Bài giảng Phương pháp giảng dạy Tiếng Anh - Chapter 1: How to be a good teacher

Chapter 01
How to be a good teacher
Harmer, J. (1998). How to Teach English. Longman
 What makes a good teacher?
 How should teachers talk to students?
 How should teacher give instructions?
 Who should talk in class?
 What are the best kinds of lesson?
 How important is it to follow a pre-
arranged plan?
1. What makes a good teacher?
A good teacher is a person who 
 should love his/her job to make interesting lesson
 has lots of knowledge, not only of his subject
 is an entertainer in a positive sense
 should try to draw out the quiet Ss & control the 
more talkative ones
 helps rather than shouts 
 should be able to correct Ss w/o offending them 
 A good teacher is someone who knows Ss’ names
 Good teachers care more about their 
students’ learning than they do about 
their own teaching
2. How should teachers talk to Ss?
 One of the crucial teacher skills: the way that 
teachers talk to Ss
 Teachers should have ability to rough-tune the 
language (an important skill)
 Besides language, experienced teachers use 
physical movement: gestures, expressions, 
mime. 
3. How should teachers give instructions?
Two general rules for giving instructions:
(1) as simple as possible & logical
(2) important for the teacher to check if Ss 
have understood what they are being 
asked to do
4. Who should talk in class?
 Good TTT may have beneficial qualities: if the 
teacher’s rough-tuned language, Ss will have a 
chance to hear the language above their 
productive level, but they are more or less 
understand TTT works (not TTT overused) 
 Teacher who is reluctant to speaking will bore Ss
 The best lesson- STT maximized
 Good teachers can balance TTT& STT 
(experience & common sense)
5. What are the best kinds of 
lesson?
 Surprise & curiosity perfect starting point for 
Ss’ involvement
 There is also the need for surprise & variety (not 
anarchy) in a secure setting.
 Good teachers find a balance b/w predictable 
safety & unexpected variety 
6. How important is it to follow a 
pre-arranged plan?
Good teachers have ability:
 to respond flexibly to what happens in class
 to follow a pre-arrange plan