Teach English in Brampton - TESOL Courses

This unit starts by examining the traits of a good teacher, observing that two important factors to consider are the teacher's own personality, and the relationship that the teacher has with his or her students. The section ends by suggesting that an effective teacher cares a lot about their own teaching, but even more about their students' progress. The next section is about the different roles that the teacher will adopt in the classroom, according to the many varied situations that arise. These roles include those of controller, assessor, organizer, prompter and model. Whatever role is chosen at any given point will depend on the nature of the activity and the outcome that is desired, regarding the students' learning. After this, the unit moves onto the characteristics of good learners, which include willingness to ask questions, desire to experiment with the target language, desire and motivation to learn, and an ability to reflect on their own learning style and process. Age is discussed, with 'young learners' split into 3 categories, and then some factors that differentiate adults and younger learners. These factors will necessarily affect the teacher's own methodology and practice. Typical language levels are summarised, with a brief description of each, and last the reasons why students may choose to attend English language classes. Regarding what I have personally learnt from the unit, I feel that I have reinforced my knowledge of what good teachers need to be concerned about, from the students and their expectations, to cultural considerations, to my own motivation as a language teaching professional. The information about teaching roles and student levels has been especially useful.