My overarching goal as an English language teacher is to make learning as fun

and easy as possible.

Fun language learning entails use of authentic language use in a cooperative
environment. In essence, what is learned can be adapted to reallife situations !ordering at
a restaurant, interacting with your child"s school principal, etc.# $ccordingly, te%tbook
content will be supplemented with activities based on students" needs and interests, and
classroom time will be filled with pair and group work, giving students the opportunity to
bond and support one another. Interaction in the classroom is also meant as a way to
imitate reallife situations where negotiation for meaning between two or more parties
will undoubtedly occur. &hus, classroom practice serves as a means to facilitate
communication when the need arises.
Easy should not in any way be misconstrued as unchallenging. 'ather the
term, for the purposes of this paper, is meant to be synonymous with natural, where
learning is understood to take place naturally and with longterm benefits when there is
no longer a need to serve a shortterm goal !i.e., only aiming to ac(uire good grades#. &he
intention behind this is that the tediousness associated with learning solely for the
purpose of obtaining a grade is eliminated when learning is made relatable and
meaningful.
I have chosen fun and easy as the keywords to describe my teaching style,
because language is an invaluable, yet difficult skill set to ac(uire. I believe that when
daily demands on the student are lessened, then meaningful and longterm learning can
take place. &ime constraints, for instance, often challenge adult learners with work and
family obligations. )hen time is at a premium, affective factors, such as motivation, are
at their most sensitive, and I believe that students retain hope and are not defeated by the
struggles that come with learning a new language when they are made aware of the
progress they have made. *ronunciation, in particular, can prove troublesome for
learners, and using an audio file to record the student"s own voice can ease their learning
by providing instant feedback. &his activity allows students to track the progress they
have made throughout the course duration.
In general, my role as a teacher is to engage and support students through
interactive and communicative activities that seek to complement as well as nurture
e%isting language skills. +lass time, too, will be dedicated to activities that integrate the
four skills !listening, speaking, reading, writing#, the theoretical underpinnings of which
relate to ,wain"s Output Hypothesis !-./0#, where the importance of student production
is emphasi1ed. I firmly believe that students" struggles in the wake of attempting to
produce output in the new language will cause them to seek solutions to their linguistic
limitations. In this way, the student engages in learner autonomy and drives his own
learning.
In summary, my teaching style is a composite of learning and teaching strategies
and theories put into practice, as well as personal insight I have gained from the kind of
learning that has worked best for me. 2essons from my time as a student are what have
e(uipped me with the ability to reflect on my own learning style and needs, and to
recogni1e the same in others. I understand that my practices and beliefs will evolve with
time and e%perience, and in this respect, I am fully prepared to share any newfound
wisdom I have garnered, so that my students may capitali1e on my insights to enhance
their learning.