I view teaching English to speakers of other languages as a service. As an English teacher, I play a role in helping students better their lives, and the lives of their loved ones. Having the ability to speak English will help them to become more viable in the global market place.
One of the most important aspects in teaching is to be culturally sensitive. I recognize the fact that students coming from a different culture will go through various acculturation stages that may hamper learning. In order to help them through these stages, I make my classroom culturally responsible. As well, I make it a priority to be aware of the different culture norms of the community in which I am serving as a teacher.
In order for a student to learn English in the classroom, they cannot be passive learners. I believe that a student must acquire the skills for autonomous learning. Hence, in my lessons I include various learning strategies, and demonstrate the importance of self-motivation.
In developing my student’s language skills, I limit teacher talk time by creating a student-centered classroom allowing for students to interact with one another thus maximizing in-class opportunities to use English. I put an emphasis on communicative activities that require using the language to solve real world problems. In addition, besides focusing on the four skills of English acquisition, I include functional language topics and teach pronunciation skills.
I am convinced that grammar instruction must be a part of any English curriculum. I present grammar structures through various activities and tasks in accordance with a school's curriculum. These activities may include communicative activities and using deductive and inductive approaches.