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Archive for September, 2008
The spider song. I use some super jumbo ones that squeak. One spider per student. (Some are sooooooooooooooo afraid!)
Duration : 0:2:13
Here are some quick tips for new ESL teachers.
Today I approach the topic of ESL tutoring from a different perspective. Instead of information on how to set up your business or get started, I have an article giving an idea for how to teach your classes. If you find this article interesting and want to apply the principles to your own tutoring methods, I encourage you to also take a look at the product advertised to the right of this blog. The book can be an invaluable resource for you to create some role-plays and meaningful conversations. Here is the article–enjoy!
An article by George Stocker entitled “ESL Role-Play” talks about how using role plays can make learning a language less frustrating when trying to make a transition from the classroom to real-life situations. While books are an excellent resource for vocabulary that is relevant for the “real world”, role-plays allow students to practice in a non-threatening environment with different personalities that they may encounter outside the four walls of the classroom.
Stocker gives some excellent ideas that an ESL tutor or teacher can use to create a role-play around. Lovers’ problems, traveling, and debates on current affairs and politics are classic favorites. No matter what the topic chosen, however, Stocker has the following useful tips:
1. The more engaging the better. It is suggested to prepare for the role-plays by assigning students personality cards and have mini practice sessions before the actual event.
2. Sketch out the various routes the debate could take so that you can avoid surprises and know how to help guide discussions
While role-plays take more effort and imagination to play out, they are well worth the effort. They can last half an hour, an hour, or even extend a whole year. Students tend to remember what they learn a lot more, gain valuable skills in communicating in a foreign language, and have fun. Often the lesson follows the students outside the building as well.
As an ESL and academic tutor myself, I find that the lessons that keep the students most engaged and interested are the ones that take a little more planning and imagination from myself, but also make the student believe they are spending so much time and money learning a language for a reason—to communicate effectively who they really are and what they believe in. Mere grammar lessons make language learning a very dull process indeed.
I believe Mr. Stocker did an excellent job offering this suggestion for ESL tutoring and teaching. You can read the whole article and get links to other of his materials at the following site: http://EzineArticles.com/?ESL-Role-Play&id=99731 His website is www.efl-esl.com
ESL tutors (and all teachers) have some qualities or characteristics that are needed to be successful in not only surviving their job, but excelling in it too. For this article, I will be using an excellent characteristic list given by Debra Garcia in the following blog, http://www.esl-tutor.com/2007/06/qualities-of-esl-teacher.html . The list is hers, the commentary is mine.
A tutor should be patient. Students only progress at the rate at which they progress. Even if you are bored silly, you must stay with a topic as long as the student stays engaged with it. Also, students may be late, not diligent to study, or other things that will test your patience.
A tutor should be flexible. Not every student learns the same way. You will have to learn a variety of ways to teach a concept. Also, sometimes you may have to take a student at a time that is not very convenient to your own schedule.
A tutor should be curious. If you still have the desire to learn, you will transfer your curiosity to your students and they will learn much more.
A tutor should be empathetic. A lot of ESL tutoring is based on relationship. There are many struggles ahead for the ESL student as they learn a language and just live life. You are bound to become a person they confide in.
A tutor should be intelligent. Even if you aren’t as educated as some of the people you tutor, you will have to appear competent in your field to be respected and well paid.
A tutor should be cooperative. You will be more successful if you help other students and teachers be successful. Share your ideas and resources.
A tutor should be knowledgeable. Never stop learning or getting more materials and ideas for your students. New methods and resources are being developed all the time. Be on the cutting edge of your field!
A tutor should be enthusiastic. Whatever you are, your students will follow. If you look bored, they will be too.
A tutor should be resourceful. Use the internet, use others, use books, use your own ideas.
A tutor should be genuine. Don’t pretend to be someone you are not. Your students need to learn from you, not a phony. Don’t keep students that you are not compatible with.
I hope this list gives you some food for thought. ESL tutoring is very rewarding and can be as interesting as you make it. Consider carefully if you think this is the career for you, and then go for it. You can do it!
If you are reading this article, you are likely looking for ideas for your ESL tutoring business. If you are self-employed or wondering how you can get started in making yourself profitable as an ESL tutor, hopefully you can get some simple (and low budget) ideas here.
I have been a self-employed academic and ESL tutor for over 10 years. I love the freedom that being self-employed allows. I have a 2-year-old daughter and tutoring allows me to schedule clients around taking care of her. As an ESL tutor, you have the chance to set your own schedule and priorities. If you live in an area where there are a lot of international students, you should not have much trouble finding your place in the marketplace.
Of course, if you are considering being an ESL tutor, I am assuming that you are qualified. Mostly, this means that you speak English—usually a native speaker for the big bucks. You should have a good grasp of grammar and pronunciation. There are thousands of resources that you can buy or even get for free online to help you with your lesson plan ideas, etc, so experience as a teacher of some kind is not absolutely necessary, but always helpful. In some situations you may need a TOEFL certificate or similar, but for private ESL tutoring, being available and willing to learn is really all you need.
One idea to begin marketing yourself is to make up some inexpensive business cards (use Vista Print or even design your own) and find places where international students hang out. Pass out cards, put up some posters, and see if you can get a couple of clients this way. This seriously works. When I wanted to build up a client base in my town I did this very thing. Within a day I had two people interested. From them, word began to spread by word of mouth and within a year I was able to quit my other job and work as a tutor. This is in a town that is saturated with English language schools and tutoring organizations.
Do your research, of course. Find out what the average tutoring rate is, what your competition is, etc. Some people also find success advertising in other ways. In the article, “Teaching ESL to Adults: Advertising and Growing an ESL Tutoring Business” , by Debra Garcia, she mentions that she only advertises on craisglist.org when she needs a new student. If you want to take out an ad in the local paper or business directories, those are also options you can use. However, I found that getting clients the low budget way is just as effective as paying. Remember, students needing ESL tutoring may not have the ability to research local papers the same way a native speaker would.
Hopefully this gives you a few ideas to start with when trying to build your own ESL tutoring business. You can get more ideas from the above mentioned Debra Garcia from her blog “Teaching ESL to Adults” at http://www.esl-tutor.com . Good luck!