MUN As a New Model For Teaching Foreign Languages by Leyla ERSOY

Teaching a foreign language has been always debating throughout the history of foreign language teaching. In language teaching method is a teaching element which lets students have aims of education reliably, effectively, fast and easily. Despite a lot of studies on getting perfect teaching method, frankly, ıt’s understood that there is no perfect method. I think the most necessary thing is to know about basic principles, boundaries, features and imperfections of the method.

There are many methods which are accepted and acquired by European Council of Modern Language Department such as; Grammar Translation Method, Direct Method, Natural Method, Audio Lingual Method, Cognitive Code Method, Communicative Method, Eclectic Method are very common and used by a lot of teachers and lecturers. In addition to these, there is some kind of alternative methods like; Suggestopedia, Community Language Learning, The Silent Way, Total Physical Response, Audiovisual Method, Task-based Method and Content-based Method.

As I mentioned above there are a lot of methods and ways of teaching a foreign language since it is a process which has been in progress and development with humanity in time. As a result of this, we need more than one methods or models to teach a foreign language effectively. We, the teachers are in this process as our students. So we have much more responsibilities than the others in the teaching process. Finding the best way of teaching always support us and make our work easier, enjoyable and productive. Learning anything requires some time, but teaching it needs much more time. Unlike this, we haven’t much time to teach because our time-table and our schedule are time-based. Because of this, we have to teach anything in a limited time.

From the beginning, up to now teachers usually use traditional teaching methods or models at schools especially it is like this in TURKEY. Since this, learning and teaching any foreign languages have been stuck between the past and the present classical methods, unfortunately. In the past, knowing any foreign languages was the sign of prestige belonged to the elite families in Turkey, but nowadays it’s a MUSTand also teaching foreign languages at least one is compulsory in our education schedule. As far as we know that our era, 21th century, is the technical term and we are the teachers of the students who were born at this age. In terms of this, MUN CONFERENCES is one of the best ways to teach languages at schools, so it should be used as a new and contemporary method or model.

Nowadays most of the school students are aware of these conferences and give great interest to them. The students must be in the centre of the teaching and learning process, so MUN CONFERENCES do this job well. The students who participate in these conferences always feel more motivated, responsible and prestigious. They get a chance to speak in front of the other students. Not only they prepare and study for their allocations, but also they try to find solutions to different World problems. It means that they have to give great care and interest in their missions. They are not only the participants but also they are also missioned as the delegate of their allocated country. They have to act as the real delegate of their country, so it gives hem more responsibility. Since this, they feel more responsible and serious. By the help of this study, they obtain a lot of various information about different people from different countries around the World. The last but not the last, MUN CONFERENCES GİVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO THE STUDENTS. So, In my opinion, adapting MUN to our education system can solve a lot of problems in teaching and learning the language easily and automatically.

Finally, we live in the time of development and it requires not only the school report but also individual improvement certificate which shows our talents. The youth are much more conscious about this than the others in the past. Because of this, they have studied more to get this chance.MUN conferences give this chance to the youth and make them more talented,sucessful, self-confident and enterprising. Yes, our students can be sucessful entrepreneur following the steps of MUN. By this way, they will have better jobs and lifestyles in future. As the teacher of our students, we should encourage them to take part in MUN conferences and we should always guide them. We should Show our power by making them self-confident, prestigious, successful and entrepreneur for our future within our education system.

BY Leyla ERSOY
ELT
Antalya Dr.İlhami Tankut Anadolu Lisesi