RELYING ON SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH FINDINGS
I believe the best way to teach a language successfully is to rely on the scientific disciplines Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition, the knowledge of its experts and their research findings.
There is no need to find out what works in language teaching because the answers are already there. The research can also help with common difficulties a learner might experience, as it can offer the solutions.
Please also have a look at the section 'The Guide on the Side' where I explain how I have made use of the knowledge about Applied Linguistics at Secondary School, Summer School, University and as a private tutor.
There is no need to find out what works in language teaching because the answers are already there. The research can also help with common difficulties a learner might experience, as it can offer the solutions.
Please also have a look at the section 'The Guide on the Side' where I explain how I have made use of the knowledge about Applied Linguistics at Secondary School, Summer School, University and as a private tutor.
'The guide on the side' - Learner-centred teaching
My teaching philosophy and what I see as my function as a teacher is best expressed in Alison King’s article in College Teaching, Vol. 41, No. 1 (Winter, 1993). As a teacher I see myself as a ‘guide on the side, not a sage on the stage’.
The learner is at the centre of my teaching and I focus on their needs and on building a positive connection in order for them to make full use of their language learning potential.
You can read how I combined this principle with the knowledge about Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition in different settings in the section 'Guide on the side applied'.
The learner is at the centre of my teaching and I focus on their needs and on building a positive connection in order for them to make full use of their language learning potential.
You can read how I combined this principle with the knowledge about Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition in different settings in the section 'Guide on the side applied'.
'The guide on the side' applied
Private tutor
As a private tutor I focus completely on your needs and will decide on the best course of action after the initial consultation session. I will also carefully consider your language level and your cultural background. We will look at your goals and I will give recommendations on how to achieve them so that you can maximise your language learning potential.
The content of the lessons is chosen by you. I will ask you about your interests and will make sure that my teaching resources are right for you. This is important because motivation is a key factor in helping you to learn a language successfully.
Our way forward will be constantly evaluated and if we see that something does not work for you we will make adjustments.
The content of the lessons is chosen by you. I will ask you about your interests and will make sure that my teaching resources are right for you. This is important because motivation is a key factor in helping you to learn a language successfully.
Our way forward will be constantly evaluated and if we see that something does not work for you we will make adjustments.
Secondary school
When I taught at a secondary school (years 5-12) in Germany, I designed a course for students who were in the last two years (Year 11 & 12) before taking their Abitur (= university entrance qualification at the end of secondary school) and which is another good example of my student-focused approach to teaching.
I followed all guidelines and regulations set by the Ministry of Education and used the curriculum and its suggested topics as the basis but I involved my students in the decision making process about the content of the course, I asked them in which aspects of a topic they were particularly interested and about what they wanted to find out more. For more abstract topics or when students did not have any preference, I made suggestions or gave them alternatives from which to choose.
In summary, I gave the students maximum freedom over the content of the course and I focused on how to teach them the skills they needed to pass their final exam. Of course, many of the topics which had been selected by the students were not covered by any available course book which resulted in me often burning the midnight oil to gather material and prepare lessons.
The big advantage for me was that over the course of these two years, I had highly motivated studentswho were genuinely interested in the content of the course. And not only were they interested, it was also much easier to teach them the skills they needed in order to do well in the exams. It made this journey not only enjoyable and fulfilling for them but also for me.
This approach proved to be a great success in terms of their results as well, as all my students passed the Abitur and many received very good results.
I followed all guidelines and regulations set by the Ministry of Education and used the curriculum and its suggested topics as the basis but I involved my students in the decision making process about the content of the course, I asked them in which aspects of a topic they were particularly interested and about what they wanted to find out more. For more abstract topics or when students did not have any preference, I made suggestions or gave them alternatives from which to choose.
In summary, I gave the students maximum freedom over the content of the course and I focused on how to teach them the skills they needed to pass their final exam. Of course, many of the topics which had been selected by the students were not covered by any available course book which resulted in me often burning the midnight oil to gather material and prepare lessons.
The big advantage for me was that over the course of these two years, I had highly motivated studentswho were genuinely interested in the content of the course. And not only were they interested, it was also much easier to teach them the skills they needed in order to do well in the exams. It made this journey not only enjoyable and fulfilling for them but also for me.
This approach proved to be a great success in terms of their results as well, as all my students passed the Abitur and many received very good results.
SUmmer School
In 2016 and 2017, I worked as an EFL teacher at a summer school. I greatly enjoyed teaching the students who came from all over the world. In addition to using a course book, I prepared additional lessons toraise my students' interest in order for them to make the most of this experience.
The lessons I taught were focused on what the students had answered when they filled out their needs and wants form at the beginning of the course. I carefully took this into consideration while preparing my lessons. This meant that I did not spend excessive time teaching grammar but focused on speaking tasks and interesting content. Judging from the feedback of my students, they seemed to have really enjoyed this experience.
The lessons I taught were focused on what the students had answered when they filled out their needs and wants form at the beginning of the course. I carefully took this into consideration while preparing my lessons. This meant that I did not spend excessive time teaching grammar but focused on speaking tasks and interesting content. Judging from the feedback of my students, they seemed to have really enjoyed this experience.
University
As a lecturer at university, I made changes to how students were taught in seminars in Germany. My expert knowledge about learning made it possible for me to restructure the seminar format in order to maximise students' learning potential.
I knew that in order to improve students' knowledge and skills, they needed to be in a highly challenging environment, exposed to a variety of useful and interesting information and constantly involved in the lessons, so I designed a marking policy and course format that reflected these principles.
The students had to work much harder than for any other course that was offered but they also made more progress and felt a great sense of achievement after the completion of the course.
I knew that in order to improve students' knowledge and skills, they needed to be in a highly challenging environment, exposed to a variety of useful and interesting information and constantly involved in the lessons, so I designed a marking policy and course format that reflected these principles.
The students had to work much harder than for any other course that was offered but they also made more progress and felt a great sense of achievement after the completion of the course.