TEACHING BEGINNING LEVELS.
This is one of the greatest experiences in a teacher´s career because in this area you can see very quickly the results of your job.
- About the role of the teacher:
With begginers, the teacher has a big responsability because students do know anything, and they are going to reproduce all things that the teacher does. If you are motivated in your class, they are going to be motivated too, but if you do not like what you do, and you do not enjoy to teach, they are not going to learn.A teacher has to guide the class, but it doesn´t mean that you cann´t let students to participate. What you have to do is to make your students talk, participate and have the curiosity of knowing new words and vocabulary. Also you must help them in order to develop their knowledge.A teacher has to be a friend with students so that they feel comfortable. Also a teacher has to be very patient because some children learn very slow.- Authenticity of language:
Remember that students are interested in things that they can use "now"; it means useful vocabulary, phrases to share with their friends and greetings, so you have to make the language interesting for them, make topics according to their needs, and be very careful with your classes.In this level you have to repeat a lot in order to make them learn something. Use words that they can use every day and not difficult topics which are boring for them.Some people think that because children do not know so much about the language, they aren´t creative, but this is no true. Maybe children cann´t make a great composition, or a nice dialogue, but they can show other kind of creativity for example: When a children make the mimics of an animal, when they play games, make gestures and when they try to answer a question. This is creativity for their level because although they do not know so much, the try to communicate each other. A teacher has to see this nice features of students´ proccess in learning a new language, and strengthen this in order to make them feel motivated.
hi vane! I agree with what you said before. The teacher`s role is very difficult when teaching beginners.
ResponderEliminarAbout the authenticity of language, it`s true that at this level, students want to know vocabulary that they can apply in their daily life.
But remember, when we talk about teaching beginner, it doesn`t exactly mean that we talk about "children". A beginner could be even a 40 years old person. so when you write about student`s creativity;I think that you should take into account other ages too.
HI,
ResponderEliminarLupita is right. A beginner can be an adult who needs to learn the language for different purposes. Creativity will vary from person to person since there will be very young people without any sense of creativity and vice versa. So again it will somehow depend on the way you present topics.
People have different likes and sometimes no matter how enthusiastic you are, they will never land off
as you said Vane, the teacher has to be motivated in what he does. if he is not motivated, the class will be a disaster. But we have to thiink that there are teachers who live to teach, but there are some of them who teach to live. that means that some teachers teach because they love teaching, and they do not care about money, but some othersteach because they need to earn money.
ResponderEliminar