Teacher Discussion Forums

Sally,

Thanks for the suggestions. Can you recommend a book title? (I have the what-to-expect books, but they're for my own kids.)

I'm going to be doing some hunting around here on the forums in the 'break.' And I'll have a good long look at enchantedlearning.com

Thanks again!
-Toby

Hello, all! I'm an experienced teacher of ESL to adults who, just this year, agreed to teach in Kindergartens here in Germany. I thought that generally liking kids was qualification enough. . . and the week of training I got from the school where I worked clearly wasn't enough. Here's my problem: I ...

Hello, all! I've just come back from an unusual first lesson: a student who, really, I feel like doesn't need English lessons. He, also, is mostly interested in conversation and, with time, learning new vocabulary as it happens. But, as far as grammar and 'language skills,' I don't think I have anyt...

Thanks, Sally! I like the comparison to a host or hostess. I've also just observed in a really good lesson with an amazing teacher who was really good at doing this with grace and poise and less shy than I would have been about completely changing the subject: "We've just heard about Lucy's husband'...

I need help. And, I'll say this upfront: I already did a search of the forum, but, if someone knows of a thread that already answered this (I'm sure common) question, just post a link and I'll be grateful. Here's the thing: I teach English to adults, and I work really hard to create a 'safe zone' wh...

It's a definite tradeoff: if you're really focused on learning Portuguese, you're going to find some of that creeping into your grammar: particularly if your students use 'Portuguese English.' My advice is to find a few other English speakers (they're everywhere) and try to find one who's happy ther...

I like the idea of a comic book. I have some 'Tin Tin' comics in English I can offer to lend her if she wants to practice. I don't think her English is at a level where she can enjoy the kind of book she'd read in German. We have a lot of activities planned for her, I'm looking for things she can do...

Hello, all! A colleage of mine and I are organizing an 'intensive week' for an adult student. The student would be considered, I think, pre-intermediate and we found a book for her that I think fits well. She--the student--has taken a week and a half vacation and wants to really work on her English ...

I teach a lot of 'company courses' in and around Dresden, Germany. That means that a lot of my students are learning English because their company requires it. (I have a lot of groups now from the same company: a 'Swedish' company that bought a lot of smaller companies in Germany, Poland, and Denmar...

If you're willing to invest some time, I've taken podcasts in English (not about it) on topics that my students are interested in (How whiskey is made, for example) and used the free Audacity program to 'cut them up' into bite-sized chunks. The students like hearing 'real' English, like the topic, a...

Well, the BBC isn't the only place. Don't forget the Voice of America (I don't think they're much more cheesy-propaganda than the BBC is) and they have the Special English section with really carefully pronounce stuff. I've used some of their stuff on the economy with success. http://www.voanews.com...

I agree. I think, especially as a teacher, I've found that everything I learn helps me in the classroom. It doesn't take long before I find the knowledge building a bridge to a student. Because we're English teachers, and we're teaching a language and not a traditional skill, what we teach is all-en...