I am a passionate teacher who seeks to continually improve my craft through ongoing reflection and professional development. I aim to share my knowledge, to inspire, and to support the growth of other language professionals. Most importantly, I strive to develop meaningful connections with my students that allow me to support their individual language learning journeys, and to guide them along the path to proficiency while they simultaneously develop their intercultural awareness.
I believe that...
learners need to be presented with clear objectives at the start of every lesson/unit/course
learners need to take part in assessing their progress towards those objectives, setting goals and reflecting upon their progress
learners need opportunities to use the target language for meaningful communication through all three modes: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational
I believe that...
content needs to be relevant to learners' goals and lives
tasks need to have real-world application
learners need to take an active role in their learning, with frequent opportunities to collaborate with others, to lead, and to make decisions regarding their learning
I believe that...
grammar and vocabulary should primarily be taught implicitly through task-based lessons and inductively through the use of authentic texts
the focus of tasks should be on communication rather than on rote memorization, and accuracy of language must be balanced with functional communication
I believe that...
culture needs to be an integral part of the curriculum, not taught separately from the language
learners need opportunities to reflect on their own practices and to relativize their own beliefs and experiences when learning about the target culture
learners need opportunities to experience the target culture first-hand (through food, dance, games, music etc)
technology can be leveraged to cultivate intercultural interactions with native speakers