This session by Laura Jane McWilliams took place at the online Future of English Language Teaching Conference (FOELT), organised by Trinity College London and Regent’s University London. You can learn more about the annual event at trinitycollege.com/FOELT.
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Summary
Desirable difficulty is an approach resulting in better long-term learning, but which initially can lead to learner mistakes. As such, it offers both benefits and challenges in the classroom.
This presentation will introduce the concept of ‘desirable difficulty’ and explain the rationale behind choosing to adopt it. A parallel will be drawn to Krashen’s ‘i + 1’ comprehensible input theory, and the types of difficulties that are actually desirable will be explored.
The presenter will then demonstrate how desirable difficulty applies not only to the language being introduced but also to task design and classroom management techniques as well. A variety of simple and practical techniques will be demonstrated that participants can take away and implement quickly in their own practice.
Classroom culture around mistakes will also be explored, including how teachers can use positive language to change how learners feel about mistakes and encourage them to take more risks with their language usage. Methods to take mistakes from failures to learning opportunities will be showcased as well.
Participants will benefit from this session in feeling more confident and creative in task design that includes a higher level of challenge, and able to support their learners for long-term success.
About the presenter
Laura McWilliams is coordinator of IATEFL’s Young Learners & Teenagers SIG, promoting teacher development world-wide. She also works for a global ELT organisation Head of Young Learners for Egypt, Sudan and Jordan. She is a TYLEC and DELTA local tutor, and an experienced conference presenter, and her classroom interests involve the use of drama, extensive reading, and 21st century skills.