Prior to taking this course, my knowledge of
english grammar was very limited and primarily gleaned tangentially from taking courses in other languages such as
french and Mandarin. I have found this course incredibly useful for its comprehensive overview of basic
english grammar as well as its introduction to strategies and techniques that can be used for teaching
efl in a variety of contexts. I plan put into action what I have learned in several ways.
One of the reasons I took this course is that I would like to eventually work as a consultant for the design and development of online games that are capable of simultaneously teaching users a foreign language, while also introducing them to another nation's history and culture. I have a general knowledge of the technological aspects of such a project and because I have a
degree in anthropology I have a good idea about how to teach history and culture. However, I was clueless as to how to address the challenges of teaching and learning
english as a foreign language. This course has improved my own knowledge of
english grammar. Additionally, I have gained a much better grounding in what
efl students need to learn at different levels as well as how to teach (relevant examples, appropriate drills and activities, the steps involved etc…). Particularly useful were the contextual examples along the way that discuss what problems are most likely to be encountered among students from a particular ethnic or linguistic background. This has made me realize that an effective
efl game needs to be designed with the needs of specific groups of learners in mind. This will require background research watching students learn in context and consultation with experienced
teachers.
I currently work as a tutorial leader at my university and intend to teach undergraduate and graduate level course upon graduation. I found the “Engage – Study – Activate” approach to lesson planning along with the corresponding lesson plan template and self-
assessment form
to be a well organized and systematic way to prepare for a class and to keep track of student progress and my own progress along the way. I intend to
apply the units covering these topics both in contexts where I am teaching
efl and, more generally, to contexts where I am expected to teach students on a variety of topics.