Teaching Philosophy

 My teaching philosophy (edited version)

My teaching philosophy is mainly formed based on my experience that I gained from the classroom. I started my career as an English Instructor in the University of Peradeniya eight years ago, just after my graduation. I always encourage inductive method of teaching, through which the students are capable of learning through inquiry, discovery and questioning. I believe that teaching a language is not merely teaching the rules incorporated with it but helping the students handle the language in a creative way. In a student centered environment, the students are free to mingle in their groups. As stated in the social constructivism theory, learning occurs with interaction between the members in the group. I also believe that the students are capable of achieving more when they are provided with more group activities. Thus, I strongly believe and include strategies where the effort of the student is high than that of the teacher. Teacher serves merely as a guide. Thus, by using the direct method in my teaching, I always encourage inductive learning where there will be maximum effort from the side of the student. With this in mind, I always make sure that I include activities where the student’s involvement is higher with the guidance of the teacher. For example: Brainstorming activities, Pair and Group activities. 

 However, there are many social and political factors that affect teachers in the teaching of English. I teach undergraduates following subjects in the Arts stream. There are students who come from different social, political, economic and cultural backgrounds in the classes that I teach. Thus, I face a lot of challenges in the classroom. Most of these students enter the University with a minimal knowledge in English. Thus, helping these students achieve is a great challenge to me. As English Language educators, we are pressurized socially and politically. There are instances when we cannot adhere to our own decisions but have to follow the commands given to us by the authorities. Even from the side of the students, we sometimes receive less support since they are led to believe that English is not their area of study. Thus, I think the first thing we have to do is make the classroom a friendly place to the students. We have to break the prejudices that they have about the target language before we start to teach them. As Kramsch, C. and Zhu, Hua states in their article Language and Culture in ELT (2016) teachers of ELT has to be well aware about the politics involved behind the ELT culture. This knowledge will help us function wisely in the classroom. There should be a clear understanding of the ELT culture and avoid stereotyping and overgeneralizations.

 As ESL educators we should not abide by one particular theory, I strongly believe that the teachers should change their way of teaching based on the context and the competency level of the students. I think for teaching to be successful we, the English practitioners need to be properly equipped with the knowledge of all the theories because classroom instruction and activities are based on a thorough understanding of all the theories. As ESL teachers we need to address the requirements of the students in terms of: materials, sources used and the teaching style followed.

Materials and curriculum are also very important factors that the English educators have to consider in teaching. I believe that students should be guided to be active rather than remaining passive. The teacher should always guide them to think critically. As I teach Arts undergraduates, I believe that materials have to designed in a way that would develop their reasoned thinking. Socratics’ philosophy highlights this concept where prominence in the classroom has to be given to reasoned thinking. When the materials taught in the classroom becomes goal oriented there is less space for creative and reasoned thinking. The classroom becomes a less interactive place where the students play the role of parrots reproducing the things taught in the class without developing any creative skills. So, I believe that as English educators we must encourage the students to think out of the box, without being conventional.

Materials should also be learner friendly to the students. Alienating material will sweep the student’s interest in learning the language. Parakrama (2010) refers to this situation as “The difficulty of learning an alien language is made twice as difficult by alienating through this alien and alienating material” (p 88). As culture and Language are interdependent according to Kramsch, teachers have to prepare their materials to suit the culture from which their students come from. Materials should be designed in a way which will help in promoting intercultural communication between the students. As teachers we have to be sure that all their values and beliefs are shared in class.

I also encourage repetition in the classroom when teaching my students. According to the Behaviorist theory, repetition is a way through which the students will get more practice and will be more familiar with the concepts taught in class. This is specific with the grammar structures. Grading and assessing of students should mainly happen by providing feedback to the students. As all four skills are taught in the class, the teachers should provide feedback and help students improve.  From my experience of teaching, I believe that in teaching and learning of a language, students have to be taught/practiced to use the language in the real world, appreciate the things that they have around with the use of language. Feedback, proper guidance, discussions have to be encouraged in the classroom to make learning facile. As stated by Rambukwella (2020), the main figure of the pragmatist school of thought John Dewey reflects the importance of facing real life situations by breaking away the conventional norms and traditions. “………education is not about fostering tradition, or about normative transcendental principles (ideas that transcend time and place) but about adaptation to a constantly changing external environment” (p 14).  As ESL teachers we must be unbiased and make sure no discrepancies are caused in language teaching and learning. There should not be any segregation based on the social status or the background they come from.  Interactive sessions to build the confidence of the students should be carried out in the classroom. The teacher should not serve as a dictator symbolizing power but a figure who would direct the students to the correct path. So as successful teachers we must ensure that opportunities are equally distributed among all the students.

Appendix

My teaching philosophy (Old version to which I received comments) 

Appendix

 I am an English Instructor working in a state University in Sri-Lanka. My philosophy of teaching in relation to the knowledge that I got from this course will be analyzed in this essay. I started my career as an English Instructor in a state University eight years ago, just after my graduation. As an English Instructor working in a State University in Sri-Lanka I encourage class discussions, interactive sessions that would help improve the creative and analytical thinking capacities of students. I believe that teaching a language is not merely teaching the rules incorporated with it but helping the students handle the language in a creative way. However, there are many social and political factors that affect teachers in the teaching of English. I teach undergraduates following subjects in the Arts stream. There are students who come from different social, political, economic and cultural backgrounds in the classes that I teach. Thus, I face a lot of challenges in the classroom. Most of these students enter the University with a minimal knowledge in English. Thus, helping these students achieve is a great challenge to me. As English Language educators, we are pressurized socially and politically. There are instances when we cannot adhere to our own decisions but have to follow the commands given to us by the authorities. Even from the side of the students, we sometimes receive less support since they are led to believe that English is not their area of study.

 I always believe in the eclectic approach in terms of ESL teaching. I think for teaching to be successful we, the English practitioners need to be properly equipped with the knowledge of all the theories because classroom instruction and activities are based on a thorough understanding of all the theories. As ESL teachers we need to address the requirements of the students in terms of: materials, sources used and the teaching style followed. Thus, I strongly believe and include strategies where the effort of the student is high than that of the teacher. Teacher serves merely as a guide. Thus, by using the direct method in my teaching, I always encourage inductive learning where there will be maximum effort from the side of the student.

With this in mind, I always make sure that I include activities where the student’s involvement is higher with the guidance of the teacher. For example: Brainstorming activities, Pair and Group activities. 

 One other important factor that I consider in my philosophy of teaching English as a second language is to make the classroom a friendly place where ideas of different cultures and ethnicities are exchanged.  In the University that I teach students are pressurized by the seniors as well as the authorities from the first day they enter the University. So most of the time motivation to the students have to be given with a warm welcome that would erase away their fear of English. John Rawls the American Philosopher in his publication ‘A Theory of Justice’ (1971) shows the importance of ensuring all the students are equipped with equal opportunities in the learning. As ESL teachers we must be unbiased and make sure no discrepancies are caused in language teaching and learning. There should not be any segregation based on the social status or the background they come from.  Interactive sessions to build the confidence of the students should be carried out in the classroom. The teacher should not serve as a dictator symbolizing power but a figure who would direct the students to the correct path. So as successful teachers we must ensure that opportunities are equally distributed among all the students.  

Materials and curriculum are also very important factors that the English educators have to consider in teaching. I believe that students should be guided to be active rather than remaining passive. The teacher should always guide them to think critically. As I teach Arts undergraduates, I believe that materials have to designed in a way that would develop their reasoned thinking. Socratics’ philosophy highlights this concept where prominence in the classroom has to be given to reasoned thinking. When the materials taught in the classroom becomes goal oriented there is less space for creative and reasoned thinking. The classroom becomes a less interactive place where the students play the role of parrots reproducing the things taught in the class without developing any creative skills. So, I believe that as English educators we must encourage the students to think out of the box, without being conventional.   

I also encourage repetition in the classroom when teaching my students. According to the Behaviorist theory, repetition is a way through which the students will get more practice and will be more familiar with the concepts taught in class. This is specific with the grammar structures. Grading and assessing of students should mainly happen by providing feedback to the students. As all four skills are taught in the class, the teachers should provide feedback and help students improve.  From my experience of teaching, I believe that in teaching and learning of a language, students have to be taught/practiced to use the language in the real world, appreciate the things that they have around with the use of language. Feedback, proper guidance, discussions have to be encouraged in the classroom to make learning facile. As stated by Rambukwella (2020), the main figure of the pragmatist school of thought John Dewey reflects the importance of facing real life situations by breaking away the conventional norms and traditions. “………education is not about fostering tradition, or about normative transcendental principles (ideas that transcend time and place) but about adaptation to a constantly changing external environment” (p 14).  

References

1.Douglas, D. A. N., & Frazier, S. (2001). Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy .: H. Douglas Brown.

2. Ellis, R., & Ellis, R. R. (1994). The study of second language acquisition. Oxford University.

3. Fernando, D. (2020). Methodology in Language teaching Teaching Writing.  Post Graduate Institute of English.

4. Gass & J. Schachter (eds.), Linguistic Perspectives on second language acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

5. King, L. A. (2016). The science of psychology: An appreciative view. McGraw-Hill Education.

6. Kramsch, C., & Hua, Z. (2016). Language and culture in ELT. In The Routledge handbook of English language teaching (pp. 38-50). Routledge.

7.Noll, V. H., & Noll, R. P. (1968). Readings in educational psychology. The Macmillan Company. 8.Parakrama, A. (2010). Naduth Unge Baduth Unge (Mistranslated as the rules & tools are theirs): Some thoughts on the language of privilege & the privilege of language. A fests chrift for EFC Ludowyk–English in Sri Lanka: Ceylon English, Lankan English, Sri Lankan English. Colombo: Sri Lanka English Language Teachers’ Association (SLELTA).

9.Rambulwella, H.S. (2020). Philosophical Bases of Education. Post Graduate Institute of English.

10. Rambulwella, H.S. (2020). Philosophical Bases of Education. Post Graduate Institute of English. 

11.Wickramarachchi. T. (2020). Methodology in Language teaching: Teaching Reading. Post Graduate Institute of English.

Chathurima Jayasuriya

PGIE/TESL/21/D048