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Teach English in Wangjing Zhen - Bazhong Shi

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When I think about integrated skills in the ESL classroom, I relate it to creating a work of art like a drawing. They combine many elements and principles to create a masterful work of art. When making a good drawing, every draughtsman knows that the symbiosis between line, form, color, value/tone, the texture is crucial. The draughtsman carefully arranges these elements to create gradation, tension, scale, rhythm, repetition, direction, balance and unity. Combined with the drawing media, techniques, and the right subject and stimuli, the experience is cathartic and the results are spectacular. Teaching in an ESL classroom is similar. The elements are the teacher, the learner, the learning environment, equipment, the learning materials, related topics and relevant language of both teacher and learner. When draughting an ESL lesson, the teacher must create an integrated, bold, dynamic, inclusive, carefully designed student-centered program. Failure to do so can leave the learner bewildered, unmotivated, and even unsettled. Similar to integrating elements in a drawing, if the pedagogical framework design is weakly integrated, the finished piece will also reflect weaknesses. Including the elements of listening, reading, speaking, writing skills, along with vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, syntax, and usage will enhance the end results. It requires using an integrated skills approach in the ESL classroom to achieve the best results. Teachers can use the Content-Based Instructional approach or Task-Based Learning. Content-Based Instructional approach integrates the language points with explicit stimulating content for the learner. They practice this approach in highly motivated and uninhibited sessions. Learners practice and enhance their language skills while engaging in the study of Music, Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Visual Arts and so on. The student focuses on the subject rather than the language learning process. Task-based learning is an integrated learning style where the learners take part in the carefully planned communicative activities in the target language. These activities require understanding, analyzing, comparing, manipulating, creating, interacting and cooperating. The list is extensive and all these and others' unmentioned skills are higher-order thinking skills. The teacher can use a variety of games, pair work, and group work strategies. This technique can be useful at all age levels with varied group sizes. Here is an approach I used with an ESL class. To help students read a storybook, the story was first performed as a role-play activity. First, I read the story to the class. Next, it required each student to choose a character from the story. Each member of the class then learned their respective lines; Some opted to use alternate words with similar meanings. It gave the class time to prepare the story while I monitored the activity, after which they presented their role play piece. After these sessions, the relevant vocabulary and pronunciations discussed and cleared up. Then the class prepared the presentations a second time this time reading the actual story and using the exact lines. The students thoroughly enjoyed these exercises. As a follow-up exercise, I asked the class to create a drawing of an alternative ending for the story. We then discussed their stories and wrote it down, they could change the characters in their story. This causes the students to revise the vocabulary they already learned and to enquire about new vocabulary. This technique creates a great deal of interest among the students. It improves the chances for more student talk and less teacher talk. I use both techniques Content-Based learning and Task-Based learning whenever necessary. To help the learner, develop the language and enhance its usage in a more creative manner. Often I integrate Visual Arts into many of my lessons. We can use the Visual Arts for tasked based or content-based approaches. To reinforce and clear up vocabulary relating to directional words, I opted for a Visual Arts lesson. I carefully use vocabulary that we covered in the prescribed text before and during the class. The specific class involved the creation of paper macramé designs. The activity required the use of several colored one-inch paper strips eight inches. The instructions were to take one colored paper strip, pass it over, and under or through. The result was a tapestry of color that I also used to elicit responses to leading questions, creating an ideal learning environment. Learning by doing is one way to ensure that students fully comprehend what they are learning. In closing, I end with this quote from Benjamin Franklin: ‘Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.’ Benjamin Franklin


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