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Over the last few years,?I have been reflecting on and developing an approach within my own young learners¡¯ classroom that I call the horizontal syllabus. This is a way to design a unit of study and it is aligned with what we know about how students learn. We know that students require spaced repetition and they need to progress from easier, manageable tasks towards more demanding, independent ones. First, spaced repetition is a memory technique that involves reviewing and recalling information at spaced intervals until learned.?My Disney Stars and Heroes?does this by recycling language throughout its units but horizontal syllabus design can add to this by reviewing vocabulary and phrases every lesson. In essence, it means we don¡¯t move from one page to the next (a vertical syllabus), but rather we revisit and build upon each page as we go through the unit.

In this blog, I will focus on the input stage of this, which I call extended input. It comprises of conveying meaning, segmentation, elocution, checking pronunciation and critical engagement with the vocabulary.

For my upcoming webinar (August 24th), and in a further two blogs, I will also look at output and assessment and how to put it all together in a horizontal syllabus for a specific unit of My Disney Stars and Heroes. Let¡¯s look at the stages of extended input.

We love sharing stories of English learners and educators whose lives have been positively transformed by the language. One such inspiring story comes from Rodrigo Tadeu in S?o Paulo, Brazil. Discover why he holds a special appreciation for mastering English.

Motivations for learning English?

Rodrigo grew up speaking Portuguese in South America. As a child, he never thought about learning another language. However, when he became an adult?and began aspiring to a career, he realized that expanding his language abilities would help him achieve these dreams.

"I worked as an accountant for an American company," he said. "So, to communicate and achieve professional success, I had to learn English!"

Rodrigo has changed jobs since then. And even though he¡¯s no longer required to speak English with his new company, he still feels a responsibility to himself to continue his education.

The road to English fluency

There are many tools that you can use to improve your English language skills, and Rodrigo used several ¨C some he¡¯s still using to this day. First, he started learning English formally by taking classes in high school. However, his shy disposition made it difficult for him to practice because he was afraid of failing in front of others. At the time, he didn't have?career goals motivating him to learn the language either.

Later, however, our adventurous accountant decided to learn English in earnest, so he traveled to Canada to study and become a?confident speaker. When he returned to Brazil, he kept studying and continues to do so. Reading books and articles, listening to podcasts and copying other English speakers have also helped develop his conversational skills. Among his favorite podcasts are "English as a Second Language" and "Freakonomics".

English learning is not without challenges

Rodrigo noted that he struggles with pronunciation most.?¡°The way English speakers say words is very different than the way you would say something in Portuguese.¡±

He thinks the issue is the same for Spanish speakers as well.?"In Portuguese or Spanish, if you know the words,?you can basically speak exactly what you read. In English, it's totally different. You cannot speak the words that you are reading. So you have to know about this!"

This might be the most challenging part of learning the language for Rodrigo, but he assured us that he¡¯s not giving up.

English for enjoyment

Rodrigo may have initially studied English as a way to progress his career, but the language quickly became something he enjoyed.?And instead of being content with the skill that he has now, Rodrigo dreams of continuing his English-speaking education so he can travel and further enjoy his life.

"These days, English has become fun!" he said. "Now it's better to watch movies and TV in English."

He also mentioned that he eventually would like to visit Europe. But when asked about his dream destination, Rodrigo said that:?¡°I¡¯d like to move back to Canada, maybe live in Vancouver for a year or two!¡±

Advice for English language learners

After working hard for years to learn English, Rodrigo now offers advice to fellow Brazilians (and others) who wish to speak another language:

"You have to be confident, and don¡¯t give up. You have to keep your dreams. It's difficult to ... speak one language that's not your mother language ... If you can imagine, you can achieve, and you can do. So 'don't give up' is the perfect phrase."

Educators need to meet the needs of all students, including those who are neurodivergent. Neurodivergence refers to variations in the human brain and cognition, including dyslexia, ADHD, and autism. Among these, dyslexia is one of the most common learning differences, affecting how individuals process written and spoken language. Although each student¡¯s needs are unique, there are several practical, research-backed strategies educators can employ to support and empower these learners.?

Let¡¯s look at some tips for teachers, which cover everything from font choice and classroom environment to presentation of information and assessment design. Although these are designed to support neurodivergent students, they will in fact help foster?a more inclusive, accessible, and positive learning experience for all learners.