Teachers – Who Needs Them? 
This purpose of this paper is to invite language teachers to look 
at their teaching practices, and to investigate whether they are 
promoting or hindering the process of learning. When we consider 
the importance of affect in the classroom, and the ways in which 
affective barriers to learning are set up, it becomes apparent 
that the classroom educator needs to be proficient in establishing 
a positive and productive learning environment, as well as being 
a “learning expert”, empowering students in terms of self-direction, 
self-assessment, learner training, and self-access skills. 
Teachers thus have a very active role to play in learning, but this 
role is one of facilitator, counselor of autonomous learning, and 
visiting consultant in the language workshop.