English Teachers and Learners

• An English teacher is an educational professional specializing in teaching English language skills.

• Teaching involves sharing knowledge, skills, and values with others.

• Teachers have multiple roles: controller, agency, prompter, assessor, resource, and tutor

• Rapport is the relationship or connection that exists between students and teachers

• Building rapport involves: recognizing, listening to, and respecting students and being even-handed.

• A learner is defined as someone who is still in the process of learning.

• Different contexts for learning include:

• EFL (English as a Foreign Language)

• ESL (English as a Second Language)

• ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)

• English as Lingua Franca (common language among people with different native languages)

• ESP (English for Specific Purposes)

• EAP (English for Academic Purposes)

• Learner differences include: age, learning styles, levels, and motivation.

• The UPNFM approach is competence-based

• An approach includes theories of learning (e.g., psychology + SLA theories) and theories of language.

• Method/Design includes general specific objectives, a syllabus model, the roles of the teacher and learner, the role of the material, and learning strategies.

• Technique includes technique, strategies, and activities to learn English

Timeline of English Language Teaching

• Pre-19th Century: Latin was dominant in education, commerce, and religion. Foreign language learning focused on Latin grammar, memorization, and translation. The Grammar-Translation Method focused on written language over speaking and listening.
• 19th Century: Modern languages gained importance, leading to new teaching methods. The Grammar-Translation Method focused on grammar rules, vocabulary lists, and translation exercises. Reformers emphasized meaning, oral skills, and context-based learning.
• Late 19th - Early 20th Century: Linguists emphasized phonetics, spoken language, and contextual learning. The Direct Method focused on immersion, teaching in the target language, and avoiding translation.
• 1920s-1940s: The Direct Method faced challenges due to the need for native-speaker teachers. The Coleman Report (1929) suggested focusing on reading. The Oral Approach emphasized structured language learning and graded materials in Britain.
• 1940s-1960s: The Audiolingual Method (U.S.) emphasized drills, repetition, and habit formation based on behaviorist psychology. Situational Language Teaching (Britain) focused on teaching language through meaningful situations.
• 1970s-1980s: A shift occurred from grammar-based approaches to Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), emphasizing real-life communication. Alternative methods like Total Physical Response (TPR), Natural Approach, and Silent Way emerged
• 1990s-Present:
• Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) focuses on learning through meaningful tasks
• Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) involves teaching subjects in a foreign language to improve proficiency.
• The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) was introduced to standardize language proficiency levels.
• There's growing debate on Post-Method Approaches, questioning the effectiveness of a single "best" method.