Principles

In language classrooms in the United States, instruction focuses on the learner and the learning process. The instructor plans and is in control of students' learning activities, but is not always the center of attention. Both student and teacher are active participants who share responsibility for the student's learning. The instructor creates a learning environment that resembles as much as possible the one in which students learned their first language. Students participate in the learning process by establishing learning goals, developing and choosing learning strategies, and evaluating their own progress.
 * Learner-Centered Instruction **

RESOURCE : for a graphic contrasting and comparing Teacher-Centered and Learner-centered Instruction

Students who are accustomed to more traditional teacher-centered instruction may resist the learner-centered model at first because it expects them to be more involved in the learning process. However, when they discover that learner-centered instruction enables them to develop real-world language skills while having fun, they usually become enthusiastic participants. Teachers who are accustomed to more traditional teacher-centered instruction may resist at first because it requires more preparation time, and can feel more chaotic than a traditional teacher-centered environment.

The NCLRC's website for college and university language instructors provides excellent guidelines for Learner-Centered Instruction. RESOURCE : Click on the link to be directed to their website. []

** Reflective Teaching ** To move from the older teaching model to the newer one, language teachers need to think about what they do and how and why they do it.

A reflective teacher asks:
 * Which teaching model am I using?
 * How does it apply in specific teaching situations?
 * How well is it working?

Every instructor starts with an initial theory of language teaching and learning, based on personal experiences as a language learner and, in some cases, reading or training. In reflective practice, the teacher applies an initial theory of language teaching, observes and reflects on the results, and adapts the theory. The classroom becomes a kind of laboratory where the teacher can relate teaching theory to teaching practice. This cycle of theory building, practice and reflection continues throughout a teacher’s career, as the teacher evaluates new experiences and tests new or adapted theories against them.

** Communicative Competence ** Language teaching in the United States is based on the idea that the goal of language acquisition is communicative competence: the ability to use the language correctly and appropriately to accomplish communication goals. The desired outcome of the language learning process is the ability to communicate competently, not the ability to use the language exactly as a native speaker does.

In the early stages of language learning, instructors and students may want to keep in mind the goal of communicative efficiency: That learners should be able to make themselves understood, using their current proficiency to the fullest. They should try to avoid confusion in the message (due to faulty pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary); to avoid offending communication partners (due to socially inappropriate style); and to use strategies for recognizing and managing communication breakdowns.