ELTWeekly Vol. 5 Issue#12 | April 1, 2013 | ISSN 0975-3036
Are there secrets to good language teaching? Is there a secret handshake that will make students love you, employers give you raises, and test scores go through the roof? I don’t necessarily have any magic to share, but fortunately the best teaching techniques are available for anyone who wants to use them.
Most of us can recognize good teaching when we see it. Academics have tried to quantify that knowledge by studying the behaviors of the best teachers – the ones whose students show the greatest gains in learning and achievement. This list of ten behaviors is no secret, but it is a solid foundation for effective work in the English language classroom. The list below is from Linda New Levine, and I’ve added a few comments.
1) Activate prior or present knowledge. Tap into the rich, full lives and experiences of your students.
2) State instructional objectives. Have instructional objectives. Know what you are doing and why. Let your students share your goals.