What Makes a Good English Teacher?

The chances are that they were ones who made your lessons “come alive”. Engage you in your lesson as opposed to the “talk and chalk” variety!

Whilst having a sound academic background and knowledge of your subject is one thing, having the ability to relate to your students and convey your message in understandable, motivational terms is quite another. This means not only being able to relate to your learners but being able to adapt your material to suit their needs, and put it across in the most effective (personable?) form, creating a positive, supportive learning environment.

Teaching a Language

Having been a teacher trainer for many years I have little time for the teacher who delivers the same lesson verbatim, year after year, without considering their individual students’ needs and learner types, or those whose ego is so large that they are unable to relate effectively to their students.

To my mind, teaching a language requires different skills to teaching other subjects like History or Math. We don’t learn a language by talking about it; we learn a language by talking in it! Once a teacher has presented language, it is the students who should speak and use the language (as it is they who need the practice), and not the teacher talking the highest percentage of time – hence the term TTT -Teacher Taking Time.

Language teachers also need to “rough tune” their language, speaking in terms that are slightly above the level of the learner, rather than over simplify (thus providing a false model) or bombard them with meta-language.

Core Characteristics

Carl Rogers, an American psychologist suggested there are three core teacher characteristics to help create an effective learning environment.

• Respect: Being positive and non judgmental in regards to another person
• Empathy: Being able to see things from another person’s point of view
• Authenticity: Being yourself without egoistic barriers or hiding behind a job title

These three qualities a far more likely to induce a more positive learning environment, where students are more inclined to take risks and take responsibility for their own learning. Communication between student and teacher becomes more open and honest and therefore a stronger bond emerges, based on mutual respect.

These qualities should not be “clothes” that a teacher puts on in the classroom. They have to be genuine intentions. A good teacher is one who not only has knowledge of their subject but has the personality to convey it in engaging, motivational terms. Therefore demonstration and participation rather than explanation is often more effective.

In short: An effective language teacher is one that cares more about their students’ learning than they do about their own teaching!