ESL–A term used to say English as a Second Language. Another term often used is TEFL--teaching English as a Foreign Language.
In the first two weeks of teaching English to secondary students here in Thailand, I have learned a few tricks that have made this easier. For those of you that did not know, I was a special education teacher for primary-aged students, back in the United States for a few years. My specialty was teaching behavior. Teaching English as a foreign language, has been quite different, especially beginning the new school year online. Not to mention the fact that I am in a different country where I do not yet know their language.
Many people have asked, how do you teach them English when you don’t know their language? The most concise answer I can give you is a lot of patience, grace, and TPR (total physical response–motions and gestures). However, I have a few tips that I wanted to share with you, of how I have learned to grow as a teacher in this new environment and with this new challenge.
Lower your Expectations
If you read that heading and were offended, please keep reading! From colleagues, that is all the advice I heard, “lower your expectations or have no expectations of what they should already know or how many will participate.” I understand where they are coming from, but I also was heartbroken to know that this was their advice. So instead, for all the teachers out there, here are my tips from what I have learned these past two weeks…
Do not lower your expectations! No, give lots of examples and watch them run with it!
Pursuit of One
That is right. You should not have to change an entire lesson plan to be that of what you would teach in first and second grade in the United States. No, treat them with grace and an open mind. Then, give lots of examples for them to complete whatever it is you expect from them. After that, watch their creativity take flight.
Now, it is story time: The first homework assignment I had given all of my students, was a project to create a video to answer three questions and share whatever else they wanted to share. The amount of English, the use of special effects, the detailed editing, etc. dazzled me! These students that everyone told me to not expect anything from, blew my expectations out of the water! Later in the first week, I had them practice writing about using a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset. They needed to write a list of five things they are not good at right now, and then come up with a practical way they can improve that area of their lives. I received response after response telling me that they are not confident, they can’t do well in a certain subject, they can’t control their emotions, etc. If you saw me, right now as I write this down, I have the largest smile on my face and inwardly I am jumping up and down with excitement. If I had listened to the advice of setting my standards and expectations low, I would be teaching seven classes of students that will not grow. That is so far from the truth right now. I cannot wait to see how much they grow when they are in class!
Tip Two: PRESS REPEAT!
Repeat, repeat, repeat! Then, repeat again. This is something I was used to when teaching kindergarten and first grade in the States, repeat multiple times. When you think they finally understand, repeat yourself again. It is the same process here. They are learning a new language. Repetition is key, BUT you have to pair that with a slow speaking speed. Not only is the language different, but also my accent. Before me there was a foreign teacher from South Africa, with a very different accent than my own. The students she had for years, now have to learn how to hear words differently. Repeating them helps them understand and be able to use that later.
I am pretty sure I said the same three directions yesterday about twelve times, while using TPR, and showing the model on the shared screen. I always repeat four-six times, show the model or example, pause for questions, and repeat again. Some are probably sick and tired of my voice, but others are probably grasping the concept right around the eighth or ninth time I say it. I know that I will repeat myself multiple times and someone will ask a question about what I just said… which leads to my next tip.
Get Excited When They ask Questions
If people walked by when I taught primary students, they would think I was a nut-case. I would be dancing or jumping around, shouting “YAY! YOU DID IT!” with both arms high in the air, and always a crazy big smile when students would ask questions or try, even if they fail. Why? If you, as a teacher, create an environment where your students are uncomfortable to ask questions, your students may learn from you, but they will not grow.
What is the difference? As I see it, being a teacher is a purposeful calling, not a job title or means to an end. Teachers that view it as an occupation, can be really good educators that have high performance scores and awards to prove it. However, the few that were purposefully placed in that position, are the ones that have a hand in shaping students to be human beings who are prepared to reach for their dreams. These teachers see their students grow in academic skills, but also in their lives.
New Words? Bring it On!
When teaching new vocabulary at the beginning of the year, especially your first year teaching this level of students, it is wise to ask if students have ever heard a specific term before. Because you are teaching a new language to students, this will most likely happen often. What I learned this week is not to ask, “what does ____ mean?”, but rather polling the students to see if they have ever heard the term before. When receiving a response of “no”, do not get frustrated that your plan has now changed, because you have to teach that new term. Instead, get excited that you have the opportunity to teach that concept or skill.
Though I am new to the teaching field, I have been told time after time, that I am always positive. I hate to admit it, but that is a false statement, however, I will always celebrate my students’ successes and failures. I model a positive growth mindset so they know they are safe to try something new! If you show frustration that a concept has not clicked with a student, that is equivalent to telling them that you do not believe they can amount to anything. When you show appreciation for their questions, you are positively reinforcing their participation and eagerness to learn.
Let them Show Their True Colors
The final lesson I learned this week, is to let your students show their true colors. Let them be kids. Use the things they enjoy to your advantage. If that means playing games, using technology, having them share about themselves or create a YouTube video for homework, build on those strengths. If students take part in their own learning journey, they will retain the information, because they are motivated. I have been able to bust out laughing at my office desk from reading or watching a video that was submitted for their homework assignments. I have seen their personalities in their work!
This last year has been difficult. Figuring out how to educate students to the level of academic rigor needed to pass an end of the year test, while being online, is difficult. However, just like I taught my students last week; I believe that if you change your perspective, your mindset, you will see nothing but possibilities.
For all those teachers out there, thank you for doing what you do, especially when the days are long and exhausting. Thank you for being underpaid and still working so hard because you care! Thank you for answering the calling to be a teacher. The world needs more of you!
Keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things…
Walt Disney
