Teaching Methods in English Language

The number of students, who learn English language is increasing day by day. And this process requires very qualified teachers. Teaching English depends on the variety of factors such as learner’s age, gender, nationality, his/her 1^st language, the learner’s style and so on.

Teaching English to speakers of other languages is both complicated and rewarding. More and more internationally minded people are choosing to teach English as a second language.  Teachers of English as a second language need to know a few simple methods to overcome the language barrier with their students.

But there is no single the best way to teach English. That is why, English teachers must find methods that are the most effective during the different periods of the teaching and learning process.

Here are the most successful methods which can help the teachers of English to achieve the results that they want during the teaching process:

Think In the Language

It means that students should try to think as much as they can in the chosen second language. It sounds like a pretty difficult task, but they should bear with it. This is greatly important as one of the greatest issues when studying to speak a foreign language is the habit to actively translate from your language to another, instead of thinking automatically in the other language. This will train them to become more confident and comfortable when faced with the chance to actually speak in the other language. If they will practice it regularly, it will gradually become much more natural to them.

Have Fun While Learning

"A good beginning makes a good ending." The saying is true for the English learning classroom as well. Use effective warmers to start your interesting lessons and grab students’ attention. Why use warm-ups, energizers and activities?

-Create a positive group atmosphere;

 -Help people to relax

-Break down social barriers;

-Energize & motivate

-Help people to "think outside the box";

 -Help people to get to know one another

Speaking activities and games can also make your class fun and help your students easier understand and learn peculiarities of pronunciation, intonation and vocabulary of the English language.

Think/Pair/Share

 Students learn to speak English by speaking English, but it is often counterproductive to ask English language learners to read passages or give descriptions to the entire class. Students are often embarrassed by their minimal knowledge and English skills. The think/pair/share strategy gives all students the opportunity to practice English by explaining different topics. If the teacher is constantly talking, learners of English as a second language will never get a chance to practice. Group work gives students an opportunity to practice the language. Groups work the best with 2 to 5 people; with any more people, not everyone gets a chance to participate. The think/pair/share technique increases student participation and involvement, and is a particularly effective way of encouraging English language learners to express their own opinions in English.

Speak slowly, distinctly, and write down key terms

 Anyone who has learned a foreign language in class, then traveled to a country where the language is spoken, has noticed that it is difficult to understand natives because they seem to “talk too fast”. What seems normal speed to a native speaker is extremely fast to a language learner or to a student with a hearing impairment. The addition of the complex terms can make learning even more difficult. Write down key terms so students can see them and connect them to the spoken word.

Use non-verbal signals

Facial expressions, hand gestures, and other non-verbal cues are a great way to overcome the language barrier. For example, when explaining the concept of tall, raise your hand high into the air. When explaining the concept of cold, shiver and chatter your teeth.

Use visual aids

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, and this is particularly true when teaching English as a second language. Visual aids can be used to teach everything from vocabulary to prepositions. In addition to instructional advantages, visuals keep lessons interesting for the learners. If possible, get access to an overhead or slide projector for effective presentations.

Don't over-correct

 Our first instinct as teachers of English as a second language is to correct student language errors. Over-correction, however, can make students be afraid of using the language. If afraid of being corrected every time they speak, students will simply stop speaking - and therefore learning - the language. Of course, there are appropriate times to correct language mistakes. If a concept - for example the past tense - has been discussed at length in class, it is appropriate to correct students when they form the past tense improperly.

We wish you good luck with all of your teaching methods!