Whether at home or abroad, ESL educators will find no shortage of opportunities. As one of the world’s most commonly spoken languages, English is important to wide variety of people. As such, there’s little wonder as to why private businesses, government agencies and schools around the globe are constantly on the hunt for individuals who are willing to teach it. While working as an ESL educator can be highly rewarding, there are also several hurdles you’ll need to overcome along the way. To ensure that you’re well-equipped to answer these challenges, put the following pointers to good use.
Keep Your Expectations in Check
When teaching English as a second language, it’s important to remember that every student absorbs the material at their own pace. Additionally, while some students have an aptitude for soaking up new languages, others are liable to find themselves confused by the material. To minimize confusion, take care to structure your lessons in a manner that doesn’t throw too much new material at your students at once. Sure, some of your more gifted learners may favor a more rapid-fire approach, but the majority of students need time to fully process new information before moving on to subsequent lessons. As a teacher, it’s perfectly natural to want your students to absorb as much material as possible in a short span of time, but for most learners, this approach simply isn’t realistic.
Provide Hands-On Lessons
Although some students learn best through memorization, it’s not always the best way to soak up new languages. With this in mind, make sure your ESL classes contain a bevy of hands-on lessons in addition to memorization exercises and written assignments. Typical hands-on exercises involve performing skits in which students go about daily tasks while speaking English. Common setups include going to the grocery store, visiting the bank and placing an order at a restaurant. In addition to being a lot of fun, these exercises provide students with a solid idea of what to expect when using English in their daily lives. The right ELL resources can teach you more about how to carry out these exercises.
Foster a Supportive Learning Environment
For most students, learning a foreign language is no walk in the park. This is particularly true for a language as complex as English. That being the case, make a point of providing special attention to any students who require it. In the absence of such an approach, students having trouble processing the material will continue to fall behind, potentially causing them to lose interest in learning English altogether.
There are many perks associated with teaching English as a second language. In addition to the satisfaction derived from watching students hone their language skills in real time, ESL educators seldom find themselves at a loss for work. However, while there’s a lot of fun to be had in this profession, ESL education is not without its challenges. In the quest to enhance your teaching abilities and become a better-rounded educator, the previously discussed tips can do you a world of good.