| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Illysook
Joined: 30 Jun 2008
|
 Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 10:02 pm Post subject: yawn |
 |
|
| Are adult students really this boring, or is it me? How do I liven up my Adult classes so that I can keep from yawning myself. These are advanced level students...sort of! Sometimes, when it's just a few students, one does all of the talking while the others just sit there. It's so dull! |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
koreatimes
Joined: 07 Jun 2011
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 10:23 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| That's why you should always get an adult/children position. You have a little fun with the kids, teach the boring class to adults, and then go to the bar with your adult students and they will open up more. It's only halftime when you finish the adult classes, you got to play the game out. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sublunari
Joined: 11 Jun 2009
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 11:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I love some of my adult students; others replied with endless blank expressions when I asked them difficult icebreaker questions such as "What is your favorite movie?", "What do you like?", "What do you enjoy?" These were intermediate-level students who were either hollow men or terrified of speaking their minds in front of their elders. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kimchijigijig
Joined: 27 Jun 2011
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 1:43 am Post subject: Re: yawn |
|
|
| Illysook wrote: |
| Are adult students really this boring, or is it me? How do I liven up my Adult classes so that I can keep from yawning myself. These are advanced level students...sort of! Sometimes, when it's just a few students, one does all of the talking while the others just sit there. It's so dull! |
Ok. When you said that one does all the talking I would put that on you. You are supposed to control the classroom. Thereby, not letting one student dominate. Also, since your post was short, we don't really know what type of class it is (mothers, business etc.).
As a language instructor you need to look at your demographics and talk with them about their interests, family, weekend activities, travel experience. Ask them what they want to learn. What is their purpose for being in the classroom with you? That is obviously your first point in designing/utilizing material and resources.
Youtube is your friend. It is amazing what you can find on there.
If their level is reasonably high do role plays of how they interact with Koreans and compare that with how they interact with non-Koreans. Also, feedback (at higher levels) is very important. Not just from you but students providing feedback to each other. This creates lively discussions alone and them asking you questions about western practices.
I will just say: use your initiative and imagination. Get their basic needs by communicating with them and do some research over the internet about suitable lessons that match their needs. This can take a bit of effort on your part. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mukukja
Joined: 22 Sep 2011
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 3:32 am Post subject: |
|
|
The biggest challenge I have with my adult classes is the "free talking" problem...
After thirty minutes of a planned lesson, a student will invariably shout out "Teacher let�s free talking!"
I acquiesce, and after twenty minutes of me trying to coax simple answers out of my class, we return to my lesson. Self-deprecation works here though. I show myself or my home in an unfavorable light and some of the noble ones will offer various defenses in the interest of fair play. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 3:39 am Post subject: |
|
|
OP: you control the flow of the class, you drive how it unfolds and its up to you to get students involved.
Remember that adult learners are there for specific reasons, perhaps knowing what they want out of the class can help you present lessons that are more interesting to them.
Look, if you find it boring and find them boring, this shows and as a student if you have a teacher thats not putting any energy into the class...well thats the end of it!
Check out some of the sites that offer lesson ideas, use youtube, expand the horizons of your lessons... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
treehouse
Joined: 17 Jul 2010
Location: Seoul
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 5:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
OP: I've only been teaching adults formally at the community center for about 2 months now, but my classes started out similar to yours. There is a wide demographic in terms of age, but eventually the students open up and really start to talk after about 30 minutes.
The other day, I did a warm-up where one student sits in front of the board and I write a word behind them. The other students in their team have to make them guess the word without speaking Korean or the word. This seems to get them speaking and loosen them up.
After that, my discussions and free talking (it's a free talking class) goes really well and time flies. Although they may go off topic here and there, the students are giving opinions and it's a lot of fun.
Anyways, I recommend doing a lively warm-up that gets them comfortable speaking in front of others, then move on to some simple answer questions, and then into a discussion on more serious topics where opinions are raised. Just my two cents! Hope it helps! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 7:10 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| I love some of my adult students; others replied with endless blank expressions when I asked them difficult icebreaker questions such as "What is your favorite movie?", "What do you like?", "What do you enjoy?" These were intermediate-level students who were either hollow men or terrified of speaking their minds in front of their elders. |
Personally I would find these questions very difficult to answer in front of a bunch of strangers, even in my own language. Re-movies - Should I go for my real favourite - the obscure art house black and white movie no-one will have heard of and then be required to talk even more by explaining the plot and who the actors are? Meanwhile the rest of the students are already categorising me as the class weirdo. Or should I lie and go for the easy option of the Holywood blockbuster and risk the rest of the class thinking I'm a blockhead. What do I like? Do I answer truthfully and say 'getting wasted and playing Modern Warfare 2', thus risking the derision of the sophisticated elements in the class, or do I play it safe again and say 'sleeping', thus risking the scorn of the teacher?
They may seem like simple language based questions to us as teachers but they can be strewn with all sorts of social mine fields for the students. Thus, for them, the safest way is often to say nothing.
Get them talking in pairs for the stuff beyond simple personal details and you'll see much better results. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Skill
Joined: 06 Jul 2011
Location: London
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 4:02 pm Post subject: Re: yawn |
|
|
| Illysook wrote: |
| Are adult students really this boring, or is it me? How do I liven up my Adult classes so that I can keep from yawning myself. These are advanced level students...sort of! Sometimes, when it's just a few students, one does all of the talking while the others just sit there. It's so dull! |
I taught adults briefly during my Trinity TESOL course.
Start of with a good warmer to get the grey matter working.
The idea of you as a teacher throwing question at them can be rather daunting at times. Always remember it is better to answer the question yourself before you ask them, just to get them going.
Then when it comes to conversation, pair them up. Get them to ask each other the questions.
Get them working in groups. Role play. It is a good way to keep Ttt down and Stt up. The student needs the practice not you.
Give feedback at each stage and remember to correct any errors.
Personalise the lesson. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Illysook
Joined: 30 Jun 2008
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 4:11 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I will try some livelier warm ups. I learned a few during my CELTA training, but I could use some fresh ideas.
Yesterday, when I offered up this post, I'd just come out of a 2 hour class that only 2 students showed up for. By the end of it, I was practically slapping myself to stay awake. One student just didn't want to talk, and the other was rather monotone. It was the worst. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kimchijigijig
Joined: 27 Jun 2011
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2011 5:32 pm Post subject: Re: yawn |
|
|
[quote="Skill"]
| Illysook wrote: |
Give feedback at each stage and remember to correct any errors.
Personalise the lesson. |
Feedback and personalize I 100% agree with but don't correct any errors. This may interrupt the flow of the lesson and provide insecurity for your students. Address errors that are critical to meaning and understanding but don't spend so much time on 'fiddly' grammar mistakes. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
joelove
Joined: 12 May 2011
|
| Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 9:14 am Post subject: |
|
|
| mukukja wrote: |
The biggest challenge I have with my adult classes is the "free talking" problem...
After thirty minutes of a planned lesson, a student will invariably shout out "Teacher let�s free talking!"
I acquiesce, and after twenty minutes of me trying to coax simple answers out of my class, we return to my lesson. Self-deprecation works here though. I show myself or my home in an unfavorable light and some of the noble ones will offer various defenses in the interest of fair play. |
Free talking is no good usually, is it. Just have a bunch of topics. One thing I did before was write 52 topics to match a deck of cards. Just one or two words each. Pick one at random and it can give the talking some focus. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jinks
Joined: 27 Oct 2004
Location: Formerly: Lower North Island
|
| Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 2:56 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Free talking is viewed by many students as a chance to sit back and relax while someone else does the talking (some might even believe that English might somehow rub off on them even if someone else is doing all the talking).
The previous poster's focus cards are a good idea for making free talking work better. What I like to do if students ask for free talking is to sit everyone around a table, or in a horseshoe, (this wouldn't work in the OP's situation of only 2 students turning up) and brainstorm a few topics. Then each person has a minute or so to talk about a topic of his/her choice. The topics on the board are just suggestions, students can talk about something else if they want to. The real kicker is the obligation of the people sitting either side of the speaker to ask a question about his/her topic of choice. Any student in the group can ask questions, but the students sitting either side of the speaker MUST ask something.
As someone else said, it is good for the teacher to take part in the discussion (not monopolise it as it is all too easy to do when students are sitting mute), so I sit in the circle and take my turn choosing my own topic and asking/answering questions from those sitting next to me. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
|
| Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 3:26 am Post subject: |
|
|
| jinks wrote: |
Free talking is viewed by many students as a chance to sit back and relax while someone else does the talking (some might even believe that English might somehow rub off on them even if someone else is doing all the talking).
The previous poster's focus cards are a good idea for making free talking work better. What I like to do if students ask for free talking is to sit everyone around a table, or in a horseshoe, (this wouldn't work in the OP's situation of only 2 students turning up) and brainstorm a few topics. Then each person has a minute or so to talk about a topic of his/her choice. The topics on the board are just suggestions, students can talk about something else if they want to. The real kicker is the obligation of the people sitting either side of the speaker to ask a question about his/her topic of choice. Any student in the group can ask questions, but the students sitting either side of the speaker MUST ask something.
As someone else said, it is good for the teacher to take part in the discussion (not monopolise it as it is all too easy to do when students are sitting mute), so I sit in the circle and take my turn choosing my own topic and asking/answering questions from those sitting next to me. |
True! and lets add this to further clarify things: Free talking is viewed by many teachers as a chance to sit back and relax while someone else does the talking or drives the lesson.
This can explain a lot of the failures that occur with free talking lessons.
First of all, free talking should not be limited to the teacher saying: let's chat and then letting the discussion go on by itself.
In free talking the teacher should switch to a FACILITATION mode, there are TONS of websites and books that offer excellent tools for facilitating a discussion. Whats required is a topic that is based on what the students have studied recently in terms of context and vocabulary and that takes into account their level.
Sometimes talking in a large group (ie the class) is not the best way...pair roleplaying can work far better in that context with the teacher checking in on the pairs as the conversation evolves or stalls.
Picking some controversial topic is also not the best approach. Some teachers do this to make a point about their beliefs or because they assume the shock of the topic will spark discussion. Well that often has the opposite effect!
I remember a teacher who worked in an adult hakwon who picked controversial topics for his adult classes: women's status, homosexuality and so on. He would then argue with students on the correct position. Guess what? This did not motivate the students (how surprising!).
Free-conversation is not a debate club...its about the students practicing what they studied. Your role in such a setting is to be a content neutral facilitator. Using that approach will be far more effective but does require some preparation over several lessons to set up the actual free talking class.
Good luck! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kimchi_pizza
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Location: "Get back on the bus! Here it comes!"
|
| Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 8:01 am Post subject: |
|
|
I'm assuming this is a late night 7-9pm class where EVERYONE is tired. You from
teaching regular classes all day, they from sitting at home preparing dinner or sitting behind a desk in some cold, stale office.
My advice...get'em out of the chairs an from behind tables and desks as much as
possible. Heck, even adults like games/activities as much as any kid.
For example, I was teaching "directions" one time. I paired up the adults,
pushed all desks an chairs aside. One partner blindfolds the other and goes up
against another pair. I place two team boxes on opposites sides of the room
and colored paper balls are placed randomly. The other guy has to shout out
directions and where to pick up the ball and drop it in the box, "Go left, Stop!,
Go straight!, Turn around!, etc." Pandamonium ensued, but it was hilarious! I
actually had one adult squating OVER the box looking like he was take'n a crap.
....too funny....we all had fun that day. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
