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The role of the teacher plays an enormous part when looking at the effectiveness of teaching English as a second language. The teacher is the person who can instil confidence in the students, who can facilitate conversation, who can teach but also listen. It is essential that the teacher has acquired the necessary training and is aware of what her/his role is in assisting students in gaining skills to speak their new language. The role of the teacher will be discussed below. The initial role of the teacher is to establish a good rapport in the classroom - between teacher and students and amongst students themselves. Once there is a positive atmosphere in the classroom, students will feel more positive about their lessons, be more inclined to be actively involved and most importantly, to learn. The teachers role is also to plan and prepare lessons. It is essential she/he is aware of the general level of the group and pitches lessons accordingly. Visual materials chosen should be attractive and interesting, and topics chosen should be of interest to the students which will generate conversation during the lesson. Plans should be made so lessons run smoothly and timeously and at all times the teacher should be aware of the students needs by presenting level and age appropriate, stimulating and engaging lessons. Another role of the teacher is assessment. Initially it is necessary to establish the level of students in the group. This is done through placement tests. This will ensure material will be presented at an appropriate level and students will be grouped at a similar ability level. If material presented is not at the correct level or student groupings are not according to level, the classroom dialogue will most likely be a negative one. Another form of assessment for the teacher to implement is periodic progress tests. This will ensure both students and teacher are on the right track! It would be up to the teacher and the school whether more formal testing needs to be done. Whilst the role of the teacher is to be proactive in the direct instruction of reading, writing, speaking and listening, it is also appropriate for the teacher to be in a more passive role at times. The teacher needs to listen whilst students are talking, allow students to experiment with the language, and to learn not to be judgemental and critical. If the teacher takes on a role of acceptance and positive reinforcement, confidence will be gained and the desire to learn by the students will be fostered. The above would indicate that the role of teacher as facilitator is very important. When a lesson is planned (and implemented), it is the role of the teacher to establish the structure. As described in all units studied, a simple ESA structure (Engage,Activate,Study) will incorporate all components necessary for a successful lesson. There are different formats of the basic ESA lesson, and again it would be the role of the teacher to implement the various lesson structures when appropriate. It is also the role of the teacher to implement and be aware of basic teaching principles within the classroom and during the lesson. The teacher will exert discipline should this be necessary, he/she will ensure everyone is participating and learning, students are correctly grouped, that the structure and content of the lesson is holding the student’s attention and that the pace of the lesson is moving correctly. It is the teachers role to arrange the classroom in the best way for learning to take place (rows, circles, tables) and to ensure instructions given have clarity and easily understood. From the above it is evident that the teacher plays a crucial role in the teaching of English as a second language. Whist the teacher has the role of instructor, it is also extremely important that the teacher is aware of when he/she needs to be in the role of facilitator and observer. Basic teaching principals need to be adhered to which will certainly lead to a successful, satisfying and rewarding role. The more effort the teacher puts in as her role of English language teacher, the more the reward.
