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I have gained so much from the course material/exercises and my effort to submit my best work that it is difficult to know where to start. Teaching: There is so much more to teaching ESL than I had ever imagined, starting with the importance of lesson planning and the plan itself. I have learned that a single page lesson plan forces precise thinking about the learner objectives, the context of the lesson, the timing and nature of the activities and the materials required to accomplish the objectives. I have come to understand the importance of simplicity and clarity in the lesson plan, particularly in the event that someone else may be executing the plan. Over the course of the twenty units I have seen a change in the content of the lesson plans I have submitted and in how I think about lesson planning in general. The course has engendered a better understanding of the daunting challenges many ESL students face. I need to constantly remind myself to ?keep it simple?. ESL students: I have come to realize that teaching english as a second language requires a much deeper understanding of the student than I had previously thought - not only the importance of understanding how learners learn in general, but also how the learning preferences of each individual student have to be considered. I have a better sense of the importance of accurately assessing the language level and determining the specific strengths and weaknesses of students. I have a greater appreciation of the complexities of the english language and the difficulties that these can present to ESL students. I have a greater determination to continue to increase my own knowledge of the subject and the teaching of it. My goal is to be a reliable source of english knowledge for any student that I have the privilege to teach. The language: As a speaker of english as my native language, the course has introduced me to the formality of language and grammar that previously came without thinking or understanding that I was following (or breaking) a set of rules ? rules that themselves had exceptions. The overall logic of the rules about sentence structure, word usage, grammar forms and verb tenses is a thing of beauty. In combination, these rules allow speakers of the language to compose sentences that convey the precise meaning they intended. They do however, pose a learning challenge to ESL students. Add to these the seemingly illogical exceptions and the challenge is daunting. The course has provided great guidance on the usage and form of the english language and ideas on how to best teach these to ESL students. My intention is to continue to improve my knowledge of english and to build upon the foundation provided by the course. Resources: When I commenced the course, I was unaware of the number of resources available to ESL teachers. Whether these are focused on the teaching of ESL or the further learning of the subject matter they promise to be a valuable source of support and improvement for teachers of ESL students. I already have my favorite sites and books. I am looking forward to exploring the additional resources suggested in the course.
