The best way to teach English as a second language? Make learners learn how to learn. “Teach them how to fish” is an ever useful adage. According to Brown (2001), ESL students should comply with the “ Ten Commandments” for good language learning:
1st. Fear not!
2nd. Dive in.
3rd. Believe in yourself.
4th. Seize the day. Always seek opportunities to practice the language.
5th. Love thy neighbor.
6th. Get the BIG picture.
7th. Cope with the chaos. One should learn to be comfortable with uncertainty.
8th. Go with the hunches.
9th. Make mistakes work FOR you. Learn from errors.
10th. Set your own goals.
I’ve been trying to get a full grasp of Dr. Cecil’s paper on Today’s ESL Learners (Filipinos): An Attempt at Characterization, however my slow net won’t allow me. She’s a beloved professor back in PNU- one clad with awards yet remains clothed with humility. Dr. Mendiola proved that one doesn’t need to be threatening nor scary to be an effective educator. I missed listening to her flawless speech and her favorite line, “You can’t learn without goofin’.”