What is a Language Teacher?

November 29, 2009 at 2:14 am · Filed under Hall Of Language

At a recent English Language Teaching or ELT conference, when I asked, “What is a language teacher?” a cornucopia of responses ensued. Many were quite verbose, others shorter and simpler, many rambled. For both EFL teachers and ESL or foreign language students, the definition of a language teacher is useful in determining what qualities to seek or strive for when studying English or a foreign language.

It was TEFL linguistics researcher Costas Gabrielatos in 2002 who defined the term “language teacher”.

A Language Teacher is:
A person who teaches language.

With this definition he also defined the three major aspects that constitute a language teacher. Here are those three aspects and their respective principal components.

1. A language teacher is a person (or personality) who demonstrates the qualities of:

• Balanced control and Flexibility in teaching and conducting class activities, being neither overly “tyrannical” nor overly permissive

• Being Neat and Organized in person and preparation

• Being Well-groomed to provide an example for student dress and behavior

• Being Authoritative in the performance of all teaching aspects based on a combination of knowledge, training, practice and experience

2. A language teacher is able to teach combining methodology, knowledge & skill. The language teacher:

• Has In-depth Knowledge of the language being taught. It is unfortunate that in many foreign countries there exist numbers of English language “teachers” whose knowledge of English is questionable at best or non-existent at worst. If you are an English as a foreign language teacher, strive NOT to be one of those.

• Uses a Variety of Techniques to transfer knowledge, skills and abilities in the language to students and learners

• Has Knowledge of materials that can be successfully applied to the teaching and learning of the language being taught

• Knows Implication of theory to practice, development and use of the language being taught

3. A language teacher has knowledge of the Language and its Use. This implies knowledge of:

• Grammar and specialized structure of the language being taught

• the Language History and how it impacts current use and structure of the language

• Idioms and Expressions in the language both in current and previous use colloquially

• Ability to discern levels and needs of students of the language to enable each learner to receive the best methods and approaches to learning that are possible

So, what is a language teacher? A language teacher is a person who teaches language and all that that entails. As language teachers or language learners, there are standards to be upheld and quality to be maintained. These serve for the benefit of all.

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is a bi-lingual copywriter, expert author and photographer specializing in business, travel, food and education-related writing in South America. His work has appeared in Transitions Abroad, South American Explorer, Escape From America, Mexico News and Brazil magazines. He now lives in Colombia and teaches at a university in Cali. Want lots more free tips, help and information on language learning, public speaking, writing and mental skills development? Go now to: http://bettereflteacher.blogspot.com

Comments off

An Easy to Expand Your Horizons with Audio Books

March 16, 2009 at 1:30 pm · Filed under Books And More, Hall Of Language

Let Me Tell You A Story by Red Auerbach and John Feinstein might be a gratifying read, but today’s busy schedules can make that challenging to achieve. Often we don’t notice how long journeys and other daily tasks take up sizable portions of our precious time. Making a living, dealing with kids or even housework all cut back the free time you have for your interests. If you’re an avid reading fan who finds it troublesome to fit it in, journeys to work might be an opportunity to enjoy listening to an audiobook. Using convenient download technology, it’s simple to savor Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin by Download Audio Book Online, or audio-books narrated by Reverend W. Awdry without even picking up the book. Today multitasking has become important. Audiobooks like Pimsleur Chinese (Cantonese) I Part 3 by Dr. Paul Pimsleur available from Download Audio Book Online make the best of of the wasted hours everyday, it may be minutes spent waiting in a dentist’s surgery or maybe buying groceries. Many audio-books may be downloaded immediately in mp3 format including Love Lessons by Jacqueline Wilson, so pick up your mp3 player and earphones you have the opportunity to listen to the current whodunnit, such as audible books by Jerry Stearns & Brian Price without hauling a heavy book with you. An added benefit of audio books is the ability to rent or purchase many titles and listen to them at your own pace. Interested in studying French? Try an audiobook! Perhaps the latest commercial strategies interest you, you may even discover the paranormal.

Audio-books are obtainable in a myriad of titles and writing styles. It doesn’t matter if you are a wine fan, or you are nuts about love stories even interested in personal development, most can be downloaded right away. Choices are wide open; you can take a subscription to a program and hire your choice of audio-book or else purchase what appeals to you.

Avid readers will always find a way to read, but the thousands of audio titles available are so handy. A author or celebrity can heighten the experience of most stories. Just reading a novel is not the same as savoring audio books told by David Baldacci, with niceties presented during a performance. Hearing audio titles narrated by Paul Strathern can bring more depth to your reading experience and frequently can mean a great deal more to you than the written words. So the next time in future when you are thinking of buying a book that could easily gather dust on the shelves, think of audiobooks as a better choice.

For additional hints, you are advised to surf to this great page for learn Portuguese language tips.

Comments off