Hello again!

Thanks for clicking on Part 2 of my series on my teaching philosophy!

Through these blogs, I want to make you familiar with my teaching style and the way that I think when it comes to learning and teaching a language.

Let’s jump right into the second part of my teaching philosophy:

My teaching philosophy is rooted in achieving fluent, native-like communication through a sequence similar to how children learn their native language.

I believe, contrary to what many people think, that adults have similar abilities for learning languages as children do. 

We have just forgotten to follow our natural instincts to listen and repeat what we hear. Or, we didn’t have the opportunity to learn like this because of our environment (growing up in a country where English is not commonly spoken, for example).

Many people I know have instead focused on memorising grammar for tests and exams. Which is very good and to be greatly admired. But it does not help you speak fluently.

Here are the stages that children go through when learning their mother tongue (in my opinion):

1. Listening and internalising (putting information into your subconscious mind)
2. Repeating
3. Speaking
4. Reading 
5. Writing

Based on the above, I believe listening to English music, real-life conversations, and movie and TV dialogue is the foundation for speaking like a native English speaker.

If you want to get better at speaking, I encourage you to spend much more time listening and shadowing (repeating what you hear exactly), than you spend studying grammar, reading, or writing.

Especially if you have been learning for a long time and still can’t speak fluently, I think it is even more important to focus on listening and internalising first, followed by repeating and then speaking.

In lessons with me, we'll apply this philosophy to ensure a natural and fluent progression in your English skills.

That’s all for today’s post! Next, have a look at My Teaching Philosophy Part 3: Learning is Best When Enjoyed.

Click here to read My Teaching Philosophy Part 1: Each Learner is a Unique Individual.

Thanks for reading, 

Chané (샤네)

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