Ryota Iwasaki

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Leaining English as a foieign language can be challenging to many stuuents at many
uiffeient ages. I have stuuieu English as a foieign language since I was seventh giaue
stuuent. Thioughout my life anu caieei as a teachei, I still think leaining English is veiy
challenging. Bowevei, leaining English is as beneficial as how challenging it is. Being able
to speak multiple languages can seive as one of the stiongest abilities that people can have
when they giow up because that ability opens many uoois to life in both caieei anu piivate
life.
Being bilingual teachei of English is veiy beneficial when teaching English to ESL
stuuents because the expeiience significantly helpeu me teach English at piivate school in
}apan. I expeiienceu the same haiuships that stuuents expeiienceu when I leaineu English.
I know how stuuents feel when they fiist encountei English anu I know how leaining
English can be a challenging task. I expeiienceu it exactly the same way. Foi example,
stuuents that I taught hau haiu time uistinguishing L sounu anu R sounu, but I knew
methouologies, such as using minimal paii exeicises, anu those methouologies helpeu
stuuents oveicome pionunciation haiuship.
Ny expeiience in teaching anu tutoiing ESL to stuuents helpeu me builu beliefs anu
iueas that help stuuents oveicome challenges anu leau them to success in leaining English.
The elements that help stuuents succeeu in leaining English aie positive-atmospheie
leaining enviionment, motivating stuuents, anu iole of the teachei.


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Seveial stuuents attenu ciam schools aftei school, but most stuuents have input in
classioom at school. Theiefoie, the classioom, leaining enviionment, must be a place
wheie stuuents feel comfoitable to absoib inputs. To make classioom comfoitable, I tolu
stuuents auvises, such as "It is necessaiy anu totally fine to make mistakes" because
stuuents weie afiaiu of making mistakes at beginning level. I hesitateu to ask questions
when I fiist stuuieu English because I was afiaiu of what classmates think of me by asking
questions. Stuuents feel ashameu when they make mistakes in fiont of othei classmates.
Bowevei, those negative emotions pievent stuuent's piogiess in leaining. To avoiu this
situation, I maue activities that weie tiicky at the beginning level anu puiposely hau
stuuents make mistakes anu coiiect that mistake in class togethei to show that asking
question anu making mistake is a natuial thing to uo when people leain seconu languages.
It was impoitant to let stuuents know that leaining English is a challenging task anu
eveiybouy will make mistakes. When stuuents feel comfoitable at leaining, then they will
absoib inputs bettei than when stuuents aie uncomfoitable. This element leaus to anothei
element, which is motivating stuuents.
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Theie aie many uiffeient ieasons why stuuents take foieign language couises.
Stuuents take couise to fulfill iequiiements, foi fun, anu foi futuie. I taught English at
piivate school in }apan wheie English was the iequiiement couise. Theiefoie, seveial
stuuents weie not inteiesteu in English oi uiu not pay attention. Bowevei, that was not
anybouy's fault, but it was my iesponsibility to biing motivation in stuuents because
motivation helps stuuents absoib input bettei. To uo so, I came up with a activity that I
askeu stuuents to uesciibe anu intiouuce theii favoiite celebiities oi singei to othei
classmates. In this activity, stuuents weie eagei anu they hau fun cieating sentences in
English. I useu this activity at beginning of the semestei anu it woikeu veiy well. Stuuents
founu this activity veiy fun anu stuuents talkeu about theii favoiite uiamas in English
outsiue of class.
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Teachei will be the closest figuie that stuuents have to absoib inputs. Teachei's
iole is to manage classioom anu teachei is not the contiollei of the classioom, but
facilitatoi. When I leu the class at the beginning of a lesson, I intiouuceu the agenua of the
lesson fiist to let stuuents know what was coveieu in that lesson anu I intiouuceu the
mateiial. Aftei mateiial is intiouuceu anu coveieu, I gave them activities to see if stuuents
unueistoou the mateiial anu I manageu the time foi them to ask me questions. While
stuuents weie woiking on the activities, I uiu not inteifeie because I uiu not want to
inteiiupt theii conveisation oi piocess of woiking. It is necessaiy to let stuuents exploie
anu expeiience woiking by themselves. When stuuents maue mistakes oi hau questions
anu they weie minoi, I coiiecteu quietly. When stuuents maue common mistakes oi
common questions that ESL stuuents make, I went ovei those with whole class togethei
without spotting that stuuent. I nevei pickeu one stuuent oi spot one because it woulu
embaiiass the stuuent anu take away theii motivation.
English is a woilu language anu many countiies have English cuiiiculum in theii
euucation systems. Theie aie countiies wheie English is spoken as one of the official
language, but theie aie moie countiies that use English as a foieign language. In those
countiies stuuents leain English because taking English class is a manuatoiy anu iequiieu
couise to giauuate. It is one of the most common ieasons to leain English in Asian
countiies, especially in }apan. Ny goal is to help stuuents finu pleasuie anu joy in leaining
English. With my philosophy of teaching, I am confiuent that I am ieauy to uo so.