Job Discussion Forums

[JacobTM]

When teaching a private class, most of the activities that involve group work, having students talk to each other etc. obviously dont work.

What do you all do when you have a one on one class? Any activities you guys have that work great when its just you and one student?

[Mike_2007]

Hello JacobTM,

There have been a few posts in the past on this subject. Try searching for '1-2-1' or 'one-to-one' and you should get a few hits.

I find CELTA-style activities, such as we know them, are less useful in 1-2-1 lessons because it isn't really necessary to engage everyone (there being only one person).

Most 1-2-1 students fall into one of two categories. The easiest category to deal with are those who have a specific objective in mind. This might be improving their vocabulary in a particular domain (usually the one they work in), studying for an exam, maintaining the spoken fluency/confidence, or just general English when their level is lower (I think of it as 'bricks and mortar' English). The types of activity you chose should reflect their needs precisely.

The other type are those who have just woken up one day and decided they want to take private lessons but have little or no idea what they want to do in the classes. They usually come up with statements such as 'I don't really want to do homework' or 'I just want to improve my speaking' and 'I don't like studying grammar'. Your first job here is to develop some kind of strategy with them.

So, back to the first type. The range of activities depends on their objectives. What I often do with those who are studying for language skills in a particular domain is to prepare a reading comprehension related to that field. It is usually an authentic text, although I might modify it according to their skill level. The text can be used to practise reading skills (reading for details, skim reading, etc.) and for eliciting vocabulary. Particularly aspects of structure and style can be identified, discussed and practised (for higher-level learners), the subject matter can be discussed for a realistic conversation re-using the vocabulary elicited, and to practise certain skills. Finally, a written exercise can be set for homework.

Practically speaking, this means a whole range of skills can be worked on from one text, they can be easily tailored to fit the students level and needs, and prep time isn't excessive. Mostly importantly, it's authentic and relevant in comparison to the rather forced topic-based lessons group students are often subjected to.

There are many more examples of ways you can adapt real-life materials to 1-2-1 lesson plans (podcasts, websites, even documentaries) but I think you've got the basic idea by now. Just remember that with only one student, who'll be paying a lot more per hour for his lesson than those attending language schools, you need to keep the material closely suited to his needs at all times by frequently communicating with him and identifying how he thinks he is progressing.

[nomad soul]

I play a word chain game with my intermediate and advanced-level students that's good for improving pronunciation and spelling in addition to learning new words or reinforcing previously-learned vocabulary. It also can easily be incorporated as a whole group activity but with the teacher in a facilitative role.

To start, Person 1 elicits a word, for example, egg, which ends with the letter g. Person 2 then has to come up with a word that begins with g. Whatever letter that word ends in, becomes the first letter for Person 1's new word and so on, back and forth. This game can be played as either a written activity or as a more challenging oral activity. Use whatever criteria and rules you feel fit your student's proficiency level. For instance, words with capital letters (months, days of the week, cities, countries, proper names, etc.) aren't allowed and a word cannot be used more than once. Or, all the words have to be verbs. These are just suggestions, but I�m sure you get the point. You can also decide if you want to assign points or not, although I never do. This activity is fun and challenging for both student and teacher.

Don't forget to look at other resources offered on this Web site such as http://www.eslcafe.com/idea/index.cgi?Private:Teaching