Challenges for language teachers

Welcome dear pre/in-service teachers! This blog intends to share with you the challenges that language teachers have to face nowadays (2015). At the same time, I want to encourage you to provide feedback on the challenges that you think affect you or eventually affect you. Please, feel free to write below your comments.

Here we go with our first set of social challenges:

Fortunately ICBF (Instituto Colombiano para el Bienestar Familiar) has proposed this plan:

It is important that teachers share their ideas on how to face these social issues:

It is a fact that technology is also a challenge for teachers.

Children nowadays come with a pre-installed technological chip which makes them skillful.

In this way, as teachers we should encourage the smart use of this Digital Literacy.

On the other hand, we must be aware that languages evolve, so teachers need to be up-to-date about  those transformations.

For example, the fact of using abbreviations has become a trend.

Youngsters nowadays have the tendency of sending text messages by using abbreviations like these ones.

When native speakers talk, they normally use daily vocabulary, or slangs,  which is not taught in the regular classes.

 I do not think we want to look - or sound -  like obsolete walking dictionaries.

It is also pertinent to be aware that along with technology, languages also evolve. See these examples.

How to address culture in the classroom is another challenge for teachers.

These are the benefits for students who are exposed to high doses of inter-culturality:

Based on a study carried out in New Zealand in 2009, Si Thang Kie Ho confirmed that these steps are required when addressing culture in the classroom:

It is true that the MEN (National Ministry of Education) is the organization in charge of controlling the education in Colombia, but there are some policies that become an obstacle and a challenge for teachers.

For example, the so well-known NPB.

Or what is worse, the current reform of the teaching programmes in Colombia. Situation that has created a lot of discomfort to teachers for different reasons.

Last but not least, Colombia has to prepare the future generations for the post-war or post-conflict.

What ideas or perspectives can we approach as teachers? 

Some of the references used for this work.

Thanks for visiting my blog and for leaving your comments!