My dear grad school colleague agreed to take part in my series Dear Language Lovers so let’s take a look at his responses to my questions. What are his ideas, thoughts and views about language learning, teaching and appealing to a wide range of learners. We both attended the School for International Training which was such a unique and intimate experience. The program centered around teaching from a truly student-centered approach with experiential pedagogy at the forefront. After attending the classes in Vermont and forming bonds with my instructors and peers I not only had a greater understanding of how to teach the student as an individual and not simply a student in the classroom, but I also had a greater understanding of the notion of giving and receiving constructive feedback. I had a greater sense of confidence in my ability to facilitate a class and speak publicly in group settings. Finally, I was exposed to so many experiences and people which were outside of my comfort zone which ultimately led to personal growth and a newfound love for everything outdoors.
So, let’s climb the infamous mountain to SIT and see what M from Turkey has to share as the next Language Enthusiast.
1. When did you fall in love with languages? What languages have you studied and what languages would you like to study?
In some sense I suppose I have always been intrigued by languages and loved them since I grew up bilingual (English / Sranan Tongo). But then I took ancient (koine) Greek and linguistics at university, and they were the hardest parts of my program. I studied for a year in Turkey after university and failed Turkish twice at the elementary level. (!) So, languages weren’t really fun, and I didn’t notice that they could be enjoyable. But it only took a few weeks of teaching English to know that I’d found something I loved to do. [Eventually this] (with renewed and more focused study of Turkish) led to a conscious love of languages (Champlin, April 2025).
2. What is it about teaching that you find most intriguing?
It seems to me that languages are windows into people and cultures, and I’d found out that those are central things I love. So, language, the negotiation of meaning and the joint exploration of self and others that happen in the process became increasingly important to me. I also learned that loving to teach a language and being good at it were too different things, which led to more study. That study in turn increased my understanding and fascination with the languages – a beautiful cycle (Champlin, April 2025).
3. Why do you feel it is important to understand your students’ unique needs and learning motivations?
The TESOL word ‘affordances’ springs to mind – opportunities! If language instruction is going to be minimally coercive and maximally beneficial, it needs to hear the students’ desires and interests. As a teacher, I bring a set of opportunities that the student may not even be aware of; but the opportunities I offer a learner will be most effective and enjoyable if they align with the students’ goals. Since that may not always be possible, minimally having rapport with the students so that we each know that we care about the others’ motivations even when we can’t meet them is important (Champlin, April 2025).
4. What do you find most challenging about teaching English?
Short-term, the challenge of re-thinking significant parts of my style due to AI probably looms the largest. There are many opportunities for improvement, but it also involves a significant amount of trial and error. Long-term, the challenge of drawing in the unwilling student seems to be the most consistent. How do I best help the student who is in the class and continually wishes they weren’t? This question feels vital at both the practical and philosophical level (Champlin, April 2025).
So, another Language Enthusiast has shared their views on teaching and learning. Leave your experiences in the comments.
As a language learner and instructor how has your experience as a student shaped the way you conduct your classroom?
Has your experience as a student impacted how you view the classroom environment and student -facilitator interactions?
What role does a student’s personality, learning motivation and learning style play on a student’s ability to process and retain information?
What are the varying layers of language and is it important to explore all of them when studying a language?
Matt is currently an instructor at the Istanbul 29 Mayis Universitesi
W Wanderland 