teaching methods

[edmee30]

hello teachers around the world,

please help, I have just opened an English club in a french speaking country in West Africa, I need strategies to get the students to speak, read and and understand; I have no training in teaching but management.

thank you all.[/color]

[jerry]

Hi Edmee30 !
I know your problem. I used to experience it although just in an extra-class. I mean some students I taught when I worked as a tutor. You know, they want to study grammar rather than speaking or listening. They want to get good marks. And you also know, in some countries like my own country,VietNam, the test in high school focus on grammer points. Therefore, we have no much time or motivation to teach them speaking or listening. I think U can begin to teach them from some simple things like talking about themselves and some daily topics which don't need to use many complex words or U can provide some information about their country in English so that they can easily understand when reading . You should keep from easy ones to difficult ones.
I hope my suggestion can help U in some way !
Good luck for your career !
jerry (thuytrang)

[Shelley]

Hi there,

To get your students speaking as well as learning grammar use language games - which are disguised drills really.

For example try this one - works with small groups to large classes.
Use it to practise any grammar and drill in tenses, or to correct common mistakes.
http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/games/relayrace.htm

In this way everyone has a go at speaking WHILE practising grammar.

If you put the game across to the class as grammar practise to help prepare them for their next exam that should motivate them - if all they want to do is study grammar.

All the best
Shelley :)

[Nersi]

Well, we call it gigo. first you have to provide enough input by examples and patterns, and then you can get a fraction of the input from your learners, so start giving as much as you can with passion an optimism before you ask for feedback. TPR is a good method to start with, after introducing objects and familiar vocabulary. One advantage that you have is that French vocabulary is similar to Anglais . You'd also better use a soft approach in your class management .

[Heads Up Eng]

Congratulations on the new job and career! Teaching is a wonderful and challenging profession. I hope you enjoy it.

In any class, you want to give students the chance to practice the new material. This builds confidence as they become increasingly familiar with the target language. Drills, gap fills, and other controlled activities work well here.

Of course, students would quickly get bored without the chance to experiment with the language. As such, you should work towards free(r) activities. This lets students personalize the conversations, experiment with the language, and incorporate previously learned grammar and vocabulary.

I just sent out a teaching newsletter from my site, http://www.headsupenglish.com. It addressed this very topic. Although I hadn't planned to write it as an article, I'll make some edits, put it on the site, and post the link in this thread.

In the meantime, here's a speaking activity that has worked well for me.

ANSWER, ADD, and ASK

Step One: The teacher writes the following on the board:

1: Answer: You must answer questions.
2: Add: You must add information.
3: Ask: You must ask a question in return.

This all equals REAL CONVERSATION.

Step Two: Students get into pairs and receive a set of questions. The questions may be written on the board or distributed as a printable.

Step Three: Student A begins the activity. He asks a question to his partner, who answers it, adds more information, and then asks a question in return. Students should continue with the same question as long as possible, then move on to the second question, third question, and so on.

Step Four: At the end of five minutes, the teacher stops the activity. Partners switch roles and repeat with a new set of questions.

I hope this all helps. Good luck.

[Heads Up Eng]

Here's the link to the article. It focuses on structuring the lesson. A sound lesson structure leads to confidence and familiarity with new material, which in turn often leads to improved speaking/participation.

I hope it helps.

http://www.headsupenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=488&Itemid=79