Half defiant and half remorseful, Faisal handed me a mostly blank paper with seemingly random words shoved into something vaguely resembling sentences.
This was an EASY assignment, and frankly, I expected a heck of a lot more from him. But, without a thought, I opened my mouth and asked all the wrong questions.
Here’s what I asked (and by the way, don’t do this)
“Did you study?”
Even as it came out of my mouth, I wondered why I bothered. Obviously he hadn’t studied, or he’d have aced this thing, right?
However, even though I had given him the options to write out definitions in his own words, write sentences using the words with context clues, or do either activity orally, he protested that the assignment was “too hard.” With five words making up the entirety of the assignment, I had all sorts of sarcastic comments ping-ponging through my head. Instead, I asked another stupid question.
“Did you study the vocabulary words?”
“Yes!” His reply was immediate. He LOOKED sincere.
“How much time did you spend studying?”
“A lot!”
Before I could stop myself, I even asked, “How much time is ‘a lot’?” But before he could answer, I caught myself. Why did it matter how much time he spent? I was asking the wrong question.
What happened, what didn’t, and what I should have said.
Faisal wasn’t the only one who didn’t have study habits, but it was while looking at his earnest face that I had my lightbulb moment.
So, here’s what he DID do (spoiler: it was useless)
Faisal had read the definitions multiple times. Then he used an app to translate them. He didn’t even have to type them in…he just scanned the words with his phone and boom, Arabic appeared like magic. (He quite proudly demonstrated this to me.) Finally, he wrote each word three times. Yeah, just three.
And here’s what he didn’t do (everything that mattered)
He never tried to put the definitions in his own words. He didn’t try to make connections between the words and his life. He never looked at spelling patterns or said the words aloud. I knew he could visualize things I couldn’t begin to imagine, but he hadn’t tried visualizing the meanings. Use them in sentences, in conversation, in any real context? Nope.
He had “studied” the way a lot of students study, going through motions without thinking.
The question I should have asked
Not “Did you study?”
How did you study?
That one shift in what I asked later changed SO MUCH in my classroom.
Here’s the thing: most of my struggling students aren’t lazy. They’re trying. They’re putting in time. But for some of them…nobody ever taught them HOW to study. They’ve been winging it their entire academic lives, using whatever random techniques they picked up along the way.
My classes are mainly university-bound international students. Not teaching them learning strategies alongside the required material would be a massive disservice. Their goal was to graduate university, not flunk out.
We’re not done. Here’s the part I was missing (maybe you are too!)
OF COURSE I had been sprinkling study strategies throughout my lessons. I explicitly pointed them out and explained why we used them. I felt pretty good about how I was handling that, but I was patting myself on the back for a job that wasn’t done.
You see, I forgot the most crucial step: reflection.
I reflect constantly, before lessons, during lessons, after lessons, on my drive home, in the shower. But I had never verified that my students knew how to do this. I was assuming they could reflect on their learning without ever teaching them how.
Kind of like teaching English by meowing at them.
What if they don’t know how to reflect?
They probably don’t. So model it for them.
Give them a variety of study techniques, then think aloud about which ones you’d choose and why. Here’s what I do:
“I like writing words over and over while spelling out loud, but I’m not going to do that. I’m already pretty good at spelling because I recognize patterns. I hate writing sentences. I think it’s a weakness of mine. So, I’m going to try using the vocabulary words in sentences with context clues. This will be tough for me, but with practice, I’ll get better at it, and then I’ll be able to use these words in real situations.”
-Me, modeling self-reflection aloud
Then I ask students to think aloud or write down their thoughts as they choose their study techniques. Why pick this one? Why not that one? What are they hoping to improve?
Step to one side. Announce it’s now the next day. Model the reflection again:
“Writing sentences was tough! I thought I understood all the words, but I didn’t know most of them well enough to create sentences easily. I found myself looking up different definitions, even googling example sentences just to get ideas. I didn’t finish learning all the words because I didn’t set aside enough time. It wasn’t as easy as I thought. However, now I’m confident using the ones I finished. I won’t forget them. They’re part of my vocabulary. I’ll study like this again, but next time I’ll schedule more time.”
Don’t expect them to get it immediately
When I first learned to knit, my mother showed me how, and I picked it up fast. I was knitting up a storm. But the next day, it was like I had a stranger’s fingers. I couldn’t remember a thing, and she had to show me again.
Your students will need frequent reminders. That’s normal. I haven’t knitted in years, and I’m sure I could do it again, but I’d need someone to show me how to cast on first.
What happened after I made the switch
I stopped asking “Did you study?” and started asking “How did you study?”
Their progress improved. Their study habits improved. Teaching them how to reflect and giving them space to practice it took them even further.
And me? I became a better teacher.
Five vocabulary words and one simple question. Then everything changed.
Read more about teaching adult ESL!
- It’s the end of the term. Are they begging for extra credit?
- 6 Important Things to Remember When Discussing Goals with Your Adult ESL Students
- Try this Ultimate Classroom Management Trick in Your Mixed-Ability Adult ESL Classes
- Teaching ESL Grammar When You’re Clueless about the Rules
Looking for material created specifically for adult ESL? Browse through the hundreds of resources I created and sell in my TpT store.
