1. Prepare Your English Lessons in Advance
As an English Teacher, preparing a lesson plan before class is extremely important.
Have you ever entered a class and found yourself stumbling over your words and material? Or maybe you are afraid that awkward situations may occur. Well, this is probably because you did not plan and prepare your English lesson flow well enough.
Before any English lesson, gauge your student count, lesson time bracket, as well as the resources you will use at any point in time.
The more planned your English lesson will be, the less stressed you’ll feel as an English teacher. Essentially, the key to a stress-free English teaching experience is to be clear and concise about your every step throughout the lesson.
Once you have planned your lesson flow, take some time to rehearse certain parts. Practice by doing a quick run-through of major talking points. Estimate how long it’ll take for your students to understand, absorb, complete certain activities and learn English. Time yourself - ensure that your English classes never overrun or underrun.
2. Meet Your English Students’ Needs
Tap into your English students’ needs and desires. Get to know why they want to learn English with a private tutor and what sparked their interest and motivation. Help them with their accent, with their weaknesses. Correct their grammar mistakes as often as possible.
Are they seeking job opportunities? Or trying to communicate with a spouse? Or are they simply trying to value-add to their lives? Other students may even be learning English to enter a university or achieve a certificate to enhance future prospects.
Take some time to understand what your English students desire out of your class and what they want to know about the English language. Then, you will be able to plan a lesson that is catered to them.
If you do not focus your English lessons on what genuinely matters to them, it may be difficult to keep their motivation levels up. But when you do, you will be the best English teacher they can rely on and learning English will be extremely fun for them!
3. Pace Your Speech While Teaching English
Communicating clearly is extremely important when teaching English.
You may have heard this advice many times, but have you tried recording yourself to listen if you are actually communicating with your English students clearly?
Pace your speech. Know when to pause or repeat yourself so your English students can easily digest what you are trying to say. When you are speaking too fast, your English students may not be able to follow and may eventually lose focus and that would be when learning English is difficult for them.
Learn to emphasise keywords and use accurate pronunciation so your students can hear you precisely. As you practice that, your students will be able to learn English exceptionally well.
4. Speak at Your English Students’ Levels
You may be excellent at speaking English, but make sure you do not speak to your students at too high a level. They may not understand you! By speaking at your students’ level, you will make learning English feel fun and easy for them.
Use common vocabulary as your English students are slowly getting comfortable with the language. As time goes on, you can then slowly add in a couple of new words to broaden their vocabulary intake. Make learning English your priority, not the accomplishment of your lessons.
5. Get Your English Students to Talk
Ask questions and do activities that will get your students to interact, build their confidence, and put what they have learned in your English class to the test.
Many times, despite learning the English language, students may still lack the confidence to speak as they are afraid they would be judged for their incompetence.
Asking questions and doing mini activities will help your English students step out of their comfort zones. This will build their confidence in speaking English - it will eventually become second nature to them. Some English language game suggestions include: Word Chain, Charades, Taboo, Wheel of Fortune, Pictionary, and Scrabble!
Remember to compliment your students to help them build confidence. Your English students will be incredible English speakers in no time!
6. Build Relationships With Your English Learners
When your students trust you, they will start to open up about their difficulties in the language, and will also grow an interest in your English classes. They will give their absolute best to learn English.
As your students enter the classroom, ask them about their lives! Learn more about their week, what they have eaten, or if they did anything special.
Get to know your English students more by showing your interest in them, more than simply being an English teacher. As you ask these questions, your students will have the chance to practice the English language and use everyday grammar and vocabulary at the same time.
With these tips, we hope that you will excel as an English teacher.
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