Santa Barbara, California TESOL Online & Teaching English Jobs

From the unit I learnt what makes a good teacher. I particularly appreciated the video in which we learnt that being fair, knowledgeable and able to motivate students were the top three factors people believed made a good teacher. It is equally essential to care more about the students than your own teaching. In the unit I also learnt about the different roles a teacher has and how during a lesson a teacher needs to be flexible and able to use various roles at different times. These roles include: manager, organizer, assessor, prompter, participant, tutor, facilitator, model, and monitor. I found it interesting the role ‘organizer’ plays. It is essential in having an orderly classroom and keeping students motivated and on task. I hadn’t before considered how over using one role can actually limit learning. I also learnt about the role of a learner and what makes a good one. Being willing to ask questions, accept correction, experiment with the language and listen all were attributes contributing to a good learner. I also learnt the difference between young learners and adults in terms of their motivation, experience and behaviour. Indeed, young learners are often separated into three subcategories 2-7 year olds, 8-13 year olds and 14-18 year olds. The youngest of the subgroup are often keen learners, with limited experience of the language and may not have mastered their own native language themselves yet. They have a short attention span and like to play. 8-13 year olds can be self-absorbed, will have had some experience of the language and in general are receptive and not worried about making mistakes. 14-18 year olds can be challenging to motivate as they often have to be there and are influenced by peer pressure. As a result, participation can be difficult as they are often self-conscious and less willing to take risks in front of their peers. Adults on the other hand are often highly motivated as they have made the choice to be there and they bring their life experience with them. However, they often have fixed expectations on what a language lesson should be based on either positive or negative experiences from the past. I also learnt about the different levels of ability in languages. There are general levels discussed – Beginners, Elementary, Low intermediate, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate and Advanced. In particular, I found it interesting to learn about the Common European Framework levels which are used in schools in France where I live. A1 – Breakthrough, A2 – Waystage, B1 – Threshold, B2- Vantage, C1-Effective Operational Proficiency, C2 – Mastery. Finally, I learnt about the many reasons that motivate learners to develop English from travel plans, to a desire to improve grades or career prospects.