Brian: Over the years, the teaching style that we use in TEFL lessons has

shifted towards being student-centered rather than being teacher-centered.

But what does that actually mean?
Well, teacher-centered lessons usually involve the teacher being the focus
of most of the lesson's activities: doing most of the talking, explaining
grammar and vocabulary and the like, while students listen and take notes.
Can you think why this might not be the best methodology?
Generally, if the teacher is the only one actually using the language with
the students taking a more passive role, the students might develop a pretty
good understanding of the language, but no great ability to use it themselves.
And helping students use English is the aim of the lesson in the end, isn't it?
It's also worth considering that if there is too much teacher talking time compared
to student talking time, then students will get bored and lose attention.
So what's the difference between this and student-centered lessons?
Here, the teacher is still present and involved, but they encourage the
students to use the language as much as possible, and discover grammar
rules and vocabulary on their own.
Rather than being a lecturer, the teacher becomes a guide to the English
language; eliciting responses from students rather than dictating to them.
This all adds up to a much more memorable learning experience for the students,
and means that when they leave the classroom, they're much more able to
use their new English skills than they would be after a teacher-centered lesson.