1.2

Online teacher training solutions for Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Module 1 The Roles of the Teacher and Learner, Approaches and Methods

1.2

What makes a good teacher?

Patience Sympathy and empathy for students: understanding the learners' goals, and the difficulties with learning and communicating in a foreign language Organization Punctuality Awareness of needs Flexibility and imagination Interesting lessons that provide a variety of topics and exercises Genuine interest in teaching and in your students Approachability Professionalism Good classroom management skills Knowledge of the topic and others Encouragement, and praise Confidence Open mind Cultural awareness Reflection on what works and what doesn't work and implementing change Encouragement of independence Preparation

TEFLOnline.com is brought to you by BridgeTEFL a division of Bridge Linguatec, Inc.

When you read this section and the following ones, take a few minutes to reflect on the questions in light of the previous information. Later in the module, you'll be asked to respond more fully. If you have questions, check the orange instructions box.

The Role of the Teacher Think about teachers whom you've had over your years as a student. Who was the best one? What were the qualities that set this individual apart from the others? Who was your worst teacher? Why did this individual fail to set an example you would want to emulate as a teacher. Can you think of some other terms to describe the good teacher and add to the list in section 1.2?

The Explainer or Lecturer Role Traditionally language classes were taught in lecture mode explaining the grammar and structure of the language. Today's language teacher, being far more knowledgeable in how people learn languages, knows that people learn by doing. Another problem with the lecture method is that it does not integrate verification of learning into the lesson. Communication is a one-way street.

The Counseling/Enabling Role The objective of this role is to make the learners independent of the teacher and practice self-learning. Teachers can show learners how to use self-access centers such as media labs, and encourage students that learning never stops. Teachers should encourage and teach active learning: always questioning, analyzing, and organizing the newly learned information. There is less control and overt organizing. Self-access centers in schools are an important part of this. Other in-class opportunities for "learning through doing" are communication through drama and simulation, practicing everyday situations, such as giving and receiving instructions/directions, and solving problems. This role is vital because individual students have individual needs and problems in learning; the teacher constantly reviews what is effective for the learner and enables the learner to take initiative in his/her own learning and to fill in the gaps that aren't being filled in a classroom setting.

The Organizational Role The teacher uses a variety of techniques and materials that help students learn actively. The teacher who adopts the organizer approach explains when it is needed, but doesn't rely solely on explanations; the teacher aims at getting the learners actively involved in using the language. The teacher is in control but seeks opportunities for the learners to practice and develop their language skills.

The Prepared Teacher Role Being prepared means more than having a lesson plan and materials. A prepared teacher

establishes a purpose for the lesson as a whole and for each activity; prepares all the materials, even cueing up the cassette tape; reviews all exercises;

anticipates possible problems in the lesson content; anticipates difficulties that the learner might have; plans solutions for those problems; decides the most clear and concise way of giving instructions; has a back-up plan if something prevents the smooth delivery of this lesson; and prepares homework assignments.

What do you think? 1. The problem with the teacher in the role of lecturer is that we can’t be sure if students are learning when the teacher is explaining. TRUE FALSE 2. Students should be independent of the teacher so they can actually use English outside of the classroom, not just in class. TRUE FALSE 3. Allowing students to take the initiative in their own learning in the ESL/EFL classroom is a goal of the teacher in the counseling/enabling role. TRUE FALSE

Score

100%

Mini-quizzes do not count toward your final grade.

Print

Most of the people in the world today speak two languages in their everyday lives! Over 500 million people speak English fluently as their second language! Over half of the world's business is conducted in English between nonnative speakers! Some languages among indigenous peoples and other smaller groups are considered "endangered" because of the growth of English as an international language. 80% of the world's scientists write in English! 75% of the world's mail is written in English! 80% of the Internet is conducted in English!

Your Future Role As a Teacher Think about the role you will play as a future teacher. Which of the roles listed in Section 1.2 would you like to describe you as a teacher in an ESL/EFL classroom? How could roles be combined or alternated? How about that favorite teacher of yours in the past? What kind of role did he or she play in the classroom? Obviously it was successful for him or her. Would it be equally successful for you while you were teaching English overseas? Why or why not?

1.2 a

Metacognition in the Role of the Teacher and the Student

Metacognition is simply thinking about thinking, a powerful tool for effective teaching and learning. Metacognition can be divided into five areas according to Anderson. When discussing strategy use in second language reading, cognition can be divided into five areas:

preparing and planning for learning selecting and using learning strategies monitoring strategy use orchestrating various strategies evaluating strategy use and learning

Preparing and Planning for learning Prepare and plan for learning by telling your students the goal for the class, goal for the exercise, the reason for pair work, etc.

Selecting and using learning strategies Teach your students different methods of learning. For example, show them note taking, practice outline and chart forms, and use different colored pens.

Monitoring strategy use Discuss with your students which note taking strategy they prefer and why. What do they find challenging about the other methods?

Orchestrating various strategies Sometimes just one strategy is not enough. If two strategies are applied, they can complement each other and improve the learning process. For example, in vocabulary development, research has shown that the application of multiple strategies for vocabulary acquisition is beneficial in accelerating the learning of a word and increasing the length of time for retaining a word. If a learner practices the strategy of writing all new vocabulary down, categorizing it, defining it, using it in a sentence, reading the word frequently, associating some imagery with the word, hearing it and orally using it in context, the learner will benefit more than a learner who practiced only one of those strategies.

Evaluating strategy use and learning

Evaluating strategy use and learning Teachers should always remind their learners to evaluate their strategies for learning. To aid in evaluation, give quizzes based on content that was learned with a conscious strategy, or through several different learning strategies, and let your students consider the outcome of the different strategies and what works best for them. By teaching and practicing metacognitive skills in the classroom, you are enabling your students to achieve higher learning by giving them tools to make conscious decisions about their learning process.

1.2 b

What other aspects of good teaching should you keep in mind in the ESL/EFL classroom?

Keep your language short, simple and direct. Present new language in context through visual or role-play situations. Don't ask questions unless you've taught the students how. to answer them! Never teach new vocabulary with more difficult or other new vocabulary. Be thorough. Be prepared. Learn to anticipate problems. Be enthusiastic about your students' work. Praise your students when they get it right, but do not patronize them. Never abandon a topic when students don't understand. Come back to it, review it, incorporate it into other lessons until your students do understand. Stress continuity. Each new lesson should be a smooth continuation from the last. Segues allow students time to shift gears. Let the students know that the lessons are connected, that they are not randomly jumping from point to point. Be aware of errors and have a strategy to correct them. Keep moving! Don't sit throughout the class. Stand when appropriate, walk to the board, sit down when appropriate. Use visual aids to help comprehension and stimulate interest. Keep it interesting. Plan on several activities in each class. Never accept "I understand" without asking comprehension questions to verify learning.

There are a half a billion people who call English their native tongue! English, Chinese and Spanish (in that order) are the three most commonly spoken languages in the world today! Almost all communication for aviation in the world is conducted in English!

1.2 c

What are some potential problems for a teacher you'll want to watch out for?

TTT. Watch out that your "teacher talking time" does not dominate. You speak English, your students do not! You need to find ways to get / allow your students to speak and practice while you monitor, guide, clarify. Echoing When your students answer a question, do not repeat the

response because you are encouraging the other students to only listen to you rather than to each other. It can also cut off the flow of speaking from the students, as well as increase TTT. Sentence completion. Some teachers "help" their students by completing their thoughts at the slightest pause. Allow students enough time to think and respond. Complicated and unclear instructions. Failure to check comprehension of instructions. Fear of genuine feedback. Insufficient authority or over-politeness. Remember the class is yours to manage, and you need to show the authority to manage it. Running commentary. Don't fill the air with meaningless talk: "Oops. I dropped the flashcards." Lack of confidence. Over-helping, over-organizing. Working with the fastest student(s) and not involving the others enough. Not really listening to your students. Weak rapport.

What do you think?

1. Awareness of metacognition is more likely to encourage teachers to be lecturers rather than counselors/enablers. TRUE FALSE 2. Echoing is a problem for teachers because it increases their TTT. TRUE FALSE 3. Presenting new language in context means providing a format so that meaning is clear and not ambiguous. TRUE FALSE

Score

100%

Mini-quizzes do not count toward your final grade.

Print

Teacher Talking Time Why is TTT (Teacher Talking Time) noted first among the potential problems to look out for in the list in section 1.2C? What are some ways you plan to avoid excessive TTT in your classroom when you are a ESL/EFL teacher? Provide specific strategies and examples.

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education... Mark Twain

This is the end of this section. Click on the next module section in the table of contents

© 2006-2009, Bridge Linguatec, Inc