Teach English in Zhaochuan Zhen - Shangluo Shi

Learners of English who have the opportunity to live in an English speaking environment while studying have a huge advantage. They are surrounded by the language continuously and are able to put acquired language into practice in everyday, realistic situations. However, the majority of English learners are living in their native countries, where English is not the first language and as a result do not have these benefits. Many of these students may have the opportunity to use English at work, with their friends or in some other practical way where they are able to use their English on a fairly regular basis. Many other learners of English are not so fortunate and their only contact with the language may be daily, twice weekly or weekly English classes at school or at a private language institute. As a result these students do not get the same exposure to the language and opportunity to put it into practice. It is important to remember these and other factors as to why and how students learn a language. Not all students who study English want to study English. The teacher will have to play many different roles in the classroom and will also know how to manage the classroom to maximize all learning opportunities in the classroom for the students. When teaching students and managing a classroom it is not true that you have to be an extrovert to be a good teacher in the classroom. Some good teachers are very low-key, while other teachers, both lively and amusing, are regarded as nothing more than entertainers. However, for a class to be able to learn effectively the teacher must be able to inspire confidence in the students. We must know when to be firm and when to leave the students alone. In other words the teacher must be flexible and change his/her role according to the activity and situation without being dominant or leaving the students uncertain. Classroom Management is the skill of organizing and managing the class, having a friendly, relaxed manner and maintaining discipline. There are many different ways to manage a classroom. One way to manage the classroom is to use good eye contact. Good eye contact in the classroom is essential to establishing good rapport with the students. A teacher who never looks students in the eye will appear to lack confidence and could then have problems with discipline. Eye contact with the students is useful because it shows students that they are all involved in the lesson. It can also ensure that students understand what they are supposed to do and what is going on. It can also indicate who is to speak (often with a nod of the head). It can also encourage contributions. It can hold the attention of students who are not being addressed. It can also maintain discipline. It can also signal students to start, stop or get a move on. It can also indicate that something is correct or incorrect and check that everybody is participating. Not only using eye contact can be a useful tool in the classroom but also one's voice. If your voice does not have the correct clarity, range, variety or projection, you will have a difficult time in making your instruction / explanations understood to all members of the class. Your voice should change naturally according to the circumstances, e.g. individual tutoring lesson or 16 young children. Obviously greater projection will be necessary in a large, noisy classroom than a small quiet room. An effective teacher will also adapt the complexity of his/her language to suit the level and ability of the students. As a class often follows the lead of the teacher, the lesson can be livened up or quietened down by an alteration in the teacher's volume. The greater the variation of the voice, the greater the effectiveness. A dull monotone will only create boredom and lead to students not paying attention and misbehaving. Another way to manage the classroom is through grouping students. There is no real limit to the way a teacher can group students, though factors such as class size and classroom furniture can be problematic. Activities geared to the whole class, students working alone, pairs and larger groups are all appropriate and each has its own place in the classroom. Whole class groupings Creates a sense of belonging among the group. Allows students to interact with any other class members. Suitable for activities where the teacher needs to be in control/have the attention of the class as a whole. It is also allows for Quicker and easier organization. Reduces opportunities for students to speak. But of course Can be off-putting to shy students who may not wish to participate in front of the whole class. Students working individually allows teachers to respond to individual differences in pace of learning, ability etc. Less stressful for students than contributing in front of the whole class. It also helps the student become more self-reliant. But it does restrict possibilities for student to student interaction and group belonging. Students working in pairs can also be beneficial but it does dramatically increases opportunity for student talking time and student to student interaction. It allows teacher to work with certain pairs while others continue working. It gives students a safe environment to try out ideas before sharing with the group. Allows students to share ideas and thoughts. Allows stronger students to help and support weaker ones. Allows students to share responsibility for work and removes the burden from the individual. Quick and easy to organize. Can be rather noisy. Students may try to revert back to their native language and avoid using English. Some students prefer to communicate only with the teacher and don't like interacting with another student. Students may find themselves working with a partner they don't particularly like.