This Fall term in our LT 436/536 Design for Learning Language Systems class, undergraduate and graduate students tried out some process writing strategies for a real audience (you, the reader). The prompt was to reflect on what personal characteristics, experiences, or identities they think might help them be strong future language educators. Here is what they wrote…  (- Keli)

Something that could prepare me for a future career as an Ichishkiin teacher is my experience as a learner of the language myself and being invested in creating language materials. Ichishkiin is not my L1 language so I know what it is like to try and learn it as a second language. From this, I can share my experiences and guide new learners who are trying to immerse themselves in the language as well. One of the many struggles of endangered Indigenous language teaching is the lack of materials. One aspect I really enjoy doing is creating new materials and activities that engage the students through hands-on activities or visual materials such as videos or pictures.

– Allyson

The teachers I intend to emulate had the most profound ability to reach learners through compassion, patience, understanding, and openness. These are the traits of my personality I plan to envelope myself in when approaching teaching assignments. I plan on working in developing countries and relying on these qualities listed above to help guide me to be as useful as possible to all of my future learners.

– JY

My eclectic teaching and learning background – both related to language learning and involving issues of linguistic equity – is a strength I imagine I will draw on in my future career quite often. From teaching English to native-Spanish speakers in Nicaragua to learning Spanish as a second and foreign language myself; from conducting research on language phenomena to then witnessing firsthand the state of equitable education and linguistic access in public education: I have sought to strike a balance between theoretical, abstract foundation and practical, empirical application. Whether I end up teaching a second language or investigating phenomena related to language learning, my curiosity and fascination with language will help me better understand myself, my students, and the communities I work in.

– NW

Learning a language means you will feel like an outsider at some point. This was the first of many valuable lessons my semester abroad in Seville, Spain, taught me. Luckily, I took some wonderful advice from one of my former professors, and I actively searched for groups I could be a part of during my time abroad: I joined a local swim team, accepted dinner invitations, and spent time with my host family. I want my future learners to understand that they, too, will likely feel like outsiders at some point in their language learning journeys, but that they have the power to find places in which they belong.

– Anne

There are some philosophies and skills that I hold that will help me to become a language teacher. First of all, I believe that education is extremely important and that everyone deserves the education that they want to receive, regardless of race, gender, sexual identity, age, background, etc. Secondly, I have experience teaching/tutoring both in the U.S. and abroad, which has allowed me to get to know people from all over the world; with different cultures and backgrounds. Finally, I have great interest in learning languages and I always encourage others to at least try to learn another language in their lifetimes, and that is what I want to facilitate in my teaching; I want to provide an inclusive English education for those who want to learn.

– Julie

It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I found my interest and voice in writing. My teacher at the time, Mr. Cabrera, would assign us to do a free-write at the beginning of each class. This would either be about a topic that was on the board or about anything that we wanted to write about. If it was about a a topic on the board, we would have to choose on of two or three topics that were presented and expand of them. These writing gradually became more and more fun and interesting to me especially when we were to share our writings with the class and I could see their reactions. This helped my writing so much in fact that I later went on to write speeches for my school as the ASB president. Through free writing, I was really able to find my voice and how to express myself through writing and in turn, public speaking and speaking in general.

– Kaleb Stubbs

I have multiple family members in education fields that I highly respect. They have all made a difference in the lives of their students by being sensitive to the needs of their classes and communities, as well as taking every opportunity to meet students where they are. I hope to take those same qualities into my own teaching, as well as my own educational background in linguistics that provide me with more mechanical knowledge of language.

– E

When I ask myself: what makes me want to be a language teacher? The first thing that comes to my mind is I love learning! I love learning about new cultures, new languages, and new people. When I was growing up, during the Chinese New Year, my family members would get together, have dinner and talk about their overseas living experiences, I was always fascinated by their stories and some English words that they used when they describe a phenomenon that does not translate in Chinese, so I hoped one day I could travel around the world and see all of these on my own. When it comes to language teaching and learning, first,  I think being a teacher means being a lifetime long learner as teachers constantly learn from their learners and peers while they teach, they also learn the learners’ cultural backgrounds, behaviors, and understand where their learners are coming from. Things like these become my life inspiration. I also see teaching as a way to help people out, as the language skills can transform the learners to somewhere better for their life, I as the guide and facilitator in this process, it makes me feel my job is very rewarding.

– HS

An aspect of my identity that will help me as a future language educator is being a Heritage learner. Being a Heritage learner will reflect on my teaching style as I will be more aware and responsive to the needs of Heritage learners in my class who may have strong oral skills, but struggle with reading, writing, and/or grammar. Additionally, I am empathetic to the strong ties and connections students may have to the target identity and culture. Thus, using real world examples and culturally relevant pedagogy in my classroom will play an extremely important role.

– LN

Having lived in France will greatly benefit my ability to teach French in the future. Growing up in K-12 French Immersion program, I was always taught the “proper” forms of French, which can potentially be problematic. While academic language will always have some merit, I rarely used it when speaking to the locals in France. In my future French classroom, I’d like content and ideas to be valued over delivery and accuracy, as language can be fluid and there doesn’t need to be one specific way of conveying information. On top of that, I want to encourage student engagement in the classroom, and not discourage students from participating for speaking in an incorrect tense.

– AM

My understanding on cross-culture communication can help with my teaching. I have been working in the international student center and have lots of trainings on understanding culture difference such as direct/indirect communication. I understand if students are from a low-context culture, they mean what they say. While for students from a high-context culture, there may be a hidden meaning behind what they say. And therefore, for students from a high context background learning a L2 that has a low-context environment, the meaning of the language would be vague if they are trying to get too many meanings crossed. For students from a low context culture learning a language under a high context culture, it would be rude to say certain things and make the reader or listener think too much.

– RL

Being a language learner could help me become a language teacher. As a child, I learned Russian, Ukrainian, and English. When I got older, I learned Spanish and started to learn Greek. I hope that my experiences, knowledge, and the ability to understand will allow me to help others learn a foreign language.

– Anna

One aspect of my background that will (hopefully!) benefit my students is that I’m curious about and interested in just about everything. As a result, it’s fun for me to learn about students’ diverse interests and tailor the classroom experience to who they are as people– which should ultimately help students stay motivated. For example: I was a triple major in History, French, and Government, but also love the sciences, video games, baking, and all genres of music. I even do weird things like build semi-aquatic environments for salamanders. If my students connect with something in their personal lives, you can bet I will try to learn all about it, and incorporate it into our curriculum.

– NGH

I am creative and innovative which allows me to see things from new angles and keep plans exciting. When combined with my need for organization, these characteristics tend to result in well-formatted and aesthetically pleasing handouts, clear instruction, and detailed examples which might guide students in their language learning without being monotone. Additionally, my artistic tendencies allow me to recognize unique style and ingenuity in other individuals, and I am a firm believer in the freedom of differentiation. Learners know themselves best, and I feel no need to force them to follow my preferred method if they have a strategy of their own. Flexibility and creativity will serve me well as I adapt from my own experiences as a learner and teacher.

– Aleya

When I asked myself, why do I want to become a language teacher? What made me pursue this professional path? The first thing that came to mind are my grandparents. I remember going to their house for vacation and being immersed in their bilingual home. I remember being fascinated with my mom switching from French to Palenese (an Italian dialect). I remember cooking delicious Italian food with my grandma, while listening to her and following her instructions. My passion for languages come from all these memories and all the emotional and cultural enrichment I gained throughout my years for learning languages. These feelings and memories are what I hope to recreate in my language classrooms.

– AB