Job Discussion Forums

[spiral78]

Nick, after a bit of reflection, I wanted to make one more point clear - I am obviously aware that you aren't necessarily trying to teach your students to greet Finns, but that you're teaching the language for greetings and body language. Of course the language is relevant -

but there's a further issue of 'relevance as perceived by the learner.'

That's why I think you'd be better to stick to concrete topics. Things like introducing self and others. " My name is..." " His name is..." " Hello." " How are you today?"

Labelling the stuff in your classroom, then moving to office stuff - how its the same and different (desks, chairs, doors, windows). Move from the familiar to the unfamiliar, once you've finally established some familiars!!

How about the weather? Did you laminate that USA Today weather map?

One more suggestion that works for me: especially with beginner levels, it's very useful to make sure that you have a standard framework for classroom language (greeting, instructions, and end of class/leaving language, I mean).

For example, I've used the same wrap up sentences in every class I've taught for years. Students may not recognize every word (or even any of them), but it becomes a familiar signal.

When working with something as unfamiliar and challenging as language, the more things you can make routine and familiar, the better.

Try memorizing and reusing the same sentences/phrases for greetings, instructions, and closing class every time. Give them a familiar framework for your classes - it will increase their confidence and may even help them to learn.

By the way, it's entirely refreshing that you are sharing your experiences as a newbie. Many have been reading your posts through your preparations to go, the famous travel segment (!), and now your classroom experiences - you've been a great contributor to the overall tone of the forum!

[nickpellatt]

Thanks for the input....

In honesty, whilst I didnt really think it was a hugely relevant lesson, it was one of the first ideas from the textbook that I thought I could shape a lesson from..

In that it allowed a lot of scope for body language, had simple text for reading and for the reference, and simple questions. Also of course, I could use the blackboard as mentioned....to give them a framework to make correct sentences.

Spiral, I cant remember if I was still at home when you mentioned weather maps...I bought a UK paper with a view to blowing up the size and using it, but in the last few days on packing / panicking, I didnt get round to doing it....a poor show from me.

As far as their abilities, as someone else mentioned in the thread, they are students who went through middle school learning english, but never actually did learn any.

[spiral78]

Nick, I do think you did a good job choosing a topic that lent itself to body language and the use of the blackboard for framing sentences. And I agree that a well-designed coursebook would be very valuable for a class such as this!

You're going to do a great job - in particular because you are obviously dedicated to doing it. Enthusiasm and commitment communicate themselves to students regardless of their language abilities.

My suggestions are really, primarily, that you try to stick to the concrete and immediate contexts of this particular classrooms. Meet and greet your students - and they should do this with each other. Label the parts of a classroom, and then move into the parts of the offices that these students hope to work in in the future. Talk about the weather, have them sort themselves by their house numbers, heights, first letter of their first names (in English). There's a whole world of language sitting/standing/moving around in your classroom. Relevence!!