Philosophy of Teaching Statement 1

Philosophy of Teaching Statement

Philosophy of Teaching Statement

Melissa De Mesa

UCR Extension: TESOL Portfolio

March 12, 2017

 Philosophy of Teaching Statement 2

My interest in becoming an English teacher is rooted from my personal language learning

journey. I started learning English right about the time I started school. I recall being very

confused but was well encouraged by my teachers to communicate and learn. I surpassed the

ESL program very quickly and speaking in English eventually became my main language of

communication. I truly discovered I wanted to be an English teacher when I was an

undergraduate student in college. I was inspired by the courses I took that focused on

International Relations. English is becoming a prime language of communication globally and I

have the desire to personally take an active role in it. In this assertion, I hope to convey my

philosophy of teaching, consisting of my educational background that has given me a strong

foundation for teaching, my personal opinions about the best approaches and methods for

effective English teaching, and the experiences and opportunities that I have had that support my

beliefs.

Prior to my enrollment in the TESOL Certificate Program, I studied a subject matter

indirectly related to teaching English. I received my Bachelors degree in Political Science with a

concentration in International Relations from the University of California, San Diego. During my

undergraduate career, I took an immense array of classes that emphasized the importance of

tolerant communication in decision making. Reflecting back to my own expedition while

learning English, I was inspired to give others the opportunity to openly communicate in a

language widely spoken. My background in foreign affairs and the implementation of respecting

various cultures have also prepared me for the task of working with different types of students in

different contexts. In addition, my current employment as Human Resources Specialist, where I

tend to associates needs, has conditioned me to be emphatic and the opportunity to formally

instruct many differing individuals. I believe this quality is essential for being a respectable
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teacher. I am currently completing the 15-Unit Professional Certificate in TESOL. After

completion, I hope to pursue a teaching career instructing adults in a University setting in South

America. Furthermore, I plan to continue my academic career and obtain a Masters degree in

Education with a focus on TESOL after I acquire more practice and experience.

In my opinion, one of the best ways to effective teaching and learning is to follow a

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach. CLT is not necessarily a traditional method

but an approach that emerged during the 1970s to make communicative competence the overall

goal of language teaching. According to Brown (2014), CLT can be defined by the following

characteristics

1. Classroom goals are focused on all the components of communicative

competence and not restricted to grammatical or linguistic competence. 2.

Language techniques are designed to engage learners in the pragmatic, authentic,

functional use of language for meaningful purposes. Organizational language

forms are not the central focus but rather aspects of language that enable the

learner to accomplish those purposes. 3. Fluency and accuracy are seen as

complementary principles underlying communicative techniques. At times

fluency may have to take on more importance than accuracy in order to keep

learners meaningfully engaged in language use. 4. In the communicative

classroom, students ultimately have to use the language, productively and

receptively, in unrehearsed contexts (p. 236).

In simpler words, CLT emphasizes its primal focus on creating an environment that encourages

students to obtain the ability to communicate in a variety of functions in different contexts in a

meaningful and productive manner. Teachers can implement this type of style by using activities
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that urge pushed output and providing sufficient topics that fulfill functions that students would

be able to utilize in and outside of the classroom.

CLT is an important approach to ESL or EFL instruction for an abundance of reasons.

First, the CLT approach is much more enjoyable for the students than traditional instruction

methods such as the Grammar-Translation Method or Audio-Lingual Method. Rather than using

drills that are very controlled and focus on grammatical or linguistic factors, CLT focuses on

improving students ability to communicate for functions that they will use for practical reasons.

It focuses on using the targeted language in a meaningful and purposeful way. Additionally,

students will benefit from this approach because there is less of a chance that students will be

bored, uninterested or frustrated because they will be more engaged in the lessons because they

will be providing their own personal information when they communicate. This type of output

will be much more memorable for the students making it very important and effective for an ESL

or EFL class.

Another significant method that I believe would be extremely effective teaching in

learning is the Community Language Learning (CLL) method. Influenced by the changes during

the Chomskyan revolution, linguists and language teachers began looking at studies proposed by

psychologists who recognized the underpinnings of the interpersonal nature of learning a

language. With a combination of cognitive and affective factors and influences from Rogers

theory of learning into action, Curran developed a model of education known as Community

Language Learning (CLL) (Brown, 2014). According to Brown (2014), inspired by Rogers,

Curran believed that

students and teacher(s) join together to facilitate learning in a context of

valuing and prizing each individual in the group. In such a surrounding, each
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person lowers the defenses that prevent open, interpersonal communication. The

anxiety caused by the educational context is lessened by means of the supportive

community. The teachers presence is not perceived as a threat, nor is it the

teachers purpose to impose limits and boundaries. Rather, as a counselor, the

teachers role is to center his or her attention on the clients (the students) and their

needs (p. 105).

CLL is a language teaching method that emphasizes interpersonal relationships, and inductive

learning, in which the teacher is viewed more as a counselor or facilitator rather than an

instructor.

I feel that using this method is important to practice in an ESL or EFL class because it

focuses on the role of the teacher, which is vital for language teaching and learning. In this

method, the teacher has an understanding of the relationship among students feelings, physical

reactions, instinctive protective reactions, and desire to learn (Larsen-Freeman, 2013). Since the

teacher recognizes the students needs, the students would benefit from this type of environment

where the affective filters would be lowered and well managed. The students would also prosper

in this type of classroom because they would also be able to learn from one another and

simultaneously learn how to build relationships. The students level of confidence in their

communicative abilities would also rise because of the amount of support provided for them. The

components of a counselor role of the teacher, managing the students needs, and building

relationships in the classroom, are essential for creating an effective platform for teaching and

learning.

I have utilized the CLT approach during several peer teaching experiences. A specific

activity that left a lasting impression was when I was tasked with designing a speaking activity
 Philosophy of Teaching Statement 6

for one of my courses. This particular assignment entailed constructing a short speaking activity

for a context of my choosing. I purposely designed the task for a high intermediate low advanced

level of students in an IEP Program because I was testing it on my colleagues. The students for

this activity shared the goal of learning English as a second language for professional purposes.

Their motivation was high due to their personal desire to improve their English skills in hopes of

obtaining admittance to graduate school in the United States and assimilating to American

culture. As I have noticed while working alongside students similar to those in the context I

created, such students tend to struggle with spontaneous conversations in a variety of situations.

During my activity, I executed characteristics found in a CLT approach in the several

phases throughout the lesson. During the warm up portion, I activated the students background

knowledge by eliciting their personal information. I introduced the topic of modern art in

museums. I provided the students with new vocabulary words that would be reviewed during the

presentation portion. Afterwards, I played a short video pertaining to the topic, consisting of a

dialogue discussing how to define modern art based on personal beliefs. After performing a

comprehension check on the material discussed, I instructed the students to apply what they have

learned into a speaking activity that encouraged pushed output. The students were grouped in

pairs and were tasked with analyzing a new piece of artwork, and articulating and sharing their

own opinions on the art. They were also asked to create a new title and statement for the meaning

of the piece and share with the rest of the class. The purpose of the activity was for the students

to develop the ability to actively listen, strengthen critical thinking, engage in dialogue, and

articulate and produce interpretations that express their personal opinions on the context.

This activity demonstrated principles found in the CLT approach. The goals were focused

on developing communicative competence. The use of group and pair work effectively
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maximized the practice of communication. With the inclusion of a sample dialogue and

vocabulary, the students were able to use them as examples, with less focus on grammatical and

linguistic factors. Conveying meaning rather than form was the overall objective of the activity.

The activity was also designed to engage students to actively listen, process and spontaneously

share their opinions. Because it was on the topic of art, meaning was open to interpretation which

encouraged students to provide their own personal information and knowledge. This activity

provided the students a foundation for the ability to share their individual opinions and negotiate

meaning on a variety of topics.

In addition, I have also employed elements of the CLL method in my tutoring experience.

While working towards my TESOL Certificate, I participated in the TESOL tutoring program

and was assigned to work with a student in the IEP program. My tutee was in the level 500

courses and required assistance primarily in his writing classes. I was surprised at how his oral

skills were much more advanced than I anticipated, yet he struggled to convey true meaning in

writing. While working with him, I unknowingly applied principles of the CLL method.

To help this particular student develop his writing skills, I first wanted to create a sense of

trust with my tutee. I made sure to get an understanding of his needs so I could lower his

defenses so we could openly communicative with one another. Once I understood what his needs

were, I acted like more of a counselor; I did not just blatantly correct and edit his papers. I helped

guide him to self correction through inductive reasoning. Each week, I provided him with tools

to identify his own mistakes and how to self correct. As the weeks progressed, it was very clear

that his grades improved because he was making fewer errors, but most importantly, he grew

more confident in himself and his abilities. After the quarter ended, he had advanced to the next
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level in the IEP program, and I still remain a resource for his development even though the is no

longer assigned to work with me.

The way I worked with my tutee during my tutoring experience exemplifies the

underpinnings of the CLL method. I was able to take advantage of the interpersonal nature of

language learning where value was placed in the relationship between my tutee and myself.

Because I was able to create a bond of trust, I was able to identify his needs and tend to those

needs. I also tended to his needs by providing him the proper tools to guide himself and by

building up in confidence. He was also able to prosper and find success in his personal

endeavors.

In conclusion, the foundation for my philosophy of teaching consists of my personal

beliefs about teaching, embracing the the Communicative Language Teaching approach and the

Community Language Learning method. With support of research and readings, I have acquired

essential knowledge of these approaches, and through peer teaching and tutoring experience, I

have had the opportunity to employ them with colleagues and real English learners. I believe that

with my understanding of the theoretical methods to English language learning and teaching,

combined with my undergraduate degree, and my current occupational experience, will provide

me with a required foundation for effective English instruction. While reaching the end of the

TESOL Certificate program and transitioning to the next phase of my career, I embrace the

opportunity to further expand my knowledge with many more years of research and application.
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References

Brown, H. (2014). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching 6th Edition. New York,

Pearson Education.

Larsen-Freeman, D., Marti, A. (2013). Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching 3rd

Edition. Oxford University Press.