Those of us paid to teach English today may, in fact, form the primary obstacle to Gen Y in a way they want to.  Sandars and Morrison (2007) explain:

As we see it, the main barrier to implementing such teaching is likely to be not the learners but the educators; there seems reluctance  among many educators to move away from traditional teaching methods… a radical departure from a system that has worked well for a very long time. (87)

                Why are English teachers reluctant to adapt?  It is probably fair to say that many prefer to stay on their current course because it is familiar and has reaped some benefits.  This attitude is unfortunate because for learning to occur, teachers need to update their teaching strategies.  They need to adopt more technology-based tasks, include visual content, and provide the opportunity to be physically active in the classroom.  If students are not given ample opportunities to practice and receive feedback, then the classroom experience wanes in comparison with learners’ personal lives.  The relationship between teacher and student becomes more tenuous, and student interest in learning drops.  English teachers and administrators must ask themselves how to combine most effectively the value of personal interaction with the glittery attraction of the digital world. 

                Some teachers might object to this call to change.  Why should we teachers adjust to our students’ expectations?  Shouldn’t learners have two channels of operation: one that they control in their personal lives, and a second that requires them to complete learning activities that school and teachers have prepared?  This may be true.  Teachers and students may need to meet each other half way.  The problem is that often, both parties operate in ways that do not take the needs of the other into account.  Perhaps therein lies an essential quality of an effective 21^st century language teacher:  the ability to reduce students’ sense of entitlement and help them understand that schools are not so responsive and English teachers are not so lenient as they expect. 

-adapted from English Teaching Forum, Volume 50, No.1, 2012-

By: Gina R. Bagtas |T-II | Limay National High School