Observation, simulation and practice

We can learn by observing others, so by observing advisers giving advice, either live or in the form of films, with an analysis grid here too, what we observe in the work of an adviser that we see working. So we can actually observe the way he manages the interaction, the way he explains things, does he explain a lot of methodology, does he explain a lot of things about the language in question, does he listen to the learner, does he answer the learner’s questions, did he get carried away, how did he manage the whole thing, does he take notes to help himself? So you can observe a discussion in terms of its content, see what happened, what the advice was actually about, you can also look at it from the angle of the interpersonal relationship that was established, because that’s another thing you have to learn to do. You can also do simulations, i.e. put yourself in a fictitious situation but on a real basis. Your learner asks you tatata, what do you answer ? Alors on peut le faire sous forme d’études de cas, simplement on cherche à mobiliser les connaissance dont on a besoin : je lui répondrais telle chose, telle chose, et puis on peut le faire avec quelqu’un d’autre, en simulation cette fois-ci et donc avec un apprenant fictif mais qui joue le jeu « je suis apprenant, j’ai tel problème, je pose des questions, je suis un peu retord ou je sympa etcetera » donc on peut se préparer en jouant des situations les plus réalistes possibles et puis après il faut se lancer et se filmer et s’observer. Then you can do it with someone else, in simulation this time, so with a fictitious learner who plays the game ‘I’m a learner, I have such and such a problem, I ask questions, I’m a bit tricky or I’m nice and so on’, so you can prepare by playing out situations that are as realistic as possible and then you have to get out there and film yourself and observe yourself.