Teach English in Liangcun Zhen - Liaocheng Shi

Teaching English as a foreign language to a group of students is significantly different from teaching one student. For each, the role of the teacher, the class setting, and the number of resources needed is very different. Moreover, the classroom arrangement varies depending on if a group or an individual is being taught. The types of activities that are used when teaching one student are also not the same when teaching a group of students. Generally, there are different advantages and disadvantages of teaching either a group or an individual. When teaching a group, the teacher’s role is strictly that of an educator. The classroom setting is very formal when teaching big groups, for instance in China’s public schools where one class can contain up to 50 students. Due to this, it may be challenging for the teacher to get to know each pupil individually. Learning all of their names is important, but this can take the teacher some time to remember them. Fortunately, simple things such as equally involving them in activities, allowing them to correct and help each other, and choosing activities that encourage them to share their opinions and ideas can foster a positive class spirit. Playing games like pass-the-ball with the students and doing a survey or questionnaire with a group can also establish rapport. However, teachers sometimes need to prepare more resources for a group (worksheets, pens, reward stickers, activity cards) since more students are being taught. In contrast, the teacher’s role expands to that of a friend and classmate when teaching one student. The teacher may participate in activities along with the student such as during conversational practice sessions. During lessons, personal ideas and opinions are smoothly exchanged between the teacher and the student. Therefore, rapport is easily and quickly established. As a result, the setting is very informal. Fewer resources are also required when teaching a single student. One-on-one teaching can occur at training centres in China, but it is more popular in private tutoring jobs. Classroom arrangement is a noteworthy difference when teaching a group or an individual. In China, groups are usually taught at a school or a training centre. Oftentimes, the most ideal way to arrange a large group is in orderly rows. The teacher typically makes presentations in front of the class where all the students can see him/her and moves through the rows to monitor them during activities. This arrangement is conducive to classroom space and good class management. If teaching smaller groups such as at a Chinese training centre, the students can be seated in circles, horseshoes or at separate tables. These arrangements are conducive to informal small-group activities and pairwork. When teaching one student, the arrangement can work where both the teacher and student sit side by side at the same table or the teacher lectures in front of the student who sits at a single desk. If private tutoring is done at someone’s home, the arrangement will either be in a study or in a living room so the teacher and students stand or sit wherever is most conducive for the lesson and its activities. Not all activities are appropriate for teaching groups. The best kinds of activities to engage multiple students are whole class discussions, role-plays, multi-player games, teamwork assignments, and pair work. Choral drilling and worksheets can also ensure that each student participates and benefits in some way. On the other hand, activities are usually structured differently when teaching one student. These lessons are usually tailored specifically to meet an individual’s needs and interests. Teachers may ask a single student to bring in photographs before focusing a lesson on this. Teachers may even use the student’s personal interests or hobbies to motivate and encourage him/her to practice conversational skills. Assigning individual tasks like grammar activities and quizzes are also suitable. Teaching a group has pros and cons. Groups foster more interaction with each other which can benefit both the teacher and the student. Students in groups usually assist and correct each other. Sometimes, they may share the responsibility of an assignment which helps them to develop interpersonal skills. Moreover, groups are dramatic and dynamic so they tend to produce more ideas. Unfortunately, the students in a group can develop poor habits from negative peer pressure, especially in groups of children. Groups may also be noisy during certain activities. Teachers may need assistance to manage a large class. Moreover, grading tests can be time-consuming depending on the size of the group. However, the main disadvantage of teaching a group is dealing with a group of learners who are at varying language levels. Fortunately, this can be improved by using a mix of the following techniques; grouping students based on their level before assigning them suitable tasks, using different materials for each group, allowing the students to naturally find his/her level, and by pairing together stronger and weaker students. One-on-one teaching can be rewarding for the student because he/she receives the teacher’s full attention. The student’s lessons are typically tailored to his/her interests and the teacher responds to his/her pace of learning, language problems, and ability. Learning seems inevitable when teaching only one student. One-on-one teaching can also be less stressful for both the teacher and the student. The student is usually highly motivated to learn. He/she also doesn’t have to participate in front of others. Moreover, the teacher doesn’t have to manage an entire class, doesn’t need to provide a lot of materials, and won’t develop anxiety to speak in front of a huge class. Mistakes can be corrected straight away when teaching one student. However, the loss of classroom dynamics can make teaching boring. Additionally, students who are individually taught don’t get the opportunity to interact with their peers so there is zero opportunity for them to develop social skills. Although teaching a group compared to one student is significantly different, both can be an excellent experience for teachers. Furthermore, these differences allow teachers to specialise or diversify their teaching experience.