Jason Tacker

Background

About Jason Tacker

I am a native speaker of English from America with fifteen years of ESL/EFL experience in Japan. I hold a B.A. in Anthropology and an M.A. in TESOL from Saint Cloud State University in Minnesota. Currently I am studying C# programming and Unity software development to create virtual reality environments for student immersion. I believe that VR has a bright future in creating intrinsic motivation in EFL/ESL students. My approach in ESL is to promote a student-centric, communicative language approach in education and assessment to meet student`s needs for personal growth. In the classroom I address these in the following ways: Transparency in the classroom I believe it is important for students to understand the rationale behind my instructional choices. Transparency in the classroom can motivate students by taking the mystery out of why they are learning English. Facilitate creativity Creativity in the classroom is a necessity for language learning, especially for the skills of production. In speaking classes, students should be able to engage with the language, mix and match vocabulary, and insert their personality into learning. Nurture critical thinking Students with critical thinking skills are more thoughtful and better communicators. It is important for me to teach students to consider an issue from different perspectives, confront assumptions and create new possibilities. Through my Instruction, I challenge students to be better people. I want them to leave my classes with a greater understanding of the world outside of Japan through English studies. As their guide to becoming creative, critically thinking English speakers, I hope that I can foster the skills that extend their learning and growing throughout life.