TEACHING PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

"A different language is a different vision of life” Said Federico Fellini the Italian film director. This statement sums up well one of the main principles my teaching philosophy is based on: teaching a language goes beyond teaching how to communicate in that language. Learning a language gives you the opportunity to step inside the mind and the culture of that language. It is about broadening your horizon and opening your mind. As a teacher I always try to communicate my passion to students and instill in them that learning a foreign language is a lifelong skill that will indeed make them grow as a person. I believe that being enthusiastic and being passionate about your subject matter makes a tremendous difference in teaching and facilitates generating the learner’s interest.

My teaching methods

1. Create a conducive learning environment

Create a learning community in which students feel safe and comfortable is essential to them reaching their full potential and being active learners as opposed to passive learners. I have been able to experience that students learn better when they feel that the teacher genuinely cares about them and is sensitive to any kind of “distress” they might experience. Equally important is the need to be able to learn about students’ individual needs and learning styles. Indeed, knowing about each individual helps make the teaching content relevant and relatable to every student in the classroom. I always share my own experience as a second language learner to show my students I can relate to them, and it always has a positive effect on affective filter and on their performance.

2. Maximize the use of the Target Language

Ideally, the class should be an immersion experience for learners. As Brandl and Bauer (2002) have shown, Students themselves show a preference for an extensive use of the Target language. I have experienced myself that students make more progress and are more