TIPS FOR TEACHING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN
LANGUAGE
Have you ever wondered what it would take
to start teaching English as a foreign language? For native English speakers,
there are often many opportunities for traveling overseas and teaching English
language arts to students in another country. You may be wondering if you have
to already know another language when teaching English to others, but some of
the best English lessons are often the result of a teacher who only knows English
and therefore forces the students to speak in English to communicate. This
method of teaching where you force your students to only speak English is known
as the direct method or the natural method of teaching a foreign
language, and focuses heavily on correct pronunciation and gaining
conversational skills.
The first skill you will need to master
to start successfully teaching English as a foreign language is the ability to
use body gestures and signs effectively. Many students find that they learn a
new language better when they are forced to speak only English in the
classroom. By refusing to use your student's native language, you force them to
learn English by first using your body language and gestures to teach them new
words, and then using what they've learned to build even more knowledge. This
pattern of learning closely mimics the way babies and infants learn a language,
and therefore this method of teaching often 'sticks' better than using rote
memorization of English words.
Another important
strategy when teaching English is to have your students practice common phrases
until they feel completely comfortable with those phrases. This technique is
often used with diplomats and allows the student to focus heavily on correct
pronunciation and accent. For example, teaching the English equivalent of
common greetings, questions, and idioms can go a far way towards teaching
English language arts. It's important when teaching any language to focus on
the most useful and common phrases first, so your students are able to start
conversing right away. There are hundreds of English teaching guides that will
help you choose what sorts of phrases and words to focus on first.
Resume:
Many students find
that they learn a new language better when they are forced to speak only
English in the classroom. By
refusing to use your student's native language, you force them to learn English
by first using your body language and gestures to teach them new words, and
then using what they've learned to build even more knowledge.
