Glastenbury, Vermont TESOL Online & Teaching English Jobs

Unit 19 went over more specific groups of English learners. First it outlined the five different types of beginners, which are the absolute beginner, the false beginner, the young beginner, the adult beginner and the beginner that does not know the Roman alphabet. The unit goes on to talk about young learners. Their mindset and abilities are much different than those of an adult’s. Intention spans are shorter and students require more attention and praise. They do however pick up language more quickly, not requiring lessons in grammar or syntax. In addition, more visuals and activities are a must, and things need to be changed up quite often to avoid boredom and behavioral problems. There are several sources of behavioral problems, such as life outside the classroom and peer pressure, but most behavioral problems can be prevented if the teacher provides fun, fair, and simulating activities to hold students attention, provide them with structure, and give them the praise/attention they crave. Very young learners will pick up language the same way they do at home. I actually have had students as young as six month old in the past, and they absorb language without really realizing it. Exaggerating you intonation or pitch, constantly describing what they are doing or what is going on around them, and of course repetition are great ways to help them start to comprehend language. Games and songs are also a must. With any young learner though, it is important not to go too fast while still keeping things entertaining. While quickly changing activity focus can help with the latter, picking up listening and speaking skills will take time, and pushing students to learn too much too fast may discourage them from continuing to learn the language. Following this line of thought, the teacher must also remember to never use his/her learners’ native language in front of them, which would give the class no real reason to pick up a new language since L1 will always be there for them. Next, teaching one-on-one lessons was discussed. This may be more difficult for the teacher because students can usually move at a faster pace in this type of environment and all of your focus will be on just one individual. However, it does give the teacher a chance to really tailor the class to the student’s needs and interests. Therefore, it is important to get to know your students well: their hobbies, family life, schedules. etc. This way you will know what to incorporate to make your lessons fun, while also understanding the situation your student is dealing with (e.g., how much other work/homework they have, important events in their lives and so on.). I always enjoyed my private classes even though they were a bit more work for me. I was able to make a better connection with my students and create activities that they both enjoyed and benefited them greatly. I could also set aside time for free conversation with them which really let them experiment with the language and gain experience listening to someone in a bit more of an uncontrolled setting. Finally, the unit dove into business English, which is an area I have no real experience in. As one would assume, the teacher should always be punctual and professionally dressed for the class. Making a good first impression is crucial, and building a good relationship with reception and administration is always a good idea. Such individuals can help you with the facilities and what is available to you (one should never assume that all the resources required for a class will just be there and it is always better to be over-prepared than under-prepared). The teacher should survey the students, often referred to as clients, in order to find both their wants and needs. This can be done at the beginning of a course with a needs analysis, which is a survey to help find out what the main goals or requirements of the clients are (e.g., what departments they are in, what roles they need to play or tasks they have to fulfill, etc.). In this way, the teacher can begin to plan what direction the course will proceed in. It is also important to try and gather the personal needs and goals of clients as well. After doing so, the teacher should try to cater to all of these, but obviously focus on what overlaps the most among students. There should be a mid-course survey given as well to see if the teacher is meeting all the needs/desires of all the students. While conducting the class, it is also important to not the power structure and not make anyone look foolish or out of place. Never showing your knowledge of your clients’ trade is also a good practice, along with not showing off your abilities in their native language.