Teach English in Dongxia Zhen - Weifang Shi

Being a language teacher, one is bound to have students of different ages, motivational needs and expectations in a class. Students come from different backgrounds, varied language levels and different levels of literacy in their own native language. Younger students may not be as familiar with the Roman alphabets as the older ones, and they may not be exposed to as much communication in English in their daily lives. The teacher has to understand the importance of being able to relate to what is going on in their worlds, and being able to place them in classes, suited to their levels, age groups and needs. In this summative task, we will look at the different age groups and what factors to consider in conducting lessons. Firstly, the students in the kindergarten level ranges from age 4 – 6 years old. The children are full of energy and curiosity. Lessons have to be conducted with a high level of energy, activities and games should involve a lot of movement. This is to keep the students focused and entertained, as well as to get the learning objectives met. Activities such as songs, stories, colourful pictures and games should be included in the lesson. The teacher’s participation is also important. Students cannot be playing the games on their own, or singing on their own. The teacher has to get involved, being not afraid to be as child-like as ever, gaining rapport with the students. The tone and words that the teacher uses are also vital. Too complex words may confuse the children, and tuning your tone between hard and soft to show the students that you are like-able, but also mean business when it comes to discipline. While the students in this age group are constantly developing skills and may easily get distracted, the teacher should be sensitive to his or her environment and make the students feel comfortable at all times. With the correct balance, students will definitely love the lesson. Students in the elementary levels also have a high level of energy, but not as much as kindergartens. In addition, they tend to be much more focused than the younger ones. Elementary students are from 7 – 12 years old and exposed to a structured classroom system in school. They are slowly able to think for themselves and know what to do and what not. Activities can include role-play, inducing energy into activities. Examples are like acting out what do they want to be in the future, or a scenario at a supermarket, being a cashier and customer. As these students are more exposed to real-life activities, they tend to observe and remember. Even with older students, the teacher must be able to tailor lessons according to their needs and language ability. A kindergarten student may still be much more well versed in pronunciation and recognizing Roman alphabets compared to an elementary student whom may have just started lessons. The teacher will have to identify such issues to prevent the student from losing interest in class. Teaching junior high to high school students has also challenges, some of which may be different from the younger ones. Different students of this age group are experiencing the world differently. Being a teenager is not easy, where most personal problems may arise from this age group. Lessons should be relatable and meaningful for them. Building rapport with them is important, as much as gaining respect. By getting to know them in the first lesson, the teacher will be able to identify any issues which may arise and what not to include in the upcoming lessons. The teacher should also be able to identify the motivated students and the ones that do not show much interest. This will be a challenge for the teacher to induce interest with such students and how to make the motivated ones help the others. Using authentic, trending materials can be a way to motivate and catch the attention of the students. Lastly, the adult group is a wide range, and can be from young adults – seniors. Older students come from a much more experienced background, and some can be more accomplished than the teacher. I do have to agree that teaching adults may be frightening at times, and the teacher can feel insecure. The classroom atmosphere has to be neutral, and mutual respect between the teacher and students. Do not treat them like younger learners, and the teacher’s attitude and controlled methods should be much more relaxed. Adults also have different needs when learning a new language. Some may be of personal interest; others may be due to business. It is important to know the reasons your students are picking up this language. Nonetheless, teaching classes of different ages require different teaching methods and materials. Some may find teaching younger students more comfortable than teaching adults, others vice versa. As long as the teacher is able to find the right balance, energy and motivation in the class, teaching can be very rewarding!