20 Useful Tips for Teaching English as a Second Language 2024
20 Useful Tips for Teaching English as a Second Language. Teaching ESL (Teaching English as a Second Language), at its core, is the same as teaching fluent students because you still need to apply basic classroom principles. Your lessons need to be structured to cater to an array of learning needs too.
Teaching a new language to a student is also extremely rewarding. Teaching English as a Second Language is a high-demand subject of instruction that continues to experience growth in schools across the country. As children from foreign countries continue to immigrate to the United States and enroll in schools here, the number of students whose native language is not English continues to grow.
Let’s take a look at some essential language skills and teaching tips every ESL teacher should use to achieve success in their endeavors. ESL is offered for people of all ages, though it is not part of the standard public school curriculum as it is not essential to all students.
many schools have English Language Learners (ELL) programs, also known as English as a Second Language (ESL) and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).As the primary spoken language in a country with a rich history of immigration and cultural diversity, English and its mastery are an important part of educational development.
Tips for Teaching English as a Second Language in 2024
1. Ensure You Have Proper Qualifications
Being fluent in the English language, that doesn’t mean you’re qualified to teach others. Anyone serious about teaching English as a second language should obtain a bachelor’s degree (in any subject) and complete a 120-hour TEFL certification course. Whether you choose to do your TEFL certification or master’s in TESOL online or at a physical college is up to you.
2. Plan and prepare in advance
Every great teacher knows the importance of excellent lesson planning; as your students are unpredictable, there’s no way you can step foot into a classroom and wing it. Instead, you need to print enough worksheets for the entire class and ensure that you’ve prepared enough for your allocated lesson time while also having backup solutions in the event an activity isn’t working very well. You must think about how you will introduce a new language into a classroom.
3. Use different learning techniques
Over time, you’ll naturally establish your own teaching techniques. However, if you’re just starting out, you should practice different ways of teaching. This can include games, quizzes, show-and-tells, silent reading and act-it-out challenges. Whatever method you choose to adopt, it’s essential to break your lessons up into smaller sections.
4. Use technology
Teaching methods are continually evolving and, as a teacher, you’re constantly learning, too. Long gone are the days of chalk and a chalkboard; in today’s digital age, the use of technology is vital in an active learning process. To connect with your tech-savvy students, you can use short clips, language apps and music in your classroom. You could also send questionnaires to their phones and gather responses instantly.
5. Use positive reinforcement
Learning a new language can be overwhelming. It is your job, then, as a teacher to ensure your students feel confident to practice their language skills and to make mistakes in the process. This is where positive reinforcement comes in.
5. Set up an online teaching space
Are you an online language tutor? Teaching English in a virtual classroom has its own set of challenges. A good way to organize yourself better is to create a practical and functional online teaching space for yourself. Start by designating a specific area in your house where your teaching will take place, make sure that your selected spot has good internet connection and is comfortable and quiet. Then, focus on equipping yourself with the necessary tools.
6. Keep Things Simple
Native English speakers might not think that adding a few extra words to a sentence can cause confusion. But from the perspective of a foreign language learner with limited English proficiency, there’s a major difference between “put your book on the shelf” and “would you mind placing your book back on the bookshelf?” Whenever teaching a new language to beginners, try to use the simplest of sentences with plain vocabulary, and speak slowly.
7. Respect Cultural Differences
If you’re teaching English as a non-native language in a foreign country, you’ll most probably face cultural differences. As a teacher, it’s your responsibility to gently shift a student’s mindset to work with your teaching methods. Certain cultural norms, like dress code and aspects of non-verbal communication, must be respected.
8. Introduce interactive activities
One of the best ways to optimize language acquisition and boost your students’ confidence in your classroom is through interactive activities and group work. Not only will this help them practice their verbal communication skills but also get to know their peers better. When teaching English to adults, interactive work is especially important as it can help more inhibited students come out of their shell.
9. Help Your English Language Learners Set Goals
A great way to keep language learners motivated is with short- and long-term goals. Whether the goal is to read an English novel by the end of the year or acing an exam on English language skills, you need to encourage all your students to set targets for themselves to help them keep track of their progress.
Once you’re aware of their goals, it can also help you create appropriate activities and lessons centered around their goals, making the learning process more exciting and engaging for your students.
10. Create a safe and supportive environment
Students need to feel safe and supported to express themselves fully; they don’t want to be scared of making a mistake, and they should be dealt with the utmost compassion. Encourage them to speak up and correct errors carefully (sometimes it’s best to let things slide if the overall sentence is correct). Give them time to form their answers, and patiently wait for a response.
11. Set classroom rules
Rules are necessary for any classroom to ensure there are clear expectations and a suitable structure. When setting out your own standards on Day One, you should give verbal and written instructions, and place a list of them in a visible area. When a student steps out of line, refer to these rules and make sure the entire class understands what’s acceptable and what isn’t.
12. Create a timeline
From the beginning of the year until the final semester, you should have a clear timeline for each of your classes. This will help you stay organized and allow you to have a clear image of your own teaching objectives. You should also establish checkpoints within your timeline where you evaluate your student’s progress and check if you’re hitting your teaching goals.
13. Plan and prepare in advance
Every great teacher knows the importance of excellent lesson planning; as your students are unpredictable, there’s no way you can step foot into a classroom and wing it. Instead, you need to print enough worksheets for the entire class and ensure that you’ve prepared enough for your allocated lesson time while also having backup solutions in the event an activity isn’t working very well.
14. Use lots of visuals
Whether you’re teaching children or adults, it’s essential to utilize visuals in your class. These visuals can be in a physical form, such as labelling desks, chairs, computer screens and doors. They can also be in picture form, such as handouts and drawings.
15. Map Out a Timeline for Your Foreign Language Course
Right from the start through to the final lesson, you need to set a clear completion timeline for your English classes. This helps you (and your students) stay on top of the objectives at hand. You can also use checkpoints throughout your timeline to evaluate the progress your students made and assess whether they’ll reach their next goal in time.
16. Become a Master of Lesson Planning
All the best teachers know that lesson planning is the foundation of teaching success. Your students are unpredictable, and winging it is never an acceptable thing to do in the classroom. What you need is enough worksheets for the entire class and lesson time that’s gracious enough to cover the lessons you have planned for the day.
17. Encourage students to set learning goals
A good way to keep your students motivated throughout each semester is to have your students set down some short- and long-term goals for their learning journey. Whether it’s to read a Jane Austen novel by the end of the year, have a conversation with a native English speaker or get full marks on a writing test, encouraging your students to set learning targets will help them stay focused and track their progress.
Teaching english as a second language online
About English as a second language Teacher Salary
ESL teachers can expect to make have a similar salary to most other teachers in their location, subject and with a similar amount of experience. Generally speaking, the longer you work as a teacher the more your salary will grow. It is also important to consider is the fact that teachers receive an annual salary based on nine months of in-classroom work during the school year.
Teaching English Abroad as a Foreign Language
For many new and inexperienced teachers, teaching English abroad is a great way to gain teaching experience, travel and be immersed in a new culture. The requirements to teach ESL abroad vary by country, but typically require at least a Bachelor’s degree and an ESL teaching qualification, such as a TEFL certificate. A TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate prepares educators for teaching English in countries where English is not the native language and few English immersion opportunities exist for students.
Recommendation
- 16 Best Free Online English Test With Certificate | English Proficiency Test Online Free With Certificate
- What Are The Easiest Languages To Learn? : 17 Easiest Language To Learn For English Speakers
- Top 30 Most Spoken Languages In The World
- Top 20 Hardest Languages To Learn : Most Difficult Languages in the World
