The Loop Input Technique
Transforming Teacher Training from Theory to Classroom Practice
(Leia este post em português)
Teacher training often revolves around theoretical explanations of methods and approaches. We read about them, discuss their benefits, and maybe even watch demonstrations. But how often do we, as teachers, truly experience these methods ourselves?
This gap between theory and practice is what the Loop Input technique, introduced by Tessa Woodward in the 1980s, aims to bridge. By immersing teachers in the very methods they’re learning about, Loop Input transforms passive understanding into firsthand experience.
The Origins of Loop Input
Loop Input was conceptualized by Tessa Woodward, a respected figure in teacher education, as a way to address the limitations of traditional teacher training. In her 1986 article published in The Teacher Trainer, she explained that the approach integrates content and process, making the learning experience itself a model of the technique being taught.
For example:
If the focus of the session is Task-Based Learning, participants complete a task first, as learners, before analyzing the process.
If exploring the Audiolingual Method, the trainer uses drills and repetition, so participants feel the learner experience.
Woodward’s innovation was based on the idea that teachers who can experience a method firsthand are better equipped to apply it effectively in their classrooms.
How Does Loop Input Work?
Loop Input creates a feedback loop where:
Teachers learn through the method they’re studying.
Teachers reflect on their experience, considering what worked, what didn’t, and how it applies to their own teaching.
This dual-layered learning process makes the technique highly effective. For instance:
In a session on Project-Based Learning, participants might collaborate to design a project, experiencing both the challenges and benefits firsthand.
In a session on the Silent Way, teachers might solve a problem with minimal guidance, understanding how learners develop autonomy.
By placing teachers inside the learning process, Loop Input goes beyond theoretical understanding. It allows for empathy, insight, and practical application.
Why Does Loop Input Work?
It Enhances Understanding
Experiencing a method as a learner gives teachers a deeper appreciation of its strengths and limitations.It Fosters Empathy
Teachers who experience methods firsthand can better anticipate and address student challenges.It Bridges Theory and Practice
Loop Input makes theoretical knowledge tangible, ensuring that teachers leave sessions with practical tools, not just ideas.
“The advantages of loop input are that it is multi-sensory […] with the added advantage of involving self-descriptivity and recursion. […] Some participants thus learn more deeply as a result of this reverberation between process and content.” (Woodward, 2003: 303)
Loop Input in Action: What to Expect from Our Course
In the ELT Methods & Approaches course, which will be offered together with trainers Hellen Haga and Sergio Pantoja, we’ve designed sessions to ensure that you:
Experience ELT methods firsthand: From the Grammar-Translation to Dogme, you’ll feel what it’s like to learn through these approaches.
Reflect on your experience: We’ll analyze what works, what doesn’t, and how these methods can be adapted to your own teaching context.
Leave with practical tools: Every session is packed with techniques and activities you can implement immediately.
This isn’t a lecture. It’s interactive, immersive teacher training that models the very methods we’ll explore. This is why it cannot be recorded for you to watch later. You need to be there.
If you’re ready to move beyond traditional teacher training and embrace a hands-on, transformative approach, I’d love to see you there. Together, we’ll turn theory into practice—and practice into better teaching.
Sign Up Now!
The Methods & Approaches course begins this Saturday, Jan 25th, 2025, and goes on for 7 (seven) sessions.
Register here: www.gabrielafroes.com
You can learn a bit more about the technique here:
References
Woodward, T. (1991). Models and metaphors in language teacher training: Loop input and other strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Woodward, T. (2003). Loop input. ELT Journal, 57(3), 301–304.