1. KNOW YOUR CONTENT
There is a common myth that anyone who can speak a language can teach that language, but any experienced teacher knows this is not true. The best teachers know more about the language than simply being a native speaker. They've studied grammar. They've studied pronunciation and know how various sounds are formed in the mouth. They understand the importance of intonation and stress in conveying meaning. They understand how language is used for communication.
2. KNOW YOUR PEDAGOGY
Effective language teachers not only know about the language, but they also know the best teaching methods to help others learn. They understand the difference between communicative and audio-lingual methods and which methods work best for teaching grammar and vocabulary. They understand how to teach learners of different ages and different levels. They understand how to introduce and practice new language skills with their learners. They know a variety of methods for teaching reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.
3. KNOW YOUR LEARNING OUTCOMES
One of Stephen Covey's 7 habits of highly effective people is ""begin with the end in mind"" and this applies to teaching as well. No matter how well you know your content, and no matter what teaching methods you use, if you do not know where you want your learners to end up, they are never going to get there. Start your lesson planning with an idea of what you want your learners to accomplish. Then determine what skills and knowledge they need in order to accomplish those goals. Decide what learning activities will help your learners obtain those skills and knowledge, and incorporate those activities into your lessons.
4. ALIGN ASSESSMENTS TO LEARNING OUTCOMES
Your learning activities, assessments and learning outcomes are like the wheels of a car. If they are not aligned and working together, your learners will not achieve their language goals. After you have determined your learning outcomes and decided which learning activities to include in your lessons, make sure you choose appropriate assessments that will tell you if your learners have actually accomplished what you wanted them to.
5. BE REFLECTIVE
Effective language teachers know that teaching does not stop when the lesson is over. They spend time after each lesson reflecting on how the lesson went, asking themselves what went well and what could be improved. They might make some notes about what they want to change for the next lesson. Reflecting on your teaching performance and the effectiveness of your lesson design is an excellent form of professional development. As you look for ways to reflect on your teaching, you might try asking students for feedback, keeping a journal about your lessons, or even video recording yourself to watch later.
6. REMEMBER TEACHING IS A TEAM SPORT
Don't forget to reach out to others as you work to help your learners be successful.
7. BE INNOVATIVE
As you reflect on your own teaching, and find new ideas by working with colleagues, don't be afraid to try new things in your classroom. Not every new idea is going to be successful on the first try. But as you try new teaching methods and activities, you will open up new doors to you and your learners. You will add to your repertoire of teaching ideas and improve your teaching practice.
8. INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY INTO YOUR TEACHING
By incorporating this technology into your teaching, you will not only motivate your learners and help them be more engaged in your teaching, but you will also open up a world where they can use what they already know to help them learn language. Chances are your learners are already bringing technology with them to class in the form of devices. There are some great apps you can use to get students using their smartphones in class to learn language. One is called Socrative, which is a live-polling app that lets students use their smartphones to answer questions and provide feedback that is immediately collated and sent to the teacher's device. This lets you determine what students really know and make sure every student is engaged during the lesson.
9. REMEMBER THE 80/20 RULE
Students should spend only about 20% of their time learning new skills, and about 80% of their time practicing what they already know. This is a rule that is commonly applied in skills-based learning, such as learning to play the piano. Students will not progress without a sufficient amount of practice. If your students are not getting enough practice time outside of class, then make sure to incorporate practice time into your lessons. You might even try a flipped model of teaching, where students watch videos and read outside of class to learn new skills, and then practice in class when they are with other people who speak the language.
10. THINK OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
How many hours a day do your learners spend with you in the classroom? Wouldn't you like to have your learners spend more time practicing language? You can only do so much in the classroom. Effective language teachers understand this and search for ways to engage their learners in practicing language outside the classroom. There is a plethora of ways your learners can practice language outside the classroom. You might find a website where they can interact with native speakers of the language they are learning and encourage your learners to use that website. You might suggest they watch videos of television shows and news broadcasts in the target language to increase their listening comprehension.
