One of the most important lessons from this course is that there is no single "best" teaching style. There is only the style that best fits the learners in front of us at that moment. Adapting our teaching style to learner needs is not about being less authentic; it is about being more effective and more respectful.In my context in Naples, I teach groups of 12-15 adult learners at B1 level online. Even though they have the same level on paper, their needs are completely different. This is where adaptation becomes essential.1. Adapting to Different Learning Preferences and Profiles:In any group, we have different learner profiles. Some are visual learners who need to see the language. For them, I adapt by using color-coded slides for grammar, images for vocabulary, and Jamboard or Miro for mapping ideas. Others are auditory learners who need to hear it; for them I use drilling, podcasts, and voice notes. And kinesthetic learners need to do something; for them I use drag-and-drop activities, breakout room role-plays, and total physical response even online.For example, when teaching the difference between present simple and present continuous, I no longer just explain the rule. I start with a visual timeline, then an audio story of my daily routine, then a quick "act it out" task in breakout rooms. The same content, presented in three different channels, reaches all learners.2. Adapting to Mixed Ability and Confidence Levels:This is the biggest challenge. In one class I have a student who lived in London for a year and a student who is studying English for the first time in 20 years. If I teach to the middle, I lose both.I have learned to adapt through differentiation. For the stronger student, I use extension tasks: while others are writing 5 sentences with new vocabulary, she is asked to add a reason or a contrast clause using because / although. For the weaker student, I use scaffolding: I provide sentence starters, a word bank, and more time in a supportive breakout room. Both are working on the same objective, but the path is different. This was a key concept from Module 2 that completely changed my lesson planning.I also adapt my feedback style. For anxious learners, I use private correction via chat to protect their confidence. For confident learners, I use direct, on-the-spot correction to push their accuracy.3. Adapting to Motivation and Learner Goals:Not all learners want the same thing. Some need English for work and want formal, accurate language. Others need it for travel and want fluency and colloquial expressions. Before a course starts, I now send a simple needs analysis: "Why are you learning English? What situation do you want to feel confident in?"If a student says "I need English for job interviews," I will adapt my vocabulary lesson on "strengths and weaknesses" to include interview language, rather than generic adjectives. This personalization makes the language immediately useful, which is the strongest motivator.In conclusion, adapting our teaching style is the practical application of learner-centredness. It requires us to shift from asking "What am I going to teach today?" to "Who are my learners today and what do they need to succeed?" It is more demanding to plan, but it is the difference between a lesson that is simply delivered and a lesson that is truly learned.
One of the biggest shifts in my teaching since starting the CERTEFL course has been understanding this simple truth: if my learners are not learning, it is not because they are not trying, it is because my teaching style is not matching their needs. For years I had one style - I explained grammar on the board and then gave exercises. It worked for some students, but it left many others behind. Adapting teaching styles is not about being a different teacher every day; it is about being a flexible teacher.In my current teaching context, I teach 14 adult learners at B1 level online, and even with the same level, the differences are enormous. I have learned to adapt in three main areas.1. Adapting to Different Levels of Autonomy and ConfidenceSome of my learners are very autonomous. They like to discover the rule by themselves. For them, a deductive style where I give the rule first is actually demotivating. They prefer an inductive approach. For example, when teaching second conditional, I show them a context: "If I won the lottery, I would travel for a year." Then I ask them guided questions to discover the form. They feel involved.Other learners are the opposite. They feel insecure if they don't have a clear rule first. For them, I adapt by providing a clear, structured grammar slide before the practice, with the form highlighted. Same lesson, two different entry points. I also adapt my monitoring style. For confident students I let them struggle a bit longer before helping, to build fluency. For anxious students, I join their breakout room earlier and offer sentence starters like "In my case, if I..." so they can start speaking without fear.2. Adapting to Sensory and Cognitive NeedsNot everyone processes language in the same way. This was a key concept in Module 2. I used to think that if a student didn't understand my verbal explanation, I just needed to repeat it louder. Now I know I need to repeat it differently.For visual learners, I now always support my verbal instructions with a visual. If I say "Work in pairs and compare your answers," I also share a slide with icons of two people talking and the text of the task. I use colours consistently: blue for target grammar, red for common errors. For auditory learners, I include short audio clips, drilling, and I record a 1-minute voice note summary after class that they can listen to again. For learners who need more time to process - including students with dyslexia or ADHD - I adapt by sending materials before the lesson, not during. This way they can preview vocabulary and feel less overwhelmed. This inclusive adaptation benefits everyone, not just those with specific needs.3. Adapting to Learner Goals and Learning StylesFinally, I adapt my style to their reason for learning. I have a simple questionnaire at the start of the course. Two students might both need "past tenses," but one needs it for storytelling and fluency, the other needs it for writing accurate work emails.For the first student, my style becomes more communicative and fluency-focused. I will use Task-Based Learning: "Tell us about a holiday that went wrong," and I will not correct every mistake during the story. For the second student, my style becomes more accuracy-focused. I will use a guided writing task and provide more explicit form-focused feedback afterwards.I also adapt between being a "sage on the stage" and a "guide on the side." In a presentation stage, I need to be more directive and clear. In a freer production stage, I need to step back completely and let them lead the conversation. Knowing when to lead and when to step back is, for me, the essence of adapting.In conclusion, adapting teaching styles is the heart of learner-centred teaching. It is not about having 14 different lesson plans for 14 students. It is about having one flexible lesson plan with different channels, different levels of support, and different interaction patterns. When we adapt our style, we send a powerful message to our learners: "I see you, and this lesson was designed for you." And when learners feel seen, they engage, and when they engage, they learn.
Teaching online to a mixed group of 14 B1 adults in Naples has taught me that there is no such thing as an "average learner." In my class I have a 22-year-old university student who learns very fast, a 55-year-old professional who is less confident with technology, a learner with dyslexia, and a learner who is very shy and never turns on her camera. If I teach in only one style, I am only reaching 3 or 4 of them.In Module 2 and Module 3, I learned that adapting my teaching style is not about creating 14 different lesson plans. It is about building flexibility and choice into the same lesson.Here is how I now adapt my teaching in three key areas:1. Adapting Input: Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic LearnersI used to teach in only my own preferred style, which is very auditory - I love to explain. I realized many of my students were lost.Now, for every new language point I try to present it in three ways:Visual: For vocabulary, I don't just give the translation. I show a photo, a mind-map, or a colour-coded sentence. For my learner with dyslexia, I use a dyslexia-friendly font and beige background on my slides, and I always send vocabulary with a picture, not just text.Auditory: I still explain, but I also play a short audio or video example. I use text-to-speech tools so they can hear the pronunciation many times.Kinesthetic / Interactive: Especially important online. I don't want them just sitting. For grammar, I use drag-and-drop activities on Wordwall, or I ask them to physically stand up and bring an object for a scavenger hunt. Moving helps my learners with attention difficulties to stay focused.2. Adapting Process and Pace: Support and ChallengeThis was my biggest problem: fast finishers get bored and slow finishers feel stressed. I learned two strategies that changed my classroom:Tiered Tasks - Same Aim, Different Support:
For a reading task, everyone reads the same article about work-life balance. But:Group A (needs more support): gets the text with 5 key words glossed in Italian/English, and questions that are multiple choice.Group B (core): gets the standard comprehension questions.Group C (fast finishers): gets the standard questions PLUS a critical thinking question: "Do you agree with the author? Why?" and they become "group experts" who help others in breakout rooms.This way, no one feels they are doing "easier" work, they are doing the same work with different scaffolding.Choice in Output:
For speaking tasks, I learned to offer choice to respect different personalities. For example, for a final task to "describe your ideal work routine," students could choose:
Option 1: Record a 1-minute video on Flip.
Option 2: Write a short paragraph.
Option 3: Present live to a small group. My shy student who never speaks now always chooses Option 1, and her English is excellent when she is not under pressure. This taught me that adapting is also about respecting affective needs, not just language level.3. Adapting My Role: From Lecturer to FacilitatorMy biggest adaptation has been my own teaching style. Before, I was a Lecturer. I talked 70% of the time. I answered every question immediately. This helped confident learners but made less confident learners passive.Now I consciously switch roles:As a Facilitator during breakout rooms, I turn off my microphone, I observe, I take notes on good language and errors, and I only intervene if a group is completely stuck. This forces them to help each other.As a Coach for learners with specific needs, I don't correct my dyslexic student in front of the whole class. I send him a private message with a voice note and written correction. I also give him extra processing time by sending him the reading text 10 minutes before the lesson starts.As a Model for pronunciation, I exaggerate my mouth movements and use gestures, which helps visual learners.In conclusion, I learned that adapting teaching styles is not about labeling students as "visual learner" and then only giving them pictures. That is too simplistic. It is about applying the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL): offer multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression in every lesson, so that every learner can find a way in.My goal for the future is to plan every lesson by asking one question: "Where is the choice in this lesson?" If there is no choice in how to access the material or how to show learning, then the lesson is not yet inclusive.
