ELTWeekly Vol. 4 Issue#2 | January 9, 2012 | ISSN 0975-3036
When you learn how to do it well, teaching English as a Second Language can be a very rewarding and satisfying career. You will be able to work with people from many different places and cultural backgrounds. You will find job opportunities all over the world. Because English is known as the language of business, nearly everyone wants to speak it well. ESL teachers are always in demand and there is an even greater need for those who are good at what they do.
Goal Setting
When you begin working with a student or group of students it is important for you, together with your student(s), to identify the aim of your classes. You could look at time periods such as “in the next two months,” “by the end of this summer” or “before Christmas” and decide what you will cover during that time period. This encourages students to stay on track and stay dedicated to their studies. Good teachers help their students look ahead to their long term language goals.
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Fun
People are more likely to do things when they enjoy them. As a teacher, you have the power to show students how enjoyable speaking English can be. Making classes fun will depend on the students. If your students are young children, you can use games and songs. If they are professionals who want to study English for business, you might conduct interesting discussions on current events, travel or culture.
Familiarity
If you are giving English courses in London there will be plenty of real-life situations and examples that you can incorporate into your teaching. This will both give students helpful skills which they can use in their daily lives and also help them to integrate the language into their normal thought patterns.
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Immersion
Although understanding multiple languages can help you in your teaching, sometimes not being able to communicate in a student’s language can actually benefit your classes. If a student has to use English in order to communicate with you, he will have no choice but to figure out how to do so. If you are able to speak your students’ native language, you might want to keep that to yourself. In addition to immersing students in the classroom, you should also encourage immersion outside of school. With the help of what is learnt in the classrooms of language schools London offers many opportunities to learn and practise. As a teacher, you can help your students find the confidence to do so.
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