Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Thanks
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- I Creating a good environment for language learning
- II Being effective in the classroom
- III Teaching large classes
- IV Teaching language skills and systems
- V Teaching language without textbooks
- VI Teaching language with textbooks
- VII Helping students achieve their potential
- VIII Linking the school to the outside world
- IX Supporting yourself and others
- Glossary
- Index
1 - Teaching in your situation
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 September 2021
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Thanks
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- I Creating a good environment for language learning
- II Being effective in the classroom
- III Teaching large classes
- IV Teaching language skills and systems
- V Teaching language without textbooks
- VI Teaching language with textbooks
- VII Helping students achieve their potential
- VIII Linking the school to the outside world
- IX Supporting yourself and others
- Glossary
- Index
Summary
The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.
Ludwig WittgensteinThe short version
1 Your main focus as a teacher is to maximize your students’ learning experiences and learning outcomes. You need to identify the most effective way to do this in your institution and context.
2 Understanding what your students want from education should influence your classroom practice.
3 Understanding what other educational stakeholders want from education is also necessary – but this may be different from what your students want.
4 There is often a wide gap between why people learn languages and what or how they learn about languages in the classroom. This gap needs to be bridged.
5 When teaching languages, consider both what you teach and how you teach.
Introduction
1 Think about your teaching situation. What do students, teachers and parents think is the purpose of education?
2 What do these groups think is the purpose of language learning?
3 How closely does your ▸curriculum (including materials, methodology, assessment) reflect this purpose?
What is the purpose of education?
Whilst there is no clear, simple answer to this question, it is important nonetheless to think about it. It's too easy to focus on the ‘micro’ (what happens in the classroom on a day-to-day basis) without thinking about the ‘macro’ (the big picture). However, the macro should influence the micro. Therefore, it can be useful to understand the views of all your institution's ▸educational stakeholders. Common responses by some of these different groups in challenging circumstances are given below.
The views and attitudes of different stakeholders towards education will depend on the type of institution you teach in. Stakeholders are likely to have different expectations about the purpose of education depending on whether they work in a formal, an informal or a non-formal institution. As a teacher, you need to be aware of all these different views – as well as your own personal opinions. In your classroom, you will often need to balance these different views.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Teaching in Challenging Circumstances , pp. 9 - 12Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021