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The Parts of Speech unit made me consider the vast complexity of explaining to a learner the building blocks of an English language in an approachable, clear and encouraging way. It is possibly one of the most challenging segments of any language course, and one that may feel most daunting to students. The beginners in particular, who perhaps do not yet feel instinctively what the correct order of adjectives in a sentence is, or who are confused by a multitude of irregular verbs, may become easily discouraged if the focus on the grammar is not well balanced with conversation and playtime. As much as we cannot eradicate the more tedious elements of the learning process, such as memorising the forms of the irregular verbs, or learning by heart the rules of article placements in geographical context, it is a teacher's responsibility to create in their class an atmosphere of wonder, of a true adventure with the language, while keeping all explanations clear, concise and always illustrated by an example. I believe that students are best motivated by seeing practical ways of applying their new found knowledge, by seeing their world open up because of this newly gained ability to communicate. A teacher nowadays has such a wide range of tools and materials freely available, and should take every opportunity to engage learners on many different levels and show them how the foreign language they are studying relates to the world outside of the text book. Even the most studious and committed pupil will find a new enjoyment amidst their hard work when given an opportunity to apply their knowledge to a favourite hobby or an interest. To sum up, the key role of a teacher in parts of the speech studies would be to deliver very clear explanations, based strongly on every day examples, and to balance the monotony of memorising the material with plentiful exercises, media presentations and conversations that engage the students and show them how the elements of the language come together, and come alive.
