How Will You Teach An English Class

How will you teach and English class?
Some teachers make it look easy, but once you teach your first class, you find out that it takes a lot of hard work. Whether you are teaching kindergarten or college seniors, the lesson planning and work remains the same.
Lesson planning and preparing a class ahead of time is the key to teach. The more you plan and prepared your lessons the better you getthis is how successful teachers start. It is also important to set goals and objectives to teach to your class. Write them down. Make sure they fit the school's curriculum. Also work with other members of your department to keep your class comparable to sections the other instructors are teaching.
There are different options to teach a class: chronologically, topically, causally or graphically.You might choose to alternate presentation styles throughout the class. It is important to communicate to the students the expectations and provide them with a syllabus, worksheet or handouts to help them study. Let them know what the grading scale is. Announce tests in advance. Set classroom rules regarding disruptive behavior and tardiness as well. Be available for the students. That means spendtime before and after class answering their questions as well as announcing your office hours.
Present the materials to the students. Be sure you have any materials you need prepared before class time. Student attention spans are relatively short, so plan several methods of instruction during your allotted class time. Make sure you don’t forget to give a feedback at the end of each class andevaluate the students through tests, oral evaluations, homework and other means that fit your discipline. Grade papers and return them to students in a timely manner.

As a teacher of English as a second language it’s important to keep in mind the following simple guidelines:
 Use non-verbal cues. Facial expressions, hand gestures, and other non-verbal cues are a great way to overcome thelanguage barrier. For example, when explaining the concept of tall, raise your hand high into the air. When explaining the concept of cold, shiver and chatter your teeth.

 Use visual aids. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, and this is particularly true when teaching English as a second language. Visual aids can be used to teach everything from vocabulary to prepositions. In addition toinstructional advantages, visuals keep lessons interesting for the learners. If possible, get access to an overhead or slide projector for effective presentations.

 Put students in groups. If the teacher is constantly talking, learners of English as a second language will never get a chance to practice. Group work gives students an opportunity to practice the language. Groups work the best with2 to 5 people; with any more people, not everyone gets a chance to participate. It is also a good idea to group students with different first languages together when possible.

 Use bi-lingual materials. If the teacher speaks the same language(s) as the students, the situation will be greatly simplified. But not many teachers have the luxury of speaking the same language(s) of his/herstudents. Bi-lingual materials can help a teacher of English as a second language to draw on a student’s native language without knowing it him/herself.

 Repeat and rephrase. Teachers of English as a second language need to repeat everything at least three times. They should also vary the wording of their remarks. A student may know one set of vocabulary but not another – even when the topic ofdiscussion is the same. Even if the student does understand a concept upon first explanation, he/she will still benefit from the repetition and variation of language. It will expose him/her to new words and phrases.

 Don’t over-correct. Our first instinct as teachers of English as a second language is to correct student language errors. Over-correction, however, can make students reluctant to...