Comments on Teaching Approach Michael Nusbaum
My interest in TESOL stems from my affinity for foreign language acquisition.
I became interested in foreign language ever since I was an adolescent, especially Chinese. I have a Chinese wife who is pregnant with a boy. I plan to create a sustainable bi-‐lingual environment for him. This way he will be able to master both English and Chinese. I plan to do the same with my prospective Chinese students to help facilitate them in acquiring English. I will encourage and remind them that if they learn Chinese they will be able to communicate with people from all around the world. Also, with enough conscientious effort and proper instruction, they can master one of the world’s most difficult languages to master.
I learned Chinese through my own extensive efforts and some guidance. I scored exceptionally high on Columbia University’s Chinese placement exam and tested into the highest-‐level class. Colleagues and professors mention that my accent is very minimal and word usage and fluency are comparable to native speakers. I am familiar with ACTFL (The American Council for Teaching of Foreign Language) and have reached the level of ‘superior-‐distinguished’.
I have created and will recreate systemized curriculums that are suitable for particular student bodies. While a curriculum should not just adhere to a textbook, I prefer to adhere to curriculums in-‐place already and then modify as necessary. The curriculum I implement coincides with regional, national and international standards, such The College Board and Cambridge University. Within every class or level of English, every student’s level and needs are unique and therefore, I plan an ILP (Individualized Learning Plan) for every individual student. Exercises will be differentiated to accommodate the diverse language learner needs. I teach using the ‘backwards design’; where goals are set before the first lesson starts. Assessments are planned ahead of time and then modified according to the class dynamic. Assessments are used to display whether students have reached desired results. Results should be compared with data of other student bodies and analyzed. It is crucial for me as the teacher, to learn the school’s curriculum and overarching aspirations, in order to tie in relevant language use. Also, just as acquiring any particular subject matter, it is important to create a facilitative learning environment and create situations where students have to go through problem solving process to acquire language skills.
In order to engage students in language instruction and ensure they use the target language, classes will not just focus on vocabulary and grammar. Rather, groups and pairs will be a major focus to practice language and simulate real life situations inside and outside of classrooms. My philosophy is to focus more on function and not form. In other words, while grammar and vocabulary drills are necessary, it is important to focus on meaning and have students practice to simulate real life situations as much as possible. When I notice students do not understand what I am saying, I use the TL (Target Language) for circumlocution (use simple language to talk around or about the topic), this way the learners will develop the habit not to wait for English explanation. I believe only when students truly can’t gather meaning and start losing interest in crucial concepts, then I can use Chinese for concise explanation. As much as possible, input the teacher provides during instruction needs to be comprehensible to the students. Further, I am aware of students’ comprehension by being attentive to their class
performance in pairs/groups, homework and traditional assessments (tests, quizzes etc.).
Teachers should be versed in the 5 “C”s of language education. The first one is Communication and its three modes: Interpersonal Communication (speaking/listening and writing/reading between at least two people); Interpretive Communication (interpreting the content of a written or spoken text) and Presentational Communication (students presenting information in either spoken or written form). The second “C”, is Culture, in terms of practices and products of a culture and their underlying perspectives. The third is Connections; primarily to other curriculum areas. The fourth, Comparisons, both comparing the culture students are learning about to their own as well as comparing the language they are learning to English). The fifth, Communities, instilling the desire to be a life-‐long language learner and taking the language beyond the classroom setting.
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