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This unit covers the other types of classes aside from adult classes that TEFL teachers may have to teach. The classes are beginners of all levels, children, individual students, business professionals or specific purpose groups, and monolingual or multilingual classes. All of these classes have their own challenges, advantages, and disadvantages. Beginners is an arbitrary phrase as beginners can denote beginning English learners who have absolutely no idea of the Roman alphabet to students who have studied English before and have not retained much information but have a base on which to start with. Beginners need focus from their teacher and a supportive atmosphere. Having all students start from the basics, not over-correcting, being clear in directions, using only English and not the mother tongue, and encouraging students to speak as much as possible are some of the tips for success with beginning students. Children are both a difficult and very rewarding group to work with. They are difficult because of their age range which can lead to behavioral problems if the class is too boring and not varied enough or if they are experiencing problems outside the classroom that affect their mood. However, children are able to pick up on languages more easily and more fluently than older students and their innate curiosity often make it easier to find motivated students in the classroom. Individual students tend to cover more material than large classes because the nature of one on one teaching sessions that don't allow for pair work with other students. Making sure that there is enough material to last the duration of the lesson is important for keeping the student engaged. Business and specific purpose groups can seem intimidating because of the industry and purpose for which they seek out English teachers. However, as a TEFL teacher, one should focus on bridging the gap between what students want or need to learn in their day to day life to the basics of the English language. Knowing the basic tenets of English will allow students to better connect their professional vocabulary knowledge to the task of daily communication. Asking students to explain their position and giving a needs analysis will not only help you better understand the context of the job and needs of the client, it can serve as a benchmark for the success rate of the class overall. Multilingual and monolingual classes should be taught in English as much as possible.
