My Philosophy of Teaching a Second Language

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Learning a foreign language can provide students with the linguistic and cultural competencies they need to succeed in a world that has become increasingly interconnected. Having been raised in the UK, lived in France for several years and worked in Africa and the Middle East, I’ve had to communicate in a wide range of cultural and societal situations. These experiences, when combined with my French language skills, have helped me understand the value of intercultural competence and the ability to truly communicate with people from other cultures. These abilities are some of the most important skills I have ever learned. My life-long passion is helping students to develop those same skills so that they are able to fully experience the richness and diversity of different cultures, feel engaged with local and international communities, and are motivated to become true global citizens.

 

At the core of my approach to teaching a second language is Communicative Language Teaching, an overall approach that aims to develop second language abilities by providing students with frequent and continuous opportunities to engage in interactive communicative tasks that reflect real-life situations. This requires students to experience the authentic target language as it is spoken and written today in the target culture. It also requires that the language curriculum, lesson plans and classroom activities be based on ACTFL’s World-Readiness Standards and integrate the four essential language skills as well as the interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes of communication. 

 

I believe that learners can become more proficient in these three primary modes of communication when instructors use classroom instruction strategies that, 1) provide students with comprehensible input and output that is directed toward true and real-life communicative goals; 2) support comprehension through the use of body language, gestures and visual support;

3) conduct comprehension checks to ensure understanding; 4) develop situations in which learners are required to negotiate meaning in order to successfully communicate; 5) encourage self-expression and the use of spontaneous language; and 6) teach learners strategies for requesting clarification when faced with comprehension difficulties.

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These communicative goals and classroom strategies support an overall instructional approach of Communicative Language Teaching, the approach that I believe provides learners with the highest opportunities for success to learn a second language. It also provides students with the foundation required to engage in meaningful, unrehearsed and effective communication. Equally important to my teaching approach is the development of an inclusive environment that places the student at the center of instruction and takes into account learner needs and the wide range of individual learning styles. I believe strongly that language learning is much more effective in a collaborative and positive environment that supports the uniqueness and diversity of its students; that encourages risk-taking and mistakes; that is deliberate about developing student motivation and self-esteem; and that celebrates student engagement and a willingness to communicate.

 

When combined with an awareness of the target language’s culture, second language learning can be even more successful.  Therefore, I fully support the study of culture and believe it has an essential place in the language classroom. Language and culture are inextricably entwined and it is the role of the foreign language instructor to foster in students a sense of curiosity, respect and appreciation for the target language culture so that students are able to develop intercultural competence.  Given my personal history of living in Paris, the language and culture of mainland France will always play an important role in my teaching, but I believe it is essential to student growth that they also learn about, and appreciate, the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of other communities in the Francophone world. When the teaching of language and culture are combined, students are able to develop the language skills and socio-cultural awareness to become effective communicators in the target language in a variety of different situations and contexts.

 

As a French language instructor, it is important to my growth and continued development to pursue professional learning opportunities in instructional methods as well as my knowledge and use of the French language and culture. It is equally critical that I stay on top of the latest research trends so that I am able to transfer key findings to the classroom and make learning more effective for my students. As a professional, I believe that it is essential to collaborate with colleagues, other school professionals and the wider school community.  Seeing teachers collaborate serves as a good role model for students but also contributes towards an organization’s capacity to improve and better serve its students.

 

Finally, I believe there is no secret sauce or shortcuts to second language acquisition.  The second language learning process is slow and piecemeal but given a supportive, interactive and stimulating learning environment, I believe all students can succeed.