Description of Task:
Using what you have read in this introduction to TESOL and your own knowledge, what do you consider to be the blocks which may prevent language learning?
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One of the basic principles of good ESOL teaching is to ensure that the students can succeed. There are many blocks which may prevent the successful learning of language.
1. From the perspective of the role of a teacher, these are the possible blocks that may occur :
a) Incompetent teachers.
- Teachers talk too much. Teachers should limit their talking time so as to keep students interested and motivated. Students will not learn how to speak English if the teacher is speaking all the time. And if the teacher is talking a lot, the students will not be following everything, as they are being passive and not interacting with the teacher or the task. Examples of limiting the teacher’s talking time are :
1) Allow students more time to focus and involve them in practice and activities. Set up
groupwork and pairwork activities.
2) Involve students in activities right from the start of the lesson.
3) Use deductive grammar methods by letting the students work things out for themselves.
4) Get the students’ attention before beginning an instruction by using hands and gestures
to make it clear. Use as few words as possible.
- Topics must be relevant to the students so that they can relate to it and to keep them interested and focused.
- Teachers over-correct the students. Teachers should be encouraging when correcting mistakes and at the same time, acknowledge the efforts made by the students. Students need recognition and motivation to progress and succeed.
- Teachers who are predictable, lacking creativity and variety in presentation. Teachers should be creative in their approaches.
- Teachers who are too heavy on the grammar structure.
- Teachers should use realistic language such as real speech...