Using Total Physical Response, Ollers Episodic Theory, and Krashens Monitor Hypothesisa :: Teaching Education Philosophy

Using Total Physical Response, Ollers Episodic Theory, and Krashen's Monitor Hypothesisa to Teach a Second Language Teaching is a wonderful thing where you are given the opportunity to make a difference in the life of a student. Teaching is about making a connection with the students and reaching out to those who need it. As a future Spanish teacher I am looking forward to this opportunity because I will be instrumental in helping students make a connection with other cultures and compare it to their own. As a foreign language instructor I will have the responsibility to demonstrate the importance of language in today's world and I will do this by providing different types of classroom activities. Teaching a second language creates the potential to overcome cultural gaps by allowing students of all backgrounds to communicate in a language other then their own without having to spend significant resources to do so. In addition to this a foreign language gives students the opportunity to learn about different cultures, customs and beliefs without having to travel any further then the classroom. A technique that is both effective and creates a fun learning environment are games. The use of games allows learning to take place on both the conscious and subconscious levels. By the use of games you can use many modern techniques such as Total Physical Response (TPR), story telling as prescribed by Ollers Episodic Theory, while including elements of Krashen's Monitor Hypothesis, all of which can address the national standards. There are several different approaches to learning that involve different theories, which build upon previous information and use different cognitive abilities. However, there is no one formal definition of what learning is. That has been a question that educators have pondered for many years. I believe that learning is a combination of different processes involving memorization, experience, adaptation and application of new skills, as well as conscious and subconscious reinforcement. A good way to facilitate learning is to take elements of these different theories and approaches and integrate them into classroom activities and lesson plans. It's necessary to challenge and motivate the students in order to have them perform well. In order to challenge the students in the study of a foreign language I will present them with different aspects of the cultures in which the language represents by cultural readings, foreign newspapers, and samples of music and food that are represented in those cultures.