2. How has the power balance between
foreign language teachers and
learners changed in the New Zealand
high school context?
3. How things used to be
In the past, most foreign language teachers employed traditional
methods of teaching, that is to say that they adopted an authoritarian
teaching style. This involved teaching from the front and giving
instructions, which the students followed.
“In autocratic or authoritarian teaching, power was centred in the
teacher, who deposited knowledge into the heads of students”
(Oxford et al. 2005, p.250)
In traditional teaching, the teacher controls the learning environment.
Power and responsibility are held by the teacher. The teacher instructs
the students and makes all decisions. The students are regarded as
empty vessels to be filled with knowledge by the teacher as
disseminator of information. The traditional teacher believes in
causing learning to occur (Novak, 1998)
4. Traditional language teaching
So…
in traditional language classrooms (when I was a language
student) the teacher was the “authority”, the holder of
knowledge and therefore in a position of power over the
students.
Some teachers were condescending
and even resorted to mockery and
humiliation of students.
The result was asymmetrical discourse; the power balance
between teacher and learner was unequal or asymmetrical.
5. Access to information
In addition, language learning resources were limited and
teachers usually relied on a text book.
The teacher as the “powerful center” usually enforced “a
single ‘correct’ version of the L2” and insisted on
accuracy, which was considered more important than
fluency. (Oxford et al, 2005, p. 250)
Creativity, teacher-student dialogue, student-voice and self-
expression were discouraged
Because of a lack of alternative resources, students looked
to and relied on the teacher (or text book) for information.
6. What has changed?
Communicative language teaching methodologies became
popular as the preferred way of teaching a language.
Language teachers were forced to “relinquish their
traditional roles of ‘initiator’ ‘director’ or ‘fount of
wisdom’”(Arndt et al, 2000, p. 205)
“Roles have been re-defined, responsibilities re-distributed”
(Arndt et al, 2000, p. 205)
Most teachers have adopted a more democratic-
participatory style of teaching which has resulted in a shift
of power balance. The power in the language classroom is
naturally more equally shared in this teaching
methodology, where students are encouraged to express
themselves and actively participate in their learning.
Group work, pair-work, co-learning and peer-assessment
are now an integral part of teaching and learning in NZ
language classrooms.
7. Sharing power
Changing teaching methodologies have encouraged a shift in the power
balance, so that the high school language teacher is now often referred to as
a “facilitator” of the learning process.
This approach is also reflected in the New Zealand Curriculum. The Principles
of the curriculum “put students at the centre of teaching and
learning, asserting that they should experience a curriculum that engages
and challenges them” (Ministry of Education, 2007, p.11).
The curriculum also states that in order to become successful
learners, “students need to be challenged and supported to develop” the 5
Key Competencies which are “the key to learning in every learning area”
(Ministry of Education, 2007, p.14)
The New Zealand Curriculum requires that students are involved in their
learning, no longer merely passive and powerless empty vessels waiting to
be filled with knowledge.
8. Resources shift the power balance
The wealth of resources now available as a result of advances in
technology, such as the internet, easier access to computers and
digital material, improved communication and more frequent travel
opportunities, has resulted in students becoming more empowered.
Teachers were initially the “power-holders – as possessors of all
knowledge” (Arndt et al, 2005, p. 218)
Students can now more easily find information for themselves (on
the internet for example) and no longer need to rely on the teacher
as the sole provider of knowledge.
Students can interact with native speakers via
email, Facebook, Skype and so on, and thus acquire vocabulary or
cultural knowledge which may not be known to a non-native
language teacher or even a native speaker, where there have been
changes to language (for example young people’s language or
slang).
The teacher becomes a “power-sharer” as “knowledge becomes
owned and utilised by learners”. (Arndt et al, 2005, p.218)
9. Changes in process and power balance
• Students now take a more active role in NCEA
assessment. Some standards require students to collate
their work into a portfolio and choose what they
consider to be their best work to submit for the
assessment.
• Students are consulted in language course design at
senior levels. For example, students may help to decide
which film or book they wish to study and may be
consulted about which topic areas they are interested
in.
• Teaching and learning is a more collaborative process.
Students are invited to parent-teacher conferences to
talk about managing their learning.
• Students are encouraged to become more independent
as learners and to be responsible for their learning.
10. However..
An imbalance of power still exists in the language
classroom context since teachers “possess a socially-
conferred superior status in any discourse” (Arndt et al, 2000, p.
205)
• Students are still the novices and overall, teachers have
greater knowledge of the language they are teaching.
• Communicative language teaching methodology
empowers some students more than others, for
example those who are by nature more extrovert and
willing to take risks with language.
• Mixed gender and multi-cultural classroom
environments have their own power imbalances.
11. Conclusion of power in language
Over a period of time, there has been a welcome shift
classrooms in favour of the students.
Students are now more involved in their learning and the language teacher is required
to help the student discover language, encouraging self-reflection, self-expression and
critical thinking, rather than simply dictating what they must learn or
memorise, thereby discouraging individual thought and voice.
The teacher-student power discourse is less inequal than previously, but is still not
entirely symmetrical.
A power imbalance is imposed by the teacher’s social status and his/her position as
the adult responsible for school-age children. It would be undesirable and impractical
for the teacher to share all power with the students. Whatever collaborative learning
processes are evident in the classroom, one would expect a certain level of respect for
the teacher by the students.
It is important for the teacher to
take charge of the behaviour in the classroom,
organise and give structure to the learning processes
and make final decisions, even though students
may have been involved in a consultation process.
This imbalance of power is evident in any social or
business setting where a person is an elected or
designated leader.
12. References
Arndt, V.,Harvey, P. & Nuttall, J. (2000). Alive to language:
perspectives on language awareness for English Language
teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand Curriculum.
Wellington: Learning Media Ltd.
Novak, J. (1998) Learning, Creating and Using Knowledge: Concept
Maps as Facilitative Tools in Schools and Corporations;
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc; New Jersey, pp 24-25
Oxford, R., Massey, R. & Anand, S. (2005). Transforming teacher-
student relationships; Toward a more welcoming and diverse
classroom discourse. In J. Frodensen & C Holten (Eds), The
power of context in language teaching and learning. Heinle:
Boston.
