Learning a foreign language is incredibly challenging. This challenge can seem to be overwhelming to students who are studying a foreign language outside of those countries where the language is used. After studying many foreign languages, I have come to the conclusion that the most important thing is to relax! Students are often much too hard on themselves and they put themselves under so much pressure that learning is adversely affected.
Anyone who teaches languages is simultaneously both a teacher and a student. I am continually amazed at how much I have learned and still have to learn about my own native language of English. Actually, to be honest, I am simultaneously both a teacher and student of my own native language. To take this even further, I both teach my students and I learn from my students. However, once I realized that language learning is a never-ending process which requires more flexibility and openness than other areas of learning, I simply relaxed and embraced all of my roles.
In light of that realization, I strive to hold classes in which students can also feel relaxed while wholeheartedly embracing the challenge of learning a foreign language. One thing that is unique about foreign language classes is that often students in the same class can have very different levels or areas of competency. Some students can write well but are terrified at the thought of having to speak, while others speak fluently, but are not so good with the pen. Thus, my responsibility, which I take very seriously, is to meet the needs of each and every student. That responsibility includes making all students completely comfortable and not self-conscious. No one shall be embarrassed or afraid to ask a question in my class.
What do I want my students to walk away with after taking my class? I want them to experience how fun it is to learn a foreign language. I want them to learn to be more efficient in their studies by distinguishing between what they can do well even as a non-native speaker and what they should not worry about because as a non-native speaker, they will probably never understand perfectly. Thus, I will focus our energies on principles that will result in the most improvement based on my own experience in second language learning and English language writing and editing.
|
