Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching Essay

Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching - Essay Example The question that looms over my mind whenever faced with a totally new experience is, ‘Am I ready to take on the challenges?’ Without an answer, I usually proceed to do what is asked, follow the rules, and hope for the best. Fortunately, the coping mechanisms I apply have worked to make me adjust in time. However, these mechanisms, coupled with a positive disposition, are not an assurance to succeed in the university. There are skills that I have to develop in order to make it to the final event, the college graduation. Fortunately, I am not alone in facing the challenges of university life. The school, through its program, Introduction to Degree Studies (IDS) makes me feel confident that help is available to international students like me every time we need it. Gradually, the fears I had during the first week of my studies have transformed into challenges and later to adventures owing to the learning I gained from the course. The needs of a new student, especially a for eign national, are different from the needs of regular students. Regular students can adapt faster to their environment despite being new to the university because they have support systems to guide them such as their family, friends, and community. In contrast, foreign students have no one to turn to in times of need. Although they can always call up home or log on the net to communicate with their loved ones, it is still not the same as having their family and friends beside them especially in times of need. This experience, in addition to the barriers brought by language and culture, is made worse by the struggles foreign students encounter in coping with school requirements. Considering the difficulties that have to be addressed by each student, IDS, with its goal of guiding new students, is a wise effort by the school. Through IDS, foreign students are given the chance to prove their worth and excel in academics. The values I gained from attending IDS are immeasurable. First of all, the course has led me to gain insights about myself as a learner. The VARK assessments done in the course have guided me to realize my learning potential and to improve my learning habits. The exercises informed me that I am a visual-kinesthetic learner. Based on this, I realized that I have a lot to change about the ways I learn. My past learning habits are not in line with being a visual-kinesthetic learner. In light of this, I have changed the way I study, and make it a point now to read my lessons while taking down notes at the same time. Sometimes I used a whiteboard and a marker to jot down my notes. This way, I get to maximize my visual-kinesthetic potential. Nevertheless, I also try to develop my auditory skills by listening to some music or radio news before going to sleep. So far, this has helped me concentrate and visualize the words I hear even without seeing them. Secondly, IDS has guided me to learn new skills, which are equally important in university studies. O ne skill I improved with the help of IDS is my writing skill. In the past, I never used an outline to guide my thoughts in writing compositions. I just wrote whatever came up my mind, and never bothered to jot down and organize my ideas before writing. Through IDS, I realized that everything I write should be based on an outline. There should be a proper introduction, body and conclusion, or else the composition will not be considered an academic writing. The introduction orients the readers to the issue being tackled in the text, whereas the conclusion reiterates the arguments presented and gives the author’s parting message to tie up loose endings.