What is the best way to teach english in China? Please give friendly suggestions.?

Question

I'm an english teacher teaching/tutoring in China. The school I work for doesn't require any degree or diploma, and makes for a good job while i attend school.

However, the school's goal is to teach these students english and get them in-touch with a 2nd language as well as teach them about foriegn culture and traditions. (I tend to teach them a more international perspective)

This school tends to take a carefree route, not having textbooks and letting teachers organise and compose their classes however they see fit as long as in the end the students learn how to speak english well enough to communicate.

Most of the classes I've been asigned to teach is in middle school (6-8th grad), with one class being elementary school (1-2grade)

I would ask my co-workers, but as with most schools such as the one I'm currently teaching in (I enjoy it here- or the kids) some teachers are not teaching as well as they should, and most or all of them teach a different age level then my group.

Answer 1

Checkout lesson plans and the online community at http://china.eslteachercafe.com  

There are a number of folks there living in China doing what you are doing who may be able to help you.

Answer 2

For the older kids:

Drama! Get them to make up plays and stuff or do improvisation.

Another cool idea I learned is that you can give them a random picture and get them to make up a story about it. It's called picture elicitation.

Entertainment news or more common interest news...bring in light news stories that would interest the kids and get them to discuss what they think of the article. You could pose them questons...

Debates...you can make up a fake situation and ask the kids to make up arguments for and against and ultimately have a debate.

Get the students into groups and have them ask each other questions about their families, likes and dislikes.

Anything that allows them to either use their creativity or talk about themselves would be good...