Part II: Statement of Language Teaching Philosophy and Methods

As language learning evolves, so must our teaching. In this philosophy, I will briefly mention my thoughts on three quintessential points I would apply in any teaching context: student autonomy, lifelong learning, and intercultural understanding. I approach these notions with an interest in technology (social media, computer-based language programs, etc.) and artistic expressions (photography, painting, etc.), which are two domains that have played a large role in my personal and academic life. I will discuss the literature and supporting evidence on my beliefs, and enumerate possible ways to apply those points in the classroom. Student Autonomy As a language learner, I benefitted the most from classes that always involved an aspect of student autonomy. When students have a sense of responsibility for their own learning, the homework and tests evolve from a chore to a personal challenge. I believe that, as a teacher, it is my responsibility to inspire this accountability for students own grades and successes through the use of authentic materials, communicative activities, and relevant content. In my personal experience, I have always excelled in classes that applied and interested me, despite their difficulty, and struggled in those that did not; even when the content may not have been inherently difficult. I believe that same rule exists for English language learners; while we as teachers cannot force students to learn if they do not want to, we can provide the structure and direction to inspire conscientiousness within them. Language learning is not only done in the classroom; successful teaching, in my opinion, is accomplished by giving students learning strategies they can employ outside of class; one such strategy will be mentioned at the end of this section.

I am in favor of using various art forms and entertainment as a catalyst for second language learning, as I believe it can inspire students to continue their English learning outside of any curriculum or requirement. Introducing songs or books in English can be a big motivation tool for learning. I think this willingness to help students find authentic materials is one of the most important tools we as teachers can give to our students. Noticing a word in a book, song or English-speaking TV show can happen at any time outside of class and further the students incentive and enthusiasm for English learning. The act of memorizing words in a song or poem can also affect other aspects of English such as grammar and reading ability. My belief in giving students worthwhile, authentic materials at home so that their English learning experience is not limited to class time is supported by connectionism and the Noticing Hypothesis. Connectionism claims that a human being learns languages through continued exposure; the more a student hears an irregular past tense in use, for example, the sturdier the connection between hearing it and knowing it becomes. Lightbrown and Spada described the basic idea of the theory well After hearing language features in specific situational or linguistic contexts over and over again, learners develop a stronger and stronger network of connections between those elements (p. 41, 2006, citing N. Ellis, 2002). This goes along the same lines with the Noticing Hypothesis (Schmidt, 1990), which states that before a person can know a word fundamentally, they must first notice it. I believe that by encouraging students to experience the English language through enjoyment of art and entertainment forms outside of class, I can help build the connection networks in their language repertoire and create opportunities for them to notice the gaps between their interlanguage and the target language. Since pop culture has an enormous impact on the lives of Americans as well as the people of many other cultures, I think the interest of the student would be piqued if they discovered

(with my help, if needed) a person or artist that they could relate to. Having students fill out a quick survey about their likes and dislikes in the beginning of the course could help me suggest artists they might be interested in. Adding a realistic element to what it is they are being taught can help inspire academic drive as well as help them practice their English skills. Projects such as this could involve writing pretend news article about the person, giving a presentation to the class about the person, or memorizing a song or poem from that person. This will also be conducive to language learning outside of class because the student can keep up with the artist they had chosen by: watching interviews and TV appearances, reading books, blog posts and news articles about or by that person, and following them on social media like Twitter or Facebook. Providing supplementary materials with music and extensive reading suggestions, incorporating activities in lessons that cover memorization tips and tricks, and links to useful online websites that are related to the course content could be a continuous project for me as a teacher to build upon semester after semester. To ensure the students have something concrete to work with outside of class, I will have the students keep a journal throughout the semester with a list of vocabulary, phrases, or grammar that they found most applicable to their specific English goals. Presenting their project as an assessment at the end of the class is another way to take their project and produce a result. Developing student autonomy is also a stepping stone in building students enthusiasm for lifelong learning. If I am successful at inspiring students to take time outside of class to research English and take control of their own language learning, my hope is that they will then continue their English goals well past my course.

Lifelong Learning I believe strongly in lifelong learning, for both teachers and students. The role of a teacher is to be a mentor, a guide, a resource, and a coach. I think it is important for teachers to remember what it is like to be a student: all of the frustrations and successes that happen every day. I wish to be an unwavering supply of optimism and support and let my students feel like they can rely on me to listen to their language difficulties and constantly steer them in the right direction on the path to English fluency. This is not an easy feat and will require time, respect, and a positive attitude to gain their trust and have them allow themselves to be open and vulnerable to constructive criticism. As stated in a case study based on positive teacher feedback, encouragement can foster better language results as well as an unthreatening environment for the students (Lipp, 1995). Learning about my students is an important aspect of life-long learning, as well. For those students who feel frustrated because they are not keeping up with the course load, I think it is my duty to suggest alternative study habits and extra help outside of the classroom. For the students who feel frustrated because their partner has worse pronunciation than they do and therefore feel like they are not learning anything, it is then my responsibility to explain that not everyone is at the same level nor moving at the same pace. Then I would put a rotation of partners in action so that no one loses motivation. It is the attention and care shown to the students and their needs that allow a teacher to be respected which then allows me to do my job properly. This leads into the importance of understanding the term interference (R. Ellis, 1998), which comes from the L1 and usually plays a large role in grammatical and speech issues. My role as a teacher, therefore, is to research the students individual backgrounds (especially if they

are not all from the same culture) and be able to at least recognize the common potential challenges that students with that particular L1 background may have in learning English. I think understanding interference would be advantageous since most, if not all, of my students will have come from different L1 backgrounds and unconsciously attach that grammar and pronunciation to the L2 they are attempting to learn. In some cases, this could be positive if the language shares the same alphabet as English, similar grammatical feature, sounds, or vocabulary. However for those that do not, authentic examples of native English speakers choice of words and phrases are important for student production of natural-sounding English sentences. In order to improve my teaching, I would also like to get in the habit of reflecting on my strengths and weaknesses through writing, which will improve future lessons. This can also be expanded by peer-evaluation; I will gracefully accept constructive feedback, as there is always room for improvement. Like my students, I hope to continually strive to study other languages and force myself into situations that are not entirely comfortable at first. I have an enormous desire to see and experience as much of the world as I am blessed to visit, so wherever I travel, I will make an effort to learn the basic features of the dominate language. For student life-long learning, I will definitely assign vocabulary for the students to learn and practice at home on a nearly daily basis in order to develop the habit. This way, they can see development in their own work every class, which will hopefully be evidence for them that continuous study well past the course would still be beneficial for them and produce results to their liking. Mastering the pronunciation of English can be an obstacle seemingly impossible to overcome for learners, and reaching a threshold level of acceptance pronunciation will probably take longer than the length of one course. To avoid this becoming discouraging, I need to build

upon the sense of dual-identity I spoke about earlier if a student intrinsically understands that their main target in learning English is to communicate with English-only speakers and not become one, that obstacle can be easily disregarded and sustained throughout their lifelong learning. Intercultural Understanding Tolerance toward and an appreciation of other cultures is such an essential part of who I am, that I would absolutely incorporate intercultural understanding in every one of my classes. I believe in finding opportunities for students to connect with people from different cultures through programs, events, and teaching activities. Students should gain a new language identity of English, which does not belittle their L1 identity. In a case study done to detail social identity in second language acquisition, the author claims that the important link between second language use and social identity must be seen in its relation to empowerment, being heard, and the ongoing process of self-realization (Miller, 1999). This example shows that when language learners gain confidence in not only their use of English, but also their identity as English speakers, they will feel a sense of empowerment that will only enhance their studies. I believe that the teaching approach I choose to use as a teacher should be sensitive to the students cultural backgrounds and goals. I will develop several teaching strategies to ensure the students specific needs or outcomes are being addressed and helping them with their long-term English acquisition. An example of this strategy is group work exercises like jigsaw, in which students are grouped with those from different cultural backgrounds, study different material, and then teach it to each other. In order to convey the importance of intercultural communication to students, I also believe that, as the teacher, I must first experience it firsthand; to enrich my

cultural understanding as well as to further open my mind to language learning, I hope to travel even more. In order to inspire new social identities in English, I will make sure that the institution I am a part of has some type of exchange with native English speakers and other non-native speakers of English: whether through a sister school that students can form an online pen pal with, or a language and culture program where students can meet with English speakers for lunch. In a classroom full of multilingual students who must use English to communicate with each other even during breaks, the students can be broken into groups of different L1 speakers so that the teacher does not need to check constantly whether only English is being spoken, which again strengthens their English identity. Requiring semester projects from the students is an example of how to ensure their development of intercultural understanding. For example, one involving a written research paper about different cultures that is then peer-edited could help foster intercultural interest. Another could be an oral presentation about their cultural background that will be presented to the entire class, which would then allow the other students a chance to learn about each others language and culture. If the class shares the same L1, they can still present on their specific dialect or subculture or even choose different English-speaking groups to research and present their findings: for example, British, Scottish, Australian, American, or any other group of English speakers. Conclusion In conclusion, there are three aspects of teaching that are monumentally important to me: student autonomy, lifelong learning, and intercultural understanding. It is my philosophy to provide motivation to the students to continue their English studies outside of the classroom,

improve my teaching skills and set my students on a path of lifelong learning, and finally help students understand that they do not need to lose their L1 identity in order to gain a new one. Focusing on the distinct challenges, needs, and relevance of each of my classes is my goal. As a teacher, I hope not to sway from my ironclad resolve to improve the minds of my students and ensure that they are learning useful and rewarding English.

References Ellis, N. (2002). Frequency effects in language processing. Studies in Second Language Acquision, (24), 143-188. Ellis, R. (1998). Second language acquisition. (p. 51., p. 140). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Lightbrown, P., & Spada, N. (2006). How languages are learned. (3rd ed., p. 41). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Lipp, E. (1995). Training ESL teachers to write effective feedback on composition drafts. Journal of Intensive English Studies, 9(-), 50-66. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.hpu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/85604834?accounti d=2514 Miller, J. (1999). Becoming audible: Social identity and second language use. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 20(2), 149-165. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.hpu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/85524333?accounti d=2514 Schmidt, R. (1990). The role of consciousness in second language learning. Applied Linguistics, (11), 129-158.