Teacher Goals

What are our goals in teaching English?

Well, our goal is to teach our students to speak English, right? Of course, but as TEFL teachers we have so many more goals than that. To be more precise, the goal of teaching English can be broken down into many smaller goals.

First there are the goals for English teachers. Career goals, in other words.

But then there are the goals for our English learners. What can we do to help our students reach their language learner goals. In other words, teaching goals rather than teacher goals.

Make sense?

Right, let’s jump to it.

Teacher goals

Become a TEFL teacher

If we start at the very beginning, there are some of us for who teaching English abroad is still a tiny thought formulating in our minds. For these teachers we say: what are you waiting for?

If your goal is to teach English as a foreign language abroad or online, the first step is to get a TEFL certificate. All you need to do to get started on your TEFL career is to sign up for a TEFL course.

Read more: Is TEFL Right For Me?

Be a better teacher

If you already know the difference between phrasal verbs and prepositions, and you can read a recite your PPPs with your eyes closed, then you might want to improve on your teaching. Upskill yourself.

An easy way to do this is to sign up for a Top-Up Course to expand on your current skill set. In this way you can hone your skills as a Business English teacher or an online teacher, for example.

Another option is to upgrade your TEFL by doing a DELTA or a Master’s in TESOL.

Read more: 5 Ways To Upgrade Your TEFL Certificate

Then there are the goals for our English students. Language goals for our students and teaching goals for ourselves, if that makes sense.

Teaching goals

Encourage communication

The ultimate goal of our lessons is for our students to speak, understand and communicate in English with other speakers of English. We can encourage this in the classroom by creating an open and engaging atmosphere so our students feel comfortable enough to talk to their classmates. This means not only getting to know each other and having a chat but also cooperating and collaborating together to achieve their language goals.

Remember the affective filter? We want that to be down so our lessons can be more effective and our students more receptive.

Be an agent of change

Learning a language requires a boatload of commitment and dedication. It takes hours of exposure to the language and practising the language. When you think about it, students need to embrace the use of English outside the classroom and in their real lives, which can be quite tricky. It’s not easy to step outside your comfort zone and persevere in the face of such a daunting challenge.

As a teacher, we need to try to provoke change in our students’ lives so they are motivated to take their English learning with them outside the classroom. We want them to incorporate the language into their daily lives, which will make the learning process feel more natural and comfortable. How you can do this is by personalising your lessons so your students can connect with the language.

Teach your students to learn

If we want our students to continue learning outside the classroom we need to give them the tools to do so. Doing grammar exercises and playing vocabulary games is not enough. Instead, we need to show our students how they can engage with English in a fun and meaningful way in their real lives.

How you can do this is by using authentic materials. Show your students how they can understand newspapers, series and TED talks, for example, and they are more likely to utilise those after class. You can also show them useful apps and websites for learning purposes.

Read more: Authentic Materials: How To Find Them And How To Use Them

Arouse curiosity in your students

Curiosity is a sure path to learning. If you bring appropriate materials and activities into your classroom, your students will become interested in the language and more motivated to learn how to speak it and use it. You can do this by making sure the materials you use are relevant to your students. Doing a needs analysis will provide you with this necessary information.

Teaching people to speak English is no easy feat. But if we focus on small, manageable teacher goals and goals for your students, you should see results more quickly.