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How can parents help an ESL teacher? The role of the ESL teacher was discussed widely throughout the texts in this course. In contrast, the role of parents and homework was not touched on. When considering the extreme competitive requirements of results driven counties such as China, it becomes apparent that a few hours of English lessons with a foreign teacher per week is not really enough to achieve the high standards required at such young ages in cities such as Beijing. To achieve distinctions in external exams such as the FCE, which is widely taken before graduation of primary school in affluent Chinese cities, the pressure to reach exceptionally high levels of proficiency in Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening and Use of English is more than intense and preparations must begin at very young ages. It is under these extreme conditions that a teacher must be aware of and make use of the help of parents in the home. In such competitive environments, it is beneficial for the teacher to form a close working relationship with dedicated parents. Despite, having a few parents who simply require their children to work at their own pace and complete their studies in a relaxed mode, it is rarely the case in Beijing. Parents here are willing partners in their child’s rapid learning journey and it is highly productive for a teacher to communicate with them willingly and as much as they require. Homework tasks are of utmost importance, especially with regards to vocabulary building, habitual reading and daily listening. In order to prevent a child from wasting their precious little time staring blankly at PET vocabulary lists for aimless hours, it is integral for a teacher to take the time to have a parent meeting with their child present and go over efficient methods for completing various homework tasks. On a whole parents are very appreciative of these tips and designs that enable students to be most productive and efficient. It is important that a teacher should enable their students to have the ability to complete tasks at home by themselves, while utilising the interested and caring parent to be a guide and moderator. When parents are fully aware and on board with the program, they will be able to ensure that time is not wasted and progress is made. When it comes to vocabulary, parents play an integral role in quizzing and testing their children or making sure that their time is not frittered away on unproductive methods. Teachers should put a lot of careful thought into creating clear strategies and simple repeatable methods that can be formed into regular habits that don’t take more than 30 or 40 minutes per day. It is easy for homework requirements of a desperate teacher trying to reach a parental goal of passing an advanced external exam to blow out of all reasonable proportion. In conclusion, managing homework time by communicating and enlightening parents with clear strategies allows for steady and consistent progress to be made. Indeed with all time consuming aspects of language learning, it is essential that seemingly monstrous tasks are attacked in a step by step and progressive manner. Creating positive and efficient homework habits that involve willing parents has a greatly positive effect on high requirement students, who realise quickly that with the correct processes, mountains of work can be broken up into short, digestible and even enjoyable little achievements.
