I believe teaching is a life-long learning process and regardless of one’s years of experience, there is always room for improvement. Teaching is about mutual respect. Languages are powerful for all to use. American Sign Language has unique qualities to be recognized as a language. In order to understand the structure of ASL, it consists of five linguistic features: handshapes, palm orientation, movement, location, and non-manual signals. I believe that the Eclectic Approach will allow myself to expand my teaching methods/approach; it is an approach where the teacher assesses the students in classroom to decide which methods/approaches will suit the best for the students. There are three teaching methods I feel are to ensure that the students are learning effectively: Natural Approach, Total Physical Response, and Direct Method.
The first method that I would use to teach my students is Natural Approach. It allows me to teach my students is through classroom assignments and activities. Two theorists, Stephen Krashen and Tracy Terrell, created the approach. According to Brown, Krashen and Terrell strongly believe that the students in the classroom should feel less stressed in an environment that promotes them not to experience any type of fears that could hinder their learning ability” (Brown, 31). Richards & Rodgers’ claim stated, "An acquirer can move from a stage I (where I is the acquirer's level of competence) to a stage I to 1 (where I = 1 is the stage immediately following I along some natural order) by understanding language containing I + 1” (Richards & Rodgers, 180). A teacher as their language model and to encourage the students to develop the receptive skills should reinforce through student’s sign language skills.
The second teaching method that I would use for my classroom is called Total Physical Response (TPR). According to Richards & Rogers, they mentioned TPR includes the interaction between peers and teachers that has been proved the success of the acquirer’s ability to increase their receptive skills and to overcome their fears of public speaking and classroom conversations (Richards & Rodgers, 77). I believe that using TPR will encourage the students to practice their motor skills through varied action commands by the teacher leading the activity. The instances of TPR activities involve the telephone lines, charades, and Guess Who’s cards. It will allow me to give the students the guide they need to boost the necessary skills. In Teaching by Principles, Brown claimed that Total Physical Response does not require the need to have basic materials, and the teacher is the main key to lead the activity for the student through gestures, voice and action" (Brown, 35).
The last teaching method is Direct Method. To use this method, my lecture will reflect myself presenting the information to the students as they are given the opportunity to examine the language. My belief is to use language models to ensure the examples are explicit. I personally feel that the utilization of only one language in the classroom will be effective for the students and myself because it will help to minimize the confusion by combining two different languages. I would use American Sign Language (ASL) as my primary language. According to Richards and Rodgers, they stated that the method itself is to be used with one target language (Richards & Rodgers, 36).
According to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language, the standards consist of the following five C’s: Communication, Culture, Connection, Comparison, and Community. Students will have the ability to discover their path into learning a language. Every teacher has their teaching philosophy that is designed to suits each individual’s needs.
In conclusion, I will incorporate my teaching philosophies: Natural Approach, Total Physical Response, and Direct Method to utilize in my classroom. Students visually learn a language through them practicing their receptive and expressive skills. By assessing the students in the classroom, it will require the elasticity of my teaching methods because I am aware that the teaching methods that I envision might not be effective for some of the students. I also acknowledge that each student has their own learning styles that will allow themselves to have a positive outcome of the developments of the necessary skills. It will also guide me to see which methods are effective for my students. Natural Approach is part of my desire for the students to expand their knowledge as they acquire and learn a language by increasing their ambitions and possible goals. Activities for TPR will be used to engage students’ interaction skills and at the same time, their language skills will be combined with sign language to communicate with others will be beneficial. As I begin to teach the class, the Direct Method will be used to promote the students’ receptive skills to understand the information. In the long run, the teaching philosophies that will be applied in my future classroom will benefit me to be portrayed as a language model teacher for the students to analyze themselves as they acquire a language and witness their language growth
References:
Brown, H. D. (2001). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language
pedagogy. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.
National Standards for Foreign Language Education | American Council on The Teaching of Foreign Languages. (n.d.).American Council on The Teaching of Foreign Languages. Retrieved November 5, 2012, from http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3392
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2007). Approaches and methods in language teaching.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
The first method that I would use to teach my students is Natural Approach. It allows me to teach my students is through classroom assignments and activities. Two theorists, Stephen Krashen and Tracy Terrell, created the approach. According to Brown, Krashen and Terrell strongly believe that the students in the classroom should feel less stressed in an environment that promotes them not to experience any type of fears that could hinder their learning ability” (Brown, 31). Richards & Rodgers’ claim stated, "An acquirer can move from a stage I (where I is the acquirer's level of competence) to a stage I to 1 (where I = 1 is the stage immediately following I along some natural order) by understanding language containing I + 1” (Richards & Rodgers, 180). A teacher as their language model and to encourage the students to develop the receptive skills should reinforce through student’s sign language skills.
The second teaching method that I would use for my classroom is called Total Physical Response (TPR). According to Richards & Rogers, they mentioned TPR includes the interaction between peers and teachers that has been proved the success of the acquirer’s ability to increase their receptive skills and to overcome their fears of public speaking and classroom conversations (Richards & Rodgers, 77). I believe that using TPR will encourage the students to practice their motor skills through varied action commands by the teacher leading the activity. The instances of TPR activities involve the telephone lines, charades, and Guess Who’s cards. It will allow me to give the students the guide they need to boost the necessary skills. In Teaching by Principles, Brown claimed that Total Physical Response does not require the need to have basic materials, and the teacher is the main key to lead the activity for the student through gestures, voice and action" (Brown, 35).
The last teaching method is Direct Method. To use this method, my lecture will reflect myself presenting the information to the students as they are given the opportunity to examine the language. My belief is to use language models to ensure the examples are explicit. I personally feel that the utilization of only one language in the classroom will be effective for the students and myself because it will help to minimize the confusion by combining two different languages. I would use American Sign Language (ASL) as my primary language. According to Richards and Rodgers, they stated that the method itself is to be used with one target language (Richards & Rodgers, 36).
According to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language, the standards consist of the following five C’s: Communication, Culture, Connection, Comparison, and Community. Students will have the ability to discover their path into learning a language. Every teacher has their teaching philosophy that is designed to suits each individual’s needs.
In conclusion, I will incorporate my teaching philosophies: Natural Approach, Total Physical Response, and Direct Method to utilize in my classroom. Students visually learn a language through them practicing their receptive and expressive skills. By assessing the students in the classroom, it will require the elasticity of my teaching methods because I am aware that the teaching methods that I envision might not be effective for some of the students. I also acknowledge that each student has their own learning styles that will allow themselves to have a positive outcome of the developments of the necessary skills. It will also guide me to see which methods are effective for my students. Natural Approach is part of my desire for the students to expand their knowledge as they acquire and learn a language by increasing their ambitions and possible goals. Activities for TPR will be used to engage students’ interaction skills and at the same time, their language skills will be combined with sign language to communicate with others will be beneficial. As I begin to teach the class, the Direct Method will be used to promote the students’ receptive skills to understand the information. In the long run, the teaching philosophies that will be applied in my future classroom will benefit me to be portrayed as a language model teacher for the students to analyze themselves as they acquire a language and witness their language growth
References:
Brown, H. D. (2001). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language
pedagogy. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.
National Standards for Foreign Language Education | American Council on The Teaching of Foreign Languages. (n.d.).American Council on The Teaching of Foreign Languages. Retrieved November 5, 2012, from http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3392
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2007). Approaches and methods in language teaching.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.