In this post I am going to talk about building relationships

Just like my point in my previous post, this may seem a very obvious point and of course, building a strong relationship with your learners is essential.

However, I believe it is as essential to create a learning environment which allows your learners to build strong relationships with each other too.

You want your learners to look forward to coming to class and for this, I think they need to look forward to not just the French but being with their fellow learners.

For me the most successful way of doing this has been through pair and trio working. In face to face lessons, almost all the tasks are completed in pairs or trios and promote an ‘in it together’ feel. During my online classes, there is more individual working but I use the break-out rooms as much as possible to maintain this collaborative and supportive working.

Learning outside of the classroom

I’ve also taken the learning outside of the classroom which is a fantastic way for people to get to know one another and enjoy shared interests. We’ve been on cinema and theatre trips, had meals out, done cookery classes and as soon as we can, we are off to play Pétanque!

The more your learners bond the more powerful the learning experience is for everyone.

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