What Your Job Really Is In The Language Classroom – It’s Not What You Always Thought

Alright guys! Let’s talk about something extremely important today. Your job as a language teacher isn’t really to ‘teach’ in the traditional sense of the word. Because you can’t just teach a foreign language cognitively like a history teacher does.

In other words…you can’t just shove information at your students and expect them to memorize it once and be able to use it forever. Nope. It doesn’t work that way at all. I hate to break it to you like this…but if you want real breakthrough in your language classroom you have to face the facts.

If you’ve been teaching for any length of time…let me ask you something. Have you ever had a question or phrase that you use in almost every single class…but even after months of teaching your students just give you a blank look every single time you ask it?

It can be really frustrating to ask your student how his week went and what he did…just to have him give you a blank look and say ‘huh’ even after months of hearing it. It makes you want to just pull your hair out and scream.

Well, today we aren’t going to really talk about why this happens or even how to resolve. We’ll save that for another session. Because today I want to talk about what your job really is in the classroom.

Are you ready?

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You are a ‘personal trainer’ to your students.

Okay…okay! I know that may sound strange, especially coming from a guy like me. So let me explain myself here.

Your students can’t just take random bits of information you throw at them (like grammar rules and vocabulary lists) and memorize it for a test…and then expect to be fluent speakers. Unless they are sheer geniuses…they will have forgotten most of it in less than two weeks.

Let me clarify that we aren’t talking about the top 5% of your students here…I am talking about the majority of your class in general. They just won’t get it as fast as you want them to. And they will need to practice a lot.

They need to learn how to use the language in real conversation on the fly in the real world. They need lots of practice. They have to get out there and use what they are learning.

And as much as you would like to do that for them…you can’t!

So your job ultimately boils down to one simple thing. You have to motivate them to learn. Yes, you do have to provide them with the context to learn…and give them the info they need.

I simply tell me students that I am just another resource at their disposal. I am like their dictionary…their language software…their grammar book…etc. They can get a lot of information out of me about the language. But they have to practice it…and then use that information to really internalize it.

The classroom study time provides the self-discipline that most students need to just learn. See most aren’t self-disciplined enough to learn and study a new language on their own at a set time frequently enough to really get the language.

The language lesson provides the context for learning the vocabulary and structures that they need to learn to speak the language.

And the teacher and other students are a means to practice what they are learning.

So the real problem isn’t that your language learning students don’t have enough tools or resources at their disposal. They have or can get everything they need very easily with or without your help.

I know…the truth hurts. Doesn’t it?

But think of it like this. Let’s look at this in another context to make it easier to understand. Let’s imagine that your language students goal isn’t to learn to speak a second language. Let’s say that instead they want to get fit. And let’s say that instead of you being a language teacher…you are a personal fitness expert.

Got it?

Okay…so your student comes to your ‘gym’ (classroom) and starts to ‘workout’ (study). He uses the ‘weightlifting equipment’ (study materials) and ‘exercises’ (studies).

What are you really doing? Other than providing information and guidance…can you force him to work out? Can you make him ‘workout’ (study) everyday?

Of course not!

If he comes to the gym (classroom)…but doesn’t listen to you…and does his exercises all wrong…

Whose fault is it if he doesn’t get the desired results?

All the weightlifting theory in the world won’t do him a bit of good unless he really buckles down and starts to do the ’stuff’.

So, your job as a language teacher…is more of a motivational and guidance role.

• Yes, you ‘teach’ the lesson.
• Yes, you provide information.
• Yes, you help him practice.

But you can’t just throw massive amounts of information at him…and then get mad at him for not remembering it.

You need to teach him how to learn and motivate him by showing him the importance of what he is doing. You need to guide him each step of the way. Encourage him when he is down and help him get back on track when he gets off it.

But you have to help him realize that he must assume responsibility for his own success.

Obviously…I am not saying that you no longer have any obligation in whether he succeeds or not. That would be silly. Yes…you need to assume your responsibility as his teacher…a.k.a. ‘personal trainer’.

But you must realize that isn’t involve so much the informational aspect as he can get that from just about anywhere…online, books, schools, other teachers, etc.

What he really needs is someone who can coach him through the whole language learning process. He needs someone who can train to get the most efficient results and motivate him to stay focused on his goal.

You have to make him realize that you his ‘personal language trainer’ and not his ‘personal brain surgeon’. You can’t just crack his cranium open and dump the textbook in his skull.

Now, before you breathe a big sigh of relief and start to relax…let me assure you that your task is far from over. It will take some serious ‘thinking’ on your part to help him breakthrough each roadblock he faces. Did you know that there are 14 of them?

So, no! You can’t just sluff off in your classroom just yet. But if you begin to think of yourself as a ‘personal language trainer…and help your students begin to take more responsibility for their success…your job will become a whole lot less frustrating.

Don’t stress it if students in your classroom aren’t learning because they aren’t practicing the language and doing what they are supposed to. Let them assume their fair share of their own responsibility.

That will allow you to focus on your responsibilities and get the results you really wanted.