Shelly Said:

ESL Teaching tips or good websites!!?

We Answered:

I know what you are going through. I'm a native speaker from America and speaking at classes in Poland. I have to come up with lessons all the time...Here's what I've found, and what I have done so far:

http://iteslj.org/questions/ this is an awesome site for topics. Lots of questions, You can make your own work sheets and create games.

I did a survivor/Lost game..
You're stranded on an island.. what will you take with you?.. list 20 items and make them pick 8. ranking whats the most important... This was fun.
Then I have a list of jobs. and list the pros and cons of the jobs.. and then ask which 5 would you want with you on the island.

Another fun game i used is A-Z.. I write topics on the board such as: food, places, music,home, etcccc..Make teams. different color marker for each. and have everyone come up to the board and come up with many words they can starting with the letter a then b.. etc. I never made it to Z in a class..

I made a class topic: called what do teens like in Poland? So now I have a better understanding what interests teens and can make a plan.

Beginner children are harder. I usually do animals and pictionary.a-z. Or ask everyone to stand up take out a chair and make everyone find a different seat. The last one standing without a seat has to make a sentence with whatever word you give them.

Beginner adults i do the A-z game and another with.. lets say your home.. write all the rooms on the board and have teams, make them write as much as they know whats in the rooms. Then ask them simple questions about their home. What color are your walls. etc..

FInding out students interests makes them want to talk.
Pictures and worksheets.

this is a good site too:
http://www.stickyball.net/games/conversa…

Good luck :) hope i can be of some help. If you ask I will give you my email:)

Amanda Said:

ESL Substitute teaching tips??

We Answered:

ooo ! sounds soo much fun!

try talking really basic english with them...have little mini conversations.. have people work in pairs (depending on their level) and stuff..

i think thats cool!

Kristin Said:

Need tips/help for teaching ESL students (3-4 year olds).?

We Answered:

This can be hard at first, especially when the children are trying to communicate with you and get frustrated, or they are scared because they don't know what's going on. Use pictures to communicate what is going on in the classroom or schedule--for example, you can have a picture of someone washing hands, then go the sinks and show how to do it as well as how to say it. You can use pictures to signify it is time to eat, time for a nap, time to read, time to go outside, anything. Along with saying the word in English and having them repeat it will help them build vocabulary.

You can also make games using the pictures, where the children take pictures, find the item in the room that matches that picture, then says the word for that picture. For example, you could have a picture of blocks, then have the child take that picture and find the real blocks on the shelf in the room, then say "blocks". Using stickers or a fun stamp or even a piece of candy can be a real motivator for kids this age.

Music is especially effective with children for learning English as well, especially if you can find music that has the songs in English and in their native language. Greg and Steve have great music for kids, and at least one song in both English/Spanish. Look at your local library to see what other music resources there are. Kids learn by singing as well, so starting with the alphabet song while pointing to the letters, then having the kids see if they can remember the letters you randomly point to afterwards would be a great thing to do. Not only do these kids need to learn English, but some culture as well, so teaching songs like "The Teensy Weensy Spider" and "Wheels on the Bus" will give them that.

Finally, books on tape are great for kids learning english, especially if they are read slowly. They even have books on cd now, so you could copy a bunch of stories off onto your own cd's, have copies of the books, and have the children follow along while it's read. These are especially effective because they tend to have music with the story, so it seems really special to the kids and they pay attention more.

Don't forget that kids this age need to alternate quiet/still activities with active activities. The active activities can help with English as well--you can call out an action word like "jump" or "hop" or "twirl" and have the kids mimic you doing the action, then say "stop" and have them stop. Seems pretty simplistic, but kids enjoy things like this.

I would recommend you researching books that can give you more activities for young ESL students.

Elsie Said:

Tips for teaching ESL students?

We Answered:

I know that if you need them to speak more, they should be comfortable speaking. A good way to make a child more comfortable speaking is by teaching them songs! ^^ Kids love songs and it will make them feel more comfortable with the English coming out of their mouths...

Grammar and spelling for a child is probably best learned through repitition and through music, like I said before. Make sure they aren't just writing stuff out because 7 and 9 year olds don't learn like that. Be an active teacher with games and drill them as much as you can. This will also make them feel more comfortable speaking.

Also, getting another child who isn't shy and already knows English to come over and help. Then, they might have more inspiration (a new friend!). Also, they'll have someone to talk to who won't be as intimidating as you might be (since you're twice their age).

Good luck with everything!

Paige

Dennis Said:

Tips for teaching SSAT to an ESL student?

We Answered:

If you go on amazon.com, you will find study guides for the SSAT. It is usually paired with the ISEE. Many people like the Princeton Review. By the way, most boarding schools also accept the ISEE, so if for some reason your student does better on it, those scores can be submitted. Check with the schools first. ISEE is usually for day schools and SSAT for boarding, but because some students apply to both, then usually both are accepted.

I haven't looked at the SSAT for 4 years. It probably still has an analogies section. If yes, see if you can find old SAT books. The SAT removed analogies around 2005. Anyway, the SSAT was similar to the SAT's easy questions before then. You can use the easy questions from old SAT books for additional exercises in SSAT prep. Some ESL students may find analogies the most difficult.

Good luck!

Penny Said:

Any teachers out there have any tips on teaching ESL?

We Answered:

You have access to the internet. I would suggest you use it. You'll find lots of things there (tefl.com; eslcafe.com). Have you thought about having the better students teach the less proficient? The best way to learn a subject is to teach it.