Teacher Discussion Forums

Looks like you need make them warm up to you. When I'm faced with a tired or bothered class, I usually take five to ten minutes of class time to loosen them up and get them ready for a lesson. I usually start by asking a discussion question related to the topic at hand. Once a student shares an expe...

Hmm... are your students adults? The thing is, related research have found that ultimate attainment (that is, having a nonnative speak with native ability and fluency) occurs in only 5% of second language learners especially past a certain age. So before you look for a solution to your students diff...

I think the reason that ESL class hours are long is because they're meant to be oriented towards communicative language teaching. So basically, this means that we need to increase student talking time and decrease teacher talking time. As a matter of fact, a three hour class period should be perfect...

Okay... This sounds tough. :) Families in Asia are close knit. I remember once having to take a Spanish class and my father insisted on taking it with me because he was interested. Then he decided that this was something he and my mother should be a part of because, well, husband and wife should do ...

hmmm... I wonder, have you ever tried using painting as a reward for a job well done? When the class successfully learns a new language point, you can bring out the paint before they go home. It might be a great way to end the day on a high note.

Hi. Has anyone tried using the whole word approach to teaching reading to Chinese students? If anyone has, how effective was it?

Lowering a students' affective filters and increasing ego permeability hardly constitutes a "waste of time." Anyway, I did say earlier that a teacher should use whatever they're comfortable with inside their own classroom. If songs don't work for you, then don't use songs. But don't be too quick jud...

Try looking through the articles in the following professional journals:

1. International Journal of Applied Linguistics
2. International Journal of Linguistics
3. Language and Society
4. Journal of Pragmatics

I'm sure you'll find a specific study that will address your questions. Good Luck.

Hi esldreamer! When I was a new teacher two years ago (I'm still new but I've learned some things already), I had the same problems you were having. When I sat to think about it, I realized that the main problem is that I WANTED TO DO EVERYTHING just like you. So the first step to addressing the pro...

In text citations are usually made as you use the information in your text. If you paraphrased from several parts of the book, all you need is to write the author's name and the year (Author, xxxx). Page numbers are necessary only for direct quotations: (Author, year, pxx) or (Author, year, pp xxx-x...

Pronunciation and accent difficulties are the hardest to solve because they involve motor skills, particularly the use of the muscles of the mouth. A Korean student of mine had a similar problem. I solved it by teaching him the different areas of articulation in the mouth. The /s/ is a dental fricat...

I disagree that songs are useless. While the students might not understand the words of the song and end up parroting you, it will help them get used to the sounds of the language you're teaching. Longer notes will also train them to enunciate and be aware of the shape of the mouth as they articulat...

Hi Grace, I understand where you're coming from and I used to have similar problems. I solved this by coming up with teacher-student negotiation/agreements. I usually use a dialogue similar to the one below: "Alright, I would like this writing assignment in by Thursday, are you okay with that? (usua...

Hi fengji1214. There are many possible topics to assess writing. You may: 1. ask the students to write an extended definition of a word relevant to their field of study. 2. ask the students to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. 3. ask the students to write about their goals. Writing prompts fo...

The type of needs analysis you will need will depend on the kind of curriculum that you want to take. If you're close to a library, try looking for the following book: Jack Richards, Curriculm and Materials Design. This book contains everything you need to know about needs analyses. Marcethebest is ...