYTICAL
CHALLENGES that
s9mulate higher‐
order thinking: ask
How
What
Why
39. Don’t forget: male and female
adolescents mature at different rates
Grey cell Grey cell pruning
pruning starts at age 14 – 16
starts at age
10 – 12
Boys and girls may
be ready to absorb
challenging material
at different stages.
40. …also don’t forget: the average teen is
SLEEP DEPRIVED
Physiologically,
teens require Sleep
9.25 hours of depriva9on
sleep. makes it more
Most teens difficult for most
report sleeping students to
5 hours or less learn, remember
per 24‐hour and think
period. crea/vely.
44. What can we learn (and adopt) from
Video Games?
• Failure is part of the game
• Try and try again without s9gma
• Repe99on breeds competence
• Posi9ve reinforcement all the ,me
• Posi9ve vs. nega9ve stress
• Level design: progress to next level is
always a challenge, but achievable
• Progress = status enhancement
• Social (mul9player gaming; leader boards;
in‐game chat; challenge‐a‐friend)
49. Learner Mo9va9on
for Teens
“The simplest
way to ensure
that people
value what
they are doing
is to maximise
their free
choice and
autonomy”
‐ Good & Brophy, 2004