Job Discussion Forums

[torontogirl88]

We were taught to use the ESA format (Engage, Study, Activate) when I got my TESL diploma - but the demo lessons for ECC and Amity are like only 10 minutes.

I'm a bit confused if I should use the ESA format or not. Can someone please shed some light?

Thank you so much!

[Mr_Monkey]

Do you really believe you can fit a full lesson plan into 10 minutes?

[Glenski]

Demo lessons are meant to see if you have the least inkling about how to start a lesson and if you know how to get students talking (instead of the teacher wasting time talking), and to show your personality with students. They can probably see these things in the first 90 seconds.

[torontogirl88]

No, I definitely do not think I can fit an entire lesson plan in 10 minutes! But, I'm not sure how they want me to teach the words without ESA. Can I just demonstrate the words? We were taught in TESL to have really HIGH student talk time - but I feel like in the demo lesson, they want to see ME talking more than the students. So, I'm just a little confused. If I have the students do most of the talking - is that okay?

How SHOULD I start the lesson? Ask them a question to get them to participate? I'm a little lost.

I'm confident in my abilities to teach - I know I can be interesting and engaging - but I'm just not sure what places like ECC want to see when I teach the demo lesson.

[G Cthulhu]

There's a couple of different ways to approach it. First, if it makes *you* more comfy make a point of stating that you'd use X or Y format for planning in a "real" lesson where you have more time to work with the students. Then, because you have 10 minutes and with a nod to the learning styles that Japanese are more likely to be familiar with, do it as a 'frame, sample, use" - 1 minute simple explanation of term, two examples of usage for their reference, then practice use, and extension into new uses from the students.

Trite, but workable in 10 minutes and it covers the elements they want to see.

[aynnej]

When I interviewed with ECC a few years ago, they provided some flashcards and props (balls, stuffed toys, etc.). If I remember correctly, they also discussed their preferred methodology before the demos. Although I wouldn't get too keyed up about the methodology (the main focus should be on making your lesson INTERACTIVE and FUN!), they taught PPP -- presentation, practice, and production.

During the presentation and practice (of both vocabulary and a Q/A sentence structure) use gestures, silly sounds, etc. For example, if the vocabulary words are animals, have the students act out animal motions as they repeat. For the structures, try to make it game-style. For example, have the students with the red ball ask the question and the students with the blue ball answer. By the production stage, the children (the "children" in your demo lesson will be the other interviewees) should be using the structures on their own with the teacher only correcting when necessary. In actual lessons, the production stage is usually a game where the students must use the question/answer structure with various vocabulary words in order to win. The demo lesson is so short that the "game" will likely have to be super-simple. I can't remember what my group did, but I'm sure it was a variation of some sort of ball toss game.

Again, don't get so keyed up about methodology that you become pedantic during the demo. Remember, you're teaching 4 - 10 year old Japanese kids, not native-speaking university students. Model and demonstrate, don't lecture. And above all, keep it fun!

Hope this helps.