Analysis of the Importance of a Teacherin Foreign Language Teaching and Learning

成都理工大学外国语学院/叶丹自流井区荣边镇中心小学校/文灵

【Abstract】A learner is not a passive recipient, but a key factor

influencing the learning process and results. However, a teacher

is still vitally important in foreign language teaching and learning

process.

【Key words】Teacher’s Importance; Foreign Language

Teaching/Learning

Previously, much of the discussion about language learning

focused on the teaching techniques and materials. It had a focus

on the teacher. It seemed to be an unexpressed view that the

leaner was a container into which language knowledge could be

poured. Later, change in linguistic pedagogy has occurred since

the 20th century. And the learner is viewed as an active participant

in the learning process and should take partial responsibility for

his own learning results. It has had a focus on the learner. In fact

the learner is definitely a key factor which has a great influence

on learning process and results. However, it does not mean the

learner is the only key factor. Teachers are also vitally important

in foreign language teaching and learning process.

Language teaching is concerned about a huge number of

different factors and all those are far-reaching fields involving

an ocean of items. Teaching (methods/ approaches/ designs/

procedures), learning (learning/ process/ learning strategies/

differences among learners/ learning styles/ affective factors),

learning materials (listening/ speaking/ reading/ writing/

translating), language ability (linguistic competence/ pragmatic

competence/ strategic competence/ discourse competence/

fluency), environments (society/ government/ school/ family/

classroom) and policies (educating/ teaching), all with the

concerned knowledge are mastered and applied by teachers (not

by learners) to make a successful class.

Besides, it is the teacher who figures out the learner factors

or strategies, puts into teaching practice and triggers the success

on learners. LAD (Language Acquisition Device), age, aptitude,

motivation，attitude, personality, cognitive styles, hemisphere

specialization，learning strategies, interest，sex，prior

experience，memory and awareness, all these numerous and

complicated stuff are the powerfully influential factors which are

closely related to the learners but which are also dealt with by

teachers in a correct sense. In other words, realizing an authentic

learner-centered model successfully needs a teacher’s sense, skills

and strategies. Looking beyond learner strategies, a broader area of

learner autonomy including various self-learning and self-direction

aspects cannot yet be isolated from the help of the teacher.

A Chinese old says a teacher, one who could propagate the

doctrine，impart professional knowledge，and resolve doubts.

A teacher holds diverse roles within the educational environment.

A teacher is best known for educating the learners. Beyond that,

teachers serve many other roles in the classroom. Teachers set the

tone of their classrooms, build a warm environment, mentor and

nurture students, and deal with varieties of troubles. A teacher is

an instructor, disciplinarian, motivator and organizer. Outside the

classroom, a teacher should also work to facilitate the continuing

development of learners acting as a counselor, a soul keeper

and a supervisor. Teachers have an indispensable impact on the

growth of learners, from the world views to life value; from

the personality to moral characters etc. Teachers’ influences

supplement these from parents.

Nowadays, foreign language teaching’s main goals remain

for CALP (cognitive/academic language proficiency related to

general cognitive skills and academic achievement) and BICS

(basic interpersonal communication skills consisting of accent,

oral fluency and sociolinguistic competence) (Cummins, 1980). It

is a teacher that understands the goals best and helps the learners

establish the concept of foreign language learning and master the

learning strategies.

What should be clarified is that advocating the importance of

teacher in foreign language learning and teaching is not to reject

the importance of the learner to language learning. To achieve the

goals needs both teachers and learners. In the past, it was totally

teacher-centered, and it is found that is wrong. At present if it

were exclusively learner-centered, it could be wrong too. Learner

and teacher are two neutrons in an atom. A teacher is vitally

important in foreign language teaching and learning process too.

Hence enough attention should be paid to teacher’s own needs

and development. Teachers deserve consideration the same as the

learners deserve. Caring teacher should also be in the category of

humanism.

References:

[1]Diane Larsen-Freeman and Michael H.Long.An Introduction to

Second Language Acquisition Research.Beijing:Foreign Language

Teaching and Research Press,2000.

[2]Keith Johnson.An Introduction to Foreign Language Learning

and Teaching.Beijing:Foreign Language Teaching and Research

Press,2003.

[3]Norbert Schmitt,ed.An Introduction to Applied Linguistics.

Beijing:Beijing world publishing corporation ＆Great

Britain:Edward Arnold(Publishers)Limited,2008.

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校园英语 / 高等教育