Reflection in action: Increasing teacher awareness of the learning needs of specific socio-cultural groups

Abstract

In the current debate concerning the importance of socio-cultural context in ELT in relation to teaching styles and methodology, this paper looks at a systematic approach to in-service teacher development using reflective approaches as a tool to focus on the appropriacy of teaching styles. The paper first examines the extent of the need for awareness raising, not only in relation to learner backgrounds but also from the perspective of teachers' varying experiences of teaching and training. Each member of a teaching team comes to the classroom with certain preconceptions about the nature of language learning and the learning styles of the students themselves. Such preconceptions can be both instrumental and detrimental to the teaching process. The paper looks briefly at the issue of appropriate methodology for differing socio-cultural contexts. To what extent are learner differences dependent on, or unrelated to cultural background, and how would we find out? The theoretical basis for reflective practice in teacher training is linked to in-service teacher development as a means of focusing on the needs of a particular cultural group. A practical application of linking theory to practice is then outlined. The article is based on the experiences of a team of 16 teachers drawn from a wide variety of teaching backgrounds, working with monolingual (Japanese) students in Britain.