Let’s do a little exercise together. Please invest a few minutes of your time, focusing on one struggling foreign-language student you’ve had in your own classroom. Just jot down answers to the following eight questions:
1. What language were you teaching?
2. What was the course level?
3. What kind of pedagogical approach were you using (e.g., TPRS, communicative activities, more traditional grammar-focused, or a mix of these)?
4. Briefly describe the student:
- Age:
- Gender:
- Family background:
- Socioeconomic background:
- Handedness (left, right, or ambidextrous):
- Prior attempts at second-language learning:
- Any other relevant student features or characteristics:
5. What was the nature of the student’s learning difficulty (e.g., listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, pacing, anxiety, spelling, memorization, attention issues, or other issues)?
6. Was this student receiving any learning-disabilities services (e.g. resource room help? IEP)?
7. What strategies or accommodations did you employ to help this student?
8. What were the outcomes for this student?
