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I’ve been working as an ESL over the past ten years, and one of my biggest challenges for all ages is to teach some specific aspects that I already know that most of the class will be likely to have problems with. First and more expected to become a problem is the Present Perfect Tense. Therefore, if they do not really understand the meaning and its usages, it is probable for them to face problems with the Past Perfect Tense. Another difficulty to be taught among Brazilian students is the difference between Present Continuous and Future with Going To. Finally, Prepositions will always be faced as the enemy for Portuguese native speakers. For Brazilian ESL teachers, teaching the Present Perfect Tense can be quite demanding. The first problem regarding this topic is the name itself. Brazilians don’t really understand why the name of this Verb Tense is Present, if it refers to something that was done in the Past. They can get rather upset with this first misperception. The second problematic aspect of The Present Perfect Tense is because students generally like to compare their own native language with the one being taught. However, there isn’t anything like to this Verb Tense in Portuguese. Therefore, most of times, it is extremely hard to make students understand this Verb Tense and how to apply it, because in their minds, it does not make sense. It is an additional Verb Tense to what they are familiarized with. Subsequently to this problem, they start making a massive confusion between Present Perfect Tense and Past Perfect Tense. If the teacher doesn’t identify that his/her students are facing problems regards Present Perfect, it can generate a big snow ball when time comes and they are introduced to a new Verb Tense, that also refers to something that has happened in the past, but it is not the Past Simple nor the Present Perfect. For Portuguese native speakers, there is only Present, Past and Future. Simple as that. Once again, they can not see how to apply something that they cannot translate. Another challenge for Brazilians ESL Teachers is to make their students realize the difference between Present Continuous and Future with Going To. Once they do get the to notice and understand the difference, everything gets under control. However, when faced with the grammar structure “going to go to…” it seems that they are facing English classes for the first time, usually their reaction is to have a big question mark on their faces, afterwards they change it to a “I don’t like English” face, and finally, they do get the difference and accept it. Finally, an enormous challenge for both, Brazilian ESL teachers and Brazilian students, is to teach and learn about Prepositions. There aren’t many Prepositions in Portuguese, but there is a correct grammar structure for each one of them. Very similar to English. The difference is that because Portuguese don’t have as many prepositions as English, it is quite difficult for Portuguese native speakers apply the correct one. The differences between English and Portuguese language are many. There will always be groups of students that will be more acceptable with these differences and there will always groups that will be reluctant. In the end of the day, it is not a matter of the language itself, but a matter of keeping your students motivated to learn and break the barrier to a new world of experiences.
