The teacher is one of the poles of our model. As is often the case in complex systems, it is difficult to observe one of the poles in isolation, since there is constant interaction between them. Chapters on the language pole, the learner poles, as well as the reflection on the learning process have reduced our description of the teacher pole to what is directly relevant to the person.The reader can initially try and see how he or she would answer the questions and compare with what is described in the chapter. A synthetic table summarizing the content of the chapter will conclude the chapter, followed by a figure illustrating the place of the teacher in the cycle. Anticipating the figure and discussing how different the anticipation is from the position defended in the book may prove a worthwhile way of reading the following pages.
TopObjectives Of The Chapter
As in previous chapters, this chapter will address some general points that may be modified by distance such as:
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mediation,
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modes of delivery,
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constraints,
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roles and skills,
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monitoring,
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advisory strategies,
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knowledge of learners,
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postures,
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assessment of staff.
The reader can initially try and see how he or she would answer the questions and compare with what is described in the chapter. A synthetic table summarizing the content of the chapter will conclude the chapter, followed by a figure illustrating the place of the teacher in the cycle. Anticipating the figure and discussing how different the anticipation is from the position defended in the book may prove a worthwhile way of reading the following pages.
TopTeaching Methodologies And Practices
An individual’s knowledge is described as a personal construction mediated by teachers or peers (chapter 3). Distance will not affect the individual’s construction of knowledge, but may make mediation and social interaction more complex. Research in second language acquisition and the teaching and learning of languages has led to considerable theoretical discussion (Seidlhofer, 2003) and reflection on how it could enlighten classroom or other forms of instruction (Ellis, 2001).
Authors recurrently mention the gap between research and practice or pedagogy (Ellis, 1997, Richards & Nunan, 1990, Fotos & Nassaji, 2007, or Chapelle, 2003, among others). In distance second language learning environments, the teacher needs to be a reflective practitioner (Lamy & Hampel, 2007, p. 73), which requires training and discussing with mentors (Lamy & Hampel, 2007, p. 74).
Training is a formal and institutionalized process of preparation towards the achievement of pre-specified outcomes and the development of skills for predictable situations, whereas teacher education is more flexible in its formats and is seen as a life-long pursuit in order to be able to cope with new and unpredictable situations which require both a reformulation of beliefs and conceptions and the modification of established patterns (Richards & Nunan, 1990).