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Unit 20 discusses common problems or situations that teachers experience. During the first lesson, it is important for teachers to establish rapport with the students, sometimes even between the students if they are not familiar with each other. It is also important to take the opportunity to assess students? needs, levels, and interests. A teacher can do this by providing a questionnaire, survey, a needs analysis, or through some games. Unit 20 also reviews the importance of warmers to encourage student interest and participation. Warmers help prevent students from feeling bored or unexcited for the day?s lesson. Some possible warmers are hangman, Pictionary, tongue twisters, and memory games. It is important for teachers to recognize different or varying levels of English ability in students. Unit 20 includes some possible ways of addressing the issue of a gap in levels of English ability: use different materials that will suit stronger and weaker abilities; use the same material but create more difficult tasks for stronger students; pair strong and weak students together; or have materials cater to a balanced ?middle? of the students? abilities to avoid the gap in levels from increasing. With large classes it can be difficult to keep all of the students involved. Some ways of making sure all students are able to participate and gain benefit are through worksheets, pair/group work, and choral repetition. In large classes it is also vital to make sure your voice is clearly audible and that any board-work is visible to everyone. Unit 20 provides tips for avoiding the use of students? native language in the classroom. This can be by making sure the activities are at an appropriate level for the students and explaining the instructions clearly. Another method is to only respond to English, even if the teacher is able to understand the students? L1. As for students who are reluctant to participant, it is best to encourage pair work so that they can practice in a safe environment. Another tip is to provide enough controlled practice and encourage role play activities. If students are having difficulties with listening texts, make sure that the recording is clear, audible, and an appropriate level for the students. It is also a good idea to have extra activities for those who finish early.
