Idea — Schema theory (Bartlett) holds that we interpret new information through existing mental frameworks. A learner with rich background knowledge outperforms one with more vocabulary but no schema. Example — Cricket fans decode a…
Idea — Scanning means moving quickly over a text to locate specific information — a date, a name, a price — without reading everything. It is purposeful speed, not careless reading. Example — Finding a…
Idea — A gist task asks one broad question answered by the whole text. Its purpose is to give listening a reason before the detail work begins — not to test memory. Example — “What…
Idea — Bottom-up processing starts with the signal — letters, phonemes, words — and builds up to meaning. It is essential when context is unclear or vocabulary is unknown. Example — Learners decoding a medical…
Idea — Top-down processing means using background knowledge, context, and expectation to interpret a text before analysing individual words. The brain predicts before it decodes. Example — When you see a menu, you already know…
Idea — Receptive skills — listening and reading — involve taking language in, not producing it. Learners receive far more than they produce, so these skills build the base for everything else. Example — A…
Idea — Immediate error correction interrupts fluency and can inhibit risk-taking. Delayed correction collects errors during the task and addresses them after. Match the type to the aim. Example — Accuracy task: correct immediately. Fluency…
Idea — Standardised tests measure all learners against the same benchmark. In mixed-ability classes, progress-based assessment — measuring individual gain — is more motivating and more honest. Example — A learner who moves from A1…
Idea — Pair stronger learners with weaker ones for production tasks; pair same-level learners for accuracy tasks. The goal determines the grouping, not class convention. Example — Accuracy drill: pair by level so feedback is…
Idea — Receptive input feeds productive output. Learners cannot speak or write language they have never encountered in listening or reading. Plan a reading-to-speaking or listening-to-writing bridge. Example — Learners read three opinions on a…