THE ROLE OF TEACHING AND CURRICULUM IN EFL LEARNING

The teacher is an important person in the classroom. The teachers should be able to create classroom climate which show a mutually accepting relationship among their students and between the teachers and their students. He/she has a great influence over the students, in terms of motivation, confidence, attitudes to learning, beliefs about learning, and social morals. Here are some differing views on the role of the teacher:

        The teacher is a transmitter of knowledge.

        The teacher is a controller of learning.

        The teacher is a manager of class discipline.

        The teacher is a facilitator of learning.

        The teacher is a language resource.

        The teacher is a mentor of learning.

        The teacher is a counsellor of living and learning.

There are some characteristics of teachers plays in a student centered learning environment, future studies that gauge characteristics of a teacher and a student in an effective student-centered learning environment is very much needed.

First, teachers should adapt their instruction as accordingly to the developmental levels of the students. Teachers were suggested to monitor students’ learning cautiously as each student receives, analyze, assess and reflect information at various levels. For instance, the Bloom’s Taxonomy provides for an excellent alternative to manage and monitor students’ learning. Teachers are encouraged to construct learning objectives based on the six levels of knowledge, understanding, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

Second, teachers should pay attention to individual differences in learning. This is especially true when each student is unique and he or she comprehends information at different step.

Third, teachers must constantly assess their students as an integral dimension of the teaching and learning process. For instance, teachers must analyze the students’ perception of their expected learning outcome and compare it to the learning objectives outlined in the course structure.

The role of the teacher is to promote positive attitudes to learning, positive motivation, self-confidence, and low anxiety. In other words, the language classroom must be a non-threatening learning environment, and the teacher as the facilitator of learning; a social and academic counsellor. A student-centred environment gives students responsibility for learning. The teacher tries to make students aware of the learning process, so that they can find out what they want to learn and how they want to learn it.

A teacher plays an important role in providing and engaging teaching and learning environment. A teacher shoulders in shifting students from a passive role to an active role in a teaching and learning process. teachers are encouraged to guide students to critically reflect on knowledge they acquire and to encourage teamwork among students.

References;

Nunan, D. (1988). Syllabus Design. Hongkong: Oxford University Press.

Richards, J. C. (2001). Curriculum development in language teaching.

New York: Cambridge University Press.

The Shift in the Role of Teachers in the Learning Process. Adapted from Http://www.eurojournals.com/ejss_7_2_03.pdf. Retrieved on 7 October 2012 .