Spring 2024

EDU410 - Teaching of Literacy Skills

Assignment 1
Total Marks: 15
(Topics 1-78)

Question: 1
What are the challenges student face while learning a second language? Mention any ten
challenges. As a prospective teacher how will you overcome those challenges? (15 Marks)

Gaining a second language can be a quite enjoyable but at the same time a difficult project for
students. Here are ten common challenges they may face: Here are ten common challenges they
may face:

1. Grammar: The whole grasping and using of the intricate grammar rules can be
overwhelming, especially when they are so different from the language of the person's mother
tongue.

2. Vocabulary: One of the key difficulties in learning a large number of new terms and sayings
is that it demands continuous work and repetition.

3. Pronunciation: The perfect pronunciation of an unknown sound could be a tough job,

especially if that sound has no equivalent in the student's language.

4. Listening comprehension: The difficulty of the speech of native speakers, especially the
natural pace, can be perceived from the variations in the accent and the speed of speech.

5. Speaking fluency: It is not easy to form sentences fast and accurately at the same time in
real-time conversations and it is so that you become shy and not fluent in your conversations.

6. Reading comprehension: Accomplishing the task of reading and comprehending written

texts, which are usually filled with complicated vocabulary and grammatical structures, turns out
to be a challenging for language learners.

7. Writing skills: The art of conveying ideas clearly and grammatically in the written form
needs to be developed and language's norms should be known to use.

8. Cultural differences: The knowledge of the cultural particulars and the idioms of a nation is
as important as the ability to speak a language well for the good communication.

9. Motivation: The difficulty in keeping the interest and the motivation for a long time
especially during the period of slow progress or when the learner encounters setbacks is the issue
faced by language learners.
10. Fear of making mistakes: The fear of being embarrassed or failed can be the reason for
students not trying the language because of practicing and experimenting with it, thus, it can
affect their progress.

As a prospective teacher, several strategies can be employed to overcome these challenges:

1. Create a supportive environment: Make it possible for students to have a classroom

environment where they are free to take risks and make mistakes.

2. Use varied teaching methods: Different activities like games, role-plays, and multimedia
resources are to be added in the lesson which would help in different learning styles and students
would be engaged in the class.

3. Provide ample opportunities for practice: Promote the students to speak and write
frequently by assigning them to work in pairs, participate in group discussions, and write
assignments.

4. Offer constructive feedback: Let us give the students a complete comment on their language
use, pointing out the areas that need improvement while also praising their achievements.

5. Integrate cultural content: Besides the main points, cultural elements should be also
included in the lessons to boost students' understanding and appreciation of the language and the
cultural context.

6. Set realistic goals: Assess the language learning objectives and divide them into the small
parts, the students will still be motivated if they are succeeded in the small parts then achieve the
big goal.

7. Personalize learning: Classes should be made to suit students' interests and backgrounds so
that the material becomes more relatable and interesting for them.

8. Use technology effectively: The integration of language learning apps, online resources, and
interactive tools will not only enrich the classroom instruction but also provide further practice
opportunities for the students.

9. Encourage self-reflection: Instruct the students in the mode of considering their learning
process and the strategies that fit best for them.

10. Provide cultural immersion experiences: The students can be involved in different cultural
events, guest speakers, or field trips to socialize with the people who speak the language and its
culture outside the classroom.
Through the active and genuine tackling of these issues, future teachers can assist their students
in mastering a second language hence the need to explore and implement effective teaching
strategies to address these challenges.