Korean Job Discussion Forums

[julian_w]

Ainsley's just landed in from the land of Oz, and is giving the teaching gig a spin. Thought I'd kill a lunch hour and put together a TESL teaching for brilliant geniuses who can learn from a few brief pages of bullet-pointed tips.

Uh-ohhh... Got the feeling it's missing something.
What do you reckon?

* * * * *

* TESL Teaching*


Remember
- they are speaking, listening, reading and writing in another language.
- they are there because someone else told them they had to be there.
- they may have already been at school all day (esp. hagwon students).

Speak very, very, very slowly.

If a student doesn��t want to speak English in front of the whole class, don��t force them.
Instead, break the class into groups: half-class, groups of 4, 5, or 6, or pairs.

Never ask a student to read out loud in front of others straight away (text previously unseen).
Let them read it to themselves first; let them identify new words; let them ask about pronunciation and meaning.

If you need another writing activity, use:
- close exercises (filling in the gaps/ spaces for missing words)
- rearranging exercises (ie. Words in a sentence/ phrases or sentences in a paragraph or stanza/ paragraphs or stanzas within a speech, song, or other).

ie. In general, aim to minimize stress for students of not knowing the correct word. Provide the words for them.

ie. Make all exercises achievable.



* Management *


- Be positive
Smile; look for opportunities to laugh, and to make jokes.
Look for opportunities to reward students: ��Catch them being good.��

- Speak slowly.
Speak even more slowly. - Speak even more slowly than that.

- Trust the students.
Give them the benefit of the doubt. Eg. If they are speaking in Korean, trust that they are helping each other to understand you. If you are not sure what they are talking about, ask them.

- Give warnings. Then, follow through.
Give warnings before all punishments.
Don��t give punishments without warnings.

Don��t dwell on punishments. As soon as possible, get back to being positive and rewarding students who are doing the right thing.




* Communication*


Speak slowly
Speak really, really, slowly.

- Some people learn more visually, some more kinesthetically (by movement). They need to do more than just listen to you, to learn effectively, so...
Write important stuff on the white board.
Use colour as much as possible. (Colour stimulates memory.)
Use acting, actions, and movement (of yourself as an example first, and then your students).

- Effective communication is both ways.
Listen to your students. Look at your students.
Watch your students for the things that they do not know how to tell you,
or do not have the confidence to tell you.
Ask high-level students open questions.
Ask low-level students simple yes/no questions, often.

If a student is reading out loud, and gets stuck on a word, give them time to work it out for themselves. Give them seven seconds. But, if they look up at you, tell them that word straight away, and let them carry on.

[Scott in Incheon]

[Scott in Incheon]

double post

[schwa]

I like your ideas a lot. One quibble. Your repeated emphasis on speaking slowly might be effective for teacher to student communication but can prove a disservice when the students encounter "real" english outside the classroom. Maybe a better target is simple, clear, & repetitive, but at a more natural pace.

But yeh, one of the key things we as teachers can do, passing briefly through our students' lives, is leave the impression that english isnt so daunting.

[Kenny Kimchee]

Great post. You nailed most of the important points of teaching. I'll just expand on a few points:

Discipline

Establish the rules from the get-go and stick to them. Show them that it's your class and there will be no monkey business. Be fair but firm. It's possible to go from being a strict disciplinarian to being a fun guy, because you can always go back to disciplinarian mode; however, it's not possible to try to go into disciplinarian mode if you were soft on them in the beginning. It's a jungle out there: children respect authority and can smell weakness. Have fun but put the game face on first. Don't ever lose your cool. If you blow up and lose control of your emotions you'll lose respect and credibility and may not be able to get it back again.

Pace and Repetition

When I started teaching five years ago, I used to fly through the book. My K-partner complained I was going too fast, while I thought she was going too slow. She was right and I was wrong. Whereas I used to try to teach a unit of Let's Go in three classes, now I spend at least six classes per unit. Review and recycle earlier material. Do a lot of choral repetition - and I mean a lot.

Use Pair Work

You already touched on this, but don't underestimate the value of pair work. I used to use very little and I was teaching myself to death. Pair work gives the kids a chance to speak in a low-pressure situation - and saves your voice!


Use the CD as Little as Possible

Textbook CDs are a crutch and a waste of time; you can kill the flow of a class by stopping and trying to cue it up. Use it when it's absolutely necessary - i.e. for songs - but don't use it for repetition of the text dialogue. If there's a listening test, get a hold of the teacher's manual and do it with your own voice.

Observe Other Teachers

This is hard to do if you're working in a hagwon and have a full schedule, but the way most people learn how to do their jobs (working on cars, playing an instrument, writing code) is by watching experienced people doing it. Watch others and see what they do well and what they do poorly.

Establish a Routine and Stick to It

Young learners - especially young Asian learners - like the familiarity of a routine. Establish a routine and stick to it. Change things up every once in a while to keep them fresh, but always go back to the routine.

Good luck to your friend!