Teaching Reading

(The Language Experience Approach)

Workshop ran by: Janice Lefebure.

prepared by
Mohammed Mokhlis
Biare Abderrahim

The Language Experience Approach (LEA) is an approach that enhances the students' language skills, namely reading and writing skills, through their experiential knowledge. Before the students could embark on reading or writing, they have to explore the theme under study orally, using the materials at their disposal to back up their pre-requisite knowledge.

Students then work in teams to share their personal experiences and benefit from one another's language proficiency. This stimulates them to participate fully in the development of the selected theme, as every student comes to the classroom with their own different experiences to share with their peers.

Language Experience Approach encompasses the following activities:

• Prompting students to elicit information instead of presenting it to them.
• Reaching a consensus regarding the selection of a topic that better suits the students' linguistic competences, age and needs. (eg. Taking thematic photographs and elaborating on them to extend the topic)
• Planning and preparing for the activity.
• Acting and creating the relevant reading materials.
• Sampling: i.e.taking samples of the students' errors and using them to remedy, recycle or reinforce their linguistic and communicative competencies.

While dealing with the Language Experience Approach, the instructor should plan the setting arrangement according to the students' level of performance. Hetrogeneous classes, therefore, would require a heterogeneous setting which is likely to provide a secure environment for the slow learners and assist them in coping with their learning situations in an anxiety-free atmosphere.

The rational behind the LEA approach is to enhance the spirit of team work and also make students responsible for their learning.The other flip side of the issue is to encourage students explore the world around them being able to take risks while learning.What's more, the ELA is likely to lower the students' monitor as regards their communicative performnace.

Experiential learning, therefore, is of paramount importance since it paves the path for effective learning strategies and develops the sense of cooperation in the learner. The role of the instructor in this arena is no more the conventional predominant one, but a constructive motivating role in the long run.