I want to be an English teacher

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Hi everybody, I'm already in the field of teaching. I'm a chemistry

teacher. The issue is that I've been in the whole of my life fond of

learning languages especially English. I'm great at English, even better

than other teachers. But, life chose me to teach chemistry. I'm good at

learning and have the will. Could somebody tell me how to start? I always

want to be a good English teacher.

Thanks for any ideas.

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navigator,

Good question.

You may or may not know the "English" as a subject in its own right was not "taught" in British schools until around the turn the 20th century when working class children entered the education system with " "incorrect (inappropriate) English". Times have changed with the advent of Chomsky and descriptive as opposed to prescriptive grammar such that English by enthusiastic immersion provides the main pedagogical impetus. To a large extent this depends on the charisma of the teacher and his/her skill in providing interesting motivational material appropriate to each child's life experiences.

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My goodness, navigator, I wondered where you were. I agree with fresco to a certain extent; however, transformation grammar is like learning another language.

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Quote:

You may or may not know the "English" as a subject in its own right was not "taught" in British schools until around the turn the 20th century when working class children entered the education system with " "incorrect (inappropriate) English". Times have changed with the advent of Chomsky and descriptive as opposed to pre scriptive grammar such that English by enthusiastic immersion provides the main pedagogical impetus. To a large extent this depends on the charisma of the teacher and his/her skill in providing interesting motivational material appropriate to each child's life experiences.

Wow, thats a shore way to keep me awake in class :wink:

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Letty wrote:

My goodness, navigator, I wondered where you were. I agree with fresco to a certain extent; however, transformation grammar is like learning another language.

Hi Letty

, sorry for not being here for long.

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But, I didn't get it. Is there a way or isn't? I'm ready to study in a good

university, though I have some issues with time. I want to do this.

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Of course there is a way, navigator. Get your degree from any university. Then practice your English on a daily basis. You might want to try substituting first. I am not certain what the rules are in your country, but that would be a beginning. You might want to volunteer to be a tutor.

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navigator,

Potentially there's only "a way" if you can define the target. The problem is that a language is multifunctional and has variants according to context.
Teaching "English" is not simply a matter of imparting "skills" and "knowledge" as in a say a scientific subject, it is a matter of sharing contexts which have psychological and social nuances. What for example would an apocryphal " ghetto student" make of "Alice in Wonderland", a middle class English Victorian tale with a sub-text of moral and logical dilemmas? What would such a child make of efforts to teach him "standard English" as a useful alternative (in your eyes) to an idiolect constantly reinforced by peer pressure ?

At the end of the day, "teaching" has a socio-political agenda and this is most apparent in dealing with "language" through which thoughts, perception, and self identity are rationalized and expressed.

(Apologies to Letty who offers the practical answer)

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I don't know about where you are, but where I am English teachers teach more literature than grammar. The learning of the language is handled in the early years--or not at all.

Poetry and prose. Metaphor, simile, imagery, etc. That's what I learned about in English class.

I majored in English in college. No language classes at all. The requirements were all literature

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Navigator -- perhaps what you should be looking for is a course on teaching English as a second language.

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Good advice, Tai Chi.

Roberta, in undergrad I had a double major. One was in American history and the other in English. Just as you, I prefer literature, but creative writing is still my favorite. Grammar is quite boring to me, but proper usage is important in a social setting as fresco pointed out.

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Tai Chi wrote:

Navigator -- perhaps what you should be looking for is a course on teaching English as a second language.

I think this what I'm looking for, but I don't know how to start.

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Are there schools locally that teach English as a second language? (I don't know where you live.) If so, the teachers there could probably tell you where they got their training.

Here in my part of Canada, the local college offers a one year course of training in Teaching English as a Second Language in two parts: one part in the classroom (to learn how to teach and I think to study grammar and some linguistic theory) and the second part is practical. For the practical portion, students help in a government funded ESL classroom for recent immigrants. The only requirement is a university degree. (This did not used to be the case, but since most countries require that their ESL teachers be university educated the college decided there was no point in allowing students to take the course if they did not have at least an undergraduate degree.)

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I come from the middle east, and I'm already a teacher. Time will be my

problem.

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navigator wrote:

I come from the middle east, and I'm already a teacher. Time will be my

problem.

Ah...well, perhaps you could look into a part time program? I know of someone locally who teaches ESL over the internet. Perhaps there is a course available online.

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I want to do Celta, but I'm afraid because I know nothing about it. Could

someone direct me?

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Ok, now I'm working on my grammar and my writing also. I wonder if

there are any useful tips to be a glamorous teacher.

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Navigator, I've seen some of your comments on the English forum. I strongly encourage you to substantially strenghten your English language skills.

Maybe the glamour will come later. Smile

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Hehehe, what would a glamorous teacher be, exactly?
I'm an English teacher, but I don't know if I'm a glamorous one...

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Letty wrote:

Good advice, Tai Chi.

Roberta, in undergrad I had a double major. One was in American history and the other in English. Just as you, I prefer literature, but creative writing is still my favorite. Grammar is quite boring to me, but proper usage is important in a social setting as fresco pointed out.

Hi, Letty.
I'm quited interested in the creative writing you mentioned in your post. How do you like it? What do they teach in creating writing course?

In my undergraduate, a teacher back from America planned to teach us creative writing. Unfortunately, before she could really teach us something, she left the university for some reason. I was told that she has learnt writing from a famous Hollywood playwright in America.

It's a pity that I have got to know the essense of this sort of writing. I think that if possible I could also teach my class creative writing when I become an English teaching someday.

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I want to be an English teacher

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