Teaching Philosophy and Methodology
Learning is fun
You can see this when you observe children. Children are curious and ask questions. Children are expert communicators and they are not afraid of taking risks and making mistakes.
Later, at school or work, we learn that making mistakes and asking too many questions is not good. So we stop doing it.
However, asking questions, takings risks and making mistakes is important when learning a language. If we know this, we will become better learners and learning will be fun again.
Everybody has a talent for languages
Many people who want to learn a language tell me they have no talent for it. I ask them how they learned to speak their mother tongue, then. Everybody can learn a new language. It helps if you know what motivates you to learn a new language and what type of learner you are. At the beginning of every course we talk about motivation and learner types.
There is always time for learning
Everybody has time for learning. Again, tt helps if you know …
- why you want to learn English,
- what type of learner you are, and
- how to learn more effectively.
This will help you save time and become more motivated. In our course we talk about how to learn more effectively and how you can practise English easily outside the classroom.
Methodology
In short: Modern does not mean discarding the “old”. Whatever engages, motivates and helps learners to become better is a good method or a good technique no matter how old or new it is. My method is, therefore, eclectic based on my learners personality, needs and wishes while generally following the Communicative Language Teaching approach.
This is only possible by knowing about “older”, tested methods, keeping up with new developments and tools and using them in appropriate ways.