Class for the TEFL Minor
“For all students to excel, teachers must learn about them and connect with each child. This is not just about finding out how they learn, but it is finding out who they are.”- George Couros
This past semester (the fall of my sophomore year), I took my first class toward a minor in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. I really enjoyed this class and I specifically loved learning about the concept of Funds of Knowledge (FoK). Funds of Knowledge are accumulated skills that are passed on in families/communities from one generation to the next, and that play an important role in one's life. FoK are often based on the labor history of a family, for example, parents working in agriculture will most likely teach their children about skills and knowledge related to agriculture. It is essential for a teacher to make an effort to learn the FoK of their students and incorporate it into their classroom. Students learn better when they are able to relate to the material they are being taught, and many times, English Language Learners have difficulty connecting with stories, lessons, and activities that do not reflect the culture and lifestyle they come from.
I included a link to the project I completed for this class that I had a lot of fun doing. I interviewed an English Language Learner from Taiwan, and then I used what I learned about him to make a lesson plan that is relatable, relevant, and interesting to him.
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