Chapter Report 1 - Knowing Learners and Teacher Role

There are some important factors dealing with student which have to be taken into account by teachers in order to make their teaching and learning activity will be more meaningful and understandable by the students such as age, learner differences, and motivation.

In term of age, teachers have to decide the most suitable material to be taught to their learner. Young learners tend to be the enthusiastic and curious learners. But, they will also easily get bored when they are learning. In this case, teachers have to provide a rich, fun activity which allows them to be involved actively in teaching-learning activity using the environment as a media. In line with this Harmer (2002 p. 38) stated that teacher also have to set the classroom condition as interesting as possible to avoid students’ boredom.

Meanwhile, when we are facing the adolescence learner we have to make a different activity from the one made for young learner. At this age, learners tend to be uncooperative since they are in a process of searching identity (Harmer, 2002 p. 38). Mainly, the external problems faced by them often influence their performance in learning. Actually, if they are provided by the materials related to their characteristics, they will be more actively involved. In line with this, Harmer (2002 p. 39) said that teenagers, if they are engaged, have a great capacity to learn, a great potential for creativity, and a passionate commitment to things which interest them. 

According to Harmer (2002: 40) adult learners tend to be more critical if they find that the teaching method is not suitable. Besides, they are more discipline than teenagers. To make learning activity meaningful, teachers should provide, in my opinion the most appropriate activity is by conducting group or class discussion. Through this way, they can implement their own experiences in learning activity. Besides, teachers should be able to conduct a more challenging yet entertaining activity which can expose what students know about the particular materials. 

In classroom, teachers may find students who can learn language better than others. But, they also may find the slow-learners. It is difficult to accommodate them in one learning activity. If some students can get the point of what have been delivered, how about the rest? Based on my own experiences in high school, teachers provided various activities in their class. This actually accommodates the slow-learner to understand the main point of certain materials. Besides, she also gave enrichment tasks to those who have done better in class, and also gave remedial tasks to help those who fail. 

According to Willing (1987) adapted from Harmer (2002: 43) there are four learning styles in language learning: convergers (solitary learner), conformist (dependent learner), concrete learner, and communicative learner. When teachers are planning the activity, they have to consider whether it is suitable for them. Besides, they also need to pay more attention to them who need an extra treatment of language learning. Overall, teachers, in this case, need to make an activity which is best for group (whole students) and also for individuals within it (Harmer, 2002 p. 44).

Language proficiency levels basically are divided into three categories; beginner, intermediate, and advance. In delivering the materials, teacher needs to pay attention on the language used. For instance, we cannot use a complex language if we are teaching elementary students since it is not relevant with their characteristics. So, although teachers have a good proficiency in English, they should adjust their English to the level they are working with (Harmer, 2002: 45). Besides, the language used in classroom should be motivated the students to learn. In this case, teachers may use, at least, understandable English according to learners’ language level.

Regardless of any learner differences, teachers also need to recognize their student motivation in learning. As we know, they learn language with different kind of motivation; getting a job, continuing study, working abroad, studying abroad, etc. Basically, Harmer (2002: 51) stated that they are two kind of motivations, extrinsic motivation (motivation which is influenced by outside factors), and intrinsic motivation (motivation which comes form individual itself). Besides, teachers should also be able to direct and increase students motivation through stating a clear goal or objectives from the course, making conducive learning environment, and making the interesting classes. 

Besides knowing the learners, teachers also have to recognize their roles in classroom. This is very important to make their job more effective and meaningful.

In classroom, teachers’ function is not only the transmitter of information to students, but they are also a controller, an organizer, an assessor, a prompter, a participant, a resource, a tutor, and an observer (Harmer, 2002: 57-62). 

Based on the statement above, I will point out two teacher’s role; a controller and an assessor. First is teacher as a controller. The teachers have to be able to control the class by giving a clear instruction of what students need to do during their activity. In this case, teacher as controller is seen as the person who has influence to give inspiration to the students with his/her knowledge and charisma (Harmer, 2002: 58). It is true that teacher should be charismatic in classroom. Based on my experience, teachers who are charismatic are more respected by the students. Besides, the clarity when they are delivering materials is actually encouraged us to study harder. In addition, they will be assumed as a smart teacher - having a thorough knowledge in English. Of course, teachers should have a thorough knowledge of what they are delivered since teacher is seen as a very important resource in classroom. Many students believe that teacher was the smartest person there. 

The second one is teacher as an assessor. Being an assessor means that they have to judge their students as fair as possible based on their performance in the class. Besides, teachers also offer feedback and correction and grade them in various ways (Harmer, 2002: 59). Grading or scoring is very important to see whether their students make an improvement or not after teaching and learning activity. To make it clear, teacher should make criteria for the assessment itself so that students will know how and for what purpose they are assessed. For example, most of the lecturers in English Education Department do this role very well. They told us the scoring criteria (rubrics) at the beginning of the course. So, at the end of the course – if we fail – we cannot argue with the score given by the lecturers. 

Besides the roles explained above, teacher can also be a teaching media, language model, and provider of comprehensible input (Harmer, 2002: 64). Harmer (2002: 65) stated that mimes, expression, and gestures can be used as a source for conveying meaning and atmosphere. Teachers should be able to use many expressions, gestures, and mimes in order to avoid boredom during the activity, especially when they are teaching young learners. As we know that young learners, even adult learners, will get bored if their teacher cannot provide interesting and challenging learning activity. The use of gestures, mimes, and expression will become the ice breaking in teaching-learning activity. 

As a matter of fact, teacher can also be the language model for their students. Besides getting the language model from textbooks, reading materials, and audio and videotapes, learners tend to imitate their teachers’ language when, for example, saying the dialogue, reading aloud texts, and delivering materials (Harmer, 2002: 65). It makes clear that if the teacher is delivering the materials, he/she should use, at least, understandable English and try to minimize the pronunciation errors since he/she acts as a language model for the students.