I am teaching English as a Second Language to adults and children...?

Question

I am more nervous about teaching the adults. Can anyone offer me any advice? Are there any specific ways of teaching that you find most helpful. We really need to work on pronunciation so any hints on that would be great too. I was also wondering if anyone had advice on teaching using magazines and newspapers..

Thank You!

Answer 1

I have been teaching ESL to adults for 10 years now, this year will be 11.  

Adults are FANTASTIC to teach!  I would be more nervous about teaching kids, because adults are there because they really want to learn.  Learning is more difficult for them, because it is true that the older you get, the harder it is to acquire languages.  

Also, a lot depends on what level you are teaching, ie, literacy, beginning, intermediate, advanced, etc.

For literacy, go slowly, and repeat everything.  For example, I would open every day with: "What is today?  (translate the words first)

Today IS, (day of the week, ie Monday), (month , day, year)

Yesterday WAS (fill in the blanks again)

Tomorrow WILL BE (fill in the blanks again)

(stressing the verbs)

and write it on the board while saying the words

so it would look like this:

Today is Monday, September 1, 2008

Yesterday was Sunday, August 31, 2008

Tomorrow will be Tuesday, September 2, 2008

and then ask:

How is the weather?

(look out the window and say the weather, translate it and write on the board, while speaking:)

The weather is sunny and warm.

If you do this every day for literacy students, they very soon start to remember the words and to remember the verb "to be" in this context.

Now, if you did this for advanced students, they might laugh.  They know this stuff already.

So you see, much depends on your level.

For pronunciation for literacy level, the book "Sounds Easy" is fantastic.  For higher level students, I ordered a book called "Well Said" that comes highly recommended.  There are lots of books out there, through Heinle and Heinle, Delta, New Readers.... there are som other publishers tha tI don't recall right now.  I would guess that Oxford has some pronunciation books too, although they are best known for those picture dictionaries, which are great, by the way, for literacy level.

As for magazines and newspapers, they are great for more advanced levels.  I have used letters to Dear Abby sometimes if the words aren't too complicated.  There are also newpapers out there that are specifically for ESL.

Check out Dave's ESL cafe online for lots of other information!

Forgive any typos, the spell check has died on me!

Sincerely,

Lady Morgana

Answer 2

I am an ESL teacher too. I start w/ baby steps. phonics will teach the pronunciation. Try using the phonics song.... aaa apple, bbbb, ball, and so on.  Books w/ pictures are good too. Don't laugh when they miss pronounce words. Don't try to over correct either... spelling and grammer will come later.

If u try to translate from english to spanish online.... it WILL not be right!

Good luck!