Second edition

TKT practice task 13 (See page 245 for answers)
For questions 1-5, took at the learners’ characteristics and the three possible activities listed A, В and C.
Choose the activity (A, В or C) which matches the characteristic. ¹


1 These learners are mainly kinaesthetic.
A The learners in groups tell a story based on a series of pictures they look at.
В The learners go round the class reading posters made by the other groups.
C The learners listen to a recording about an athlete and fill in a table.

2. 
   These learners have a short attention span.
   

A The learners spend the lesson doing lots of different choral drills.
В The learners spend the lesson reading an article on the computer about a favourite topic.
C The learners read a story, then discuss it, then draw pictures describing it.

2. 
   These learners have not yet developed their abstract thinking skills.
   

A The learners read a story, then underline ail the verbs ending in ~ed.
В The learners watch a DVD about healthy eating then discuss their opinions of it.
C The learners describe their house to one another.

2. 
   These learners don’t like taking risks.
   

A The learners write stories, practise reading first silently then aloud, and then tell them to their partners.
В The learners look at pictures of a story and then tell their partner their story.
C The learners each make up a story then tell it to their partner.

2. 
   These learners are age 7-8.
   

A The learners explain the difference between guessing and deducing meaning.
В The learners give one another their homework for proofreading.
C The learners use pictures to talk about their favourite sport.


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LEARNER NEEDS
Kind of needs	Reason for needs
Personal needs e.g. security, challenge, support, praise, movement, goals, learning expectations, other psychological or physical needs	age gender cultural background interests educational background motivation personality
Learning needs e.g. specific ways of learning, specific target language, specific language subskills, exam strategies, learner autonomy, working at a suitable level	learning styles past language learning experience learning gap (gap between the learner’s present level and the target level of language proficiency) learning goals and expectations for the course level of skill and knowledge availability of time exams
(Future) professional needs e.g. specific subskills, specific vocabulary and grammar, specific functions, specific text types	professional language requirements for employment, training or education

(based on 'What do teachers really want from coursebooks?' by Hitomi Masuhara in Materials Development in Language Teaching, eel. Brian Tomlinson, Cambridge University Press 1998)


Learners' needs can affect many things related to their learning, e.g. which methods or approaches they like the teacher to use, what topics interest them, what language and skills they need to focus on, what materials they prefer, etc. To meet learners' needs, schools often provide different kinds of courses, e.g. activity-based courses for younger learners, medical English for doctors, study skills courses for learners wishing to go to an English -medium {where all subjects are taught in English) school or university,