Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in ShuntiAn Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Heyuan Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language.
It's hard to predict exactly what problems will arise in a classroom. If the class is newly formed, the students may not know one another and won't feel as comfortable as a class that has been together for a while. It'll be important during the first class to use some introductory activities and games to build rapport among the students. A needs analysis test can be conducted, too, to find out what the students want to learn. If there are different levels within a class, there are a few different options. Students can be given different materials according to their level, though I worry that may make some students feel inadequate or not as smart if it is emphasized too much. Activities where the groups are brought together are needed to help bridge this divide. Pairing stronger students with weaker ones can help, too, or using the same material different tasks for the stronger learners. Big classes are tricky to manage, and are something that I'm a little apprehensive about because all of my teaching (in piano) so far has been one-on-one or five people at most. The trick is to find activities that occupy as much of the class as possible and delegating some managing tasks to a few students. Choral repetition is good, as well as worksheets and dividing the class into groups with an appointed leader. Reluctant students can be troublesome as well. Sometimes the reluctance is due to shyness, though, and can be overcome with pair work or controlled practice to make sure the student's language ability is sufficient for the task they are trying to do. If they feel confident in their abilities, some reluctance to participate can be overcome. At least in my experience, many students are reluctant to participate in something because they don't feel very skilled in it. For example, usually my students that practice piano the least are the ones least willing to play in an end of semester recital. Those who practice a lot and can confidently play their music tend to be more open to performing, though this is certainly not always the case. Overall, I found this unit quite helpful. There are many practical concerns that can arise while teaching an EFL class, and having several ways of dealing with each difficulty can help us troubleshoot the problems when they arise.
