Teach English in Jianqiao Zhen - Meizhou Shi

This unit was very useful, once I was able to understand what makes a good teacher and his or her roles in the classroom as well as what makes a good learner and what may affect his or her learning process. The unit gives a special attention to the fact that approaches to learning vary across cultures and I could also review the two most common divisions of leaners according to their ability in the English language. Good teachers share a group of traits regarding their own personalities and the type of relationship that they manage to create with the students. Good teachers focus on the teaching, but specially on the learning of the students. The focus of instruction has been shifted from the teacher to the student in the last years. Yet, it is normal to shift from a student-centred to a teacher-centred activity as it is equally normal for a teacher to undertake different roles within the same lesson. Good students also share some common traits and it is the teacher's responsibility to foster them. Factors such as the students' age, past learning experiences or level of motivation and nervousness affect the learning process and the teacher must be aware of how to overcome any barrier created by them. Culture is another important factor to consider as it has a major effect both on teaching and on learning by affecting what a teacher expects from the students and the students from a teacher. Finally, it is important to breakdown the different levels of ability in the English language. There are two common breakdowns both with 6 levels. The most used is perhaps the one from beginner to advanced, but the Common European Framework has gained popularity. As a summary, the dynamic teacher ? student is a complex issue. Nonetheless, good teachers are more likely to have good students.