Teaching Philosophy

Everyone has the right to learn. Gaining knowledge takes form in many ways such as through reading textbooks, listening to someone talk, and getting to know someone and their values. However, an important aspect of learning is engagement. Without engagement, there is no learning. A student sitting in a classroom with a teacher droning on and on without rapport will ultimately lead to an unengaged audience and a waste of everyone's time and potential effort. As a future educator, I never want to waste time. Time is valuable and language acquisition depends on it. Every second in class, every second spent listening to language, and every second a student is engaged is one more opportunity for language development and understanding. Although the way we teach languages may have changed over the years, this idea has endured.

Previous theoretical and instructional methods of teaching a second language have been disproven and reorganized countless times, but most drastically in recent decades. Although we live in a technologically filled world, I think an important aspect of language development and acquisition is simplicity and individuality. As teachers and educators, we often get caught up in lesson planning and creating new ways to teach which, if not done properly, can confuse students instead of providing clarity. Simple activities that are engaging, but easy to follow are particularly important when working with a population who are not fluent in the language used for communication and instruction. Cool and creative activities can be captivating, but students may have to focus too much on how to follow along rather than the subject matter at hand. Activities' main focus should be language, not instruction structure.

Vygotsky's zone of proximal development (ZPD) theory hinges on the idea that students need scaffolding and teacher guidance for a learner to complete that skill unaided and utilize it to a mastery level. Mastery does not happen overnight. Slowly incorporating new ideas while still scaffolding the basics is how true language mastery is facilitated. Many educators teach, practice, test, and move on due to the nature and pace of the curriculum given to them. In many subjects, this can cause some hiccups but is easily rectified with a Google or quick review. When working with language, this oversight is not so easy to ignore. Review and constant assessment, whether informal or formal, of all previously taught aspects is paramount in ensuring student understanding and comprehension. Language is cumulative and needs to be constantly checked for accurate use, pronunciation, and conjugation to move on to the next level.

The role and purpose of a teacher is to facilitate learning. However, compared to general education classrooms, ESL classes should not involve extensive lecturing, student-note taking, or silence. ESL classes need to be interactive and conversational. The more students hear English, the more receptive they become to it. The communicative language teaching (CLT) approach has become more widely used within ESL classes since most students' goals are communication and intelligibility rather than perfect grammar. This approach is wonderful for intermediate to advanced ESL students as it builds off of previously learned aspects and basic grammar rules. 

I also believe that the CLT approach allows students to build their confidence in speaking in a safe space. Many students struggle when conversing with native English speakers, not because of their poor English, but because of their fear of how the person is perceiving them. The harsh stigma, especially in the US, of someone speaking "improper" English runs deep within ESL students causing embarrassment of their accents, misuse of grammar, or lack of knowledge of idioms or colloquial sayings. It is important as a teacher that natural, common conversation is practiced to set students up for success outside the classroom and to have the confidence to speak proudly as an English speaker. When working with students, I also try to remind them how impressive it is to learn a new language in a foreign country.

Despite the method of teaching, any form of class can be successful as long as it is showing success through the students. Maybe what students are lacking is a structured grammar lecture or conversation practice. It is up to you as the teacher to provide the missing link for comprehension however you see fit for that student or class. Allowing for two-way conversations and student check-ins can help ensure that they are gaining perspective and language and can help students feel seen and heard. ESL class is for them. You already know English. Now how can THEY learn it?