Can do - Know how - Want to

With every skill, there are 3 important factors; 1) Can do, 2) Know how, 3) Want to


For any skill, a person must be physically capable of engaging in the skill we’re teaching them. If it is not physically possible at the specific moment of teaching, there’s no safe way for it to occur. I know how to do a backflip. I was in gymnastics as a little kid, the coach helped me do one (never was I independent, I think I quit), and I could describe the steps. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to do a backflip. I would LOVE to do a backflip, STILL! However, I am quite confident that, if I attempted a backflip right here and now, I would literally break my neck.


To know how to do something, for someone with verbal skills for example, one would be able to describe the step or engage in it upon request. If a person cannot explain the steps in some form, the question becomes more, “Have they done it (or something similar) ever before?” I am physically capable of speaking Italian; I speak English. And I really, really, really want to speak it! But I have no idea what to say in a conversation. However, I do have the ability to learn it because I can say words like, “Grazi!” and Civitavecchia.


Lastly, and I’ll be darned if this isn’t THE MOST important; there absolutely must be motivation. Could I attempt that backflip? Sure. Why? Because I would LOVE to do a backflip. But what motivates me more is avoiding a neck injury. So, no backflip. Running a mile, on the other hand, I absolutely can do. I also know how because I did it in middle school and came in close to last every time. Unfortunately, I have little to no desire to get up and move my body rapidly until my chest explodes. So, no running.

Without considering each of these aspects when holding a learner to a standard or expectation, we set ourselves up for failure. That’s not to say the standard or expectation is necessarily unrealistic. By carefully understanding what our learner is bringing to the table, we can create a much more enriching and meaningful experience, setting the foundation for skills to reach fluency.