It usually takes most language learners weeks, if not months, to make changes about how they learn English. But the group of older teens who I've been working with this week has been a pleasant surprise.
We're on Day 3 of a language 'immersion' week. I still remember being slightly baffled by how some weaker students in this 'B1' group turned out to be more like A1/A2 in their listening/reading comprehension and spoken production. (Their initial production was merely short simple sentences.) There must be some kind of mental block, I think, and I was trying to figure it out as our first lesson went on. Halfway through the lesson, it became clear to me that most of them don't use English at all in their everyday life. Their exposure to this language outside the classroom is next to none, and a few were even too embarrassed to speak in English for fear of sounding ridiculous. I also noticed that all of them almost always used word-for-word translation, and I could easily see the students working things out aloud.
Towards the end of that lesson, we sat down and spent 5 minutes trying to understand why they found English challenging. I also provided my 'diagnosis': 1) blanket use of word-for-word translation; 2) false assumption of a 100% regular connection between sound and spelling (which I picked up on when monitoring a brainstorming/listing activity); 3) learning the meaning of new words out of context.
Fast forward to Day 3, it was rewarding to see one of them making the effort - taking notes conscientiously, asking questions, seeking help from his classmates, and applying his newly equipped study skills to language learning. After all, it was his change of attitude that mattered most to teaching and learning. It feels as though another person has been rescued from the abyss!