It'll contain around 50 of my go-to games and activities that I use in my own classes and I've tried to include lots of good stuff for teachers who teach young kids as well (I got my start way back in the day teaching kindy, so I know how it is!). I also have a few sample lesson plans for intermediate-advanced level adult conversation classes and some general teaching tips to keep in mind when you're teaching ESL Speaking.
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This question comes from a friend of mine, Daniel who I did the CELTA with back in the day. He's leading a seminar on "Teaching Difficult Units" and was wondering if I had any tips. He's a stellar teacher (better than me?!) and I'll sure he'll do fabulous without my help, but I'll do my best to answer his question.
My Experience Teaching Difficult English Grammar
My background in the area is that I teach English major students at a top-level university in Busan, South Korea so by the time the students get to their third or fourth year, the stuff I'm teaching is pretty intense. Like modal passive verbs, causative get + have, past modals, passive for present continuous and present perfect, etc. For the most part, my students have not been exposed to this kind of stuff before, except very briefly in passing so I have to be solid on it and can't rely on their background knowledge. In addition, it's usually stuff I've never taught before which makes it even more difficult.
Top 5 Tips to Teach Difficult Stuff (in no particular order)
Context (topic). You should always have a context for anything that you teach, something by which your students can hang their grammar hats on. Teaching isolated grammar or vocabulary without giving your students a situation in which they can use it is a huge disservice and is actually a waste of time.
Research. I've found that you don't need to know all the intricate details of a specific grammar concept before teaching it, but you should be extremely proficient. I do three things to research: use the textbook and make sure I know that section inside and out. Then, I'll look online for what other teachers have said or written, either for other teachers, or usually more helpfully, students. The British Council puts out lots of good stuff for difficult grammar concepts. I'll also check YouTube and see if there are any helpful videos of other teachers explaining the concept. Don't copy them, but see what works and what doesn't and take the best stuff for your own lesson. Very occasionally, I'll run across a video that is amazing, and I'll show it in class (but it's rare!).
Simple is Best. I'm a huge believer in simple always being best, basically in everything in my life. This especially applies to teaching difficult concepts and in my experience, it is best to present only the basics and then let the students figure out the rest on their own, with a bit of help from you. Presenting all the ins and outs of every single point at the start is often too overwhelming.
Student-Centered is Ideal. Related to point #3 is the idea of making your lesson student-centered. Can you do a self-discovery style of grammar teaching? Can you do a very short presentation of less than 5 minutes? Can you get the students comparing answers together instead of with you? It will be more difficult for the students (and for you to set-up), but once they get it, they'll get it and will retain it for a whole lot longer.
Review. Whenever I introduce something that is quite difficult, there are always students who don't really "get it." That's okay and part of teaching. I try my best to help them in that class, but in the next class, I will ALWAYS review the concept. I'll briefly explain things, one more time in a slightly different way and will usually pair it with a different context. Then, I'll have the students work together with a different partner than the previous class on some sort of activity.
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2 pieces of news for you, my readers. The first is: ESL Speaking. If you teach a conversation, discussion or 4-skills English class, this is the site for you. It has games, activities and resources all designed to help you plan your speaking classes. Plus, I think the design is wicked cool, if I do say so myself (it's my site! Ha!).
The second thing is that if you want to get 40 of my favorite ESL games and activities, you should sign up and get it delivered straight to your inbox. I promise only goodness for you and none of the badness that is spam.
40 ESL Games and Activities-Classroom Tested and Approved
If you're looking to bone up on your knowledge about teaching English before you head abroad, check out my top 5 books for the ESL teacher just getting started. Of course, it's better to take a course like the Celta, but reading a few books is obviously better than nothing.
How to Teach English by Jeremy Harmer is a classic and should be the first book you read on the topic. It's extremely well-organized into short sections, assumes that you know nothing and also gives some very practical advice and some activities to help get up and running for your first few weeks in the classroom.
While more theoretical than the Harmer book, this one can provide you with a solid foundation of the major approaches for language teaching. It's perfect for the ESL teacher who is already confident in the classroom, but needs some knowledge about the specifics of teaching English as a Second Language
Speaking Activities that Don't Suck by English Teacher X is an excellent speaking games and activities resources for the beginner teacher before they walk into the classroom with nothing. When I was just starting out, I always tried to have a few speaking activities in my folder or in my head that I could pull out if required. This book will help you with that in an interesting, engaging kind of way.
If you're clueless about English grammar like most native English speakers, this book will be your new best friend. Before you walk into a classroom, it's wise to have a basic idea of what you're doing and this book will teach you, but in the least boring way I've ever seen.
Most newbie teachers will primarily end up teaching speaking and conversation so "How to Teach Speaking" by Scott Thornbury will give you a leg up on the competition. It does a great job of covering the theory, but also gives a wealth of practical advice and information that you can use in the classroom.
Welcome to My Life! Teaching in a Korean University
My Life! is the site for anything related to teaching in a South Korea university: activities, teaching methods, textbook reviews, job search advice, Korean uni culture and more. Email me at jlbolen@gmail.com.
and The Wealthy English Teacher: Teach, Travel, and Secure Your Financial Future
, I've started work on a third one about ESL Speaking Games and Activities.
.jpg "beginner")
by Jeremy Harmer
by Jack C. Richards
by English Teacher X
by English Teacher X
by Scott Thornbury
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