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Teach English in Zhanglou Zhen - Jining Shi

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Zhanglou Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Jining Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language.

No matter how well-prepared you are going into the classroom as an EFL/ESL teacher, it is inevitable that challenging situations and conflicts will at some point arise. In the classroom there are many different variables at play due to the variety of student personalities, cultures and backgrounds. Even working with the same group of students can feel quite different on two different days. Therefore, it is a good idea to do some preliminary thought regarding how one might deal with some of the more common problems that might come up while teaching English to foreign language learners. This essay will discuss such problems as related to teacher preparation, student participation and motivation, and cultural issues. For teachers, problems can arise during the lesson planning stage even before stepping into the classroom. While students are usually given placement tests before terms begin to place students into the proper level, it is not uncommon for classes to have a rather uneven level of students. In some cases students are expected to place themselves and this can make things even more challenging. Therefore you may be told you will be teaching a class at B2 level only to arrive and find that over half the class is more around an A2 level. The truth is, until you have met the students and had your first hour, you will not necessarily know how to prepare for their level and interests. This makes first lessons very important. You want to make a good impression and come with material that is at, just above, and just below what you were told. It is also a good idea to have extra games and communication activities along at all times in case you need to mix things up. Once you have had that first lesson and have surveyed the students’ interests and expectations, the planning will come much easier. Until then, best to come to first lessons with some extra tricks up your sleeve, just in case. Once in the classroom, even the most experienced ESL teacher will come across challenges regarding student participation and motivation. You might have one or two students who always speak out while the rest sit silently, or a rowdy class (particularly with kids) who cannot seem to stay on task. You might come across a group of adults preparing for an exam who scoff at the thought of playing games or a group who seem resentful to be there because it is required by work or study. With such an array of personalities and personal reasons for being in an English classroom both within and out of their control, students may be highly motivated or not at all. Therefore the first step to adjusting to these discrepancies as the teacher is to not take it personally. It is not your job to learn the material for them, but it is your job to facilitate learning English and be fair, kind, and supportive. If only one or two students keep speaking out, maybe ask that students raise their hands before speaking and have name tags on each desk so that you can call on students. If a class is getting too rowdy, play with the seating plan and alternate quiet work with group work. You could also do an activity that requires listening or reacting to something the teacher says or does so that they must focus their attention. If you are with a group of unmotivated adults who are required to take an English class, really play to their interests and bring in lots of games and activities. If students keep reverting to their native language rather than speaking English during group or pair work, work your way around the room and ask if there is a question and remind them it is an English-only zone. Above all be willing to be flexible and accept that different groups will have different needs. Finally, when teaching English it is inevitable that you will get to work with people of different cultures and while this is generally a very rewarding experience, it does not come without its challenges. As the teacher you should educate yourself on social conventions of the culture you are teaching in. Still, if you do accidentally do something offensive to a student, address it and apologize privately. You may also be asked very personal or sensitive topics from your students. The political climate in the United States and the UK is rather testy at the moment but for foreign students, this can be a topic of interest (particularly the US president). Students may want to know exactly how you stand on issues and want you to explain the complexities of each issue and why American voters (or British voters) vote a particular way (for example regarding gun control and gun laws in the USA or Brexit in the UK). These are not simple questions to handle and discussions must be carefully guided. Most notably, they can result in clashes between students and transform into internal political discussions. This could very much damage the classroom climate as emotions start to soar. You do not want to cut students off completely or ignore their questions and interest. However, it is good to redirect a sensitive direction in a more general direction. For example, if students want to talk about gun control, perhaps redirect the discussion in the direction of what makes you feel safe and secure. Above all be sensitive in handling cultural issues and aware that opinions will vary and everyone in the classroom should feel comfortable and welcome. While problems in the ESL/EFL classroom are bound to come up, being mentally prepared can help keep you calm and ready to problem solve when the time comes. It is also always advisable to seek out help and support yourself if you feel something has gotten out of control in the classroom. Teaching is a challenging vocation and it is certainly true that the best teachers are also truly learners at heart themselves.


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