Labas, labas (hello, hello). I have an interesting life update today.
About two weeks ago (EDIT: repost, this took place in June) I started an intensive 4 week TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) class with the International TEFL Academy to get my certification and, well, just as it sounds, learn to teach English as a foreign language. I kinda expected that it wouldn’t be too difficult in terms of topic, given I have been tutoring for years and love to learn languages, but what I did not expect was that even only halfway in, I am walking away from it with a lot of really solid information. Sure, things like creating lesson plans and writing up skill assessments have been new for me, but the methods and guidelines to actually impart information to my students have been surprising and even pointed out a lot of flaws in my own practices.
I’ll explain why in a second, but first look below at a small list of the more popular language learning methods that have popped up over time, in no particular order:

Grammar Translation Method, Direct Method, Audiolingual Method, Natural Approach, Communicative Approach, Community Language Learning (CLL) Approach, Silent Way, Suggestopedia Method, Total Physical Response (TPR), Total Physical Response Storytelling (TPRS), Content Based Learning, Task Based Learning, Cooperative Learning, Jigsaw Method, Project Based Learning, Multisensory Approach, DIfferentiation, Dogme Approach, etc.

This list shows how there are a LOT of ways to teach a language. Although some names may be easy to figure out, cough cough Task Based Learning, something like Suggestopedia just sounds made up (well… aren’t all methods/words/concepts just made up??? I am not going down that rabbit hole, no thank you). What I have found by learning about them, though, is that the way we learn really affects our final product. With something like language, a major goal for me is fluency, rather than accuracy. I would love to have them both, but being able to communicate well in a so-so manner is preferred over knowing every grammar rule but being unable to use it in a real-life situation. So, when I sit down and cram 50 new vocabulary words with no context and rely on “pistas” (what I call language hints) to recall them the next day, I am not setting myself up for recalling that word during a real conversation. On the other hand, what I should be doing is focusing on ~5-10 related words at a time and learning how to use them to speak, say by practicing phrases that use them. Well, you ask, when would you want to teach for accuracy over fluency? Well, my TEFL class said that some students just want a high score on their exams and don’t care if they actually can speak the language. This, of course, is just an example. It also can still be argued that this student could utilize what they learned naturally and it really may depend on the person. Also, advanced students often strive for accuracy once fluency is already achieved and same for vise versa. I could write more disclaimers, but I’ll pass. Y’all get the point that learning is a really subjective thing. 

The way we lesson plan makes me reflect on my own autodidacticism, too. We use a general PPP format of Warm-Up, Introduction, Presentation, Practice, Production, Review, and Homework. Although I am not really making a lesson plan for my own studies, it brings up a good point in how I structure my time. I realize I don’t include many true production activities, which may limit my ability to communicate and understand on the fly. Rather than copying down song lyrics or texts to practice writing, I should be trying to write my own short story and produce language on my own. I also should be focusing on only one grammar topic at a time, which I also believe may help me feel less stressed out about how long it takes me to pick stuff up.

Next semester, assuming the world is all opened up again, I am going to take on a few extra ESL students at the Mary Ward Center (a religious organization that actually does some really awesome work in providing free English tutoring to anyone who wants it, assuming they have enough volunteer tutors) to see what teaching methods/combinations of methods jive with me best. I stressed those words in parentheses before since I have some personal issues with some religious organizations, namely those that are only around to convert people and disguise it as help. From what I have seen so far, the Mary Ward Center literally just provides tutoring and classes for whoever, regardless of race/age/income/citizenship status/etc. So yeah, party because I really like the work they do and they don’t shove religion at people. You’d think for someone who went to Catholic school as a kid, I wouldn’t be this disturbed by it. *shrugs*
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Happy reading,
-Beppa

*This is a republished post due to a domain change.*