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This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned:
Role of the Teacher In light of the modern and most advanced glottodidactic theories the role of the L2 teacher has considerably changed over the past several years: It is no longer a homogeneous model of language which the learner must comply passively according to a unidirectional teaching / learning approach.
The most innovative educational theories emphasize the learner centrality in the learning process, the interactive and bidirectional relationship between student and teacher in the teaching/learning act and the changed nature of the components of the learning action in a guided context.
Among many, the L2 teacher has the primary role of facilitator of language learning. As facilitator the teacher must create all those conditions that in a language class may help learners in their learning effort. Facilitating students learning requires a prudent and conscious use of teaching techniques, it involves the proper management of educational technology and requires a mature psychological treatment of interpersonal relations.
The teacher must pay attention not only to the learner's cognitive sphere, but also to the psychological and emotional one .
Therefore the centrality of the student, already highlighted by the cognitive method and subsequently emphasized by communicative approaches, must be understood not only in terms of language needs, but also in terms of cognitive styles of learning, inclinations and interests, attitudes and internal psychological equilibrium to be met.
The teacher must be able to arouse self-confidence, to guide an ever-growing processes of autonomy and must foster a collaborative process among students.
The classroom environment created by the teacher in collaboration with learners must have the suitable characteristics for achieving the educational goals. It must be a relaxed, cooperative environment, in which tensions, which often come out when an individual measures himself/herself against formative objectives, are managed without too much difficulty.
The language teacher holds also the role of organizer of the classroom educational activities. He/she organizes the class into small groups, assigning to each group learning tasks and time. He /she establishes the rules of group work, verifies whether there are communication and learning problems, sets learning goals in collaboration with learners.
The L2 teacher is also participant of classroom activities. He/she participates actively in the didactic interactive exchanges, he/she exemplifies scenarios and roles that students have to play, stimulates and dynamically encourages the learning tasks.
If the second language teacher gives up being the sole interpreter of linguistic knowledge, his/her role of language consultant is not diminished. The relationship between teacher and students is not equal as far as the knowledge about the learning language is concerned, those who teach offer their skills and knowledge to the learner when needed. The way they convey their own knowledge must consider several factors: learners age, the knowledge possessed by the learners, the class condition (relationship among learners), the nature of the request for help.
The teacher must be able to remain silent and leave the word to students.
If it seems excessive, perhaps the silent way method suggestion in relation to the silent role of the teacher, however, the teacher speaking time in the classroom should be reduced, leaving students free to ask questions, to formulate hypotheses and to share assessments during the educational activities.
According to me another important role hold by those who teach a second language is the experimenter.
The teacher working in class must test his/her language-teaching hypothesis, must verify the curricular project developed with students in a constant pedagogical negotiation. The teacher?s forma mentis must be the experimenter?s one, open to innovation and change.
During the educational work the teacher acquires new elements of knowledge about his/her students characteristics, he/she checks whether the educational goals are appropriate to the pace of learning, experiences the pleasure of the learners' activities and tasks through the acquisition process.
With regard to what has already been said the teacher must be able (on the basis of relevant evidence) to make changes, to readjust the teaching project to the reality of learning actions that occur into the language classroom.
