and evaluation. Learning is dependent upon the nature and will of the
learners. Learner centredness may be reflected by:
1 recognizing learners’ prior knowledge
2 recognizing learners’ needs, goals and wishes
3 recognizing learners’ learning styles and learning preferences
4 recognizing learners’ views of teaching and of the nature of classroom
tasks.
In learner-centred approaches, course design and teaching often become
negotiated processes, since needs, expectations, and student resources vary
with each group.
Learner-centred teaching is contrasted with teacher-centred teaching, i.e.
teaching in which primary decisions are carried out by the teacher based on
his/her priorities.
seeteacher-directed instructionlearner characteristics n
those characteristics specific to an individual learner and which influence
his or her learning, such as their age, past learning experience, learning
style, motivation.
learner corpora n
collections of texts produced by writers or speakers while they are learning
a language and which can be used in the study of interlanguage develop-
ment, language transfer, and learner errors. An example is the International
Corpus of Learner English.
learner diary n
also learner journal
in language teaching, a record prepared by a learner of a student’s learning
experiences and describing what activities they have done in class, the
progress they have made, and any problems they may have.
learner dictionary n
a dictionary intended for second language learners and in which the
words selected for inclusion are those likely to be most difficult or most
often encountered by learners and in which the definitions are written in an
accessible style, often using words found in a defining vocabulary.
learner profile n
a description of a student, including his or her abilities, needs, knowledge in
order to help determine what the learner’s needs are and to help plan the
most appropriate course or learning experience for him or her.
learner profile