1. What
beliefs or assumptions about language learning and language teaching have you
held throughout your English language development and your teaching career?
English Learning
It is an ongoing process in which
knowledge is socially co-constructed.
“I think that
knowledge has to be co-constructed based on what we perceived from the reality”
(Teaching metaphor)
“I always tend to be a knowledge generator instead of
a knowledge transmitter” (Teaching
metaphor)
“People construct knowledge from what
they experience. Nevertheless, what teaching provides is reinforcement and a
bunch of opportunities to learn from the existing knowledge and to build up new
one” (Conceptualizing
teaching questions)
In the English learning process, more
contact with the second language is needed to provide learners a conscious
linguistic construction.
“The language
exposure in a foreign language instruction only takes place in the classroom or
at home and it may be quite limited or restricted” (My beliefs)
“She was always concerned about teaching her students how to communicate and providing them
different contexts to practice communicative functions” (Autobiography)
“In the first activity, I provided
them enough input and then I asked them to use the language by asking questions”
(journal 2)
In the English learning process,
the sources, the opportunities, the materials, the methodological strategies, and
the context are effective components to support the learners’ needs.
“It is a multifaceted process in which
the interrelation of the different components allows humans master a language”
(My beliefs)
“I chose interactive activities to promote cooperative
learning. Games are always a good strategy to trigger learning. It is important
to check understanding as many times as possible” (Journal 3)
“The game was a good strategy
because they could start practicing the verbs by recognizing them and the final
activity was a good choice because the main purpose of the activity was
communication” (Journal 2)
Crucial factors like motivation,
willingness, environment, interaction, engagement among others, play a
significant role in the whole process.
“Learners seemed to be delighted and enthusiastic with
the activities” (Journal 3)
“They were engaged in
the activity and the participation was dynamic” (Journal 4)
“The participation was dynamic.
Learners were mostly active, engaged and interested in the activity”
(journal 1)
“Keeping children engaged and
motivated during the learning process is not an easy job; it demands innovative
activities that let students be involved in significant experiences” (conceptualizing teaching questions)
“My curiosity and my willingness to
learn English leads me to start reading those books and novels. I still
remember the first time I read an English book. It was a short story called Dr
Jekyll and Mr Hyde. I found it captivating and engaging” (Autobiography)
English Teaching
Teaching is the act of maximizing
the students’ performance in their learning process.
“Teaching a foreign
language is not my main role of performance as a teacher but educating learners
for raising awareness of the current issues of society as well as makes them
think critically about them” (Teaching metaphor)
“Education is part of
the social transformation and emancipation” (Teaching metaphor)
“I met a teacher who was more aware about the
necessity of communicating in English” (Autobiography)
Teachers are always learning from
different sources (learners’ viewpoint, colleagues’ viewpoint, academy
information and from their practice).
“I will mainly
emphasize on the word experience with reference to the process I have gone
through to become the teacher I am. Those practices have directly shaped my
conceptions, my perceptions, my thoughts and my ideologies about the
educational performance played by teachers. Each job has contributed to my
professional development” (Autobiography)
“I am immersed in an
ongoing process of discovering myself as a professional and reshaping my
methodology based on my experiences in teaching” (Autobiography)
The main concern of teaching is
supervising and guiding learners’ learning process by creating settings in
which learners can play their own role at their own rate.
“She was always
concerned about teaching her students how to communicate and providing them
different contexts to practice communicative functions” (Autobiography)
“I
was permanently monitoring their learning process” (Journal 2)
In the process of teaching, the
role of the teacher has been minimized to give more leadership to students.
“Different
conceptions have come up to define the teaching profession. Harmer, J., (2007)
stated that some teachers talk of themselves as orchestral conductors because
they lead directly the pace and the tone of the conversations. Some others see
themselves as actors because they have to be part of a continuous role-play and
others feel like gardeners because they are planting the seeds that they will
watch grow” (My beliefs)
“Students had to use the language in
a conversation with their partners. It was about asking and answering questions,
using the cards made by them” (journal 1)
Teaching is a life-long learning
“The act of teaching
is an ongoing process in which I have experimented professional growth and personal
satisfaction” (conceptualizing teaching questions)
“Everyday practice of
teaching has brought me challenges. As a teacher I do reflective teaching to
analyze the continuous progress and the context in which I teach. I question my
performance in the classroom and the goals I set as guidance to do my work” (conceptualizing
teaching questions)
2. What
sources have you derived those beliefs or assumptions from?
I have derived those
beliefs or assumptions from my experience mainly as a language learner and a
language teacher. As Richards & Lockhart (2004) states, “all teachers were
once students, and their beliefs about teaching are often a reflection of how
they themselves were taught” (p. 30). I have been involved in experiences as an
observer of the learning and teaching practices which have been a powerful
source for my professional development as a language teacher. However the
prevailing source I have had as a teacher is from practice, contrasting theory
and constructing my understanding about what work well for language teaching.
3. How
would you challenge some of those beliefs?
The best way of
challenging my beliefs is through research and reflection. Research is the
basis for studying the nature of learning and teaching practices. By
researching, I could question the validity of my beliefs in order to provide
students a better learning experience.
Reflection in another
effective way of exploring the beliefs I hold about language learning and
language teaching. As Murray, A (2010) says “I see reflective practice as a fundamental
part of continuing professional development; it provides me with opportunities
to analyze and ask questions about my objectives as well as to examine how I
plan and what I teach” (p. 3).
References
RICHARDS, J. &
LOCKHART, C. (2004). Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classroom. New
York: Cambridge University Press.
MURRAY, A. (2010).
Empowering Teachers through Professional Development. English Teaching Forum,
1, pp. 1-11.