Make learning English interesting and fun, so it's stickier. Even when we do, conveying them in an understandable format for ESL students … Are you a new teacher gearing up for your first ESL classroom? GoGoKid – Teach English Online to Chinese Students… This “wait time” provides all students with an opportunity to think and process, and gives especially ELLs a needed period to formulate a response. At the beginning of each week, we’d go through each word, discussing the meaning and practicing its use in sentences. Teach the English alphabet – without songs and cartoons. Don’t simply ask, “Are there any questions?” This is not an effective way to gauge what all your students are thinking. These days, English … And, more importantly, practice their English language skills. Try using songs to teach grammar and make your grammar teaching come alive. For example, you can demonstrate each preposition by acting it out. Practice makes perfect! Do use visuals, sketches, gestures, intonation, and other non-verbal cues to make both language and content more accessible to students. By the time I had returned home from teaching abroad, I was no longer just a teacher – I was an actress, singer and author, too (ok, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself!). Learn and address your students by name, greet each student and make a genuine effort to get to know them. You’re going to want to reduce your talking speed so that everyone in the class has a chance to hear every word you say. After an explanation or lesson, a teacher could say, “Please put thumbs up, thumbs down, or sideways to let me know if this is clear, and it’s perfectly fine if you don’t understand or are unsure—I just need to know.” This last phrase is essential if you want students to respond honestly. Learning vocabulary first, freed them up to focus on the overall learning objectives of the lesson. That’s why you’ll want to learn multiple ESL teaching methods. 10 ESL Teaching Strategies That Successfully Motivated My Students To Reach The Next Level. Sure certain unique challenges come with teaching English online or in a foreign language classroom. Teaching English online to students from elementary to high school levels Pays up to $26 per 50 minutes of classes + bonuses With an hourly pay of up to $26 an hour, Whales English is one of the highest paying online teaching … Teaching with visual representations of concepts can be hugely helpful to ELLs. Do give verbal and written instructions—this practice can help all learners, especially ELLs. The simplest way to begin teaching sentence structure to English students is to provide pictures of people or objects and pictures of actions and have the students put the two together. Just by looking at their facial expressions, it can be hard to tell whether your students are really listening or whether they are daydreaming. Need help coming up with a lesson plan? Check out some of our favorite free ESL lesson plans. Like teaching other subjects, you’ll find that every student … This is certainly not a complete guide—these are just a few of the most basic practices to keep in mind when teaching English language learners (or, for that matter, probably any second language learner). Do regularly check that students are understanding the lesson. Using visuals, close activities and graphic organizers can all aid ELL students in their learning. Many of us do not even fully understand our own grammar rules. Look into TEFL certifications that offer additional specializations in teaching English to young learners for more help. Cons to Teaching English Online With Magic Ears: Only Canadians and Americans can apply; Time change issues if you aren’t living in Asia; learn more & apply to magic ears. This list of free ESL games will add a bit of fun to your classroom. It’s really important that your students can learn how to pronounce vocabulary and hear all the nuances of a word. One of my favorite things about teaching English online is the opportunity to meet students from all around the world. One of my favorite tricks to help students learn important grammatical rules like prepositions is to use my body as a prop when using the word. That's why you should remember to pause after you say something or give instructions to check for understanding. That’s why I learned to be flexible with my lessons and prepare multiple ways to teach a specific concept in advance. For more ideas, check out websites that provide lesson plans and resources for teachers, including: All of these great resources are designed to help enhance the student learning experience in your classroom. I thought maybe the activity’s point wasn’t clear, so I adjusted my explanation, but I still got glares of confusion no matter what. Label everything! Introduce yourself. ELL students need to understand the purpose or end goal of the activity or lesson to comprehend the lesson’s content. The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide is one of the highest-rated books on teaching English-language learners available. There are many different ways to teach vocabulary to ESL students. Though these students do not learn differently than their native-English … Get to know your students before you get started. I was able to differentiate my lessons by: Providing students with a choice in learning increased student engagement in my classroom. Considering getting TEFL certified? Introduce new vocabulary before use in lessons. People also use music as a means to escape from reality. Differentiation goes so much further than having high, medium and low leveled worksheets and activities. Also, word walls are a great way to create print-rich environments. I highly recommend building a visual wall where words are accompanied by a picture to help students match meanings with words. ESL students thrive with routine and structure. Slow down! Positive reinforcement is a  great way to make students feel safe but build a rapport. Correct errors with compassion. Students … Practice differentiated teaching strategies. It can be intimidating when the teacher launches right into their lesson without an ice breaker. I also found grouping students in mixed ability and ability groupings helped them work more independently. No matter what your background, or experience level, you will encounter constant new challenges when teaching English as a second language. I used a lot of center-based, hands-on learning activities. *One-on-one: These ideas will help you add variety rather than having your student just listen to your same old voice. Time to flex your acting chops! The teacher can then quickly circulate to check responses. Don’t just tell students what to do and expect them to do it. In addition, it is far easier for a teacher to point to the board in response to the inevitable repeated question, “What are we supposed to do?”. 13 ESL classroom tips you must know before ... - Teach Away Teaching grammar to ESL students is one of the toughest tasks faced by most ESL instructors, and for good reason. But at its core, teaching ELLs isn’t really all that different from teaching fluent speakers. Do use visuals, sketches, gestures, intonation, and other non-verbal cues to make both language and content more accessible to students. I remember working so hard preparing a lesson plan only to be met with a class full of blank stares. The best part? Don’t speak too fast, and if a student tells you they didn’t understand what you said, never, ever repeat the same thing in a louder voice. In an excerpt from his book with fellow teacher Katie Hull Sypnieski, blogger Larry Ferlazzo looks at a few basic ways to reach students who are learning English as well as the subject at hand. ELL students need to retain recently acquired English vocabulary by relating it to their own real-life experiences to store it in their long-term memory. Research has found that learning to read in the home language promotes reading achievement in the second language as “transfer” occurs. Preparation is key! Much has been learned about TPR from observing infants throughout the acquisition of their home language.Think about a time you may have interacted with your 6-month-old niece. This transfer may include phonological awareness, comprehension skills, and background knowledge. After the week was up, I’d post each new word on the word wall built up throughout the entire school year. Think your students are gonna stop you in the middle of a sentence and ask for clarification when they don't understand? Learn about your students’ cultural backgrounds. Teaching English as a foreign language is a challenging, yet rewarding career choice. It’s also essential to give students time to finish their work and answer questions, so be patient! So you can come to your first classroom prepared, here are 12 little-known ESL teaching strategies for English language learners: Picture this: you’re a student sitting in a class with a stranger at the front of the classroom who speaks a foreign language you can hardly understand. As teachers try to respond to the needs of these students, here are a few basic best practices that might help. ESL, or English as a Second Language, is a popular style of classroom teaching where students come together to learn English. Most ESL students around the world are used to learning English from non-native speakers. And try to speak as clearly as possible by enunciating your voice. Note: once the students … Now, to figure out the right teaching strategies, I knew I needed to understand exactly what the problem with … Teach. If you’re looking for practical ways to help create a more culturally responsive classroom, check out Teach Away’s professional development course for teachers, Culturally Responsive Teaching: Connecting with students and parents of different cultures. Bilingual classrooms differ from ESL classes in distinct ways. In this post, we’ll talk about how to teach the alphabet to adult students, the challenges teachers face, and the resources available to teach this topic. It also helps ensure that students are learning, thinking, understanding, comprehending, and processing at high levels. When my ESL students ask how they can learn English faster, this is the advice I give them. We live in a digital world. Tip: the more outlandish the action, the easier it is for them to recall it later. Using teaching strategies like Think-Pair-Share will give students time to process information, answer confidently and increase participation. Some platforms have a global student base but others focus on teaching students from a specific country. Try positive reinforcement strategies. Don’t “ban” students from using their native language in the classroom. Sheltered English is, in part, an approach to teaching ESL students so that they can comprehend and participate in as much classroom learning as possible. This guide is provided for those of you who would like to know some of the basics of teaching English to non-native speakers of English. A lot of language learners will agree that fluent speakers speak too fast. When you speak to her, slow down your rate of … When I say “in” I act out the action of putting something in my mouth and repeat patterns. Small practices that we, as fluent English speakers, can take for granted can make learning English a whole lot easier and more enjoyable. Most language learners get shy about admitting to the whole class they didn't understand something. After asking a question, wait for a few seconds before calling on someone to respond. Also, don’t assume that students are understanding because they are smiling and nodding their heads—sometimes they’re just being polite. One way to do that is by engaging learners with visuals or props. Forbidding students to use their primary languages does not promote a positive learning environment where students feel safe to take risks and make mistakes. Print. To be honest, I LOVE teaching English online . Students are frequently eager to please their teacher and will almost always answer this question in the affirmative. Don’t stand in front of the class and lecture, or rely on a textbook as your only visual aid. Even if you only practice your English skills for 10 minutes a day you can improve … Modeling promotes learning and motivation, as well as increasing student self-confidence—they will have a stronger belief that they can accomplish the learning task if they follow steps that were demonstrated. Use that knowledge in your classroom to help students retain vocabulary and abstract concepts. The label maker is your new best friend. Make your lessons engaging and interactive for your students. While the research on transfer of L1 skills to L2 cannot be denied, it doesn’t mean that we should not encourage the use of English in class and outside of the classroom. Total Physical Response, or TPR, is a language acquisition method developed by psychology professor James Asher. It’s important to remember that students (especially kids) don’t learn from people they aren’t comfortable with. All you have to do is: Download. This practice can be harmful to the relationships between teachers and students, especially if teachers act more like language police than language coaches. Teaching with visual representations of concepts … Connecting via webcam isn't always easy and it takes creativit... HQ: 343-2927 Lakeshore Blvd W.Toronto, Ontario M8V 1J3, 8 amazing companies that let you teach English online from home, 13 jobs that teachers can do from home to earn extra cash, 8 ways to make lessons fun and engaging in an online classroom, Vocational Teacher - Mechanical Engineering, Vocational Teacher - Electrical Engineering, Culturally Responsive Teaching: Connecting with students and parents of different cultures, 5 tips that will help you teach English online to adults, The 8 best programs to teach English in Japan (not just the JET program! You may also play a game of charades with your students! Keep in mind that ELL students will most likely need to translate questions, formulate an answer and then translate it back to English. Over 10 percent of students in the United States—more than 4.8 million kids—are English language learners (ELLs), and the number is on the rise. The same basic principles should apply to any good classroom: a lesson should be organized, engaging, and catering to students’ different learning needs. Using labels on everyday classroom resources (like chairs, doors, desks, computers, pencils, etc.) That is what many students … Teaching the alphabet to adult ESL students is tricky – but it doesn’t have to be. ESL … It’s a way to express one’s emotions and chill out. Edutopia® and Lucas Education Research™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of the George Lucas Educational Foundation in the U.S. and other countries. Waiting until the end of class to see what people write in their learning log is not going to provide timely feedback. If you’re looking for ESL games for children, they’re at the top of the list. Bring your lesson plan to life by drawing on the board or sharing pictures, videos and art. Ask questions or do an icebreaker. Teaching in an ELL classroom can be unpredictable. Each word was posted for the week at the front of the classroom, along with a visual conveying meaning. Get creative and use your body language to express an action during a lesson. Reward good work and effort. Teaching English to English as a second language (ESL) students can certainly be challenging, especially if you don't have the training to do so. 2. I’ve been in your shoes before – I taught abroad in the UAE for six years and have been teaching English language learners (ELLs). Teaching English in the classroom to students who have a limited English language understanding can feel like a daunting task. Do speak slowly and clearly, and provide students with enough time to formulate their responses, whether in speaking or in writing. Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Don’t act surprised if students are lost when you haven’t clearly written and explained step-by-step directions. Writing a daily agenda, having circle time or a sit-down activity for students when they enter the classroom will help students become familiar with their lesson plans. Often, those teachers will use a mixture of English and their native language in the classroom. That whole process can take a bit of time, so it’s important to give students a chance to think it through rather than demanding a quick answer. Building a rapport will go a long way in creating strong relationships with your students and will help them learn better. Ask a few more questions or explain the context a little more before you move on to make sure they took it in. It’s essential to bear in mind that lesson activities can (and will) fall flat on many occasions. Join a group and help them practice … Many words in different languages have similarities to English, which can be both good and bad for the … Music also helps your ESL students learn English better. Teaching students from an array of cultures, learning styles, educational backgrounds, along with a language barrier, take some getting used to. It’s not just for students with special needs or individualized educational plans, but it’s also for mainstream students that find themselves below, at and above grade level. TPR uses a combo of language and physical actions to engage students in the language learning process. Incorporating digital tools and technologies into your curriculum and lesson plans is a great way to reach and engage digitally-savvy students in more creative ways. Grammar is often the most feared aspect of the English language. Teaching languages taught me the importance of differentiation. ESL students need to understand the basic idea that a gerund is an action being used as a thing or idea. ELL students are bound to make mistakes - that’s how they learn! will help students absorb new English vocabulary. Using examples is a great way to bridge the gap between communicating objectives and student comprehension. It can be hard to understand the whole message when you didn’t catch all of it. To make sure that they are engaged in listening, it is best to give students something to do or some way of responding. Make sure to do some research before going to your international teaching destination and familiarize yourself with your students’ culture, customs, and everyday lives. We have found that consistently using these practices makes our lessons more efficient and effective. The number of English language learners in the United States is growing rapidly, including in many states that have not previously had large immigrant populations. When teachers regularly check for understanding in the classroom, students become increasingly aware of monitoring their own understanding, which serves as a model of good study skills. There are groups for ESL students in practically every major city in the world, and you’ll find plenty on MeetUp.com, like groups for foreigners who want to practice English. Do model for students what they are expected to do or produce, especially for new skills or activities, by explaining and demonstrating the learning actions, sharing your thinking processes aloud, and showing good teacher and student work samples. and make sure to demonstrate concepts in multiple ways to increase student understanding and reach various learning styles. One thing quickly becomes clear: Speaking English as a mother tongue does not an ESL or EFL (English as second language / English as a foreign language) teacher make! Ever wonder why music is so popular? Remember, they are thinking and producing in two or more languages. What are more do’s and don’ts that you would add to the list? Do everything out loud (think alouds!) Kids nowadays are growing up in a world dominated by technology tools and apps. Repetition helps people remember! This means tailoring your lessons to meet your students’ individual needs for those who don’t know. As part of my regular classroom routine, I created a list of words that were related to the weekly themes. Get started by trying out some free classroom apps like ClassDojo and Quizlet. Teaching English as a second language for beginners is a challenging task for anyone. In addition to offering an overview of the research on second-language learners and best practices in teaching ESL, it also includes a whole section on teaching ESL … 67 Free ESL Games for Teaching English. Students need to feel safe and secure to express themselves fully. You'd be surprised how many students pretend they understood when they have no idea what you're talking about. ), Top 5 ESL classroom tools to get you out of teaching jams, 6 must-have online English teacher skills, 5 TEFL games for young learners every TEFL teacher should know. Do encourage students to continue building their literacy skills in their home language, also known as L1. Music brings people closer together. Teaching adult ESL learners vocabularly can be a bit different from teaching kids. Side note: The phrase, “do you understand?” should never, in my opinion, be uttered in an ESL/ELL classroom. We also launched an online course for teachers to help bring digital literacy and learning into the classroom, Digital Learning for the K-8 Classroom, in partnership with Teachers College, Columbia University. Try to be mindful of the speed of your voice. We also feel it is important to include a few “worst” practices in the hope that they will not be repeated! I would often teach the same concept multiple times using different strategies such as singing, videos, actions, stories, etc. My students were able to have a quick point of reference and memorize words easier. In this post, we’ll look at 5 companies where you can teach English online to Korean students. As an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, you must learn to constantly adapt to your students… So, how can you grow your digital skills as well as those of your students? Think again! When they see a gerund as an activity (a non-physical object), they begin to see the difference between … Teachers can also have students quickly answer on a Post-it note that they place on their desks. By creating a positive learning environment, not just physically but emotionally, students will be more willing to try new things.