Job Discussion Forums

[dmb]

[31]

You know that feeling you get when you are doing something tricky and it takes all of your ability to complete the (non tefl) task. You maybe on your own or with others. You know that you are winning and you are pushed to the limits. But you are really happy and this flow motivates you and you learn from doing the task and the flow lasts long after the task is finished.

The idea is that we create the conditions in the classroom so that the learners feel that flow and learn and are motivated to learn. Setting tasks that are just and only just above their level but where they are able to be successful should create flow.

As the flow book became popular at the same time that task based learning became popular in the TEFL literature it was hijacked by TBLists.

[dmb]

I think 31 might agree with this, there is very little astonishing new breakthroughs in EFL.Almost Everything is hijacked from somewhere else.

[31]

Yes, I agree. I would also add two more things:

The only important thing is when you put a group of learners and a teacher together and close the door-the outcome.

There is a writer on educational management who some management of ELT writers quote:
''you can`t mandate what matters.''

By this they mean that a DOS or owner can tell you when, where and what to teach but what matters, the learning, can't be dictated. The DOS or owner can`t force learning to take place or better learning with this book or this classroom or at this time.