teaching beginners
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Bethany.Blaine
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- Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2011 4:19 pm
- Location: New Jersey
teaching beginners
Teaching by Principles suggests that teaching beginners ESL is probably the most difficult. This question goes out to those who have a lot of ESL teaching experience: do you think it's wise to start out your teaching career with beginners? Or would you suggest intermediate to advanced? I realize that the role of the teacher is much more important and necessary at the beginner stage. An ESL teacher's understanding of the material is crucial. I do not have any background in creating scope and sequences or lesson/unit plans and it makes me nervous to embark down the beginner route! How should a first time teacher handle beginners without becoming completely overwhelmed?
Teaching Beginners
I totally understand your concerns. Teaching in itself is very challenging, and teaching ELL students can be more challenging. I remember my apprehensions before starting to teach in my classroom. When planning, always keep in mind the audience (students) you are planning the lesson and activities for. When you teach, you don’t get to pick your students. You will have students at different levels and your plan is to take them from their learning level to the next one (s). You want to always be prepared and think of different ways of presenting your lesson to your students. Meaning, if you plan an activity you have to think of the things that can happen, because it will not necessarily go as you planned it. I have been teaching for 5 years now and I am still learning on a daily basis and I learn a lot from my students too.
I also read the book and I think Brown states in his book that teaching beginners is challenging, because there is so much focus on the teacher.
For beginners it is more difficult to initiate language learning. They first need to learn some concepts before they can for example ask questions. Therefore the focus of the lesson will often be on the teacher as a model of learning and initiating language. Moreover beginners don’t have previous knowledge of the language, so you notice immediately if you meet the teaching objectives or not. I think this responsibility can present a lot of pressure when you are teaching your first class. Since you read the book chapter, you are aware that beginners need a certain setting, like simple language learning exercises. So I think your knowledge will be helpful. Personally, I experienced that I find it easier to teach beginning children than adults. One reason is that I can use early language learning materials, like children songs or books to teach them.
For beginners it is more difficult to initiate language learning. They first need to learn some concepts before they can for example ask questions. Therefore the focus of the lesson will often be on the teacher as a model of learning and initiating language. Moreover beginners don’t have previous knowledge of the language, so you notice immediately if you meet the teaching objectives or not. I think this responsibility can present a lot of pressure when you are teaching your first class. Since you read the book chapter, you are aware that beginners need a certain setting, like simple language learning exercises. So I think your knowledge will be helpful. Personally, I experienced that I find it easier to teach beginning children than adults. One reason is that I can use early language learning materials, like children songs or books to teach them.
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Bethany.Blaine
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2011 4:19 pm
- Location: New Jersey
I appreciate your replies! It's nice to know I'm not completely alone with my fears. Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I've heard it seems as though an ESL teacher never knows what to expect student-wise or curriculum-wise before entering the classroom. I've been told stories about teachers having to commute from school to school, therefore never being able to create these safe havens for their ELL students. Teachers also will not be able to build trust or relationships with there students. This is not fair for the students or the teacher in these types of situations. Is it still possible to create fun and encouraging learning activities if I were to come across this problem? It seems difficult considering the ESL teacher probably wouldn't have a classroom!
I am starting to feel the same way. I have over five years experience in education, but am just now formally studying to become an ESL teacher. I've learned a lot of interesting things, and figured on top of my on-the-job experience that handling beginners would not be much more difficult than other students. However, the other day at work has shown me this will not always be the case. My district has a new student in Kindergarten who speaks no English at all, nor does anyone in his home. Due to budget constraints, he only gets 40 minutes a day with our ESL teacher. Knowing that I am in the process getting my certification, she brought me in the other day to work with this student, and said "show me what you've got," and I was like a deer in the headlights. So she modeled the activity she was doing with him, and I took over, and even started some scaffolding by the end of the lesson. Yet, he knows so little, and there is so much to be covered that it's really a big job. Our ESL teacher has reassured me, but still it was a good dose of reality of some of the challenges that we as ESL teachers face.
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Sally Olsen
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You will be amazed at how quickly your beginner students learn. They are in full immersion and it is necessary for them to learn English. They will learn more from their peers than you or their teacher.
Don't worry about how little you can do. Just smile and love the children. If they have someone in their corner for even 20 or 40 minutes, it will help to boost their egos. All my private students were so happy to see me and made such excellent progress over the year. Don't look for improvement, just enjoy the time with them. Play games, laugh, move, sing, and watch for things they need. A picture dictionary is really helpful but also taking pictures of the situation they are in and teaching them commands - sit down, close the window, close the door, write, use a pencil, stop, go, and the all important, "Can I go to the bathroom?"
Don't worry about how little you can do. Just smile and love the children. If they have someone in their corner for even 20 or 40 minutes, it will help to boost their egos. All my private students were so happy to see me and made such excellent progress over the year. Don't look for improvement, just enjoy the time with them. Play games, laugh, move, sing, and watch for things they need. A picture dictionary is really helpful but also taking pictures of the situation they are in and teaching them commands - sit down, close the window, close the door, write, use a pencil, stop, go, and the all important, "Can I go to the bathroom?"