11/05/2022
The M.I.T.A* method (pronounced the mighty a method)
was born out from years of testing different strategies with our students to see what worked best.
I ran the numbers who knew we had our first student
some 12 + years ago!
What was clear was that conventional methods such
as learning by rote and cramming just simply didn’t work…
Just working hard didn’t work…
Many students had little to no comprehensive way of assessing their progress
outside of exams, tests or other teacher-based feedback.
This meant they would sometimes go weeks and even
months without having a clear focus wasting valuable time…
There was a disconnect with many students as to why they were studying
English - over and above the obvious which was they
had to and they needed English to gain entry to their
chosen course of further study...
There was a fundamental lack of understanding around
what the real-world benefits of mastering English really are for them…
Students for whom their home or first language was not
English seemed to be challenged in the area of communicating
the knowledge they clearly had to the examiner which would
cost them valuable marks. This was something I set about fixing…
The assessment of English isn’t just about English.
The assessments are testing your cultural, social and
linguist norms as it relates to the subject matter.
We hit on one of the core reasons why capable students
who are ESL speakers, come from so called working class
or so called minoritised communities were not hitting the
top grades at times even when putting in the work and
using tried and tested traditional methods of study…
Why isn’t this something our students are taught about?
We’d found the secret sauce…
It was like striking gold….
The M.I.TA* method was born….!
