Being aware of different learning styles: auditory, visual, kinesthetic.

(a) Auditory learners prefer to listen and talk about what they are learning. They enjoy discussion and like things explained to them. They can be very easily distracted especially by external noises. They often find it difficult to work quietly for long periods of time.

(b) Visual learners learn best using visual tools, e.g. graphics, diagrams, written material, illustrations, examples, real objects, graphs and charts. They like to take notes and prefer written instructions on handouts or on overhead transparencies. They tend to be more observant.

(c) Kinesthetic learners learn best by “doing”. They like to perform their tasks and enjoy role plays and personal participation.

They tend to be more physically active and can find it difficult to “sit still” for long periods. They prefer to be shown rather than to be told and enjoy making things and handling their learning tools. N.B. Students can have a combination of learning styles.

(2) Being aware of special pronunciation problems experienced by young learners.

One of the most common pronunciation problems experienced by young children, especially those for whom English is their second language, centers on vowels and diphthongs. This difficulty is demonstrated by the confusion many learners have in differentiating between words such as it and eat and pill and pee.

While learners need to hear the difference clearly and to practice imitating the way the teacher/tutor personally pronounces these words accurately, there is also value in explaining why the words are pronounced differently. To this end, the structural or symbol difference is highlighted also using other related examples such as bit - beat – sit - seat – pit - peat – hit - heat, etc.

Learners quickly see the relationship that exists between these word groups and are eventually able to transfer the knowledge gained about it and eat to the other affected words reasonably quickly. This is a far better teaching method than trying to deal with the confusion each time an example arises, i.e. word by word.

In the same vein, the structural and symbolic differences between pill and peel, fill and feel, ill and eel, kill and keel, etc. can be explained and taught. Similar confusion problems can occur with lip and leap, still and steal, it and ate, fill and fell, pull and pool, full and fool, hut and heart, hard and heard, cut and cart, pot and port, shot and short and many other like cases.

4S contends that while personal pronunciation practice is very important, the answer to resolving these vowel-diphthong pronunciation problems, which in turn cause major spelling and writing difficulties, is for learners to understand: Why the words say what they sa’. This objective is achieved by imparting the 4S Keys To Understanding Pronunciation using relevant, known words.

When a learner knows the Two Vowel Rule, i.e. When two vowels go out walking, the first one usually does the talking, understanding why bit and beat are pronounced differently becomes meaningful.

Moreover, when one also learns that closed syllables usually have a short vowel, and that e-ending words usually have a long owel, one also understands why bit says what it says and why it is different from bite.

Knowing about bit assists in pronouncing other related words, e.g. hit, fit, kit, lit, sit, wit, flit, split, etc. just as knowing about bite helps one to know how to pronounce words such as cite, kite, rite, skite, spite, write, respite, invite’ etc.

(3) Knowing how to ask questions.

(a) The direct question is directly aimed at an individual learner, e.g. Maria, How many syllables does your given name have?
(b) The indirect question is used in a group situation and is posed as a general question, e.g. Who can find something in this room that rhymes with ‘door’?
(c) The specific or closed question, e.g. Which word in this list is odd - chip, church, chef, change?
(d) The open question, e.g. How many words can you think of that begin with “war”?
(e) The attitude or explanatory question, e.g. Why do you think some people can’t spell well?
(f) The reflective or revisiting question, e.g. So why did you choose to use that word in that sentence?

Twenty Characteristics of Teaching Excellence

• Appropriate
• Beneficial
• Challenging
• Educational
• Enjoyable
• Fun
• Interesting
• Learner-centered
• Meaningful
• Motivating
• Personal
•Planned
•Positive
• Progressive
• Purposeful
• Responsive
• Rewarding
• Sequential
• Strategic
• Varied

(The author Keith W. Wright is a former politician, an educator and the director of the Australian International Language Academy. E-mail questions to Outreach Publications at contact@4sliteracy.com or youth@mb.com.ph).