Teaching English is
challenging and rewarding. More and more
internationally minded people
are choosing to teach English as a
Second Language both in the United
States and abroad. Whether in
the United States, another
English-speaking country, or in countries
around the world, the teacher
of English as a second language will
need to keep in mind the following
simple guidelines:
- Use non-verbal cues.
Facial expressions,
hand gestures, and other non-verbal cues are a
great way to overcome the
language barrier. For example, when
explaining the concept of tall,
raise your hand high into the air. When
explaining the concept of cold,
shiver and chatter your teeth.
Use visual aids:
Learning
styles are several. As there are different learners , there are
different learning styles. One of these styles is learning through using
visual aids. When learners see, they learn better.
- Put students in groups.
If the teacher is
constantly talking, learners of English as a second
language will never
get a chance to practice. Group work gives
students an opportunity to
practice the language.
Groups work the best with 2 to 5 people; with any
more people, not
everyone gets a chance to participate. It is also a
good idea to group
students with different first languages together when
possible.Each
group includes a leader, a presenter, an organizer, a
timer, a dictator, a
writer and an evaluator.
Use bi-lingual materials.
If the teacher speaks
the same language(s) as the students, the
situation will be greatly
simplified. But not many teachers have the
luxury of speaking the same
language(s) of his students. Bi-lingual
materials can help a teacher of
English as a second language to draw
on a student’s native language
without knowing it him.
- Repeat and rephrase.
Teachers of English as
a second language need to repeat everything
at least three times. They
should also vary the wording of their
remarks. A student may know one
set of vocabulary but not another –
even when the topic of discussion is
the same. Even if the student
does understand a concept upon first
explanation, he/she will still
benefit from the repetition and variation
of language.
- Don’t over-correct.
Our first instinct as
teachers of English as a second language is to
correct student's
language errors. Over-correction, however, can make
students reluctant
to use the language. If afraid of being corrected
every time they speak,
students will simply stop speaking – and
therefore learning – the
language. Of course, there are appropriate
times to correct language
mistakes.
Create a safe atmosphere.
Learning English as a
second language is not an easy thing
emotionally. Students will feel
self-conscious about their lack of English
ability and will thus be
reluctant to use the language.
The job of the teacher
of English as a second language is to create a
safe and supportive
environment, one in which the student will be
comfortable experimenting
with the language. That means that
laughing at or putting down others
can not be tolerated in any way,
shape, or form.
IWBS
We use interactive whiteboards (IWBs) in every classroom to make
lessons more fun and engaging.
Structural Approach
Learning a language by getting mastery over
various structures
Structures can be taught by creating
adequate situations. Practice of
structure either in written or in oral
form is important. Oral way of
teaching is important.
Speech practice is important.
Task-based language learning
The focus of the teaching is on the completion of a task which in itself
is interesting
to the learners. Learners use the language they already
have to complete the task and
there is little correction of errors.
The Silent Way
This is so called because the aim of the teacher is to say as little as
possible in
order that the learner can be in control of what he wants to
say. No use is made of the
mother tongue
Community Learning
In this method attempts are made to build strong personal links
between the teacher and
student so that there are no blocks to
learning.
Immersion
This corresponds to a great extent to the situation we have at our
school. ESL students
are immersed in the English language for the
whole of the school day and expected to learn
math, science,
humanities etc. through the medium of the target language, English.
Immigrant students who attend local schools find themselves in an
immersion situation.
Cognitive Development Methods
Here,
if the focus of the instructional objectives is to develop
intellectual
skills in learners, then the cognitive development methods
of teaching
are recommended. This method helps learners to
comprehend, analyze,
synthesize and evaluate information. It helps
learners develop good
cognitive abilities. Though the cognitive
development methods are
essentially didactic. Some of the teaching
methods in this category
includes:
•Discussion Method
•Questioning/Socratic Method
•Team Teaching Method
•Talk Chalk / Recitation Method
•Field Trip / Escortion Method
•Team Teaching Method
Affective Development Method:
This
domain includes objectives which describe changes in interest,
attitudes and values. It further deals with the development of
appreciation and adequate adjustment.
Education has a lot to give the learner in order to assist him/her develop in these areas, hence teachers are encouraged to include learning experiences that are worthwhile, teach in ways that arouse interest and develop proper attitude in learners.
This mode of teaching are basically Philetic, here students feelings or opinion are aroused. Some teaching methods under
this category includes:
•Modelling Method
•Simulation Method
•Dramatic Method
•Simulation Games
•Role-Playing Method
Discussion Methods
Discussion
is usually at a higher cognitive level and it develops critical
thinking. Student’s participation is necessary for a successful
classroom discussion. It is a student centered teaching technique but
requires careful planning by the teacher to guide discussion.
Successful
discussions are guided by specific teaching goals. It
involves a
process of free guided discussion and expression of views
and ideas on a
given topic, question or problem by the teacher.
In the students
attempt to solve the problem or answer the question,
students pair up in
smaller groups for about 5 minutes or more,,
discuss the issue on
ground and then they are brought back for a full
group discussion.
Types of questions:
Factual:
These require straight forward answers based on obvious facts or
awareness. Answers are either right or wrong-yes or no.
Convergent
Answers to questions of this nature are usually within a finite range
of acceptable accuracy. They allow for only one right response; they
are questions about concrete facts.
Divergent:
These questions allow for many right responses. These questions give
students the room to explore various avenues, creates alternative
answers. Correct answers here could be based on logical projections or
imagination. Questions here deal with opinions, hypotheses &
evaluation and they predict different outcomes.
Evaluative:
Evaluative questions are open-ended & more difficult to answer,
because some criteria must be established for making any judgment.
Basically, evaluative questions require students to make judgments on
something. Responses to these questions are limited to a number of
choices.
Combination:
These are questions that blend and can be combined as a question
example.
Example:
What
are the differences and similarities between Old Cairo and New
Cairo?
PPP
Method of Teaching English
Presentation
This
is the part of the process that is most passive for the student. The
teacher presents students with new information (e.g. a grammar point,
a
vocabulary list, etc.). It is important that this information be
presented
in sufficient detail.
The first part of presentation
would be introducing the meaning of the
new language. This could be a
written definition, or a flash card, or a
spoken description of a phrase
or idiom’s meaning.
Next, the teacher must use clear examples so
that students can see
correct usage. An example might be a sample
dialogue or a sentence
written on the board, but students will need to
see the new language
being used naturally.
Finally, the teacher
needs to confirm that presentation is successful
and that the students
understand the new language. At its simplest,
this part of the PPP
method is simply asking students to confirm that a
particular example is
correct, though teachers can use a more
elaborate activity at their
discretion.
Practice
Also
called drilling, this phase is to fully reinforce the new language.
This is where teachers are likely to insert worksheets or games
(maybe
like the games found here, here or here).
Games are always
a fun option when it comes to practice, and they are
the preferred
drills in Shane English School classrooms, but worksheets,
scripted
conversations, and reading exercises sometimes take the place
of a
game in other institutions.
The practice phase can be long,
containing multiple activities to best
reach the entire class. There’s a
good chance that this takes up more
time than any other phase of the
PPP method. However, drilling can
also be brief if the new language is
simple and easy for a particular
class to grasp. At this point, it is up
to the teacher to determine
the best course of action based on the
needs of the students.
Production
The
third and final phase of the PPP method is production. This is
where
the students use what they have just learned to synthesize new
examples,
either in written or spoken form. (In the case of phonics and
reading
lessons, reading unfamiliar or challenging words could also
qualify as
production.) Testing would also be considered production,
especially if
it requires production of language elements in new
