Exploring my dilemmas as an educator teaching English to speakers of other languages
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English language learning, Motivation, Other languages, Student engagement, Tertiary education
Abstract
Teaching the English language to students from various programmes at tertiary level remains a challenging task. Most students perceive Communicative English, a compulsory course that needs to be passed to graduate, as a threat. This reflective paper aims to discuss three dilemmas that I have experienced with my English language students in this context. First, students expect that English language learning should be as fun as it was in primary school. However, the tertiary level demands that attention be paid to career development, which is somewhat discordant with this ideal. Second, students participate in class activities without engaging themselves in the learning process. Last but not least, motivating demotivated students to develop an interest in English language learning is not an easy task, especially for those students who do not enjoy learning English. The paper ultimately highlights the need for educators to constantly reflect on their practice and changing learning contexts.
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