Teach English in Jiaoyu Zhen - Tai'an Shi

When we look at how teaching and learning has evolved over the years, we can probably see that there have been changes in how teachers teach and this is probably driven by how students react. By this I mean on what has become available and accessible by both students and teachers. Traditionally we would have text books and videos compared to now we have access through a digital device, such as an iPad, to online platforms where information can be limitless. However, having accessibility to these platform does not necessarily mean that we would use it as a student as self study can become quite boring and possibly tedious. So, should learning be fun? In short, if students consider your lessons as being fun to be in then that is a bonus. The main focus is getting students to participate, interact and engage and should these focus areas be achieved by activities that is fun, then why not? There are many other factors that needs to be taken into consideration when trying to achieve the ‘fun’ factor in your lessons and these will include things such as the learning environment, the materials used for teaching and the themes used for the activities. Why is the learning environment important you may ask. Having a 700sqft area whilst only teaching 2 students may make students uncomfortable and so will having 10 students in a 50sqft space. Or we are given a class room where the desks are fixated allowing minimal movement and reach. It is important that we are given and giving the right kind of setting and atmosphere before commencing a class, however, sometimes we have to make the most of what we have so it is imperative that teachers know what they are getting themselves into beforehand. Materials and themes used are also very important as teachers needs to be aware of what can be used and what cannot. What and how we use the materials and themes will greatly determine on how enjoyable a lesson can be. But, as mentioned before, teachers need to be culturally sensitive on what is used and how it is implemented into their activities. Materials are relatively easily accessible, whether they are from newspapers, magazines or online, along with text books from the learning school or governing bodies. Depending on the class, I would consider using authentic materials as being the more effective choice as we are engaging students with actual and, possibly, factual information that relates to them as opposed to a text book which may have been published 20 years ago. We must remember to choose wisely when selecting either authentic or non authentic materials as cultural awareness needs to be adhered whilst being in a non-English speaking country. Bringing up religious issues in a class within a Muslim community may cause unnecessary friction between the students and the teachers. When using materials it may also be good to introduce different themes that may relate to each other. For example, you may want to use picture card of animals whilst playing the ‘I spy with my little eyes, something beginning with…’, or use plush toys whilst playing ‘Hangman. Again, when asking students to participate in activities we need to take extra care on the cultural sensitivity part, such as naming a Teddy Bear Mohamed is offensive in places like Saudi Arabia, or kneeling down and barking like a dog is heavily frowned upon in many Asian countries. Yes, lessons should be fun, because without this element it may be difficult for students to learn. People tend to learn quicker and find it easier to absorb knowledge whilst having fun so filling your classes with activities that is relevant to the age you are teaching will most definitely make learning easier.