First teaching experience: any tips?

Question

Soon I’ll be teaching English as a foreign language for the first time (A and B Junior). I would very much appreciate any advice on the subject. Thank you.

Answer 1

The ESL teacher used to use my classroom. One thing that I noticed that the kids had a really hard time with were expressions. "That is cool" is easy because people say it all the time, but other things that are commonly used are really helpful.
Do a lot of conversation; give them the opportunity to practice English with you.

Answer 2

Overplan. If you have a 50-minute class, plan for 90, but don't feel bad if you only use 20-minutes worth. You have to think on your feet, but that's easier to do if you have a solid foundation.

Use games as drills.
Memory/Matching works for everything from vocabulary to slang expressions and even grammar patterns.
Bingo adapts to all kind of things too. (Make a 3x3 grid and have them randomly fill in colors, numbers, target patterns they're required to use correctly in a sentence to claim the space, etc.)
20 Questions is great for practicing Yes/No question formation and conversation-style interaction.

You're lucky. ESL teachers tend to be innovative, creative, and generous. There are tons of teaching resources on the internet.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I´m an ESL teacher in Mexico and my advice is to practice what we know as "Communicative Approach" always. This means that students must learn how to communicate in English (that´s our goal, isn´t it?). To communicate they have to understand and be able to express themselves in the foreign language. They will use (without even noticing it) the 4 skills. Talk to them only in English, use body language, flashcards, draw pictures on the blackboard.... whatever... but make them understand the language without translating!!! Make them talk a lot..... One of the rules in Oral Expression Classes is not to interrupt their speech. They will prepare it and maybe try to memorize it... it´s okay. Don´t correct them while they are speaking. Take notes and once the student has finished, ask him/her some questions about the topic he/she was talking about (show interest)... this will force the student to express himself in a naturally way (taht´s the point) and then tell him/her his/her mistakes (not too many please!).
And never make him/her feel foolish!!!! Selfsteem is the golden key for learning! Praise them instead!

Answer 4

The advice about making it fun is spot on. In addition, be sure that you study up on the culture or cultures you'll be teaching to--it can make a big difference in be able to engage your learners in activities. Activities should be reflective of the 'real world'. Rote, stilted phrases/age-inappropriate vocabulary will not be reinforced outside the classroom. Role plays, guided conversations, and listening exercises are all good tools to use.

Answer 5

Make use of technology (computer programs, videos, etc.) and other resources that are available to you. Use multiple intelligences (lots of visual learning--have pictures of the things you are teaching). Make sure students practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Be prepared to put in a lot of extra help with other subject areas as well. In the past two years I had many ESL students who naturally struggled while studying English literature and grammar. Fortunately, our ESL teacher helped them all through it. Good luck--you have a challenging position!

Answer 6

Never judge your career by your first year. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst. Chalk any mistakes up to "experience," and do your darndest to avoid them in the future.

If there are still moments you feel lost or upset, get a pet. My cat caught many a tear in her fur that first year, but MAN, was my second year GREAT! The pain from the school of hard knocks goes away after a while. :)

Answer 7

1. Ensure that you have a clear lesson plan.
2. Make sure that the students leave able to state clearly what they have learnt
3. Get the names of the students.
4. Don´t panic~it really doesn´t matter much if the lesson is rubbish. It´s not like working in Emergency Out-patients.

Good luck!

Answer 8

If your aim is to teach your son or daughter becomes smooth in examining equally capital and lowercase letters. Then you will be needing this program, Children Learning Reading from here https://tr.im/ekOAu .
Children Learning Reading teaches your son or daughter phonemes so they've an extremely stable foundation in the skills that may let them to go on to be a prolific reader. With Children Learning Reading will even targets building on the abilities trained to permit your son or daughter to get their reading skills to the next level.
With Children Learning Reading is easy to instruct your son or daughter just how to read.

Answer 9

I've taught EFL at all ages. My advice is to try and make every lesson as fun as possible. The more fun it is the more they open up and the more they feel comfortable to learn. Language fear is your biggest enemy in the classroom. If people are scared to speak and not make mistakes then your class will become very static.

Answer 10

Be consistent and fair.
Try to find the book "The First Days of School" by Harry Wong, it has tons of tips that a new teacher or and old fart like me will find useful in the classroom.