My Teaching Approach
By Rowena Brannon
There are many different
teaching methods when it comes to learning the English language. Different
schools follow a different syllabus and teaching method. Observing and
practising the different styles is the best way to discovering what works best
for you as a teacher and for your students'.
Behaviourism encourages
students to learn by using a reward system by positive and negative
reinforcement and by mastering the language through repetition and drilling,
and the teacher plays the dominant role in the classroom. For example if a
student does well he/she will get good grades thus making the student want to
get good grades, whereas if he/she gets bad grades it will make them want to
get better grades next time. I think this method of teaching is beneficial to
children of a lower age as it is about repetitiveness whereas this might not
work for adults'.
Suggestopedia is another
method of teaching to learn a foreign language at an accelerated pace for
everyday communication by overcoming psychological barriers. The power of
suggestion helps students eliminate the feeling that they cannot succeed.
Students use their imagination and are in a relaxed, calm environment with
music in the background. This method uses role-playing, acting and music for
learning. Sometimes the teacher reads and acts part of a story with music in
the background while the students sit comfortably watching. The teacher can
also give them new names or identities and the student will respond to the
teacher accordingly using the target language.
Both are completely different
teaching methods and neither one of them is right or wrong as students have
mastered languages from both. There are the extrovert and the introvert
students. The extrovert students tend to be less shy and participate more
during a class compared to the introvert student who could be anxious or
nervous of speaking in front of the class. The trick is to get both types of
students to participate during the lesson. That is why the classes should be
fun and dynamic and not giving too much negative feedback so that they do not
feel afraid to speak.
It is easy enough to sit and
get lectured by a teacher all day but what will the student's have learnt? For
some people this method works but most people need stimuli. When I was in
school and learning a language it was very grammar and vocabulary based. I
remember even though I had good reading and writing skills, my conversational
skills were not very good, so when it came to doing a foreign exchange in
Germany, I realised how little I could communicate. I am not saying the way I
was taught is bad but as a teacher now I can teach my students the way I would
want to be taught.
My personal approach to
teaching would include various aspects from these different methods as well as
the communicative approach and incorporate them. What I like about the
communicative approach is that it is a broader way of teaching as opposed to
other methods and the emphasis on learning to communicate in the target
language.
Interlanguage is a rule based
linguistic system that has been developed by a learner who has not reached
bilingual status. For example someone who uses 'Spanglish' mixes some English
and Spanish to aid in the learning process. Although interlanguage can prove
useful when teaching beginners because there could be similar words (cognates)
which, are easily translated as opposed to spending extra time trying to
explain particular words.
The teachers' role should be
as a guide and a mentor, which includes building confidence, making the
students' aware of their learning progressions and giving the student's
realistic goals and expectations. Each lesson should be carefully prepared and
there should be extra time given to the students' who are in need so that they
fully understand what has been taught.
When a student makes a
mistake I would correct them but not in a negative way as that can be
discouraging and make them feel that they are not improving. Instead I would
correct them and when they respond with the corrected mistake then I would give
them positive feedback and helping their motivation. I would like to make the
lessons as productive and as fun as I can by using visual aids, music,
role-playing, debates, games and conversation in different scenarios to deliver
the language learning experience to all students of different ages and
abilities.
Adults and children do not
absorb information in the same way and these can vary from different ages and
levels. If a student was learning English for future travels then that student
would have different goals to a student who works for a business firm that
needs to learn for business purposes. Each of the class preparations would be
tailored to fit the students' needs. The teacher needs to assess each of the
students' needs and goals. The business student and the student learning for a
hobby would learn vocabulary to suit what they are trying to achieve.
As a teacher I would find out
what my students' interests are and use them with learning English as it can
help with their motivation. For example if the student enjoyed playing sports
or watching films then I would choose topics to incorporate these subjects to
interest them. I probably would not teach a topic about office supplies or
politics to a young teenager whereas I would to someone learning specifically
for 'business English'.
I want to be approachable,
make my students feel comfortable and not feel under pressure but for them to
be able to ask whenever they need help, but also knowing when they need
guidance. I need to find out what my student's strengths and weakness's are so
that I can alter their learning experience individually and see how they can be
improved. In order to keep track of the level of each student, the teacher should
follow a syllabus and give homework on a daily basis to see how much they have
understood so that you can adapt your teaching method.
There are macro skills and
micro skills when learning a second language (L2). Macro skills include
listening, speaking, reading and writing. Micro skills include grammar,
vocabulary, pronunciation and spelling. All of these skills are important when
learning a new language but with the different teaching methods they can be
taught in a different order. I would focus on the macro skills before moving
onto micro skills. I feel it is important for the student to talk more during a
class than the teacher. If it was a beginner class then the teacher will be
speaking more than the students' because at a lower level they do not have
enough language knowledge to talk freely so the classes tend to cater to
repetition.
For my teaching method I
would teach the class entirely in English just like the Oxbridge model. The
class would also start with quick questions to get each student to answer and
this would be altered depending on what level they are. After the quick
questions I would move onto an activity to get the students to think and talk
about it. If it were a structure activity to do with future tenses I would
create it to be about future summer plans as this is something that would
interest most students. They would be discussing the subject without realising
they have let their psychological barriers down by joining in.
Depending on the size of the
class I would divide them into groups and using the vocabulary that is specific
for that topic, make a game out of it by saying a vocabulary word and whichever
student taps on the table first and uses the word in a sentence wins a point.
This not only makes the lesson fun and engaging, but also helps them to learn
the language. There is no point learning vocabulary out of context e.g. if the
topic is about travelling then there shouldn't be vocabulary about furniture as
this would confuse the students'.
To be able to transition the
topics or structure being learnt smoothly instead of ending abruptly onto the
next topic helps with the learning experience and to me shows that you are a
good teacher. I would use a tablet or a laptop to show pictures or videos to
teach different activities to keep the students stimulated, and even try and
get them to learn a song in English with the music in the background to mix it
up a bit. I can honestly say that I still remember the classes that were fun
and engaging and not the boring classes. When it comes to ending the class, it
is always good to do a quick recap of what they learnt and some quick questions
on the topics that were taught.
I think it is good to follow
a certain lesson criteria although it does not always go to plan, as some
students are quicker at learning, while some need more coaxing than others. The
lesson plan should be adjustable in case students show interest in a particular
topic or want to discuss it further. There should be room for this in a lesson
as long as you follow the syllabus and the students' are gaining knowledge and understanding
of the language, which is all positive learning.