Teach English in Siziwangqiwulan Muchang - Wulanchabu Shi — Ulanqab

TEFL, which is an abbreviation for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, entails the planning for and giving to/supervising/overseeing/superintending English lessons with students and learners of any age and level, whose first language is not English, especially in countries where English is not the primary or native language. In such societies, English has been adopted as a lingua franca, a secondary but common language between speakers with different native languages. The best example is teaching English in Commonwealth Countries in Africa and Asia, which have a myriad of native languages but adopted English as an Official Language as a result of being former colonies of the United Kingdom. The role of a teacher in the TEFL classroom varies and not only depends on the age of the learner and the level or stage of the learning process but also on the situations and circumstances that may arise, both foreseen and unforeseen. Many people in and out of the pedagogical process perceive the teacher as the main and sole source of information and wisdom in as far as English Language is concerned, thus viewing him as the alpha and omega in as far as English Language entails. However much this could be the primary role of a teacher in the TEFL classroom, teachers are called to create and maintain a conducive environment for learning in the class as well as propagate a good and working relationship with their students, as the ultimate goal. Teachers in the TEFL classroom plan and organize for lessons prior to the lesson and systematically handle the lesson in the classroom as earlier planned, but with utmost flexibility depending on the dynamics of the learners and environment. In so doing, a teacher makes the lesson more varied and exciting depending on the teaching materials prepared to be used in the teaching process. Having worksheets ready and study extracts printed out, for example, makes it more likely that students will not lose concentration and allows the class to transition smoothly between phases in the lesson. The teacher’s organizational responsibilities also extend to logistical issues that may arise in a classroom such as the sitting plan or the sorting of groups for activities. This helps in maintaining of discipline in the class without it being imposed, especially when dealing with younger students who may not be attending the lessons for their own interest, but being forced to attend and are likely to lose focus much easier. Nevertheless, the issues that may arise in a lesson may in most cases be out of the teacher's control but the teacher can prevent their occurrence by being on time, consistent and respectful of students. The TEFL teacher is a role model and a motivator who is seen as the epitome and first point of contact with the language and thus has to find means of sustaining the learners’ interest in the language. This is best done through reinforcing correct language use as a way of motivating the students and showing them that they are making progress. This helps build the confidence of the learners in using the language, impacts positively on their attitude towards the new language and also helps in building a good rapport with the teacher. Nevertheless, teachers ought to be conscious about the frequency of criticizing the learners’ use of the new language since over-correction of the mistakes could have adverse and overwhelming effects on the students’ attitude towards the language. The teacher should, therefore, try their best to give effective and constructive feedback aimed at sustaining the learners’ positive attitude towards the new language. The other important role of a teacher in TEFL is to find an effective way of conveying language points in order to attain the objectives of the learning process. Since the teacher is the primary source of information for their students, they have the ability to adapt and change to the needs of the students, unlike the textbooks. In so doing, the teacher becomes the perfect point of reference and example of the English language for students. However, a teacher could end up becoming boring and predictable if he excessively uses this mode of teaching. He should therefore vary the teacher talk time period in a bid to have a positive impact on the students and maintain a less dominant position in class. The last, but most important role of a teacher in the TEFL learning process is to assess and evaluate the learners’ progress in comprehending the new language. Teachers do not just teach lessons and move on, they ought to evaluate each student’s growth and masterly of the new language as per the objectives of the lesson. Teachers can assess and evaluate the learners formally through classroom tasks and exercises such as quizzes and tests, or informally through classroom observation and interaction. This enables the teachers to recognize the learners’ patterns in the test and evaluation results and thereafter tailor their lessons to meet the students’ needs and deficiencies. Bye and large, the numerous roles of a teacher in the TEFL process have different but specific effects on students and are all aimed at enabling the learner appreciate the new language and embrace the language’s dynamics and rules as well as improving the learners’ competence in speaking, listening, reading and writing the new language. Worth noting is that none of the above roles has a greater significance over the other in impacting the learner but it is a culmination of them all that makes it possible for a teacher to effectively teach English to learners with other first languages. In the same way, if a teacher was to neglect any of the above roles, it would result into a poor learning experience and negatively affect the learners’ appreciation of and competence in the newly acquired language.