Job Discussion Forums

[kidkensei]

Hey Everyone,

I"m teaching Junior Highschool grades 1-3 and I'm wondering how long it usually takes you ALT's the hang of speaking 'basic' english for your students while at the same time keeping them interested.

I seem to be able to do one or the other. Sound cool but not be understood. Or, be understood, but totally boring.

Could anyone share some ways or prep techniques you use before class to make your self better understood?

Kensei

[cornishmuppet]

Gestures. If you're doing an activity actually show them what to do, or get the JTE to act as a dummy student. No matter how good their English is the majority will switch off after a couple of sentences of instruction. I always found that the JTEs tend to step in when the kids don't understand and repeat everything in Japanese, which has its uses. A lot of people don't like it but in my classes I want them to actually DO the activity, not spend 20min being told how to do it in pigeon English. Most of my classes though comprise simple instructions ("Take a card!") complete with exagerated gestures.

[Glenski]

The very first and most important thing to learn is that you will never be able to do both of those things, and that you'd better can the "cool" speech immediately. By virtue of opening your mouth, you are a native speaker to them. Whether you are cool or not depends on anything else you do, not say. How you say things is a distant second (but obviously important).

Many have never seen a foreigner, let alone had one in their presence. If that's cool for them, so be it. You are also a teaching puppet, and they are forced to study English, so after their first year of it, they will become more bored. Their only goal is to study English to pass entrance exams, first for high school, and then for college.

Native speakers' main goal is to provide natural-sounding (not necessarily cool) English. Little more. Culture is nice, but they know more than you might think just from watching movies and TV and by surfing the Net. Little things about family life and traditions are the surprises that may tickle them, but remember that they are forced to sit in their seats for the 45 minutes a day you have them. If they don't like English, it matters not one whit.

So, to be understood, speak slowly, clearly, loudly (enough), and in short sentences with simple words. Don't string together several of them, or they will be lost. Yeah, gestures are helpful, sometimes essential. A teacher's or ALT's personality and charm will keep them awake more than an interesting lesson. You have to tread the line between dancing clown and nightclub entertainer. Depends on you and how much you enjoy being a ham actor sometimes.

Teach them to help themselves, so you don't have to talk too much. They need the speaking practice; you don't.