teaching philosophy
The vision of the English Skills Learning Center (ESLC) is a community where all voices are celebrated. This vision guides our teaching philosophy and approach to curriculum development and implementation. By regarding the learner as a whole individual, relying on research-based practices, striving for social justice and equity, and utilizing a model of two-way mutual integration, we build that community both within and outside our organization. Continue reading to learn more about each of these terms.
The learner as a whole individual -
Students’ backgrounds, beliefs, cultures, skills, bodies, and languages all play a part in who they are and how they learn. Understanding these unique differences and recognizing them as strengths, and not deficits, is a key component of successful instruction. In ESLC classrooms:
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Classes are limited in size so that each student can receive individualized attention and repeated opportunities for success.
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Lessons are interactive and everyone has the opportunity to participate. Students lead activities. However, non-participation is always an option.
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Instructors are trained to understand verbal and nonverbal cues from students to support student choice.
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Age-appropriate games, songs, and movement are used to learn and reinforce skills. This not only makes the classes more enjoyable, but invites the students to learn with their full selves.
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All languages are valued and respected, and learners are encouraged to use their languages as resources to learn English and to express themselves. There is no “English Only” rule.
This safe environment is essential for building classroom community and for participants to find joy in the process of learning. By engaging their whole selves in the classroom, learners know their voices are heard and celebrated.
This approach is known as Translanguaging. Translanguaging is the act performed by bilinguals of accessing different linguistic features or various modes of what are described as autonomous languages, in order to maximize communicative potential.
Ofelia García (2009: 140)
Researched-based practices -
The ESLC is committed to staying on top of the research in the field and applying that research to the benefit of the learners. These aspects along with implicit, contextualized grammar, and appropriate scaffolding allow for realistic rigor and for meeting learners where they are - even in multi-level classes.
In ESLC classrooms:
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Activities focus on communication, content that is relevant to the lives of adults, learning grammar in-context rather than by memorization, and practical repetition.
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All four skill areas (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) are addressed in each lesson.
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All lessons are designed to build the necessary skills for students to meet these goals.
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Students receive level-appropriate corrective feedback.
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Using materials in multiple ways, modifying materials and tasks so that learners at different levels receive the right balance of support and rigor, and reflecting as a class after activities help students develop confidence in their own ability to learn.
Through these practices and engaging students as whole learners, teachers build trust and provide opportunities for productive struggle in order to maintain appropriately high expectations for all students, which empowers learners to make their voices heard.
Social justice and equity -
Along with student-centered classes and up-to-date research, social justice and equity in adult education is a priority of the ESLC. The ESLC is firmly committed to anti-racist action and seeks to dismantle the effects of white supremacy in the classroom. Culturally-responsive teaching is the cornerstone of our approach to instruction. In ESLC classrooms:
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There is no one way to teach or learn, there is no one voice more important than another, and the experiences learners bring to the classroom are equally as valuable as those of the instructor.
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The differences and similarities of all cultures and of all humans are celebrated and encouraged in the classroom.
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Beyond not tolerating any discriminatory behavior, we also actively seek to advocate for others and identify and overcome our own implicit biases.
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Additionally, class setup, instruction, and materials are designed with an understanding of the effects of trauma and to increase accessibility for all learners.
These practices ensure the rights and dignity of everyone who engages with ESLC.
Two-way mutual integration -
It is the responsibility of a community to welcome newcomers and to work to break language and cultural barriers. The ESLC offers volunteer opportunities for this purpose. By participating in ESLC trainings and engaging with learners in the classroom and at events, volunteers learn from the strengths of those entering the community, adjust their perspectives, and increase awareness of all community voices in their spheres of influence.
The tenets of the learner as a whole individual, research-based practices, social justice and equity, and two-way mutual integration provide the foundation for creating a community where all voices are celebrated. A foundation that allows for optimal learning, for education is a basic human right. The right to education empowers individuals and strengthens us all.