Job Discussion Forums

sunrisekiwi09 · Joined: 04 Feb 2007 Posts: 12 Location: Qingdao

Hi everyone

I'm teaching a class of 14 six to nine year old beginners on Sundays. There are three young boys who are falling behind, so I have arranged to spend a little bit of extra time with them.

One of them is very active but is not confident about speaking. The other two try, but are just slower than the rest of the class.

Does anyone have any suggestions of things I could do to help them? Any ideas on what may motivate them to actually want to learn English? (as opposed to coming to class because their parents make them)

Thanks for your help

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 2199 Location: Jiangsu Province

If they are behind then you have to take them back to what they should have learnt and then bring them forward. Picture books where there are just a few sentences that can be related to the pictures are good.

vikuk · Joined: 23 May 2007 Posts: 1842

Maybe they don't enjoy English - giving them more at that formative age of 6/7 - especially in the dry way Anda suggests - may just add to the torture, and even the problems. Just imagine how much they'll enjoy English after those kinds of force-feed sessions - and how eventually that hate may breed a sense of loathing!!!!

Who are you doing this for the parents, yourself (your rep as a teacher making sure you keep the kids in the class), your employer - or just maybe the kids. If its for the kids I'd take them out to play - (be bold play in English - and at worst play inside) - something anyone with any knowledge of what is good for 6/7 year old boys would do Idea

sunrisekiwi09 · Joined: 04 Feb 2007 Posts: 12 Location: Qingdao

Thanks for your replies Vikuk and Anda

I'm not a very experienced teacher, but I am the mother of a 7 year old so do have a reasonable understanding of what kids this age need (although they are all unique of course).

I always try to make the learning fun and if they were still at kindergarten then I would definitely just focus on playing with them (my kid is a very useful aid in this).

I want to do this for the kids benefit primarily, but this includes aiming to get them comfortably through the tests that they have to sit. Failing tests at their school can't be making them feel good about themselves. Sitting formal tests at their age can't be good for them, but there's not much I can do about that.

So anyway, I need to boost their confidence whilst still drilling into them, in a fun way, what they need to pass those pesky tests.

vikuk · Joined: 23 May 2007 Posts: 1842

Mei Sheng · Joined: 15 Oct 2007 Posts: 177 Location: With Yunqi!!

Subliminally, the boy/girl thing should work. Competition.

"Hey, Little Man. Why is it that the girls are beating you? heir English is better than yours. If you want to hook up with a nice girl oneday, you should master English."

All the rich girls can speak English.

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 2199 Location: Jiangsu Province

I use DVDs with kids movies and cartoons where I can and get the kids to repeat after me things like:

She likes him.

It's a cat.

She's very fat.

The kids pick up on this as they have half an idea of what you mean and through repeating similar stuff week after week they learn.

After a time you start:

Does she like him?

What's this?

She is what?