Self Description as a Teacher - Essay Example

Language is an essential communicative element and learning and understanding foreign language helps an individual to communicate with the world beyond their country. It is the exciting element of different languages that got me interested in learning different languages. I am fluent in English and French. I look forward to building a career as a language teacher. In this paper, I discuss my perspectives as a language teacher.

The purpose of a second language is to provide access to information needed for technical and other developments individually or as a country. Foreign communication is essential for students that would love to study abroad and business persons where their native languages are not spoken. It is easier for them to communicate with the locals efficiently. Learning foreign language also equips an individual with travel language, social survival and employment skill for immigrant. Immersion into foreign language enables people to obtain a level of understanding and appreciate different cultures and arts (literature and films).A first-year student learning a foreign language should set realistic short-term goals and evaluate themselves afterward. For example, it is hard to attain fluency within the first few months, and native fluency can hardly be achieved because as we grow older, it becomes hard to make and hear a range of sounds. The primary goal should be to learn simple words such as question words, numbers, and polite language.

An effective tutor of a foreign language should be enthusiastic and display empathy to the learners. He/ she should be able to understand how people learn and their different inherent capabilities. They should have both teaching and managing learning skills in that their sessions are well organized and productive. A good teacher should use their preferred teaching style and apply their wide range teaching repertoire. The tutor should always be alert to all the classroom events which are an attribute I do not have. I get so immersed in the topic of discussion that I subconsciously ignore unrelated events.

I believe in reflective learning because it creates a learner-centered environment. It allows all participants both the teacher and students to critically think about the learning before, during and after the class. A language teachers role in this kind of teaching is to facilitate, lead class discussions, and ask open-ended questions, guiding the learning process and enabling participation and engagement of all students in the classroom. However, the teacher can adopt a broad range of roles depending on the proficiency of the students. On the other hand, the students have the responsibility of understanding their objectives of studying a foreign language and the expected outcomes. They should be active participants in a class by asking and answering questions both from their facilitator and peers. The learner should be motivated to learn and use his prior knowledge and skill in their native language to the new language.

As a language teacher, I relate more to inquisitive and self-motivated learners. It is because the curiosity guides me in identifying the gaps between the proficiency and set of information they have and that which they desire. The interaction also keeps the class lively and helps in breaking the walls to continue exploring to reach the set goals.

The reflective teaching style is dynamic and applies periodic assessment that guides the tutor in determining the classes goals. It also allows the teachers and learners work and learn together as the hands-on lessons scraps the lecture; dictation set up. The culture also encourages the students to be cooperative and learn from each other. Finally, it promotes cross-curricular learning where different aspects of studying are married.