Many students, especially if they are younger, have an innate desire to know where things come from, why things are the way they are; This may be a ploy to get the teacher off track, but it begs a very interesting question- how much should the past of a language be explored with people seeking to learn it today? English classes are taught with an air of “it’s this way because that’s the way it is.” English-speaking children won’t argue with that because it’s the language they were brought up with; even if they don’t understand why something sounds incorrect, they know it is wrong. Is this even what Hallam means by that phrase at all? 

	The article also goes on to explore why foreign language teachers in particular need to be aware of the way they act and treat the students and the subject matter, especially now that foreign language education is becoming mandatory at almost all school levels. The students need to feel safe about trying something new and different, especially if they did not have a choice in the matter, and if the teacher is enthusiastic about the subject matter, the students will follow suit. This is a very logical point, especially in an environment like a foreign language classroom where there are many mistakes to be made and the teacher needs to continue to encourage children who may desire to give up, even to the point where a mediocre student could be inspired to greatness and achieve fluency. 

	The final major point of the article explores how a teacher becomes a “favorite” teacher. The research was conducted by collecting over 5,000 stories of favorite teachers and analyzing what the teachers all had in common. While the results are still being analyzed, the number one answer appears to be that the teachers cared about their students and believed in them. This was followed by the teacher’s ability to make learning fun and meaningful and teacher’s knowledge of content area. The article finishes by stating that the best teachers use their short time in front of students to make changes in the students’ lives that last well beyond the classroom, creating lifelong learners and helping the students achieve their personal best. This is also a fair point, something that many young teachers aspire to- the opportunity to change a life for the better, even if they never know about it. The goal of a teacher is not only to shove material at a student, but to instill in them the desire and courage to learn new and different things. 

	In all, though the article is only 4 pages long (one of which is a full-page photo), it presents some very interesting, if cliché, points about how a teacher’s behavior, especially in a foreign language setting, where mistakes are the norm, can affect the student. 