Teach English in Yangba Zhen - Bazhong Shi

“Why are EFL Teachers Important?” Teaching English is not an easy undertaking and responsibility in any classroom setting, especially when that classroom is in a country in which English is not the native language. Teaching EFL is even more important today than it was in the past because of the ever-growing advancements in technology that continues to shrink the vastness of our world and connects it through the globalization of multinational organizations. Because of this, English is being spoken by people in more governments, corporations, schools, and a wide variety of social activities all around the world, and this practice continues to spread on a consistent basis. There are multiple factors that make learning, speaking, writing, and understanding English important and dominant in our world and everyday life interactions—many people view it as their doorway to opportunities and successes in our competitive business world, while other people see it as a portal opening up to other new and exotic worlds so they can effectively communicate with people on an international level. No matter the reasons, most students believe that they will acquire career, professional, personal, and academic advancement in their life, as well as increased social respect and status when they learn English. Teaching English as a foreign language is an extensive and time-consuming procedure—it is complex and challenging because of the students’ ethnic and social backgrounds, diverse cultural beliefs and practices, distinct personalities, and how much daily exposure they had/have to English. In addition, three important details that teachers of English as a foreign language keep in mind are the students’ age, their personal motivations for learning English, and to view each student as an individual who learns in their own way with modalities and proficiencies different from other students. Teaching English as a foreign language should not be impersonal, cookie-cutter, and rote style of instruction of students; it should be an interesting, engaged, motivational, and fun process that includes numerous activities in the classroom. This is why well-trained and effective EFL teachers are an important asset to each student’s learning process. This journey of learning English is not going to be completed easily or quickly—it will actually be a lifelong process for each student. Because of this, skilled EFL teachers can help students through the difficulties and problems of learning to speak, write, and understand a language that is foreign to them. Competent EFL teachers are able to recognize that all students differ in their personal abilities and potential, and that these differences are directly connected to the difficulties they encounter as they work to improve their fluency. Knowledgeable EFL teachers understand that students who are not native speakers of English can easily become frustrated and overwhelmed as they attempt to comprehend exactly the lessons taught in the classroom. That is why teaching English as a foreign language is so important for students seeking to enter the competition driven environment of international learning and business—EFL teaching and education are likely to be two of the most important endeavors and decisions that can help students stay current to the requirements and expectations needed to achieve their education assignments, attain their personal undertakings and goals, develop and advance their occupational performance, and to enhance their future economic and social growth. EFL teachers understand how important it is to learn English, no matter which country students live in. They recognize the value of learning and becoming proficient in English, and they know that this will only be achieved through a student’s personal exposure, challenges, effort, study, concentration, and practice. EFL teachers offer their students the best opportunity to learn, even if the students have little or limited experience with English. EFL teachers also realize the difficulties that students encounter when learning English because of all the grammatical and vocabulary rules—they know that the difficulties in learning English become intensified because of disparities and variances between native/cultural accents, inflections, and pronunciations. They also know that the English spelling system adds to the confusion and obstacles students are faced with during their education. Adept EFL teachers are fully aware of all these difficulties and challenges, and they know how to offer beneficial suggestions and solutions to their students in order to accommodate the students’ needs. They know how to help reduce or alleviate any embarrassment or frustration that may impede the students’ ability to participate, learn, and master English in the classroom and in their daily interactions. In my limited experience and because of discussions with other teachers who teach English as a foreign language, being an EFL teacher offers many rewarding, eye-opening, and life-enhancing prospects because of having the opportunity to work and live with people from around the globe—it can cultivate a deeper and more meaningful perspective on our interconnectedness as a universal community. ~Tracy F. Lost-Bear P.O. Box 10694 Kalispell, MT. 59904