Learner to learner (LTL) unit review a teaching strategy designed to improve competencies of Chilean pedagogy students majoring in teaching of english as a foreign language

Abstract

This is an exploratory study of a teaching strategy based on a task denominated “Learner-to-Learner (LTL) Unit Review” designed for a Pedagogy Major in “Teaching of English as a Foreign Language”, at Universidad Andres Bello, Viña del Mar, Chile. To carry out the task each English Language course is organized into groups. Each of them is assigned the review of a teaching unit. Therefore, at the end of each unit the learners assume the role of teachers and review unit contents for their classmates. The professor assumes the role of a more advanced student who serves only as support to the acting teachers. Theories sustaining similar teaching strategies, such as “Microteaching” and “Lernen durch Lehren” (LdL: German for “Learning by Teaching”) are discussed. Also, the concepts of meta-cognition in the reconstruction of information, and competence based teaching are analyzed to support the effectiveness of the task as a strategy to facilitate EFL learning. A survey was conducted during the experimental implementation of this strategy which has taken place within a two year period. As a result, the task has been perceived by teachers and learners themselves to have had positive outcomes in the improvement of their competencies, involving EFL learning, and development of teaching skills.