ABOUT ME

Esther Sanchis Vallín

Translator and future English teacher.

Graduated in Translation Studies. 

Master's Degree in Secondary Education Teaching.

I am a tea lover and a bookworm. 

GB-SP-DE-CAT-RUS


Do it now. Sometimes 'later' becomes 'never'

During my school period, I was an excellent student. It means, I was the type of person who kept everything under control. In this day and age, I remain the same. I define myself as a responsible and hard-working person who tries to be up to date with all the academic stuff.

Planning is the key, and I am sure that, when I become a teacher, I will be even more organised. Other of my strengths is punctuality. This is linked to courtesy, so I consider that when someone arrives late is because s(he doesn’t take things into serious consideration.

EUROPEAN PROFILE FOR LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION

(University of Southampton)

The following analysis of my language teaching is based on the European profile. It is divided in different sections such as structure, knowledge and understanding, strategies and skills, values and so on.

According to the structure, knowledge and skills are necessary in order to be a good teacher. As a trainee teacher, I have a great knowledge about the language discipline and teacher education, since the master’s degree is addressed to that (knowledge about applied linguistics, SLA, methodologies, educational system and so on). Furthermore, I have become familiar with the professional context due to the internship period through teacher observation. All the theory I have learned is related in some way to what I have seen or done in classroom.

In fact, I have carried out an action research during my internship in which I have applied the theoretical framework to my teaching. E.g. Which is the methodology the teacher uses in class or which is the role of the teacher and students (active or passive), etc.

Trainee teacher placements in multicultural classrooms help develop an intercultural mindset. I have had the opportunity to teach students of different backgrounds, so I have developed an intercultural understanding.

It is certain that I will become a teacher in the near future. So, it is important to have access to an ongoing education to discover new learning environments, networking, new teaching techniques, etc. It is crucial to reflect on our teaching and have an open-minded attitude to educational research, innovation and change.

Regarding knowledge and understanding section, it is relevant to apply different teaching methodologies to achieve different learning outcomes. As a trainee teacher, I consider that variety of methodologies and resources is the key in language teaching. In my opinion, using ICTs and audio-visual techniques is beneficial to the students’ learning process as well as promoting interaction and groupwork.

Strategies and skills. During this academic year and, specially in my internship, I have understood that all learners are not homogeneous. They have different learning needs and we have to be able to adapt our teaching approaches to each individual.

Concerning values, I am aware of the important role teachers have in promoting positive social and cultural values. The promotion of inclusion and cultural sensitivity is a must. Moreover, we have to foster linguistic and cultural diversity in the classroom environment. We have to foster European citizenship and the set of civic rights and duties it confers.

If you want to know more about me as a learner (according to the European Language Portfolio):

See my Language Passport  by clicking here. 
See my Plurilingual Profile by clicking here. 

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” -W.B. Yeats