LETTERS – One quote by Ignacio Estrada “if a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” This quote suggests that it is the responsibility of teachers to meet the special needs of the learners.
Teachers are urged to shift their thinking about instruction delivery and the role they play as teachers.
Enter brewed learning: a strategy used in the language classroom to teach 21st-century learners via the coffee brewing analogy.
Some individuals believe that their day does not start until they have their first cup of coffee. The same analogy is used when preparing lessons for students with various needs and interests.
This finding emerged from a study that involved a group of first-semester university students learning English as a second language through a blended approach.
There are six success factors in teaching English to that group of learners which is learners, lecturers, peers, family, environment and institution. Researchers came up with this concept through the analogy of coffee brewing.
Teacher as a barista. In brewed learning, teachers play the role of a barista, and customises lessons to meet the demands of learners by creatively designing the lessons in and outside the classroom.
Learners as coffee drinkers. Different learners have different needs and preferences.
Similar to the coffee drinkers who have their preferred types of coffee like cappuccino, americano, espresso, macchiato, mocha and latte. In language learning, the types of learners are also different like auditory, visual, reading or writing and kinesthetics.
Different learners require different needs. The different types of coffee require different ingredients to be prepared. A one-size-fits-all approach is likely to be ineffective.
In brewed learning, the teacher is in charge of planning the lesson that best suits his learners. He is responsible to brew suitable lessons that cater to the needs of the classroom.
This could include the type of activity, the amount of time spent on it, follow-up activity, teaching materials selected by the teachers and the clarity with which the activity is explained to accommodate everyone that has different learning styles and preferences.
A perfectly brewed lesson may have the same positive impact on students’ lives as a perfect cup of coffee does on the drinkers. The learners’ engagement is increased by brewed learning.
Learning is more engaging when content is relevant and personalised according to the needs and nature of the learners.
Students’ motivation is increased because their needs are met. They become more motivated to learn more because of the activities offered in and outside of the classroom.
Their feelings are like those of coffee drinkers who are satisfied with a cup of their favourite coffee prepared by the barista exactly as requested. Perfect brew, meaningful learning!
Source: NEW STRAITS TIMES
