observed such as why teachers showed a preference to traditional teaching methods,
or why there were some students who did not participate at all.
Although all lessons observed had a clear structural orientation, the teachers
expressed their belief that their lesson had been successful, and that their main aims
and objectives had been achieved. Concerning the fact that there were many students
who did not participate at all, the teachers’ view was that these are students who are
completely demotivated, and that it is too late for them to follow, as their level is far
below the average level of the class.
Another assumption which was common among the teachers interviewed was
that they consider essential for students to speak the language correctly from the first
steps and this is the reason they provide them with supplementary grammar exercises
as, according to their view, the ones contained in the teaching material are inadequate.
It was for the same reason, they answered, that they provide students with immediate
correction when they produce an erroneous utterance. Lightbown and Spada (1999:
118) refer to such an assumption shared by teachers as ‘get it right from the
beginning’, stressing that it reflects audio-lingual approaches to language teaching.
Teachers were also asked for the rationale behind putting students to read
aloud and their answer was that reading aloud provides students the chance to
improve their pronunciation.
When teachers were asked why they resort to a word-by-word translation of
texts, most of them answered either that it is the students who strongly demand it, or it
is because they are afraid that if word is not explained, students will miss the chance
of learning it. Concerning the first claim, it is worth stressing that, as Nunan (1986)
has found, there can be clear mismatches between learners’ and teachers’ views of
what is important in the learning process. It is for this reason that Dubin and Olshtain
(1986: 30) emphasise that a period of ‘learning how to learn’ is vital for students in
order to become responsible learners. As for the second claim, Hunter et. al. (2000:
Unit 0: 7) stress that the fact that school provides students with only one chance for
learning is one of the features which differentiate it from the outside world. In order
for the school to simulate real-life situations, and to become more effective, teachers
need to be more flexible and to constantly recreate opportunities for learning, rather
than see their role as an evaluator of everything students dare to produce.
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