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This unit went over potential and often common challenges that arise when teaching English and how to resolve them (\"troubleshooting\"). It is very important that every teacher takes time and effort to establish teacher-student rapport and to help students feel comfortable amongst their peers in new groups where nobody knows each other. There are several strategies and activities to use on the first day and continuously throughout the course to help establish rapport and build trusting relationships. Some of these first day activities include: pass the ball game, tell me about...game, questionnaires/surveys, and needs analysis. It is also important that a teacher uses the first day or the first few days to get to know a little bit of information on his or her students, such as reasons for learning English, hobbies, likes/dislikes, their culture etc. The use of mother-tongue in monolingual classes is discouraged against and English should be encouraged, even if grammar is not perfect. Teachers can help in ensuring English is used and practice by only responding to English from the students and to allow for plenty of practice, both through role play and through discussion. Furthermore, when walking into your first class, it is a good idea for both teacher and students to start off with a warm up activity such as Hang-man, memory games, dictionary, and many more. This helps reduce anxiety levels and increase the chances at creating an inclusive, welcoming, and comfortable learning environment. Another challenge that several teachers face is that of differing levels among their students. There are a few strategies to employ to help troubleshoot this challenge: pair weaker students with stronger students, group leaders, providing extra work and activities to do for those students finished early, using different materials and using the same materials but different activities (matching to the level of students). When trying to figure out pacing (i.e. cassette tapes, videos, interviews etc), it is a helpful tip to always go with the pace of the majority and make modifications for students above and below the average level. Larger classes also pose a challenge to teachers, and the following tips will help ensure effective learning is taking place: appoint group leaders, use choral work, pair/group work, be clear, use worksheets, and use the dynamics/drama of a larger class to your advantage in creating an engaging, light-hearted learning atmosphere.
