Teacher's Roles

Teacher’s roles are closely related to learner’s roles. Depending on the method applied, the role of the teacher may vary from a totally central figure, as a source of knowledge and directions, to a catalytic one, acting more as a consultant than a guide.

Teacher roles in methods are related to the following issues: (a) the types of functions teachers are expected to fulfill, whether that of practice director, counselor, or model, for example; (b) the degree of control the teacher has over how learning takes place; (c) the degree to which the teacher is responsible for determining the content of what is taught; and (d) the interactional patterns that develop between teachers and learners.

The success of a method will ultimately depend on the teacher’s role, since it is the main instrument through which both the objectives of a method and the learning theory on which a method is based are applied.

I would like to comment about how important the teacher's role is, even when the class is student-centered. It is the teacher who guides the activity, who leads people to discuss, and who instigates communication. Besides, in the postmethod era, we see that, although the learner's roles have increased very much, the autonomy of the teacher as the one who decides about the syllabus, approaches and activities has gained more importance as well.

'Teacher's Roles' on the Internet:

http://www.csun.edu/~meq75037/paper1.html

http://www.members.shaw.ca/priscillatheroux/teacherrole.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?Role-of-Teachers-in-the-Present-Day-Society&id=1398161

http://navodaya.gov.in/Role%20of%20Teacher.htm

Bibliographical Sources:

RICHARDS, J. ; RODGERS, T. Approaches and methods in Language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986

BENESCH, Sarah. Critical English for academic purposes: theory, politics, and practice.

Lawrence Erlbawm Associates, 2001.