リレー・エッセイ「私 の 教育実践」

大学や社会に関する興味深いテーマを取り上げ、多くの方がリレーで参加して様々な考えや意見が集える場にしたいと思います。最初のテーマは「私の教育実践」です。

“You Get What You Need:”

My Educational Practice

A few core ideas form the framework of how
I teach English and what I expect from students. These ideas are based on my educationand experience, academic research, as well as
feedback from students. Teaching is not a staticoccupation, to do it well requires flexibility andreflective thinking.
One fundamental idea involves practicalcourse content. I have gradually developedmaterials for teaching English Conversation,
Business English (English II and Communication Skills), and Global Course Essay Writingclasses. Making practical and challenging materials with a high interest level is an ongoingprocess.
Class atmosphere is also a very important partof education. For example, students must participate by being active in class, particularly withspeaking activities. They must cooperate witheach other and show respect to classmates tocreate a more engaging learning environment.
Students have to switch partners often, andmust speak English with many class members ineach activity. This should be a shared goal since
everyone wants to improve their English andcommunicate with their partners. My English
classes have plenty of opportunities for students
to communicate in a friendly, low-stakes atmosphere, while utilizing skills they have previously
learned but may have never really activated.
Another goal for students is to develop critical thinking skills. Students can activate higher
level thinking skills in a foreign language. For
example, in information gap activities, students
are focused on solving a problem. Taking longer
turns in speaking activities develops language

102Paul Tanner
Shiga University / Lecturerability and critical thinking. Examples include
making summaries, and doing short speechesor presentations. A “poster carousel” presentation format allows students to present multiple
times with different audiences that ask disparatequestions.
Although I primarily teach conversation, allfour English skills are a part of my lessons. Writing is fundamentally an act of thinking that
requires a series of judgments, organization andcommunication of ideas. To do so in a foreign
language is a challenge that students should be
exposed to. Timed writings, with an emphasis on idea generation are an important way tofoster thinking in English. In addition, at least
once a semester every student is assigned towrite a structured, formal essay to communicate
their ideas.
Reading is also important for improving English skills. Reading extensively and developing
reading speed help students recognize language
patterns, add vocabulary, and use “anothersense” to develop facility with the language.
Students are required to read at least 50,000
words of English outside of class each semesterand class leaders usually surpass 100,000 words.
This reading is verified through on-line quizzes
from the MReader.org web site, which also records and tabulates quiz results and word counttotals.
Students need to learn to develop autonomy,
which is the ability to take control of their own
learning, and develop their own learning strategies. They do this by selecting their own levels
and genre of books to read, choosing discussion
topics and conversation partners that suit their

彦根論叢

Autumn / Sep. 2019 / No.421

level, and developing independent learning
habits. When students learn how to learn fromtheir own successes and failures, they can become more efficient and independent learners
in the future.
Communication is the most important function of the classroom, and students have ample
opportunities to express their opinions anddescribe their experiences. Students have ideas
they would like to express, and want to hear
their classmates' ideas and opinions as well.
They can gain a sense of accomplishment by
being able to improve their English communication skills.
There are limits to how much students canlearn when they have full schedules of challenging classes. Still, progress can be made.
Developing an awareness of how English is usedand noticing patterns and structures are small
steps towards fluency. As proficiency improves,certain aspects of language become easier andspeaking and listening become more automatic.
Ensuring students have the opportunity to develop these fundamentals provides a foundation
they can build upon in their future English language endeavors.
My evolution as an English teacher continues. There is always more to learn, and improveupon. Progress for students is incremental, as
it is for the teacher. After a year or two of English conversation, Students might not “get what
they want,” but they do have the opportunity to“get what they need.”103