Teach English in Dazhang Zhen - Linfen Shi

One major aspect of the job of being a language teacher is creating appropriate course materials and using them effectively in the classroom. These materials can take many forms, and if possible it is a good idea to mix it up in terms of materials so that students do not become bored with just one type. However, the type of materials that a teacher will choose to use also largely depends on what is available to him or her. Schools all over the world have varying levels of access to supplies and resources, so any aspiring teacher must stay flexible in planning what he or she will use in the classroom. In this summative task I will briefly summarize and discuss just a few of the many types of course materials of which a language teacher can make use. One course material that most language teachers will encounter is a language textbook. Textbooks are fairly ubiquitous all over the world, and many students will have experience learning from them. Textbooks can be useful resources in planning out how to teach certain grammar or vocabulary points, as well as being a useful source of activity and game ideas. In some schools, the teacher may be expected to hew very closely to the textbook and will not have a lot of flexibility to bring in his or her own ideas. In other schools, the language curriculum will be much more flexible and teacher-directed, and in some cases there may be no textbook at all. While language teachers are usually not in charge of choosing their own textbooks, if they are given the chance they should do careful research to determine what will best suit their students’ needs. All in all, teachers should be prepared to encounter this material in the classroom and should spend time familiarizing themselves with any textbook that the students are assigned. Worksheets and handouts are also fairly ubiquitous, and can take many forms. Grammar worksheets, like fill-in-the-blank activities, can be great for the “Study” phase of a lesson, while more fun worksheets like crossword puzzles, word searches, etc. can really engage students’ interest. This is a place where teachers can really have fun and let their creativity run wild, especially if the worksheets are used to supplement a course textbook that is on the drier side. Teachers also often find it effective to play a variety of games in the classroom, as this can help pique students’ interest and make language learning fun. Games like bingo require a little bit of material preparation on the teacher’s part, so it is important to think through exactly what materials will be needed for any game. Teachers must also think about the electronic resources available to them in the classroom. In many schools, the teacher may have a more traditional setup with a blackboard or whiteboard and then paper handouts used as needed. Increasingly, however, schools around the world are beginning to have computers, smart boards, and many other electronic resources in the classroom. If these are available, the teacher should definitely make use of them. However, lessons delivered electronically often need to be structured thoughtfully, so teachers with access to these resources should take the time to familiarize themselves with them and to adjust any planned course materials accordingly. Teachers can make use of a myriad of resources and materials in the classroom; too many, in fact, to go into in just one summative task. However, the many takeaway of this task is that language teachers must go into any classroom with an open mind and a willingness to work with what is there. If they are creative with the resources that they have, they can effectively leverage materials to maximize student engagement and learning.