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When addressing the myriad and vast subject of teaching English throughout the world, we must always remember that the primary focus of language in most forms is to facilitate communication. The learners who wish to know English simply for the sake of knowing it are few and far between. Most are doing it academically, either per their own desires or the requirements of a given curriculum, though of course we cannot discount the numerous language learners who are professionally invested in English. Some may even be doing it simply as hobby. Of course, when considering such an aspect of the modern educational experience, we are inherently inclined to ask ourselves how such a thing pertains to our actual function as instructors the world over. The reason that I choose to emphasize this reality is so that we, as responsible instructors, never forget that merely covering material or ingraining a particular does not constitute successful learning. It is not the grades that our students receive nor the amount of pages completed by which we should make our metric. It is, in fact, dictated solely by how much English language ability a student has at the end of a course. I myself have in the past felt the alluring whisper of meager busy work grace my overworked mind, but what does this afford the students? Have they practiced the actual art of speaking? Or have I simply drilled endlessly upon the science of it? How have I taken the two and created a capable speaker? This course offers a great deal of insight into not just the grammatical aspects of English education but into the actual classroom manifestations thereof. It offers guidance for relationships between instructors and students. It even attends to students generating rapport with one another. I'm quite grateful to have perused these lessons in particular. I genuinely think everyone in the world who has spent even a small amount of time in a classroom has encountered at least a few less than stellar educators. Those that merely parrot textbook information in the most lackluster manner possible. Those unfortunate teachers who had no engagement with their students. Those who did not know how to employ the appropriate means to take raw education and create from it something appreciably learned. No degree is relevant if the students are not sincerely engaged and accruing understanding. There is a vast world of difference between learning to do English and learning to do English homework. Its always disappointing to see a student dissuaded from learning by the monotony of a poorly conceived curriculum. The generic read-it-to-yourself studies that wouldn't work for young learners, business learners, or really anyone at all. The emphasis these lessons placed on a balance of material across the spectrum of games, drills, tools, surveys, and assessment lends itself to creating a more competent, complete instructor. These are wholly necessary tools. I'll certainly be changing my lessons moving forward. Building rapport so that students feel comfortable in the learning environment is beneficial on so many levels yet after completing this course I know I can do better. That's the learning process on our side though. All we can do is try to be better instructors tomorrow than we were today.
