"It's more than learning English."

Teaching philosohpy

It's more than teaching English

To me, English is never only a subject that students need to pass. Instead, it is a tool that supports the learner’s success in life. It is a key that opens doors to different adventures and greater challenges; it is also a key that opens windows to enable one to see things from a different point of view and to think from different perspectives. 

Being born and raised in Taiwan, I am more than familiar with what hinders the potential of Taiwanese English learners. Breaking through the traditional Asian way of English education, I have developed a way of teaching that ensures students to see improvements in their integrated skills. You would find me asking a lot of 6 W’s questions in all my content-based courses. “What is the author trying to say?”, “What is the purpose of this passage?”, or “Why did the speaker raise his tone like that?”, this approach has been proven to be a great way to promote independent thinking. Through responding, students are not only practicing forming output but also training their critical thinking ability and critical literacy. We would analyze our thinking with a view of improving it, look at how grammar positions and defines the words around it, and how texts and ideas work in social contexts. Gladly, most of my students appear to be enjoying the process of unpacking information with me, rather than receiving answers without further analysis. 

​

I emphasize a lot on the authenticity of communicating in English as well. After all, English is a tool, and tools are meant to be used. During my communicative English courses and workshops, you would find me creating a student-centered environment that encourages class participation. Games like role-plays are always popular, other activities like casual chatting sessions and mini-presentations are helpful for higher-level students to apply what they have learned in a safe environment. The interesting topics I choose for my classes are a highlight of my teaching as well. Ranging from current news and events to fun facts like how to create a good online dating profile, I love discussing intriguing themes with my students. And of course, students can get a real picture of what communicating in English is like in real life. 

​

I believe that it is only when a student truly enjoys the language and its culture will he/she excel in the learning process. This is why I always work hard to make my classes as engaging and fun as possible. Meanwhile, ensuring the knowledge they’ve got is useful and helpful for their learning in the long run. Lastly, I’d like to point out that communication is one important factor in the success of my teaching. I would always make sure that my students are on the same page with me and that we have the same goal. Through communication, I would understand what the students like, what they need, and what they want. This helps me design content-based lessons that they will enjoy most and the materials that suit them the best.

​

I am never teaching English only. Rather, I am also teaching a way of learning, promoting critical thinking and critical literacy, advocating the authenticity of communicating in English, and most importantly, having TONS OF FUN and enjoying the process of English learning with my students!