ACADEMIC WRITING MID-TERM ENG 625 ACADEMIC WRITING

Name : Widanti Septiyani

Student Number : 202000010006

What makes a great teacher of English?

The roles of great English teachers have positively influenced the successful English

language learning activities. They provide qualified teaching and have attributes of sufficient

English language teachers for successful students. Nonetheless, it is challenging to create a

definitive character list of a great English teacher. All English teachers have their teaching styles

and personalities. Yet, every English teacher plays significant roles in helping their students

realize their capabilities and potentials. In order to help students learn or acquire the English

language successfully, great English teachers should possess the following attributes, namely,

competence and qualifications, pedagogical skills, and the use of various teaching materials.

One primary factor which positively impacts English classes is the teacher’s competence

and qualifications in their authorized area. The importance of teachers’ knowledge and

understanding has become a central issue in teacher training and preparation programs.

Alexander et al. (1992) recommend that in-service training for teachers should be “more exactly

targeted on the issue of improving subject expertise” (Khwaja, 2002, p. 9). As a general rule,

English teachers need to possess a thorough understanding of the English language systems and

literature. For instance, the English teachers assigned to teach literature should have a thorough

knowledge of different types of text, such as play, poem, fiction, and non-fiction story. It goes

without saying that competent teachers will clearly deliver the subjects successfully; that is, the

students’ understanding of concepts will not be hindered by their lack of expertise and
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misconceptions. Moreover, teachers’ qualifications also contribute to a successful language

class. Liakopoulou (2011) mentions that a “good teacher” should possess a wide range of

qualifications. As competence itself is difficult to measure regardless of the certificates, it is

essential to have qualifications ensuring the public eyes that schools or courses will provide a

workforce of qualified and professional English teachers.

Apart from the English teachers’ competence and qualifications, people presumably

opine that great English teachers should have pedagogical skills. Auerbach and Andrews (2018)

define pedagogical skills as the knowledge about teaching and learning that is not topic-specific

(p. 1). These skills may generally be divided into content-related skills and classroom

management skills. In order to deliver concepts successfully, English teachers should have

adequate knowledge of teaching methods, learning theories, and learning strategies.

Implementing these pedagogical skills will ensure that students learn English better. For

instance, to help students learn English grammar, teachers may use cognitive learning strategies,

such as drilling and using patterns, which benefit them to create grammatically appropriate

sentences orally. Besides having content-related skills, teachers should also develop classroom

management skills. To understand a classroom’s nature, teachers should have an apparent

oversight over the whole class, requiring them to continually scan their students to find and

hinder the potential troublemakers who will create a negative learning environment. The

effective use of classroom management techniques tends to enhance teacher-student and student-

student interactions, promoting a positive environment for learning. Besides, it is also essential to

maintain a good social interaction between teacher and students during and after schools. It will

shape students’ relatively positive attitudes toward English learning. Consequently, students will

be motivated during the classroom by actively participating in the learning activities.

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A great English teacher also uses a myriad of teaching materials, namely authentic

resources, such as articles written in English and the use of advanced technology. Using

authentic language learning material will allow students to increase exposure to the English

language as it serves the language used in real contexts. In addition, Guariento and Morley

(2001) mention that authentic material provides the students with many significant advantages

and promotes them with high motivation and interest in language learning and lead to improving

communicative competence (Salwa, 2013). In short, students tend to learn and acquire the

English language better when teachers use various authentic materials as a teaching aid. Besides,

great English teachers tend to use technology to aid the teaching and learning process.

Enhancements made to technology, particularly e-learning platforms, have obviously included

flexibility of access, allowing students to study from different locations and collaborate with

other students beyond the school buildings. It is only great English teachers who perceive this

opportunity and use the platforms to facilitate learning.

In conclusion, a great English teacher should possess some attributes to facilitate

effective language teaching and learning activities. In order to help students learn and acquire

English, teachers should have competence and qualifications. It is essential for professional

English teachers to understand the subject matters so as they will be able to share their expertise

and avoid misconceptions. Besides, implementing pedagogical skills in the classroom benefits

both teachers and students to create a positive learning environment. A positive learning

environment can offer a climate where positive interaction between teachers and students occurs

to shape students’ attitudes and enhance their learning. Lastly, great English teachers make use

of various teaching materials to help achieve the desired learning objectives. Authentic materials

and the use of learning platforms give students opportunities to encounter vocabularies that they
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have probably never found in formal school workbooks while giving them access to

collaborative work and learning resources outside the classes.

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REFERENCES

Auerbach, A.J., & Andrews, T.C. (2018). Pedagogical knowledge for active-learning

instruction in large undergraduate biology courses: a large-scale qualitative investigation of

instructor thinking. International Journal of STEM Education (2018) 5:19.

doi.org/10.1186/s40594-018-0112-9.

Khwaja, C.C. (2002). The Role of Subject Knowledge in the Effective Teaching of

Primary Science. Doctoral School Poster Conference. Institute of Education University of

London.

Liakopoulou, M. (2011). The Professional Competence of Teachers: Which qualities,

attitudes, skills and knowledge contribute to a teacher’s effectiveness. International Journal of

Humanities and Social Science Vol. 1 No. 21, p. 66-78.

Salwa, S. (2013). The importance of using authentic materials in increasing EFL

learners’ motivation. MATERIALS AND MEDIA IN ELT. State University of Malang Press, p.

5-11.