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What tips and strategies can be implemented when teaching English online? I selected this topic because I would like a career in teaching English online to foreign students abroad. In order to be successful, I need to familiarize myself with various online teaching tips and techniques. Teaching English online one to one is much different than teaching in person in front of a class of many students. All of the fun games and activities we learned throughout our TEFL course that are designed to keep our class engaged will not be used in a one on one setting. You need constant, focused, student-specific engagement in the online sessions. What I have read about seasoned online TEFL teacher experiences is that first and foremost, you need a good, reliable, high speed internet connection. Cancellations and no shows will automatically end your contract with some online TEFL agencies. You may be able to get away with it once, but it is best to avoid issues altogether. It is imperative to have a back up plan in case your Internet goes down, like access to an internet hot spot. Next, it is important to invest in good equipment. If audio or video is of poor quality, you run the risk of students not booking with you again. You need a laptop with a camera and speakers, headphones, good lighting, and a comfortable place to sit. Most traveling online teachers recommend LED ring lights for a bright online "classroom." Third, it is imperative to establish rapport with your students. It helps to write personal notes after each class (like their birthday, grade in school, hobbies, sports, activities, interesting facts about them) and talk about them during warm up for each session. This will aid in building relationships with your students, and help ensure future bookings with them. And finally, it is a great idea to approach each class with energy and joy. Most online TEFL agencies record each class so that you and your students receive copies of the sessions. This means everything is there for them to see, forever. 'Set in stone' so to speak. If you look tired, yawn, apply chapstick or nonchalantly try to check your phone, it is obvious. Be alert, energetic and happy to be teaching English. Since I will be both new to teaching and new to the TEFL arena, I look to the more experienced teachers for specific online teaching strategies. In addition to the tips mentioned above, I have researched many teaching strategies used in order to be an effective online TEFL teacher. In this essay, I will focus on three important strategies used in one on one teaching sessions online: TPR, modeling and student output. #1 TPR Total physical response is based on the coordination of language and physical movement. In TPR, instructors give commands to students in English while using physical movements, and students respond with verbal and physical actions. This method is an example of the comprehension approach to language teaching. The listening and responding with actions serves two purposes: First, it is a means of quickly recognizing meaning in the language being learned, and second, it is a means of passively learning the structure of the language itself. TPR is a valuable way to learn vocabulary and phrasal verbs. #2 Modeling Modeling is a term used in psychology that means to demonstrate a correct behavior so that another person can imitate or reproduce the behavior. In TEFL, conversation teachers strive to induce students to follow their verbal cues to the letter when teaching new words or sentences. This is illustrated as: I do - We do - You do First, the teach says the sentence, then the teacher and student say it together, then the student says it on her own. However, with upper level students, the I do and we do may be eliminated for the sake of time. #3 Student Output This is student talk time versus teacher talk time. The teacher needs to get the student speaking in English as much as possible during the online session. It is important to be patient and provide time for your students to respond (about 5 seconds). This should be a slightly longer wait time than if you were teaching in person to a class of students. Encourage full sentences and use modeling & TPR do get them talking more than you. In Level One, the student’s interest in learning English must first be nurtured before output becomes a focus. In Levels 2 -3, teachers should strive for 50/50 student output. The students need very strong teacher guidance. Ideally, the students will be speaking half of the class time. With higher level students, strive for 70/30 student output. Student independence needs to be encouraged. The teacher lets the student dictate the class pace more, especially if natural conversation is occurring. Ideally, a student should speak for a majority (70%) of the class (Level 4+). In order to be effective, the four tips and three teaching strategies I illustrated should always be used when teaching English as a foreign language online. There are many additional teaching strategies and numerous online resources available to aid in being a successful online TEFL teacher. This is just a snapshot of the basics to help one get started. References: YouTube - Nancy Taylor ESL Stratagies #1 TPR November 30, 2017 ESL Strategies #2 Modeling February 27, 2018 ESL Strategies #3 Student Output March 6, 2018
