Çiğdem Tirkeş

BIO

Çiğdem Tirkeş (PhD) is the director of English Preparatory School, Kadir Has University. Çiğdem Tirkeş has been in ELT profession since 1993, working as an EFL instructor, textbook writer, EAP programme coordinator, department manager and school director. She received her Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in ELT from Middle East Technical University. She also holds an Executive MBA degree received from Istanbul Technical University and a doctorate in Marketing and Production Management received from Marmara University. She completed a trainer training certificate programme offered by the British Council, Ankara. She has been involved in training and teacher education for many years. Her major areas of interest in the field of ELT are teacher training and development and ELT management.

ABSTRACT

KNOW THYSELF, KNOW THY STUDENTS: Revisiting Your “Teaching Strategy Mix“ to Support the Learning Process of the New Generation of Learners 

Most EFL teachers in the profession today were once learners of at least one foreign language when they were students. Their experience as a foreign language learner, combined with their professional education and training, helped them form a certain approach to teaching English. They developed a set of teaching strategies based on their former language learning experiences and their educational background in the field of ELT. Recent research on the study habits and learning behaviour of the new generation indicates that we may have to revisit our existing teaching strategies and revise and enrich them to ensure that they match the learning process and study habits of our students.

This presentation will first draw attention to the differences between the language learning experiences of many of today’s teachers and that of the new generation of students. It will hopefully lead the audience towards thinking about their teaching strategies critically in light of the differences highlighted in the talk. It will also aim to underline the importance of collaborative learning, scaffolded instruction and differentiated, flexible and adaptive teaching strategies to better support our students and to foster their language learning. Examples of the application of some of these strategies at Kadir Has University , English Preparatory School will also be provided.