Week 6

What language teaching is

There are three situations for new language instructors. They are graduate students who have extensive knowledge of language, literature, and culture, but are not trained as language teachers.

The older model, which is the teacher-centered model, views the teacher as active and the student as fundamentally passive. Wherein the teacher is responsible for transmitting all of the information and the students listen and absorb. In this model, it is important that the students be taught that the subjects makes sense, well presented and have it applied with related exercises.

The newer model is the Language learning which is a process of discovery. Learner develops ability to use the language for specific communication purposes. In this model, both student and teacher are active participants who share responsibility, for the student is learning. Instructor and students work together. The interaction between students and teacher leads to a dynamic classroom environment in which teaching and learning become rewarding and enjoyable.

This topic also pointed out the differences between the two models of teaching. Language instructors who have never experienced learner-centered instruction can find it intimidating in several ways such as that it requires more preparation time, it is mysterious, it feels like it isn’t going to work, it feels chaotic and it sounds like a bad idea.

This final point is an important one. In fact, in an effective learner-centered classroom, the instructor has planned the content of all activities, has set time limits on them, and has set them in the context of instructor-modeled language use. The instructor is not the center of attention, but is still in control of students’ learning activities.

To move from the teacher-centered model to the learner-centered one, new language instructors need to think about what they do and how and why they do it. Every instructor starts with an initial theory of language teaching and learning based on personal experiences as a language learner. In reflective practice, the teacher applies this theory in classroom practice, observes and reflects on the results, and adapts the theory. The theory provides a unifying rationale for the activities that the instructor uses in the classroom classroom observation and reflection enable the instructor to refine the theory and adjust teaching practice. Concepts that the teacher acquires through reading and professional development activities are absorbed into the theory and tested in the reflective practice cycle. In this cycle, practice and reflection continues throughout a teacher’s career, as the teacher evaluates new experiences and tests new or adapted theories against them.

Every instructor has his way of teaching because it is a mixture of methods and experience. Classroom scrutiny and indication allow the instructor to process the assumption and adjust teaching performance. Notions that the teacher gets through reading and proficient development activities are immersed into the theory and experienced in the reflective practice sequence.

Functions of a teaching portfolio are to permit a teacher to follow personal development: to register teaching performance for showing review, to exemplify teaching advance for possible employers, the best way to have a successful teaching experience in any branch, but especially in language is to be prepared. Some aspects to consider getting ready are the following: content, method, students, plan, orientation, relationships, expectation, and guidance. Any teaching experience can be rewarding as long as you use the right tools, common sense and some amount of perseverance.