PURPOSE
Why do I teach?
English has always been my passion even I went through failures. I failed English in grade 9 and then in grade 12, then I thought it was not too late to begin. I came across an American qualified teacher who became my inspiration he is a walking dictionary, you just ask him words he is going to answer and describe in possibly the easiest way.
I improved my English and learned American accent then I decided to teach English because this is what I am born to do. I realized my actual potential very late in my life, but I say, "better late than never". The way I converted my weaknesses into my strength, I want to inspire my students through my story so they don’t give up learning English.
The purpose to take this course is to make myself creative in teaching so that I could use right technique to impart the knowledge to students.
My Short-term Goals:
One of my short term goal is to complete TEACH ENGLISH NOW TESOL specialization 1 and 2 and ASU certificate.
And I am doing masters in ELT and done with 2nd semester and I want to complete TEACH ENGLISH NOW! TESOL SPECIALIZATION in order to get the 150 credit hour certificate. This course has helped me a lot in my masters in ELT program. This will be an achievement for me to complete my master, I want to deliver training programs on English language learning and teaching.
Long-term goals:
Actually master in my country equals 16 years of education as compared to globally recognized masters where this program equals 18 year of education, however I want to do masters in TESOL from USA after completing masters in ELT and then I want to serve the teachers and learners in my country. I want to give training internationally. I want to be acknowledged universally.
STYLE
Answer to question 1: Direct teaching approach and communicative approach have been my teaching style because I myself learned the language in the same way from one of the American qualified teachers teaching in my country. He would tell the use of words along with meaning so as to get them assimilated and consolidated and we would discuss different current issues in the classroom and we would be given vocabulary related to the discussion through which we got opportunities to utilize the words we had been learning.
I follow the same pattern but with a bit more of my own creativity I learned throughout this specialization course. I try to involve my students in communication, role plays, debates, discussion, presentations, speeches and study tour of different places for giving the students practical experience of the language, along with this I use authentic material to teach vocabulary. I teach actions through body language or by showing pictures.
Answer to 2nd question: Because this is an amazing way to learn the language through exposure, getting the students out of the classroom box and prompting them to experience the language in the real world.
Answer to question 3: Yes there were so many aspects of teaching in communicative approach, effective humanistic approach, and direct approach.
Answer to question 4: Yes of course, use of realia and authentic materials, Communication in real life, experiencing the language meeting different people, acting in a certain situation so as to lower down the effective filter of learners.
Answer to question 5: I will be teaching executives, school and university students.
Answer to question 6: I can develop their interest through knowing their interest and psychology. I can make language acquisition just like a game practicing edutainment. Students do want to learn English but they are sick of learning grammar because most of the times they are taught only theoretical stuff rather than practical things. When I teach them I can motivate them into learning the language through making it a package of entertainment with learning.
Techniques
I use warm up for eliciting the background information of the learners about the topic I am delivering then I easily assimilate the new information in them just as it becomes the sweet spot of Vygotsky theory of language learning.
It helps the learners become ready to receive information you providing then of course guided practice group in order to lower down the effective filter by peer talks and discussions.
I spend 15 minutes teaching but in parts. I teach them then I take their feedback through asking questions and letting them practice. I break the lesson and step by step I teach them different areas so my 15 minutes aren't spent at once rather step by step through breaks. I give almost 45 minutes to students to practice the language in the real life giving them hints and clues.
I tell them lesson objectives and relate those objectives with their language learning goals, when they learn how important it is to complete a specific task of a lesson they become motivated towards their language learning goal. To me language learning goal is the main goal of learners and most of the time students seek to learn everything very quickly which is not possible and after a month or two they become demotivated therefore I think giving small objectives to get the main goal can help students step up towards their life success.
I do use warm language in order to enhance the visualization of learners, when I turn up my voice and then turn it down it helps a lot the learners to stay engaged in learning. I give them real life experience of language learning for example: the phrase how long and how much time both mean the same but in case of non native speakers, most of the people aren't aware of the right use of the phrase "how long" I tell them once I was at a school and I was waiting the principle I saw a lady who was speaking English I said to her, "how long will it take?"
She didn't get me I again asked her she wouldn't understand then I said, "How much time it will take?" then she replied me 20 minutes.
There are so many warm up activities which I use for example: I ask students to ask specific question related to what I am about to teach in order to elicit information from students and make them ready to learn. When students ask questions from each other then I ask some more questions to teach the topic I am about to deliver. Questions are based on their background information.
I form groups and ask students to do the task I have given them then I give them hints and clues to get to the target. I ask students to give presentation or do a task getting out of the classroom box and ask around specific information and then give presentation.
I assess the students the target achieved by them and check the ratio of their improvement. There are students of different background my language classroom, some are from O/A level background while some are from local schooling system what I have to do is assess their performance based on their ratio of improvement. For Example: A students who was good at speaking the language but was not good at grammar I assess the accuracy of his speaking along with his fluency. If there is a student who is not even able to speak a single sentence after a month if they start speaking broken language, this is going to be positive for me because he has improved.