By Mayra Yaranga
A new year has started and the time
has come for resolution lists! Apart from eating more healthily and doing more
exercise after the high in calories Christmas season, professionals should also
reflect on how 2018 will make a difference in their careers. What about foreign
language teachers? There are several areas where we can make resolutions… and
fulfil them!
Language
resolutions:
What should be on top of our
academic/professional resolution list? Without any doubt, the language
competence component. The best way to prove a real improvement in this aspect
is sitting (and of course, passing) an English international examination. Besides,
the feeling of achievement may motivate you to venture into more challenging
duties within language teaching. However, we advise teachers to be careful when
choosing a date: perhaps it is more advisable to sit a test early in the year,
because the last three months are usually full of activities that leave
teachers physically and mentally exhausted.
Another very important action to
take is to start a study or a debate group. Some experts believe teachers’ command
of the foreign language might become fossilised if it is only used to give
instructions and explain through metalanguage. Do teachers have many chances to
voice their views on a range of topics and push themselves to show their best
lexical repertoire? A group can be the best option to try this.
Methodology
Resolutions
Of course, methodology cannot be ignored
in our perseverance list. One good action to try during the year is peer
observation. Asking colleagues for their insights on our practices and
techniques can be an incredibly revealing experience, and can throw light on
aspects which we might have taken for granted. The most important benefit is
that the observation can be carried out without the associated feeling of being
evaluated for ‘quality control’ purposes, which scares even the most
experienced teachers.
Another action that can help us
make a difference this year is attending talks or conferences on foreign
language teaching. Even if this is a requirement at work, having an open mind
can help us discover, or re-discover, many aspects about our work that we might
have forgotten. Sharing with other colleagues what we have learned and tried in
our classes would be an interesting way to consolidate this learning.
Educational
commitment at a broader scale:
One final resolution has to do with
our commitment to the teaching profession. It is true: we are already committed
by being part of the professional environment at work, or by studying to
improve our skills. However, I believe that teachers cannot and should not remain
passive before the wider context of educational policy on foreign language
teaching or the measures taken to address the problems education faces in our
country. We should not limit ourselves because we teach foreign languages –
being informed is our right and our duty.
Now it is your turn:
What are
your 2018 resolutions in the professional aspect?
Biodata
Mayra Yaranga (1985) has completed
Doctorate studies in Education at UNIFÉ; Master’s Degree in Media, Culture and
Identity from Roehampton University (London) revalidated by PUCP, a Bachelor’s
Degree in Education - UPCH and the Professional Title of Licenciada - IPNM.
Currently she is Cambridge Oral Examiner and Member of the Research Area for
Universidad del Pacifico Language Centre. She is also ESP coordinator and
Pre-University Centre Director at UNIFÉ.
