Lucy

I firmly believe that high-level engagement leads to success in language learning. Based on this premise, I have always designed student-centered lessons. As an English language learner who grew up in Spain in the early 2000s, I witnessed the lack of resources, active learning activities as well as the difficulties my teachers faced to incorporate technologies in their sessions.The central issue was that a proficient level of grammar rarely ensured a successful performance, in other words, there was a lack of focus on oral skills. People knew how to use the second or third conditional but not how to break the ice in a real conversation. Considering these factors, my philosophy of teaching is based on the design of sessions in which participation plays a key role, especially, considering that the only exposure students may have to the language could be within the classroom.

In relation to this, balancing the teacher and learner output seems to be essential. As a teacher, I always try to give my students plenty of opportunities to practice what they have learnt as I consider that this is the most effective way to make sure that learners have acquired the vocabulary or grammatical aspects of that lesson. Moreover, role-play activities in which they emulate real-world scenarios, problem-solving tasks or the creation of dialogues improve not only their performance but also their rapport and relationship. While learning a language, students may also develop their interpersonal skills, an indispensable skill in the Humanities. Understanding Spanish- or any language- requires using it to converse, discuss and engage with others and their cultures. Hopefully, these activities will help younger generations to open their minds and develop their communication skills and critical thinking.

Additionally, choosing content or materials that are aligned with learner’s interests is crucial. References to their hobbies or pop culture will boost their willingness to communicate. Furthermore, learners generally appreciate this effort made by the instructor and it also creates a stimulating and supportive atmosphere in class. Being heard and aware that there is room for your interests will lead to a better communication with the teacher. Preferably, I always introduce myself as a trusted person willing to share my roots. This could work as an excuse to keep them closer to the Spanish/ Latin American culture and sharing some songs, TV shows or books, to put it another way, exposing them to genuine resources with authentic input to encourage their engagement with real-world language. Optimistically, some students may start to be hooked on any show or artist from the L2 as language learning has the power to stir emotions. Learners may be challenged or even moved by what they encounter.

I have criticized the Spanish educational system before, however, if there was something my teachers were passionate about was the culture. I still remember the first time my classmates and I celebrated some festivities like Halloween, Thanksgiving or St. Patrick’s Day. Many of them also made us read articles about different places like the London Eye in London or the Loch Ness in Scotland. A dream that has come true when visiting those well-known locations in real life. One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is witnessing students’ growth beyond the class. When one of them shares how they were captivated by a Spanish TV shows like La Casa de Papel or artists such as Sebastián Yatra or Rosalía, introduced in one of my sessions, this reiterates the importance of fostering authentic engagement. These moments illustrate how language learning goes beyond the textbook and syllabus.

Ultimately, my goal as a L2 instructor is to create an environment where students are motivated to engage with the target language inside and outside the classroom. By combining productive activities like warm-ups or closures, ideally, Q&A exercises at the beginning of the class to involve them immediately and games like Kahoot, Baamboozle or Blooket at the end leaving students with a positive impression. Generally, any competitive task make students be expectant what is yet to come in future sessions. These platforms also support my feedback strategies as they provide instant corrections which I supplement with verbal explanations. From my perspective, technology and even AI appear to be supportive tools for both, teaching and learning, as they go beyond the instructor’s scope but never substitutes of this one.