ELL teachers have the unique opportunity to foster confidence in their students, empowering them through strengthening not only their English skills, but also their ability to communicate with and reach out to more people. A love of teaching and making language learning a positive experience are the foundation of my teaching. My goal is simple but significant, and it is to propel learners forward in their language learning journey through purposeful teaching. Many students learn English because they see it as a tool that will lead to a better future and I always keep in mind the impact I can have on them.

Students need to be able to find enjoyment in the process of language learning to progress in the long run, so this is always a priority for me. Stephen Krashen’s theory of Optimal Input explains language acquisition best for me in that much of the language is learned subconsciously through extensive reading and listening that is comprehensible and participating frequently in conversations. While a good teacher has the ability to guide, encourage and inspire, language learning can only truly happen when the learner takes initiative. I believe student awareness is a key indicator of success in developing proficiency, and this awareness can be taught if there is student motivation.

Learning a language should be exciting for students! My role as a teacher is to facilitate and guide my students to be observant learners and find creative ways to best engage them while incorporating effective teaching methods. My most valuable assets to my students are an understanding of how language is acquired, quality of teaching, the ample practice time I am providing through my lessons, and my ability to observe and hone in on techniques to help them improve. As each classroom is different, this involves not only knowledge but also the ability for problem solving and thinking outside the box. As I consider motivation to be one of the biggest factors in language learning, I believe that the level of interest and engagement in the learning content and its delivery style directly correlate to students’ progress. Some ways to spark and maintain their interest are planning relevant lessons around and adapting my speech to their level and needs, being expressive, and building a supportive and fun learning environment, as it has everything to do with their willingness to learn. Creativity is something I value in learning and consider important to bring into my teaching.

For me, providing a low-stress environment for students to express themselves is crucial. I adopt an encouraging approach and always get to know my students well. A teacher’s presence sets the tone in any given classroom. Creating a relaxed atmosphere for students to practice in would be ideal for most learners to increase their confidence, learning potential, and sustained interest. Learning is optimized because it creates space to help learners improve. Students often have an idea of what they want to improve on but it is in the sensitivity and effectiveness of the teacher to carry out specific plans to reach learning goals. Within the classroom, consistent and frequent practice makes all the difference. This is where a system comes into place to really build their skills. The main purpose of language teaching for me is to create a context for them to operate in, (by using language tailored to them, which would not be possible in the outside world) and guiding students to become aware of the connections within the language, as well as building habits to use and practice the language. If we can activate the learner’s inductive process where instead of being explicitly taught, they are guided to gradually develop the ability to learn the rules of the language on their own, in time, they learn to self-correct to a great extent. In order for this to happen, both the teacher and student need to be mentally present and engaged in practice, as much relies on their commitment and focus. Purposeful teaching in this way combined with an environment conducive to learning has a powerful effect on the learning.

My method of having students explore and build on the language through awareness, learning what works and what doesn’t work through experimentation and feedback fits in with the value I place on student motivation. Learning about the various approaches to learning and teaching through the TESOL program generated much thought on my part and taking elements of these methods and making them part of my own in a way that makes sense has been my focus. In order to help students improve their ability in English and reach their goals, and drawing from my own language learning and teaching experience, the use of authentic and engaging material further enhances learning. A great amount of input needs to takes place for someone to acquire a language, especially in terms of reaching fluency, which is why I also assign extended reading and listening as much as possible to my students. Getting students into the habit of journaling or writing is an integral element in language lessons, as well as giving plenty of practice opportunity for speaking through dialogues and discussions appropriate to their level.

One of the more challenging aspects of language learning is to encourage risk-taking while developing the skills to be observant in the active language learning process. I believe students should not be pushed to perform before they are ready if we are to have a focus on quality of language. Instead, my aim is to make the language learning process enjoyable by building focused practice in all areas into the lessons in a natural way. From my teaching experience and through working as study advisor and personal tutor for adult learners, I have been effective in tapping into learners’ natural ability to learn a language. I stay present, respond in a way that encourages students when they don’t understand something, lead them to participate – whether in conversation or debate – and engage and guide them so they end up both talking more and producing better quality when using the language. Students trust me and feel comfortable to ask me what a word means or if they are saying something correctly. They had shown improvement in their written work over the course of our time together, as well as in their ability to hold conversations in English with greater fluency and accuracy. Students tell me that I’ve made language learning seem easy and accessible to them.

I believe all learners already have the capacity to learn, and that it is facilitated by learning to lean into themselves, becoming aware and gaining confidence. Teachers are instrumental to this learning as they help students ease into the immersion of a language and find the technique and flow they need for progress. Each learner is different and I am keen on adapting as needed. My passion and experience have led me to be curious to learn more about the psychology behind learning as it is so relevant to teaching. To keep evolving as a teacher, I’m dedicated to keep learning as we gain more insight into learning and teaching in the language and education fields through research and theorists’ work, attending workshops and developing ways to receive feedback that would help me grow as a teacher, as well as reflecting through trial and error. Learning about issues around intercultural communications has opened my mind to valuable perspectives, and I look forward to discovering more along my journey.