Teaching

LT548 - Curriculum and Materials Development

A teaching philosophy is like a lighthouse, conveying one's beliefs and guiding the way when we're lost. This Teaching Philosophy Statement draws inspiration from the Eight Principles and Teaching Techniques outlined by Brown & Lee (2015). It centers on creating learner-centered, engaging environments that promote student autonomy (Benson, 2012) and intrinsic motivation (Larson & Rusk, 2011). The statement outlines my view of the teacher's role as a guide and supporter (Brown & Lee, 2015) rather than a dominator, aligning with present perspectives on effective language teaching. By designing activities that allow students to discover patterns and interact meaningfully, this approach aims to empower students to take ownership of their learning process and develop the skills needed for lifelong language development.

The philosophy highlights my commitment to designing learner-centered (Weimer, 2013) curricula and activities that cater to students' needs and interests. This approach recognizes students' diverse backgrounds, goals, and learning styles and seeks to create personalized learning experiences that resonate with each individual. By doing so, I aim to increase student engagement and make language learning more relevant and meaningful to their lives. Connecting language learning to culture and real-world experiences reflects my holistic approach to language education, which views language not as an isolated system but as a tool for cultural understanding and global communication. By incorporating cultural elements and authentic materials (Gilmore, 2007) into my teaching, I strive to help students see the practical value of language learning and develop intercultural competence (Fantini, 2012) alongside linguistic skills. Making language learning fun and relevant to students' lives with gamification (Caponetto et al., 2014), cultural connections, and real-world applications further support this approach. 

LT536 - Design for Language Learning Systems

This artifact is a reflection on a lesson plan I created for teaching the Pinyin system in Chinese as part of my coursework in LT536 Design for Language Learning Systems. The reflection mainly focused on discussing the use of teaching methods and how they increase students’ motivation and promote autonomy effectively in class. The lesson plan, which I was particularly proud of, exemplified an engaging learning environment. My incorporation of games like Word Relay and Spelling Race demonstrates my belief in using gamification (Caponetto et al., 2014) to boost motivation and enhance learning enjoyment. This approach aligns with research showing gamification's positive effects on both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (Anisa et al., 2020). The activities were carefully designed to give students control over the learning process, allowing them to discover patterns and make decisions independently. This reflects my philosophy of promoting learner autonomy and motivation, which I believe are crucial for long-term language learning success.

Throughout the lesson, there was a strong emphasis on interaction and collaboration among students. To foster an inclusive classroom community (Causton et al., 2008), I had peer assessment and feedback in group activities, reflecting the importance of student interaction for effective language acquisition. This aligns with sociocultural theories (Panhwar et al., 2016) of language learning, which emphasizes the role of social interaction in cognitive development. Throughout the lesson, I played the role of a "guide on the side", rather than the sole source of knowledge, which is consistent with my teaching philosophy of being a facilitator (Brown & Lee, 2015) rather than a dominator in the classroom. Stepping back and allowing students to take the lead in their learning to develop independence and critical thinking skills alongside language proficiency. 

LT537 - Second Language Teaching Practice

This artifact reflects on planning and teaching two English conversation classes for international students in LT537 Second Language Teaching Practice, also called “Talking with Ducks”. Collaborating with Bushra Elfandi, I developed lesson plans on 'Playing with Language', showcasing my ability to create innovative and engaging teaching approaches.  Our use of rebus puzzles, role-plays, and word games reflects an interactive, communicative approach (Brown & Lee, 2015) to language teaching that I strive to implement in my classes. These activities were designed not only to teach language forms but also to engage students in meaningful, contextualized language use. This aligns with current practices in language teaching that emphasize the importance of authentic, purposeful communication in the target language.

The reflection shows careful consideration for classroom management (Brown & Lee, 2015) aspects such as timing, group dynamics, and activity transitions. This demonstrates my awareness of the importance of effective classroom management in creating a productive learning environment. By planning these elements carefully, I aimed to maximize learning opportunities and maintain student engagement throughout the lesson. The inclusion of speech acts and pragmatics in the lesson plan indicates my focus on developing students' cultural awareness (DeCapua, 2018) in language use, reflecting my belief that language learning should extend beyond linguistic forms to include sociolinguistic competence (Mizne, 1997).

Moreover, the reflection describes efforts to create an enjoyable, inclusive atmosphere where all students can participate and have fun while learning. This aligns with my teaching philosophy of fostering a supportive classroom community where students feel comfortable taking risks and engaging fully in the learning process. By creating such an environment, I believe students are more likely to develop positive attitudes towards language learning and maintain their motivation over time.