Five Tips for Teachers

1. Keep it relevant!
Teach only what your students need and can use, i.e. teach them whats
relevant now at work and in everyday life. For example, do they really
need to know the name of the letter q? Will they be in a situation this
week where theyll need to say it? Concentrate on high-frequency words
and terms. Use the same criteria when choosing structures to teach. (Past
tense is very useful; the difference between shall and will is much less so.)
2. Keep it in English!
Its great if you speak your students first language. But remember, theyre
in class to learn English. Even with beginners, say everything in English first.
If they dont understand, say it again slower, using gestures or substituting
simpler words. If they still dont understand and what you want to
communicate is essential, use their first language briefly, and return
immediately to English. Do feel free to use your second language skills
before and after class to get to know your students better and to build
rapport.
3. Be aware of your teacher-talk-to-student-talk ratio!
If you monopolize a large percentage of the air time in class, students
are likely to be learning about English rather than learning to speak
English. Get them talkinga good teacher can generate a lot of openended questions. Ask them a lot of questions, guide them in constructing
an answer and always give them encouragement.
4. Structure your lesson!
Its great to be open to student questions and suggestions, but chaos
doesnt contribute to learning. Dont jump around from one topic to
another. Follow the general order of: 1) review, 2) presentation of new
material, 3) structured practice of the new material, 4) communicative
(real) practice and application of the new material.
5. Make corrections wisely!
When deciding what to correct and when, ask yourself whether what the
student just said would communicate to the ordinary American person on
the street. If it was a bit grammatically incorrect, said with a strong
accent, but communicates, you may want to let it go. (Of course, if what
youre teaching at the moment is prepositions, for example, then youd
correct the misuse of a preposition.)

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Using Realia and Visual Aids

Realia and visuals arent just for teaching vocabulary. They also can be
great for illustrating grammatical patterns. Some ideas:

A variety of interesting objects (that you grab out of the kitchen

and bathroom and throw into a bag as youre leaving the house to
go to class!)
These can be used to teach there is/there are or teaching
this/that/these/those. Example: put two cans of tuna on one
desk, a pencil sharpener on another, three rubber bands
somewhere else, a toothbrush somewhere else, etc. Have
students make sentences such as There is one pencil
sharpener. There are three rubber bands.. Or, These are cans
of tuna. Thats a toothbrush.
Using the objects youve brought in, plus others already found
in the classroom, have students name the objects and use
a/an with each, in a full sentence. Example: This is an apple.
This is a pen.
Use the random objects to practice prepositions of place. For
example: The pencil is under the table. The can is next to the
rubber band, etc.

Magazine pictures glued to construction paper (These can be used

to teach both structures and vocabulary. Gather a variety of types
of magazines and take an hour or two to make yourself the
following sets, which you can use at many levels.)
Action: people and animals doing lots of different actions,
especially high-frequency verbs like eat, drink, drive, read,
study, etc. Be sure to have single men, women, groups, etc.
so they can practice he/she/they/it etc.
People: pictures with lots of things going on: useful for having
students describe actions, what led up to the actions, and for
practicing different tenses. What did these people do
yesterday? What are they going to do tomorrow? How do
they feel?
Items you will be teaching as vocabulary units: furniture,
clothing, fruit, vegetables, etc. A Sears catalog is great for
single-item pictures.

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 Weather pictures: stormy, snowing, cloudy, raining, sunny etc.

Comparative pictures such as illustrations of big, bigger,
biggest: Here again a catalog is useful. Look for comparative
illustrations of big, small, light, heavy, light-colored, darkcolored, new, old, etc.

Use the hotel guest room or another place to teach with activities
and movement.

A bag of assorted clothing, particularly if it is unusual or garish, can be

used: as props in dialogs such as one on shopping, to teach clothing
item vocabulary, to teach colors, etc.

A variety of application forms of different types are useful for teaching

basic writing skills and for giving practice in actually filling out real
applications. Get a bunch by visiting a mall and going store to store.

Table settings in paper and plastic (knife, fork, spoon, plate, bowl,
napkin, glass, cup) are useful for teaching that vocabulary, or
teaching prepositions of place (Where is the spoon? Its next to the
plate.)

An assortment of over-the-counter medicines are useful when youre

teaching common ailments. Bring in aspirin, Tylenol, liniment, cough
syrup, cold pack, heating pad, cold pills, mouthwash etc.

Make, or have students make, paper plate clocks with moveable

hands for pair and individual work when you are teaching telling
time.

A class set of calendars can be used when you are teaching months
of the year, ordinal numbers (because we say October first not
October one), and time expressions such as in a week, a week ago,
last month, etc. This is also a good place to use job schedules and
time sheets.

Real maps or ones that you make are useful when teaching telling
directions, vocabulary related to direction, or using public
transportation. Consider using hotel floor plans.

Big sheets of paper and markers: Have one student lie on the paper
on the floor while someone traces them. Then students label body

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parts. Or draw and label clothes. Its even more fun to divide into two
groups and have the groups compete to see who can come up with
the most labels.

Teaching Vocabulary
Some principles to remember when teaching vocabulary:
Always teach new grammatical structures using known vocabulary, and
teach new vocabulary using known structures. Introducing new structures
and vocabulary at the same time is distracting. You want students to
focus their attention on one new thing at a time.
Always teach new words in context. Its best to use actual objects when
you name them. Next best is to use a picture. Try not to introduce sets of
new words using only translation. Students need visual reinforcement.
Verbs? Act them out. Prepositions? Demonstrate, or draw a simple
illustration on the board.
Stick to high frequency vocabulary. Before you invest your time teaching
new words, ask yourself how useful these words will be.
Dont introduce too many new words at a time.
Introduce new vocabulary in sets whenever feasible.
Dont confuse spelling with pronunciation. When you want to write on the
board what a new word sounds like, write it between slashes. (snow would
be /snou/). This will avoid students confusing the sounds like spelling with
the actual spellingyou dont want to visually reinforce misspellings. Tell
students that words between slashes are always sounds like spellings,
not the real ones.
Provide practice. Simply telling students a new word doesnt mean
theyve learned it. They need to use the new words in meaningful
contexts, over and over. Just as in teaching a new structure, start with
tightly controlled exercises and gradually loosen up until you are doing
communicative activities in which they actually use the new words to
express themselves meaningfully.
Review the new vocabulary during the next class meeting and
periodically after that. Regular review will help students remember the
new words.

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Teaching Grammar

Some things to remember about grammar and teaching it:

The answer to why questions about grammar is simply because

thats the way English is. In regard to rules, we can say how structures
are formed and when they are used, but theres really no meaningful
why.

Be sure to plan serious lessons around carefully selected objectives.

Dont just wing it. Every lesson objective should follow the cycle:
1. Review
2. Presentation
3. Practice
4. Application

Be sure not to make your teaching objective too broad. Chunk your
material in easy-to-digest sized pieces. For example, when you are
introducing the past tense you wouldnt do regular and irregular verbs
in the same lesson.

When youre teaching a new structure, you are teaching:

1. Form: how is the structure is put together?(Example: The
written form of regular past tense verbs is to add ed to the
simple form.)
2. Meaning: When do we use it? (Example: When were talking
about things that happened in the past. If we use an ed
form, were talking about something that happened
yesterday, last week, etc.)
3. Use: how can we put this new information together into real
communication? (Example: Yesterday I walked the dog. Last
year I finished school, etc. Give students real examples and
real practice)

Its important to put a visual, graphic illustration of the structure on the

board or in a handout. Slot charts do this very well for most structures.
This helps students generalize the new form.

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The examples that you give should be realistic, conversational,

relevant, and provided in context. Use realia (real items) or visuals
such as pictures.

Avoid using grammatical terminology with students who have not at

least completed high school. Examples:

Instead of:
Imperatives
Pronouns
third person singular verbs
present continuous tense
simple present tense

Try saying :

orders
substitute words
he/she/it verbs
now verbs
everyday verbs

Dont feel you always have to give them the rule, especially if it is very
complex or there are lots of exceptions. You can just tell them to learn
the individual examples. This is true especially of spelling rules and
some pronunciation rules.

Once you have presented the new structure, its important to provide
plenty of practice with it. Start with exercises that are tightly controlled
(only one right answer, sometimes only a single word) and then
gradually loosen up.

During practice, be sure to check for understanding by listening

carefully to individual students and re-teaching or correcting when
necessary.

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Field Trips: Where to Go and What to Do

General Thoughts on Field Trips:
1) We ask that you limit your liability by not taking students in your car.
Instead, meet as a group at the given location or meet at your
regular class place and then walk, take public transportation, or use
student cars. This is also useful for the students, as they will learn to
get there on their own for next time.
2) Be sure to interact with all your students if you are taking several on
a field trip. Dont hang out with only one or two.
3) The trip will be more of a learning experience if you do both
preparatory and follow-up classroom work.
4) Many field trip locations are suitable for any level; just alter how you
use the trip according to what students need and are able to do.
For example, at the supermarket, level 1 students would probably
focus on new vocabulary, such as names of fruits and vegetables,
and perhaps cultural information, such as leaving shopping carts in
the stores parking lot. Higher-level students could practice verbal
interactions, such as returning an unsatisfactory item, asking
customer service where something is located, or doing a scavenger
hunt (see below).
5) Some of the locations require that you call ahead to make an
appointment. If your students will be the recipients of a talk or a
tour, be sure to tell the tour guide about your groups level of English
comprehension. You may be able to arrange for visits via e-mail
using an organizations Web site.
6) Field trips are valuable because students can have realistic
interactions using English. Yet one of our students greatest blocks to
learning is shyness. On a field trip individual students can be sent
out to ask a question of someone after theyve practiced it with the
group. They can report back with the reaction they got before
another student approaches someone else.

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Preparation:

Tell the student where you will be going

Give them a map, if appropriate, and discuss it
Introduce vocabulary related to the experience
Create and practice a short dialog appropriate to the location
Go over the logistics of where to meet, etc.

After the trip:

De-brief by having the student talk about what they did

Review the dialog or any actual interaction that took place
Review the new vocabulary
Assign homework based on the experience, such as writing five
sentences describing what they did, or making a list of new
vocabulary related to the trip

Places to Go:
Supermarket
Most of your students, even newcomers, will already be shopping
regularly at a supermarket, so the purpose of this trip is more to help
them practice vocabulary and build confidence, rather than to
introduce them to the resource.
At the store:
1. Make slips of paper each containing something to look for.
Students draw a slip from a bag, find the object and note where it
was, return to you, and then draw another slip. At the end of the
time youve allotted, the student who completed the most searches
wins.
Heres a sample list: corn tortillas, canned tomatoes, Granny Smith
apples, a cold bottle of Snapple tea, 1% milk, aspirin, fresh flowers,
canned pineapple, corn chips, and a six-pack of Coke
Cultural items to discuss:
Weights and measures:
Have students convert from kilos to pounds, grams to ounces, and
vice versa. Practice estimating with problems like: Five pounds of

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flour is approximately how many kilos? or My recipe calls for 250

grams of butter. How many sticks is that?
Help carrying groceries:
No need to tip like you would in Latin America. Take advantage of
it!
Coupons:
Explain how to use them and what double coupon days are. You
may want to caution your students not to buy products that they
dont really need just because they have coupons for them.
Library
Either use the main library or take them to one of the smaller branch
libraries. Be sure to allow plenty of time for the students to explore
the free computers; you may even want to give a short lesson on
using the Internet.
At the library:
Be sure to point out the print and audio materials for English
learners. They may not know that the library has CDs and videos for
checkout, so make sure to point these out also. Ask individual
students to do the following tasks (and report later to the class):

Discover the procedure for getting a library card

Find out how long you can keep books, childrens books,
audiotapes, videos, CDs, and other materials

Find the current months schedule for free concerts, movies,

talks, or art shows; find out how to get information on future
schedules

Ask someone at the information desk about the fines for various
overdue materials

Find the location of restrooms, audiotapes, videos,

encyclopedias, books in other languages, the childrens
section, and the fiction section
Tip: Scout out the facility in advance so that you can be sure you
are making realistic requests of the students based on that facilitys
amenities.
Homework assignments after the trip:

Check out a childrens book (written in English) with your new

library card and give a verbal book report to the class
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Sketch the library floor plan and label locations

Take your kids or a friend to get library cards
Find the nearest branch library to your house

Other field trip ideas: Post Office, Boston Common, Quincy Market

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Pep Talk for Students

Learning English takes a lot of time and patience! Once in awhile our
students need a pep talk. Here is some possible language you can use to
help get them back on track:
Learning English is a huge challenge that requires a great deal of
patience, persistence and practice. People learn at different paces
depending on the effort they put into it and learning capabilities, but
everyone can improve their English.
It is not a race to get through every level, and typically it takes 3-6 years to
advance from level 1 to level 6. It is also common to repeat a level, or
even move down a level if there is a need to review material covered in
the previous level before advancing. The speed of advancing levels
often depends on the students attendance and the amount they
practice outside of class. Conquering the basics before racing through
levels can be effective for many people.
Whether or not you learn is up to you. We provide you with classes, a
teacher, and books, and the rest is up to you. We have seen hundreds of
people attend classes, do their homework, practice outside of class, and
see their lives drastically improve as they gain confidence with their
English. We have also seen hundreds of people drop out, sometimes
because of valid reasons and sometimes because they make excuses.
No ESL class is perfect, and if you look for excuses to drop out and not
learn you will find them. You must decide whether you want to be in the
group of people who looks for excuses or the group of people who truly
wants to learn and is ready to make sacrifices to do so. If you want to be
intentional about learning and be truly dedicated then you will learn.
TYPES OF LEARNERS:
A casual learner will not work much outside of class.
A devoted learner will work outside of class when it is convenient for them.
A committed learner will make sacrifices and do whatever it takes to
practice outside of class and do more than homework assigned by the
teacher. If you have to work and take care of your kids then you get up
an hour earlier and study then. That is the type of work ethic of those who
truly succeed here.
What kind of learner are you, and what kind of learner do you want to be?

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Checklist
(Ask yourself these questions after every class!)
1. Was the atmosphere of the class friendly/did I give frequent
encouragement?
2. Did I begin by reviewing material previously covered/relate material
to what student already knows?
3. Was the class well organized with a logical flow from one activity to
the next?
4. Did I check for understanding? How?

5. Was the student doing more talking than I was?

6. Did I make corrections effectively? How?

7. Did I keep the class mostly in English?

8. Did I use real objects, pictures, or other visuals?

9. Have I used many different types of activities over the past couple
weeks? (listening, speaking, reading, writing, pronunciation,
vocabulary, grammar, etc)
10. Did I assign homework?

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Key Things to Remember:

Be extra sure that you are able to commit to volunteering for the
next three months.

Once you get matched with a student, your materials will be in the
Volunteer Materials basket in the front office.

Use the teaching materials we give you.

If the level is not right, let us know so we can give you something
else.

Give your students lots of encouragement and positive feedback.

Always assign homework.

Plan a field trip.

Make sure your student is doing most of the talking.

Keep the classes in English.

When youre ready for more materials, let us know.

If you have any challenges, questions, or suggestionslet us know!!

Spread the word about our program to friends, families, and coworkers

When you need to stop teaching, let us know as soon as possible so

we can find a replacement

Have fun, and make the most of this experience!!

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Dos and Donts for teaching English Language Learners

Modeling
Do model for students what they are expected to do or produce, especially for
new skills or activities, by explaining and demonstrating the learning actions,
sharing your thinking processes aloud, and showing good teacher and student
work samples. Modeling promotes learning and motivation, as well as increasing
student self-confidence -- they will have a stronger belief that they can
accomplish the learning task if they follow steps that were demonstrated.
Don't just tell students what to do and expect them to do it.
Rate of Speech and Wait Time
Do speak slowly and clearly, and provide students with enough time to formulate
their responses, whether in speaking or in writing. Remember, they are thinking
and producing in two or more languages! After asking a question, wait for a few
seconds before calling on someone to respond. This "wait time" provides all
students with an opportunity to think and process, and especially gives ELLs a
needed period to formulate a response.
Don't speak too fast, and if a student tells you they didn't understand what you
said, never, ever repeat the same thing in a louder voice!
Use of Non-Linguistic Cues
Do use visuals, sketches, gestures, intonation, and other non-verbal cues to
make both language and content more accessible to students. Teaching with
visual representations of concepts can be hugely helpful to ELLs.
Don't stand in front of the class and lecture, or rely on a textbook as your only
"visual aid."
Giving Instructions
Do give verbal and written instructions -- this practice can help all learners,
especially ELLs. In addition, it is far easier for a teacher to point to the board in
response to the inevitable repeated question, "What are we supposed to do?"
Don't act surprised if students are lost when you haven't clearly written and
explained step-by-step directions.
Check for Understanding
Do regularly check that students are understanding the lesson. After an

explanation or lesson, a teacher could say, "Please put thumbs up, thumbs
down, or sideways to let me know if this is clear, and it's perfectly fine if you don't
understand or are unsure -- I just need to know." This last phrase is essential if
you want students to respond honestly. Teachers can also have students quickly
answer on a Post-It note that they place on their desks. The teacher can then
quickly circulate to check responses. Teachers/tutors can also check
understanding by asking students to repeat directions.
When teachers regularly check for understanding in the classroom, students
become increasingly aware of monitoring their own understanding, which serves
as a model of good study skills. It also helps ensure that students are learning,
thinking, understanding, comprehending, and processing at high levels.
Don't simply ask, "Are there any questions?" This is not an effective way to
gauge what all your students are thinking. Also, don't assume that students are
understanding because they are smiling and nodding their heads -- sometimes
they are just being polite!
Encourage Development of Home Language
Do encourage students to continue building their literacy skills in their home
language, also known as "L1." Research has found that learning to read in the
home language promotes reading achievement in the second language as
"transfer" occurs. These "transfers" may include phonological awareness,
comprehension skills, and background knowledge.
While the research on transfer of L1 skills to L2 cannot be denied, it doesn't
mean that we should not encourage the use of English in class and outside of the
classroom.
Don't "ban" students from using their native language in the classroom.
Forbidding students from using their primary languages does not promote a
positive learning environment where students feel safe to take risks and make
mistakes. This practice can be harmful to the relationships between teachers and
students, especially if teachers act more like language "police" than language
"coaches."
This is certainly not a complete guide -- they are just a few of the most basic
practices to keep in mind when teaching English Language Learners (or, for that
matter, probably any second language learner). What are more "do's and don'ts"
that you would add to the list?
\http://www.edutopia.org/blog/esl-ell-tips-ferlazzo-sypnieski!