Teach English in Liangqiu Zhen - Linyi Shi

In the topic of troubleshooting, we look at some of the most common problem situations that teachers may encounter in the classroom as well as ways of how to deal with those problems. Some of the problems will be discussed below. In each new teaching position, a teacher will be faced with meeting a number of different classes, for the first time. These classes are vital for the teacher to establish rapport and set the tone for the course. Such classes fall into two categories. The first being a new group, where the students do not normally know each other and therefore more work will be needed to establish rapport between the class members and the students and teacher. These students are also unlikely to be familiar with the system of EFL teaching and methodologies. The second group is an existing group, where the students of which are familiar with each other and are aware of the EFL teaching system. When faced with a first lesson, the teacher should not resort to the course book, but rather use activities to establish rapport in the class, find out about the students and their interests as well as their needs and level of English and areas of difficulty therein. All this will help the teacher to plan future lessons and base the course to be taught upon. A few of the activities which can be used here to establish and gain the required information such as needs and language level could be a questionnaire or survey wherein the students can survey each other and give feedback to the class; this way the students will get to know about each other. This activity will also give the teacher an opportunity to monitor the class and identify the needs of the students as well as the areas which are of difficulty to the students and gauge the language level the students are at. Another good activity here would be a ‘pass the ball’ game, where a ball is passed between students; the student holding the ball asks a question and tosses the ball to the student he or she wants to answer the question. It is a good idea for the teacher to also be involved in this activity as the students will also get to know the teacher. This activity will help the students to get to know each other, but it can also be an exciting and fun game, which will motivate the students. Certain problems may arise with the level of motivation of students, especially younger ones who have not actually chosen to learn English, but rather their parents have made the decision for them. When a student enters a classroom, the teacher should try to motivate the students by initiating certain warmer activities, which will excite the students and increase their motivation level when they come to class. A teacher should therefore start with a short, fun and communicative activity, such as the game of Hangman, which could also be used as a revision exercise for vocabulary which has already been learnt. Another problem that could be faced when teaching students, is the different levels of knowledge and ability to learn and pick up language being taught. A way to stop the variation in levels, is for the school to implement the system of entrance level testing. This will reduce the likeliness of the varying levels of students, but will not completely prevent it. A way in which a teacher could go about varying levels would be to use the same materials for the class, but the stronger students would be given a longer, more complicated task appropriate to their level, whereas, the weaker students would be given a slightly easier task that they can cope with. Another method which a teacher could use in a situation of varying levels is to pair a stronger student with a weaker one, allowing the stronger student to explain and assist where necessary but the teacher must ensure that the stronger student does not completely dominate here. A further possible issue that could arise when teaching is that the teacher may come across certain students who do not want to participate in class or activities, due to possibly intimidation or confidence issues. This issue could be cured by encouraging the student to speak by way of implementing an activity such as pair work; wherein it allows for students to speak in a ‘more safe’ environment, with the support and help of their partner, before having to open to class discussion. This could help build the students confidence and encourage him/her to speak and be more involved in the class as well as the activities. In class a teacher could possibly have problems with larger classes wherein the teacher could have issues trying to involve all students equally. A few techniques can come into play here. One of which could be choral repetition, involving the whole class. Another technique is to appoint group leaders who will make classroom management easier. The use of pair and group work may also assist, where student involvement is maximised. Ensure that clear instructions are given. Teachers should also think about where they position themselves when teaching, thus ensuring all students can hear and see clearly. The teacher should also try and walk around the classroom to monitor all students. As we have seen, there are a number of issues that a teacher may encounter when teaching, however in each situation, there are ways of curing/dealing with the problems that arise, to create a more smooth running lesson, wherein all students are attended to equally and fairly, according to their level, confidence and motivation. The teacher should always try to make a good impression at the start of the class and grab the students’ attention. This topic is very helpful and in each problematic situation, there are a number of ways that the teacher may go about the issue or cater for the issue.