TESL 0100: Unit 2 Reflection - Moving Beyond the "Plateau"

TESL 0100 Unit 2 Reflection: Moving Beyond the “Plateau”

                                                     (Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Old_Harry_rocks_cliff.jpg)

As unit two of this course comes to a close, I would like to take some time to reflect on Brown and Lee’s overview of teaching learners at the intermediate level. In this section of their book, “Teaching by Principles”, they describe how it is common for learners at this stage to feel that they have “…reached a plateau in their language learning and do not perceive that they are making further progress.” (Brown & Lee, 2015, p.146) This statement really resonated with me because I personally have experienced this very phenomenon.

 For the past ten years, I have been studying Japanese on and off and have come to a point in my abilities where I feel that I too have come to a plateau in my learning. I know enough Japanese to get by and communicate effectively, however, I still lack many skills to navigate the language with ease. From my personal experience, being at this stage feels like being in a “rut”, because as Brown and Lee mentioned, progress made at this stage may not easily be perceived. At times this can be discouraging, and it can chip away at my motivation to study harder. However, despite these feelings of doubt and despair, Brown and Lee show us that there is hope!

Brown and Lee emphasize that this is a critical stage for language learners, and that they must continue to believe in their eventual success (2015). If anything, this is a time for renewed motivation, a time to roll up one’s sleeves and keep at it. As I continued reading this section, I couldn’t help but put myself in the shoes of these intermediate learners, because the situations Brown and Lee discussed described my own learning situation. It is encouraging for me to know that there are many other language learners out there who feel the same way I do.

I think the key to successfully overcoming this learning plateau is to recognize that it exists in the first place. After all, how can you treat a problem if you can’t identify what it is? Setting goals and monitoring progress are two great ways to remind students that they are in fact growing in their language abilities, and that they are far from being stagnant. I know that is what I intend to do from here on out as I continue to study Japanese. I will set goals and check back to monitor my progress. That way if I have any doubts, my work will speak for itself.

When I move on to teach my own class of students, I hope that I can take my personal experiences in learning a second language and apply them to my teaching. I want to be able to encourage those students who feel that they have reached a learning plateau and tell them that their hard work is making a difference!

References

H. Brown, H. L. (2015). Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education, Inc. .