Role of the
teacher and Changes in Modern Language Teaching (69) Times are changing and the placement of the
english teacher is no longer limited to the standardised classrooms of the western schools of
england and America. Now
teachers are encouraged to fly all over the world, taking the
english language with them; to help break down the barriers of language around the globe. As the demand for more
english speaking in other countries expands, the role of the
english teacher is now more important than ever. For years learning has been based on a
teacher led classroom but with the introduction of new technologies, the role of the
teacher has been forced to adapt.
teachers of
english particularly in non native schools tend to find themselves having to take on more roles. The lessons themselves seem to be increasingly structured around student led activities influencing a more independent approach to learning. This has pressurised
teachers to become more skilled in other jobs such as; managing, listening, analysing, mentoring and motivating. 'The Role of
teachers in the 21st Century' summarises the changing roles of the
teacher in the article below: "In the past
teachers used to be the major source of knowledge, the leader and educator of their students' school life.
teachers would organise after-school activities. They used to be the authority in the class and often took over the role of the parents. Nowadays,
teachers provide information and show their students how to tackle them. Although they are still considered to be a kind of leader in the class, they can be thought of as facilitators in the learning process. They are supporters rather than educators and also advisors towards the parents." ( http://sens-public.org/spip.php?article667 ) It is important to note that these changes seem to be agreed by most people as the more suitable approach to modern day teaching. As clarified by
tesol tutor James, “Learning is a matter of listening and a good
teacher has the space to be able to listen to their students rather than listening to their own thoughts." (Working in
english Language Teaching, Top tips for a successful career, page 166) So what are the most important roles and attributes of a modern global language
teacher? A modern
teacher needs to be: A manager A mentor A motivator An Assessor An Analyst A Listener A counselor A friend A modern
teacher also needs to be: Able to respond to students without always giving the answers Adaptable to a variety of age groups and skill levels Able to clearly communicate and distribute information Bring their own personality to the lesson Able to encourage students to self teach I think the skills of an
english teacher are yet to be developed further in the future, most likely to be gearing towards more specialist areas such as teaching
young learners. There is seems to be a current trend in older students wanting to learn
english for
business, with ever developing technologies and more international communications it is no surprise that
businesses want to get their foot in the door of learning other foreign languages. Based on my own experiences, what I have learnt from the course and further research; I predict that there will be a need for other countries to opt towards a more western way of teaching in the future, starting foreign languages from an early age. Thus more opportunities for young learner teaching roles will open up as countries prepare their next generations for a wider
english speaking world. Bibliography: The Role of
teachers in the 21st Century Article - http://sens-public.org/spip.php?article667
ITTT 140hour
tesol course materials Working in
english Language Teaching Book, Publisher Unknown, Top tips for a successful career, page 166