Quality in Language Learning: My Teaching Philosophy

0. Introduction
      As an aspiring teacher, I am endlessly fascinated by the complex and dynamic environment of a language classroom. I visualize the complementary roles played by the teacher and students as swirls of turbulent air in a Van Gogh painting; independent yet constantly interacting, while working to push each other upwards to new heights. I believe impactful learning transforms static worldviews into richer, more nuanced understandings, especially in second language (L2) contexts, where language is deeply tied to identity and culture. Teachers must therefore foster environments where this transformation can happen meaningfully.
      Drawing from my own experience at a project-based high school (New Technology High in Sioux Falls, SD), I see Project-Based Language Learning (PBLL) as an ideal model for this (see Beckett, 2024) — and even when a full PBLL syllabus isn’t possible, I believe its core elements (agency, motivation, civic engagement, cultural awareness, and bilingualism as an asset) should always be present.

1. Agency & motivation
      I believe one of the most powerful ways to spark a lifelong love of language learning is by giving students agency in the classroom, which naturally fuels their motivation to engage with the target language beyond the school setting. Inspired by Dewey’s (1916) vision of a democratic, learner-centered classroom and grounded in PBLL principles, I aim to create spaces where students can pursue meaningful, socially relevant projects shaped by their own goals, interests, and needs. When students are trusted to explore language through self-devised paths, they can't help but fall head-first in their work. Having spent four years in a project-based high school, I’ve seen firsthand how this kind of ownership fosters intrinsic motivation — what Dörnyei (2005) calls the “L2 motivational self system.” It’s this sense of excitement and empowerment I hope to cultivate in my future students: the kind that drives deep, lasting engagement with creativity in language learning.

2. Civic Engagement
      Expanding beyond the individual, in an age when mass education is becoming increasingly globalized, digitized, and atomized, I am dedicated to redirecting my students’ attention back to their local communities as indispensable tools for both linguistic and personal development. Building upon the works of Lev Vygotsky (1962) — who posited language not as a contextless cognitive phenomenon but as a cultural tool used to mediate our interactions with each other and the physical world — I believe that students experience the most growth when their language use is filtered through genuine social interactions in the communities that mean the most to them. From my experience as a resident assistant, I’ve seen the lasting impact of small, consistent efforts to build community. I hope to carry this into my language teaching . For instance, I hope to one day turn a simple children’s book project that I've done into a live reading at a local school, creating meaningful, memorable exchanges that deepen students’ connection to language and place.

3. Cultural Awareness
      Another way that language acts as a social mechanism is through culture — thus, I believe that critical cultural awareness is an important part of a well-rounded language education. Cultural awareness is a powerful tool that can be turned both outwards to enact positive change on our increasingly internationalized world, and inwards to help students develop stronger, more complex identities as multilinguals and global citizens. In my English classrooms, I aim to foster this awareness by incorporating activities that celebrate Global Englishes. For example, I have created a lesson plan that highlights successful public figures with diverse accents to normalize variation and boost learner confidence. I’m also interested in teaching Korean and English to ethnic Koreans in Central Asia, whose intercultural identities may feel fragmented. In these contexts, I would encourage students to move beyond surface-level cultural representations of Korea, such as Kpop and BBQ, and create work that blends Korean and local cultural elements, empowering them to define Korean language and identity in their own unique ways.

4. Emerging Bilingualism as an asset
      As research continues to highlight the cognitive and academic benefits of multilingualism, I believe it’s crucial for language teachers to view students’ emerging bilingualism and cultural diversity as assets, not sources of shame. A common issue I’ve seen in the language classroom is a sense of inadequacy or “lesserness” as students struggle to produce utterances in line with what they’ve seen from “ideal native” models. In my future classrooms, I want to help my students build confidence in their L2 by instilling within them the belief that their emerging bilingualism is a new tool in their linguistic repertoire instead of a never-ending challenge to overcome.
      I have seen this accomplished in an advanced ESL writing course, where students analyzed Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” (1990). As the story drew attention to the myriad of beautiful, expressive, and unique ways the author’s mother’s English was colored by her native Chinese, students were asked to reflect on how idioms, grammar structures, and figures of speech in their L1 could be utilized to augment their own writing in English. The energy and pride they brought to their essays showed just how transformative it can be when learners are encouraged to see their full linguistic identities as a strength.

5. Conclusion
      In summary, I believe that a language teacher’s careful consideration of agency and motivation, civic engagement, cultural awareness, and bilingualism as an asset is crucial if they want to leave a positive and meaningful impact on their students. My goal will always be to facilitate the lasting internalization of linguistic forms, cultural knowledge, and appreciation for how students can utilize their language skills to play an active role in their society, and I can’t wait to see this realized in my future language classroom.

References

Beckett, G. H. (2024). A paradigm shift for language education: Project-based learning and teaching. Taylor & Francis.

Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education: An introduction to the philosophy of education. New York: MacMillan.

Dörnyei, Z. (2005). The psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second language acquisition. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Tan, A. (1990). Mother tongue. The Threepenny Review, 43(7), 7-8.

Vygotsky, L. (1962). Thought and language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.