Part IV: Cookie Cutter Language Learning – Putting a Name to the methodologies that TalktoCanada.com Uses

by Jillian Zavitz

Cookie Cutter and Language Learning should never be in the same sentence – actually scrap that – Cookie Cutter and ANY type of learning should not be in the same sentence – unless it is to describe what NOT to do.

The Cookie Cutter method – is basically that… putting people into a “program” that focuses on the cookie cutter rather than the student’s needs or personal goals.  This method can be applied to all types of learning – from sports to life skills – it may give the impression that it “works” but really? – does it?

As a mother of two small children – it would be tempting to use the cookie cutter method to teach them different life skills as they are growing up… but out of all honesty – even if I wanted to do that – it would be impossible.  Why? Because my children both have different ways to understand the same thing.  Food introduction, discipline – all of those fun parenting skills that a first time round parent usually does “by the book” because that is what is normal to do, fall into the cookie cutter method.  “Do this with your baby (and every baby for that matter) because all babies are the same.”  Well hold on a second… Are all babies the same?  Are all language learners the same?

Not likely… – I admit – in the past I have used the cookie cutter method – or perhaps I could call it the traditional textbook method of teaching languages.  The results were not so great.  It was boring for me, teaching vocabulary that was outdated, and that really in all honesty these students would never use in their entire life… EVER.

Trying to spice things up a bit or making the lessons more fun was difficult – because if someone is used to this cookie cutter – throwing in a free form without edges just makes them nervous, and feel like they aren’t accomplishing the “set goals” that someone else has outlined for them (ie: the textbook).

An example:  Having students join facebook – and a special group created for them to practice their English with native speakers from around the world.   Out of 25 students — maybe 5 joined — and out of those 5 that joined 2 engaged in some type of English discussion.  Not very successful… Some would say it is “easier” to follow a book – to follow someone else’s action plan and set goals — like spoon feeding a baby – it is “easier” to get babies to eat like that.  Or is it?  I spoon fed my first child and it definitely was the farthest thing from easy.  You can’t force someone to eat something – just as you cannot force someone to learn specifics of a language.   You can try all day long, but if the person doesn’t want to do it the cookie cutter way it will never work.

With my second child it was a whole different story – I tried something else – where she was in control of what she ate – and how much she ate, my goals had nothing to do with it (obviously I did have an overall goal of her eating some solids – but not a set amount at a set time).  The outcome was much more successful than when I spoon fed my first — albeit way messier — but 100% more successful.   And this can be applied to Language learning as well – you give your students options – and they go with it as far as they want… at their own pace, to their own liking, with the overall goal of learning the language — messier because you don’t have the structure — but 100% more successful.

I am not saying any of this out of second hand knowledge or as information from a book I read, but from being on the front lines and teaching for more years than I can count. Say for example – a student has trouble expressing themselves in different past tenses – ok – what would be a more beneficial for them to learn the the past tense?  Doing sentences in the past with random themes that may or may not relate to their real life or having them produce a picture (their own) and talking about that? I think we both know the answer, and we both can see which method produces the most accurate – and real life results.

I for one have gotten rid of all of the cookie-cutters in my life – from child rearing to teaching languages.  Who’s to say that a star has to have 5 points?  Who says language learning has to be from a book and who says you can’t teach outside the box?  Just because the majority of English training companies will use cookie cutter programs, doesn’t make it right or even successful for that matter.  Students generally want to spend as short a time as possible learning a language and TalktoCanada.com can definitely help students achieve that goal.