On How To Approach Effective Teaching Beyond Methods

Approaching effective teaching is the goal of every language teacher. As for the way on how to approach effective teaching, the history of language teaching in the last hundred years has done much to support the view that effective teaching should be attained in terms of specific methods. That is to say, what, when and how teachers and learners do should obey a set of prescriptions deriving from methods. The author holds a different opinion, however. Because the studies of classroom events have demonstrated that teaching is a dynamic, interactional process in which effective teaching results from the process of interaction between the 搕eacher抯 work or instruction?and 搇earners?study? thus effective teaching should on the one hand depend on the degree to which the teacher is able to successfully communicate his or her intentions, maintain students engagement in instructional tasks, and monitor learners?performance on tasks; Effective teaching should on the other hand depend on the degree to which the learner is able to successfully obtain what he or she received from the teacher and improve his or her proficiency in study. The characteristics of effective teaching in those settings can not be inferred merely from reading about the theoretical principles underlying the method or approach the teacher is supposed to be following. In this sense, effective teaching should be approached beyond methods. In other words, effective teaching should be based on teachers and learners?effective strategies towards their respective work. Some effective teacher strategies and learner strategies in teaching college English have been introduced on the basis of the author抯 research and teaching experience in this paper, hoping to provide some help to other college English teachers. Teacher strategies include classroom management, structuring, tasks and grouping. Learner strategies include some strategies towards difficulties in listening, speaking, reading and writing.