The Role of a Teacher in Teaching a Foreign Language

Abstract

The article deals with the role of the teacher in today’s language classroom. It is evident that language teaching and investigation are progressing at a very accelerating rate. Previously, it was believed that the only basic tool a language teacher needed was a sound knowledge of the language. Now we know that linguistics is not the only area in which a language teacher should be trained. The importance of sociology and psychology and an extensive training in pedagogy is being recognized. The importance of these disciplines can be seen by analyzing the three main areas in which the approach to language teaching has recently changed.

Emphasis on the individual learner. Each learner is seen as an individual with distinct needs, learning styles, and attitudes. Not only do different learners have different learning styles, but an individual learner utilizes different approaches to learning at different stages in the learning process.

Eclecticism. Having come to the realization that each learner possesses distinct cognitive and personality traits, it can be concluded that one teaching methodology will not be appropriate for all students. The recent tendency has been towards eclecticism, selecting materials and methods from various sources. This puts a much larger responsibility on the teacher, for now he should be familiar with a wider range of materials, exercises and activities.

Communication in a Social Context. One must also possess the appropriate schemata regarding the culture of the language in order to understand the communication and be able to respond properly. Recent research shows that communicative language teaching is among the most successful methods for enhancing learners’ communication skills due to its emphasis on real-world communication and student participation.

In conclusion, it is evident that the role of the language teacher today is not as simple as it once was. Teachers should have a broad background knowledge of the social environment of their students, different pedagogical techniques, social and cultural aspects of the language. For a language is much more than lists of vocabulary and sets of grammar rules.