My role as an ESL teacher is to equip my students with the language skills necessary to live and work or study in America. This is achieved through listening and felicitating learning rather than lecturing. Through authentic materials and tasks, I hope to build confidence in them to practice English outside of the classroom. Perfection will come with time. I’d rather they try and fail, than be too scared to try at all.

The student’s role is to come prepared and to participate in class. Preparation looks like doing the homework and practicing vocabulary words. Participation looks like active interaction with the teacher and other students. It is difficult to fully participate in class activities without being familiar with the vocabulary. I can share different memorization techniques, but I do not want to spend too much class time doing rote memorization and drills. Using vocabulary in context is a more effective use of time.

I believe languages are best learned through guided interaction in a supportive environment. Activates should be meaningful and related to real-life skills and situations. Through homework assignments and class field trips, I will encourage students to interact with English speakers. In this way, they can see for themselves how they might apply their lessons.

To create the ideal learning environment, I will use the Task-Based Learning (TBL) and Communicate Language Teaching (CLT) methods. In accordance with TBL, my lessons will contextualize information to increase understanding and encourage “student-student,” “student-teacher,” and “student-English speaker” interactions. Communicative competence is the main goal of CLT. During class time, I will use real-life situations that require students to produce language. I want to see my student reach their own language goals and feel comfortable navigating life in America.

Works Cited

Mihai, Florin M., and Kerry Permensky. Course Design for TESOL: A Guide to Integrating Curriculum and Teaching. University of Michigan Press ELT, 2016.