THE ROLES OF TEACHERS

MODULE OBJECTIVE
Identify influential individual factors in SLL; and
explain their influence on SLL; justify with
relevant evidence
Use the knowledge and skills gained from this
module to analyze the individual factors in three
given cases; hypothesize the effects of those
factors on SLL; suggest instructional treatment;
justify the suggestion with empirical evidence.

WARM-UP
Watch an extract from Shaping the way we
teach English (045 400; 1400 1530)
Pay special attention to what the teacher does
Comment on whether you like/ dislike what she
does and explain why/ why not.

DO YOU SEE YOUR FUTURE CAREER AS THIS.?

OR THIS.?

Questions to consider
What factors influence teachers approach to their
teaching and strategies to achieve their goals?
What roles and responsibilities do teachers
assumably carry out?

Influential factors
Teaching context
+ the level of teachers autonomy in making
decisions
Roles & responsibilities decided by the institution
Role assumptions by teachers themselves
Individual teaching style

The nature of roles

the part taken by a participant in any act of
communication (Ellis & McClintock, 1990)
May be fixed (doctor-patient, teacher student) or
temporary and open to negotiation
Defined primarily by the work people do or the kind of
interpersonal relationships they imply (Wright, 1987)

The nature of roles

Teacher:
+ an occupational role
+ different interpretation, depending on
- Kinds of working school
- Teaching method employed
- Individual personalities
- Cultural backgrounds

Roles reflecting institutional factors

Teaching settings ( secondary school, universities,
private language schools) create particular roles for
teachers.
Decisive factors: the institutions
+ administrative structure
+ culture
+ teaching philosophy

E.g. traditional high school vs. private language

institute

Roles reflecting institutional factors

Institutions may require

Institutions may need to

teachers as

provide support to teachers in

+ needs analyst

+ curriculum developer

+ needs assessment skill

+ materials developer

+ course guidelines

+ counselor

+ bilingual help in negotiating

+ mentor

curriculum

+ team member

+ continuity in the programme

+ researcher

+ educational counseling

+ professional

+ conflict resolution
+ teacher role specifications

Roles reflecting a teaching approach

or method
Teachers might describe their teaching in a certain
approach

Teachers might have been trained to work within a specific

methodology

Teaching methodology implies/ prescribes teachers roles and

behaviors in classroom

E.g. Direct Method?

Active teaching?
Cooperative learning?
Communicative Language Teaching?
Total Physical Response?

Roles reflecting a teaching approach or

method
CLT sees teachers as

TPR sees teachers as

+ facilitator

+ director of all student behavior

+ independent participant

(Larsen-Freeman, 1986, p.116)

+ researcher and learner

(Breen & Candlin, 1980, p.99)
Note: since 1960s: teacher-dominated modes of learning more
learner-centered approach

Roles reflecting a personal view of

teaching

Teachers form own assumption about their roles based on

+ their theories of teaching and learning

+ their expectations/ beliefs/ experience about what works best
+their personality
Teachers interpretation of
their roles result in his/her own
teaching styles

Roles reflecting a teaching approach or

method
Teachers sees themselves

Teachers view of their roles

as

influence teaching in terms of

+ planner

+ Classroom management and

+ manager

organization

+ quality controller

+ Teacher control

+ group organizer

+ Curriculum, content & planning

+ facilitator

+ Instructional strategies

+ motivator

+ Motivational techniques

+ empowerer

+ Assessment philosophy

+ team member

(Richards, 1998)

Cultural dimensions of roles

Culture assumes

+ teachers responsibilities
+ what it means by learning
+ how students are expected to interact in the classroom
Eg. In China: Teaching = Teacher-controlled, direct process
In Western culture:
+ inductive > deductive
+ collaborative arrangement > individual working

Cultural dimensions of roles

Different cultures different assumptions about teachers,

learning, learners different expectations on the teacher and
learner

Different cultures different teachers attitude towards

teaching and learning English

DISCUSSION
Questions for discussion in the reading.