Teacher-Centered Instruction Versus Student-Centered Instruction in English Teaching Based on Relativism

Abstract

From the viewpoint of empiricism and revisionism, relativism has practically changed the conception of English teaching from the late 19th century up to nowadays and the idea of teacher-centered instruction as well as student-centered instruction has become optional focus by teacher's thinking and for students' needs. Therefore not only empiricism and revisionism can be regarded as the reflection of relativism but also teacher-centered instruction and student-centered instruction can be regarded as the scheme from relativism.As a matter of fact, the orientation of teacher-centered instruction and student-centered instruction in English teaching mostly lies in teacher's teaching goals and students' competence indicators, in which some teaching respects are relatively considered including the selecting of teaching materials, the using of teaching methods, the deciding of teaching strategies, and the implementing of teaching assessment as well as evaluation. For the purposes of reaching instructional ideal of teacher's teaching goals and students' competence indicators, teacher-centered instruction and student-centered instruction must be not only practiced separately but also realized integratively. In the developing processes of English teaching, teaching-centered instruction has prevailed when the grammar-translation method went well since the late 19th century and then was challenged greatly by student-centered instruction when the communicative approach became popular since the early 1970s.The theory and practice of English teaching (such as teaching materials, teaching methods, teaching strategies, and teaching assessment & evaluation) have been experienced and revised successively from the 19th century up to the present, in which the ups and downs have been proved individually, the creations have been replaced one by one, or the influences have been developed step by step. For this reason, how to enhance the English teaching for teacher's teaching function and students' learning effect will be focused on making good using of teacher-centered instruction and student-centered instruction together so as to be wonderful and successful in English education developments.No matter how great the challenge on English teaching may be, the creating and replacing processes of English teaching will be developing continuously. As a matter of fact, the traditional teacher-centered instruction has practiced its path independently before the 1970s, and the current student-centered instruction has excelled the predecessor since the 1970s. Therefore, empiricism and revisionism will constantly influence the changing and the developing of English teaching by way of teacher's suitable consideration and decision for student's practical needs.