Teach English in ShisAnling Zhen - Beijing

Personally and first of all I have gained a lot of confidence from studying this very comprehensive and logically well structured TEFL teaching course and from the excellent advice, feedback and very helpful tips and comments from my online, highly experienced and expert tutor, Tania. There are some english language teaching jobs simply stating the need for native english speakers, preferably with any University degree, but with a proper, relevant and internationally recognised and widely accepted TEFL teaching qualification, teachers can do their students a lot more justice. Not only does it cover essential teaching skills and techniques, but teaching in general, motivational tips, important psychology and general life skills. This course will help me to be more prepared as an expert, professional teacher, more knowledgeable and enthusiastic and in turn enjoy teaching even more, which will help to build better student rapport, motivate students more and encourage and inspire them more in turn. I truly agree now that ESA is the best teaching method and that the emphasis should definitely be on student based learning. Students have to be helped to see and realise and appreciate the usefulness and importance of lesson material to motivate them more. The CD ROM video lesson 1 and 2 was so helpful to observe. When I get to prague, I will ask a couple of different experienced colleagues / Teachers, if I can observe (and/or assist them in) a few of their lessons to gain some more first hand experience. I also actually practiced a full 1 hour lesson yesterday on 9 of my korean friends (from my prayer group) and got some very valuable feedback from them as well as a strong reminder to be over-prepared with extra material. Student questionnaires and self evaluation forms are invaluable guides and tools to continually monitor my own lessons, checking the accuracy of anticipated problems, timing, and identifying areas for improvement. I can't wait to start teaching. When giving feed-back and correcting work, I know now to be more patient and allow self correction, prompting without taking the student's initiative away, not to over-correct, give praise, concentrate on the positives and boost the student's self esteem, correct students sensitively, fairly and consistently without negatively affecting their motivation. I know how to make Lesson plans quickly and effectively, and understand that these are essential tools, but that I still need to be flexible, and that patchwork lesson plans allow more flexibility and a better balance between the Study and Activate stages. Furthermore, before I go into a class, I need to be well prepare and have solutions to anticipated problems etc and to actually always be over-prepared, with extra back-up exercises. To make good regular use of the computer, tv-video, tape recorder, a good dictionary and an OHP where available, as well as other teaching resources. Learning needs to be as much fun as possible, varied, lively, involving, interesting and enjoyable, therefore incorporate a good balance of games and different types of activities and exercises, etc. Encourage home-work and written work which is too often neglected in TEFL teaching. I will be aware to correct discipline problems ASAP, and accept the responsibility that it is the behaviour, attitude and personality of the teacher which is the most important factor as regards class discipline, and it is easier to start off firmer and gradually relax control than to try and regain it once it has been lost. If I'm not sure how to best deal with a situation, I can always ask colleagues for their help and advice. I have a much better working knowledge of phonology and english grammar now, which I was actually never really taught in London england. I can also appreciate now that when teaching beginners and special groups, we must help them to see the benefits of the class work that they are studying and learning, it's importance, relavance and uses. To try and pair weaker students with stronger students, but to monitor them to check that the stronger students are not dominating, set the weaker students a little extra home-work to catchup, ask students to explain instructions, mix up pairs and groups as often as possible, use good eye contact, gestures and miming, pace myself more, and not to rush through too much material. Not to interupt the flow of students during the activate stages, be patient and make a note of repeated errors to focus on later. I also know how to design a specific needs analysis questionnaire for special groups, to best plan a whole set of lessons. A good teacher is someone who loves teaching with a passion and someone who cares even more about the progress of his/her students, this makes it so much more rewarding as a career. I want to inspire students, learn about and respect their cultural values, something which I can research further on the internet before travelling to Korea or Prague. Students need to continue learning and teachers also need to be learning and improving their teaching skills and techniques all the time to be the most valuable resource for their students development and langauge needs.