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Establishing rapport Rapport is what we build when we are able to show empathy towards the person we communicate to. It is a powerful tool of communication and understanding that makes interaction a pleasant experience when meeting other people. The strategies to build a good rapport usually involve verbal and nonverbal language, which can certainly be applied to teaching. Our tone of voice tells people more than what we think, it says how we feel, our self-assurance or the lack of it, if people can trust us or not. We transmit nervousness or calmness. Therefore, it is important to manage the way we, as new teachers, approach students on our first day of class. To create confidence in our students the tone of our voice, the rhythm and volume are essential keys to communicate the right message. This, along with being a good listener, are essential skills to develop on the road to becoming a good teacher. Some good verbal approaches to communication are: asking questions in a friendly manner; remembering students name by calling them by their name when asking questions; encourage them; if the level allows it, to let them talk about their expectations about the class, what they want to achieve, and why; and helping them to express themselves without correcting them; the corrections can be done later in the class. A new teacher must have a large number of activities to warm up the class. Starting the class with an activity is always beneficial, so the students can relax and feel more comfortable with the teacher and the rest of the classmates. An example of a warm-up activity is ?Secret word?. This is an activity that can be adapted to different levels of english. Students stand in a circle. On a piece of paper they are requested to write their names and a funny english word they can remember, beginning with the same letter as their name. They reveal their name to the rest of the class, the teacher goes first, followed by their secret word which will be used as their last name; examples of results could be: I am Sara Cat or I am Jose Door. The game goes around until the last students say his/her name. Some nonverbal language tools include: smiling; using eye contact; having a relaxed posture and using our hands when speaking. All these will help us to build good rapport. They can help create a more relaxed atmosphere in the class and create confidence in the students to have a go, which is vital in enabling students to get the best out of their english learning classes. This nonverbal language shouldn?t be overused though; it might show anxiety and discomfort, giving the wrong message. It is important to keep in mind that our attitude should show students that we enjoy what we do, have the knowledge the job requires, therefore our speech should be clear and, depending on the level of english our students have, we should use simple words and a lot mime, so it will be easy for them to understand what we say. If the level is advanced it still be important not to use complicated or too difficult words, but instead use a vocabulary lower than their actual level. In conclusion, to establish good rapport is a very important task for a new teacher to accomplish when approaching a new class. Rapport will definitely set the beginning of a good, enjoyable working environment if it is effectively built. Through the use of the verbal and nonverbal techniques mentioned above, a conscientious teacher can build rapport and create a fun but effective learning environment for english language learners of all ages and levels.
