Teach English in Chengzhuang Zhen - Luliang Shi

Teaching beginner students can be extra challenging and can leave teachers feeling intimidated. Because beginner students do not yet have much grasp of the language, there are many special considerations that need to be given in order for the teacher to be effective. This is also a critical time for the student to develop motivation and appreciation for learning, so it is crucial for the teacher to do his or her best to create a positive and encouraging environment to build confidence in the students, which will set the tone for the rest of their learning. As with any course, it is important to determine the exact level of the students using measures such as placement or diagnostic tests. Beginner levels can range from zero knowledge to very basic knowledge that cannot easily be activated (ITTT Unit 1), and one must understand that there are different types of beginners that have different needs. You have for instance absolute beginners with no prior knowledge of the language versus false beginners who have exposure to the language but have not really built up the skills. Or you have adult beginners versus young beginners who have inherent differences in motivation and ability. Special consideration must also be given when students’ native tongue uses a different alphabet and the students are not yet literate in the Roman alphabet. Thus, the teacher should be able to adapt and cater to these differences, for instance incorporating more games and engage/activation work for younger students to increase their motivation compared to adult courses. There are also many other considerations to be given. One involves resources/materials used to teach. For beginners, it is particularly important to emphasize visual learning and use a wide variety of resources to make lessons interesting and to cater to different learning styles. Textbooks are a good resource but should be supplemented with many other sources as well such as games and worksheets. Especially in the beginning of a course when the teacher and students should focus on getting to know each other and assessing the students’ needs, the textbook proves less useful. This beginning time is needed to build rapport with the students and establish motivation. Using mimes, pictures, drawings, real objects, videos, and other visuals prove really helpful at the beginning stages, as students don’t have a strong understanding of the language yet. Visuals can help students infer context and vocabulary on their own without resorting to their native language, which should be avoided. One must consider also the use of authentic resources as learning material. While authentic resources are great for hearing/seeing the language as it is and therefore learning the language naturally, often these resources are above what someone at a beginner level can comprehend, so the teacher must be very careful to choose materials suitable to the students’ level. The teacher can also help students by having activities/exercises before the authentic text that prepare them and aid their understanding. The teacher can, for example, drill challenging vocabulary before going over the text. All of these considerations about resources used help to ensure students are not overwhelmed and get discouraged, while also making sure activities are varied and interesting, thus improving motivation. The way the teacher manages the class is very important as well. In order to establish an encouraging environment that builds confidence, there are many things the teacher can do, such as making it clear that students are encouraged to ask for help when they don’t understand, and establishing clearly how the students can do this. This means, for instance, establishing early on the use of phrases such as “can you repeat that?”, “I do not understand” or “what does ____ mean?”. Teachers should be very deliberate in using simple language that is easy to understand, avoiding complicated TEFL terms. Instructions should be very short and repeated as necessary. The teacher should also be able to explain things in different ways in case students do not understand, demonstrating flexibility and adapting to the circumstances. Students should be encouraged to speak often, and teachers should help facilitate this by prompting as necessary and using activities that get students to speak. Doing a lot of pair work and group work is especially good for this, as it gives students more confidence to speak in a “safe space” among peers before doing work with the larger group. It is important that students are not forced to speak however, as this could be discouraging if they feel they are not ready. Drilling and choral repetition should be used often as this helps build vocabulary and pronunciation. Teachers should check for understanding often and be sure to give plenty of praise and encouragement. It is important to review and correct mistakes, but one must be careful not to over-correct as this can be discouraging. Teachers should address major/ repetitive mistakes as a group, and should never interrupt a student to correct. It’s best to avoid singling students out to correct mistakes. If teachers follow these considerations it will go a long way in creating a supportive learning environment and building a strong foundation in the language. How students learn at the beginning level will strongly impact them on the rest of their journey, determining their confidence and motivation for learning, so it is extremely important to make the best of this critical time in their learning.