| ´´Performance-based learning´´ for teaching one-to-one classes: How to improve communication performance and increase learners´motivation by Cleve Miller |  |  |
Performance-based learning (also referred to as “just-in-time” learning) can be demanding of teachers, requiring a wide range of skills, as well as speed, flexibility, and often industry knowledge. But, this investment of time and energy can yield enormous benefits for Business English professionals, delivering high perceived value to students and training departments, which in turn results in differentiation, stronger customer relationships, and solid fees. Let’s see how.
What is performance-based learning?In a way, performance-based learning is something that we have all been doing for a long time, often informally, and especially with one-to-one classes. In a nutshell, when we say “I’m helping her get ready for a presentation”, it means we’re undertaking performance-based learning: we are using one of our learner’s workplace communication events to define what, when and how we teach. This event might fall into the category of one of the classic skills, such as a key negotiation or a critical meeting, or a new channel our learners use for workplace communication, such as social media or virtual meetings. And because we’re preparing for the specific event only in the weeks or days leading up to it, also called just-in-time learning. Usually, after our learner’s presentation, we go back to our “regular” course. These are not just-in-time, but rather “just-in-case”, because our courses are usually based on either a curriculum and/or on previously identified needs, and do not follow the event-driven approach of performance-based learning.
| Course design | Selection of outcomes | Material and process |
| Curriculum-based | predicts generic performance goals | Work through a coursebook |
| Needs-based | identifies categories of performance goals | Select from range of resources, based on preliminary needs analysis |
| Performance-based | responds to specific performance events | Define specific performance events. Language needs for the event define materials, methods |
Implementing performance-based learning / FOUR STAGES:
As we saw before, the key concept in performance-based learning is that of the performance event. It’s the selection by learners of a specific, upcoming communicative performance in the target language that merits sustained efforts to optimize the results of that event. Implementation may follow a wide range of options, but this basic framework can help guide the process.
Stage 1: Select the performance event
This event might be a presentation, a negotiation, a meeting, a business dinner, or a business trip that involves all of these. The selection of the event is driven by the learner, with teacher support and guidance (occasionally other stakeholders, such as HR or a line manager, may be involved). The event should be selected well in advance.
Learners who have less workplace contact with English could select a lower-stake event, such as a specific conference call or writing an email. Learners who do not yet have contact with English may choose a likely event, such as a job interview.
Stage 2: Define the key messages
Once the event is selected, the learner works through the key messages that need to be delivered to the audience in the event. For a sales presentation, these may be the specific product features or customer benefits. For a business dinner, it might be a personal story or anecdote. With teacher coaching, the learner models the language to be used, and the teacher records the structures, functions, lexis or other linguistic elements needed for optimal delivery of the message. These elements become objectives, and make up the “syllabus” for the teaching carried out up to the event itself, and should be documented.
Note: these objectives are not usually the stock functional phrases of many business skills courses (e.g. “I’ve divided up my presentation as follows...”). Metalanguage is not message.
Stage 3: Resource and teach
Next, we select content, from coursebooks, workbooks, supplementary material, or our own materials bank, that will support the objectives in the syllabus. But most material will come from the learner, who will deliver a specific message, with specific language, and this is obviously the most relevant and engaging material available to us. Using a flexible PPP framework, these resources are used for presentation and practice, with production focused on event rehearsal. As we move closer to the event, we can allow production to assume a larger role, de-prioritized accuracy, and prioritize fluency and confidence.
Stage 4: Post-performance reflection
After the event, the following session or two should consist of a detailed review of the documented syllabus, with a reflective narrative by the learner on how well the linguistic objectives were achieved in the actual performance itself. This serves as invaluable input for selection of the syllabus for the following performance event of a continuous cycle.
Benefits of performance-based learning
Performance-based learning can result in a wide range of benefits, for all stakeholders.
Pedagogically, learners have increased engagement and motivation. They are not stopping work and “going to English class”, but rather preparing for a key business challenge. Form-focused drills become relevant when contextualized within real life, and learners perceive immediate and tangible benefits to their language training.
Professionally, performance-based learning gives teachers and schools a powerful message for HR department sponsors: their training investment is directly focused on business results for their company. Instead of generic coursebooks and artificial exercises, language training revolves around their business, delivering competitive advantage through improved communication performance.
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