http://davetrott.co.uk/2016/12/old-farts/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=old-farts Powered by The Barn Tue, 27 Dec 2016 14:36:20 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 http://davetrott.co.uk/2016/12/old-farts/#comment-43010 Tue, 27 Dec 2016 14:36:20 +0000 http://davetrott.co.uk/?p=1578#comment-43010 Hi Sally, Hi Mark,
I teach students English as a second language now. I see teaching as a two way process. I teach them and they teach me. I believe in being equal partners in the process. So when they come across a word they don’t know and they ask me “What does that mean?” I throw the question back at them and ask them “What do you think it means?” and nine times out of ten they are right. I find this the greatest pleasure in teaching because it builds their confidence in themselves and teaching people to use their own initiative actually improves their language skills far quicker than hammering them with grammar because we don’t talk in “Grammar” just like we don’t use a Haynes Car Repair Manual to drive a car. All too often people think a teacher should know everything like the Haynes Manual, which is as absurd as suggesting owning a paintbrush makes you Pablo Picasso.

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