Teachers Should Improve Their Teaching Methodology

Teaching methodology is a serious problem that the languages degree at the Universidad Jurez
Autnoma de Tabasco (UJAT) is facing. For students to successfully learn a second language it is
necessary to have the proper instruction, and teachers are said to meet all the students needs
and help them accomplish this through the methods they employ in the classroom. However,
teachers should improve their teaching methodology for three important reasons: they do not
follow the universitys educational model, they do not target all four language skills and there is a
lack of results in the students learning.

The first reason why teachers should improve their teaching methodology is that they do not
follow the universitys educational model, which indicates that teaching should be based on a
constructivist and humanistic theory. In the case of the languages degree, based on the same
model, teaching must be focused not only on form but on communication as well. However,
teachers still follow the traditional method. This also means that input and output is only
restricted, that is: textbook-based. Therefore, students are not exposed to real language, which is
mandatory if they are going to be able to deal with real-life situations. Since teaching is teacher-
centered, students do not get a say in any of the activities and their needs are not taken into
account; and neither is the programme indicated in the framework. Teachers neglect what is
supposed to be taught and activities follow only their judgement, not the programme.

The second reason why it is necessary for teachers to change their teaching methods is that
they do not target all four skills. Teachers should think about the students needs, and that
requires preparing activities that are not only fit for all of them but that also help them develop
the four language skills. Most of the time teachers focus is on grammar and teach a second
language through mechanical exercises only. Moreover, most of the activities are taken from the
textbook and they do not quite cover any of the skills. These skills are addressed but only
occasionally, and if so, not much time is consecrated to those activities. Also, these activities
concentrate on some of the skills only and relegate the rest of them.

The third and most important reason why teachers should improve their teaching methodology
is that there is a lack of results in the students learning. Students in advanced classes of the
degree are expected to have a good command of the second languages that are part of the
degree. However, results in the form of grades and students performance in advanced courses
show that the foundation of their knowledge is feeble, which can only be traced back to the way
they are being taught. When they are tasked with an academic writing or any other assignment,
they have trouble coping with it and find themselves struggling to meet the teachers demands
through the entire course, and some of them barely survive it.

In conclusion, because students learning is a reflection of their teachers instruction, which has
proven to be poor, teaching methodology should be improved. Because due to the inadequacy of
the teaching methods being used in the classroom, students cannot deal with the challenges they
are presented with, challenges for which they are supposed to be preparing for.






Elvitz Valenzuela Gordillo
Ana Laura Bravo Chabl