Learning process 3

Step 5:Practice is the time and effort you invest in the learning process.

You must practice the skills, the recall of information, and perform the tasks required. Once again, success is up to you. You can simply go to class, sit passively, and listen. Or you can become actively involved in your learning, by seriously devoting yourself to learning.

In the case of learning to read and write formal English, you must read, read, read!

There is no substitute for this practice. In my classes, I always require all of my students to be reading on their own, that is, to read in addition to any school assignments. They read books, short stories, magazines, and newspapers. I encourage them to 'own' the new words they encounter (find, meet) while practicing.

One way to do this is to write down the definition, look up a synonym and write a sentence that helps you remember what the word means and how it is used. Or use the sample sentence from the dictionary. Consider keeping an English word journal where you record all the new words you are learning.

Learned about Jack London: he hung up little pieces of paper with new words to learn. Try it!

Step 6: Demonstrating what you have learned (the proof that you have learned) is the final step.

As discussed above, this often takes the form of a test. At the college level, a test could be a multiple-choice exam, an in class essay, a take home exam question, or a research paper or project.

Once again, if we summarize these steps, we have:

Step 1: Motivation.
Step 2: Understanding of the terms
Step 3: Understand the whole and the parts
Step 4: Asking questions
Step 5: Practice: Time & Effort
Step 6: Demonstration (or proof)

You will notice that the steps in the learning process are almost identical to the steps in the teaching process. These processes could be thought of as mirror images of each other.