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In general the unit covers the roles and responsibilities of both teachers and students. I learnt that the qualities that make up a good teacher are not just based on personality but also on their ability to keep a good relationship with their students. The following are a few qualities a teacher should have: A love for teaching ? generally teachers who enjoy teaching are open to exploring new teaching methods which in turn makes lessons more interesting. Be kind and patient ? contributes to creating a comfortable atmosphere where students feel free to ask questions without reproach. Correct students without offending ? it?s important to be sensitive to students and ensure they are not put off their lessons. Ability to motivate learners - a motivated learner is more likely to do well. The roles teachers perform in a class setting are not limited to one role but several and are important in ensuring students learn effectively according to their level. I feel the most important roles to be Organizer, Assessor and Model. The role of Organizer is pivotal in ensuring there is structure to the lessons in the class. It is the teacher?s role to oversee all activities and give feedback. The role Assessor is to give feedback, correct, grade and evaluate. In order for a student to progress, they must know if they are producing good English. The role of Model is important as it is often the only source of English a student will have and therefore it is important for the teacher to be aware of their usage of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation in the class. Factors to consider when assessing a learner are age, culture, language level and motivation. There are a number of qualities that successful learners share, these are: - A willingness to listen to the language - A desire to experiment new methods of learning - A willingness to ask questions - Acceptance of error correction - Ability to think about their own learning process and methods. Of these qualities, I feel the most important is the ability to think about their own learning process and methods because they will more likely be open minded to new learning methods and will exert themselves in the process of learning a new language. The major differences between an adult learners and a young learners are: -Adult learners are generally self-motivated as they would have made the decision themselves to learn a new language whereas a young learner would not have and as result lack motivation. -Adult learners have a history of learning experiences and therefore can have a fixed idea on teaching methods. They are not as open minded as young learners to new teaching methods. -Young learners have a smaller attention span to adult learners and therefore their lessons might be shorter with more visual. -Young learners have a tendency to absorb language content in the same way they learnt their native tongue whereas an adult learner tends to match a new language to their native tongues making it harder to grasp. There are number of reasons students want to learn English, these being: -To further their career -Travel purposes -To live in an English speaking country -A love for languages -To communicate better with customers and colleagues From this unit I have learnt the basis of what a good teacher encompasses as well as a good learner. I particularly liked the phrase that a good teachers produces good learners.
