TeachingEnglish
Teaching adults - focusing on communication
Submitted by magdalenna on 26 August, 2011 - 20:52
Hello everyone!
Recently I have a huge problem with choosing the best way to teach an adult to communicate in English. He has never learnt English, he knows only some simple phrases and words. Next week, I am going to have classes with him and I do not know what to do - I am a young teacher and it is my first challenge-how to improve his communication skills? what should be the first thing during our meetings?
I need some tips, help me :)
Yours,
Magdalenna
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Hi there
I think you should try to narrow it down a little bit, I mean what are the target needs?
Then for your first class why not start with social English? Very basic things to begin with.
Keep us posted.
Good luck.
Claire
Hi,
I'd look into the books for beginners - there are rafts of ideas that you can pick from. Why not teach him how to introduce himself and say something about him? That way, not only will he be able to learn/revise some basic vocabulary but also to communicate one of the most basic and essential things.
It's also important to find out why he's learning English. If it's only so that he's able to communicate when he's holidaying, then I'd focus on asking for and giving directions, ordering food, buying clothes, etc. So language that he's likely to be using when he's abroad. However, if he wants a standard course, where he can learn the language from scratch, well, there are many course books based on teaching English the communicative way. All you have to do is to choose one :)
M.
I am in agreement with Morith that you can probably teach him to introduce himself.
What I can suggest you is to always show your enthusiasm when you teach him. Moreover, let him speak more than you.
Thanks
Me too. I'm not good at english. I'm vietnamese. I don't know how to improve my skill athough i tried. I'm so sad and disappointed myself.
I know it sounds like a cliché, but you won't learn how to communicate unless you keep on doing it. I taught myself English when I was a teenager. I did it by listening to my favourite bands' songs and singing along - this helps you with your pronounciation. I'm into British English, so I'd watch my favourite British programmes, films and TV series, and I'd just say the lines that I knew by heart with the actors. And I talked to myself. Sounds weird, I know. But I'd pretend I was being interviewed and I asked myself questions and answered them - this was how I learned not to feel awkward when I was trying to speak with a British accent. Oh, and I did read stuff out loud - whenever I didn't know how to pronounce a word, I'd look it up. It became easier with time.
What else, having a person you could talk to also helps (duh). Try finding some skype-friends. Or maybe a friend of yours is also trying to learn (or is even better at English than you are) and you can maybe get together and chat in English? I'm doing the very same thing with German - I'm about 1 level better than my partner but we're trying to talk only in German every day for 2 hours. It's difficult, it's funny, it takes a lot of time before you say what you want but it's a good practice, especially that I know the grammar pretty well, so I can correct him and myself :)
Or try finding a person who'd have speaking sessions with you. No regular teaching, just conversation.
Or go to a foreign languages school and enrol for a course :)
There are plenty of options, pick one or some of them. Whatever you decide, don't give up learning. It's the only way you can improve your command of a given language.
I totally agree with Morith. Practice is a key to success! When I was a child, I used to listen songs, rhymes and watch cartoons, then -TV shows, radio or podcasts - it is a great opportunity to learn through fun. What's more- try to talk to natives as much as possible-it will definitely help.
Thank you very much for your help and tips!
I'll let you know about my classes with him:)
Hi Magdalena,
Write four pieces of information about yourself on a piece of paper e.g. August 18th 1980; dogs; two years; yellow. Tell the learner the information is about you. They then have to guess how it relates to you- 'You like dogs.', you answer yes or no (it may be that you don't like dogs).
You can model the language first by getting them to write four pieces of information about themselves and you then do the guessing first.
After you have both guessed each others information you can elicit the question forms- ' What animals do you like?' 'When were you born/What's your date of birth?'. You can then go on to elicit further questions forms using 'wh' words and closed 'yes/no' questions using auxilary verbs- is, have/has, do.
After you have elicited the questions forms tell the student they can ask you four more questions using a different question word, and if it's ok with them, you will ask them four more questions. You can ask first if they need you to model the language first (alternate- you ask a question then they ask a question). Make a mental note of any interesting answer they give and use them for points of further discussion later on.
This is a good way of introducing yourself and other classmembers on the first day of class, although it's not restricted to the first day of class. It makes a good warmer for higher level classes as well, and you can make a whole lesson out of it or more for lower levels. It follows a holistic approach- it's real and relevant to them so of interest.
Hope this is of use