CONTENTS PAGE 1
HOW TO START TEACHING 16 BASICS: 10 Easy Ways 28 SOLVING PROBLEMS:
of Sprucing Up Your
4 BASICS: I Got the Job Classes
Call! Now What? Acing
Your ESL Teacher
Interview 17 BASICS: Yes, You
Can: 8 Keys to Being a
5-6 BASICS: ESL Job Successful ESL Teacher
Interview:What To Be
Prepared For
18 BASICS: How To Be
A Better Teacher: The
7 BASICS: I Got the Job! Secret Recipe That
The Critical First Weeks Every Pro Knows
as an ESL Teacher
19 BASICS: It’s Personal!
7 Ways to Get Students
8 BASICS: 5 Worst to Open up and Share
Mistakes All Beginner
ESL Teachers Make (And
You Too?) 20 BASICS: Feeling
Down? 8 Things that
Will Give Your Teaching
9 BASICS: 5 Most Confidence a Boost
Common Misconceptions
Beginner ESL Teachers
Have 21 HOW TO START: Why
You Should Always Start
With a Warmer
10 BASICS: Becoming A
Super ESL High School
Teacher: 8 Little-Known 22 HOW TO TEACH: What
Secrets Do You See? 8 Steps
to Teaching Basic
11 BASICS: Becoming A Vocabulary
Teacher: What Makes A
Good Teacher
23 HOW TO TEACH: Simon
Says You’ll Love these
12 BASICS: Newest Games for Teaching
Strategies For ESL Anatomy Vocabulary
Instruction
24 HOW TO TEACH:
13 BASICS: Pair Work vs. Amazing Animals:
Group Work: What’s A Super-Engaging
Better For The Learner? Elementary Lesson on
Adjectives
14 BASICS: Top 10
Resources You Might 25 HOW TO TEACH: How
Not Know You Have to Get Your Students
to Stop Translating and
Start Thinking in English
15 BASICS: Top 10
Websites for the ESL 26-27 HOW TO TEACH: Top
Teacher 10 Ways to Motivate
Your Students
Oh, No: What am I
Going to Do without My
Handouts? Dealing with
Broken Copy Machines
and Other Professional
Snafus
29 SOLVING PROBLEMS:
Oh, No: Where Did I Put
the Second Handouts?
Handling Transitions in
the Classroom
30 SOLVING PROBLEMS:
So Do You Have a Smart
Classroom? No, It’s Not
Even a Little Intelligent:
Teaching in a Classroom
with Nothing at All
31 COLLEAGUES: ESL
Teamwork: Collaborating
With Colleagues
32 COLLEAGUES: 8 Most
Typical ESL Characters
You’re Probably Sharing
Your Teacher’s Room
With
33 COLLEAGUES: You
Don’t Need to Avoid the
Staff Room: 5 Types
of ESL Colleagues and
How to Get Along with
Them
34 COLLEAGUES: 5
Dreadful Teacher Types
You Should Avoid
Turning Into
35 COLLEAGUES: Team
Teaching: Tips for
Success
36 COLLEAGUES: How to
Be a Great Teaching
Assistant
 CONTENTS PAGE 2
HOW TO START TEACHING 50 DO’S AND DONT’S:
How To Avoid Sensitive
37-38 COLLEAGUES: What Issues When Teaching
Can I Do to Help? ESL
Managing Volunteers
and Assistants in the 51 DO’S AND DONT’S:
Classroom ESL Controversy: Native
Speaker vs. Non-Native
Speaker
39 DO’S AND DONT’S:
Don’t Do It: 10 Things 52-53 DO’S AND DONT’S:
Never to Do in the Top 10 Ways to Teach
Classroom Culture

40 DO’S AND DONT’S: ESL 54 FOR A RAINY DAY:

Dress Code: What Smart The Gift of Gab: 10
Teachers Wear Conversation Starters
that Will Never Fail
41-42 CHECKING
COMPREHENSION: 55 FOR A RAINY DAY: Top
“Does That Make 10 Time Fillers For Your
Sense?” Ways To Check Classroom
For Comprehension

43 CHECKING
COMPREHENSION:
How to Check
Comprehension: Easy
Ways

44-45 CHECKING
COMPREHENSION:
HOWTO: 3 Easy Steps
to Grading Student
Essays

46 CHECKING
COMPREHENSION:
“That’s Correct! 7 Great
Ways to Check Answers
with Your ESL Class”

47-48 MATERIALS: 5
Essential Reference
Books You Must Have
for Your Classroom (And
5 Others That are Still
a Good Idea to Keep
Around)

49 DO’S AND DONT’S:

Why You Should Use
Cell Phones in Class:
8 Activities For Putting
Phones to Positive Use
in the ESL Classroom
I Got the Job Call! Now What?
Acing Your ESL Teacher Interview
“Is this (your name)? This is Maria
from Sacramento City College. We
have some openings for ESL in-
structors and wonder if you’d like to
come in for an interview...”
How exciting are those words? Very ex-
citing for any job seeker, but especially
so, I believe, for a first-time teacher. You
hang up the phone feeling elated. Then
the panic sets in. The interview is Mon-
day, and it’s already Thursday. How do
you prepare between now and then?
Remember that you may be an excel-
lent teacher, but that does not guaran-
tee you will interview well or get the job.
Interviewing is a separate skill in it-
self, but it can be learned.
HOW TO ACE YOUR
ESL JOB INTERVIEW
1 GO BACK TO THE JOB
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Identify key skills listed in the job an-
nouncement: “Able to teach a variety
of courses, lead committees, and
identify and propose new courses.”
These are three separate skills and sug-
gest a need for an instructor with some
experience and leadership skills. Make
sure in your interview that you are able
to speak to each of these skills, even
if you only have one small example —
the course you designed as part of your
master’s degree program, for example.
2
GO BACK TO
YOUR COURSE MATERIAL
Just as you identified key skills in the
job announcement, in your course ma-
terial or any professional journals you
subscribe to, identify key terms. What
are the “buzz words” scholars are us-
ing now in the field? As a first-time ESL
job applicant in 1989, with a teaching
credential in English and little knowl-
edge of ESL instruction, I prepared for
my first interview by reading an anthol-
ogy of articles on ESL and learning that
scholars in the field were interested in
“communicative language learning”
and “the Natural Approach,” terms I
was able to mention in my interview. I
got the job.
4
3 WRITE
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
With your identified key terms and
skills, formulate a list of 5 to 10 ques-
tions the interviewer is likely to ask you:
for example, “What is your approach
to language teaching?”
4
WRITE RESPONSES
In your response to the questions,
include at least one specific example
or story — the interviewer, as with al-
most anyone, is only able to relate to
specifics. For example, I might say in
response to the question about my ap-
proach, “I support mostly the com-
municative language approach.”
Here I’ve given a topic sentence or
main point. I will follow with some spe-
cifics, “For example, my first lessons
are not devoted to conjugating the
verbs ‘to be’ and ‘to have’ but rather
on a series of small activities dur-
ing which students learn greetings,
farewells, and classroom language
— language they can use immedi-
ately in real-life situations.” One of
my colleagues got her first full-time job
largely because the committee was im-
pressed by her organized, “essay-type”
responses to the interview questions.
5
PRACTICE, PRACTICE,
PRACTICE
Once you have your questions and
responses, give the questions to your
spouse, partner, roommate, or other
trusted person to help you practice.
Ask for feedback. Making eye con-
tact tends to be an important feature
of a good interviewee in U.S. culture
as is smiling occasionally: people tend
to interpret these as signs of honesty
and friendliness. Appearing relaxed
and confident is also important as the
interviewer is looking for signs you can
handle the job without too much stress.
6
PREPARE A TEACHING
DEMONSTRATION
Sometimes there will be a second
interview — usually only a short list of
candidates is invited back for a second
interview, so this is a good sign. Often
at such an interview, you will be asked
to prepare a short lesson plan and
present it so that a panel of administra-
tors and instructors will be able to judge
your teaching skills. It’s usually best to
keep it short, fifteen minutes or so, as
it’s not a real lesson but a brief “sam-
ple” of your teaching skills — the panel
will be looking at your knowledge of the
subject matter and ability to convey it
to students. The “lesson” should be
something relatively simple that you’ve
successfully taught before, if possible. I
once tried to demonstrate something I
had never taught before, different ways
of making requests depending on the
level of familiarity between the parties
involved and the size of the request.
However, the set of instructions and
materials that had seemed so great on
paper was, before an actual audience,
so complicated that it left the interview-
ers confused and with obvious con-
cerns about how clear it would be to
ESL students. I didn’t get the job. For
my next interview, I stuck with introduc-
ing how to write a persuasive essay, a
mini-lecture I’ve successfully given doz-
ens of times — and got the job!
7
AFTER THE INTERVIEW
After the interview congratulate
yourself on a job well done — and re-
lax. Take yourself out to lunch or other
small celebration you prefer. If you get
the call that you got the job, great! And
if not, you’re still a winner because you
gave a great interview that will pave
the way eventually to a job. Review the
questions you remember the panel ask-
ing, especially the ones that “threw” you
— there usually are one or two in ev-
ery interview. Note them down in your
interview materials and think of strong
responses that you can use if asked
again in future interviews. Each inter-
view is a step closer to getting a job.
INTERVIEWING IS AN ART OF ITS
OWN, AND KNOWING HOW TO INTER-
VIEW WELL IS NECESSARY IN A COM-
PETITIVE, CAPITALISTIC SOCIETY —
FEW PEOPLE, EVEN PROFESSION-
ALS, GET A JOB AND THEN STICK WITH
IT THE LENGTH OF THEIR CAREERS,
AND THEY WILL FIND THEMSELVES
INTERVIEWING AGAIN AND AGAIN.
ESL Job Interview:
What To Be Prepared For
A GOOD WAY TO VIEW THE ESL JOB
INTERVIEW IS TO COMPARE THEM
WITH CLOTHES. THEY COME IN ALL
SHAPES, SIZES, LENGTHS, FITTINGS,
COLOURS...
I could go on forever really. But fact
of the matter is that you never re-
ally know how it’s going to be until
you go. Sometimes ESL interviews
can really surprise you. That fancy
language centre with the fancy Ikea-
like furniture and billboards plastered
throughout the city does the two-
question, 40-second job interview.
- ‘Can you teach kids?’ and
- ‘So, when can you start?’
Whereas, the run down, grubby little
language school, situated next to a
cheap massage parlour may ask you
for the whole shebang - lesson plan, a
demo lesson, to see originals of your
TESOL certs, degrees, passport, to
give several in-depth explanations
as to the difference between Present
Perfect and Present Perfect Continu-
ous, see your grade 8 report card and
a letter from your mother saying that
you are a very good boy. Ok, well
maybe not the last few.
While you can never 100% prepare for
the ESL job interview, this guide will
give you some of the usual suspects
as well as some of the curly questions
that seem to rear their ugly head at an
ESL job interview.
THE EASY ONES:
1 - SO, TELL ME ABOUT
YOUR TEACHING CAREER?
Ahhh yes, this is the most common
question of the lot. This is the time
to pull out the big guns, name the
big companies you’re taught at, use
all the abbreviations and acronyms
that you can. IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC,
IB, TESOL, TEFL, ESL, etc. All jokes
aside, at an ESL job interview, it’s
your job to sell yourself, just as if you
are selling a used car.
2 - WHY DO YOU ENJOY
TEACHING?
A) I don’t. B) Because I love com-
municating, I love speaking with new
people and have always enjoyed
speaking with new people. Hmmm,
can you pick the right answer? If you
use your common sense and give a
vaguely positive answer, you will an-
swer this question correctly.
3
- WHY DID YOU LEAVE
YOUR LAST JOB /
WHY ARE YOU PLANNING
TO LEAVE YOUR CURRENT JOB?
This is a tricky one that is always good
to prepare for. A common, non-offen-
sive answer that won’t see your job
prospects flying out the window is to
answer along the lines of new expe-
rience. A good example answer is: ‘I
left my last job as my contract with
the school ended and it is time for
me to experience a new teaching
environment.’ It’s also a good idea to
pump up the ego of the interviewer by
commenting on the fine reputation his
school has. You should never, ever,
ever slag off your previous work-
place.
4
- HOW DO YOU DEAL
WITH NAUGHTY CHIL-
DREN?
A typical question that is frequently
asked by the academic managers in
language centres. A not-so-good an-
swer would be to give them a whop-
ping back hander. This question is
an attempt to delve into your teach-
ing methodology, specifically with
classroom management.
What the interviewer is looking for is
a) you’re not a psychopath, and b)
you have some knowledge on class-
room management. An ideal answer
would most likely make reference to
positive reinforcement and various
approaches to discipline such as re-
moving privileges from the misbehav-
ing students.
5 - WHAT WOULD YOU SAY
YOU DO BEST
AS A TEACHER?
‘Well duh! Everything!’ As true as
that may be, you can’t exactly say
that. More diplomatic language is
needed to gain the trust of the in-
terviewer. While this question isn’t
a toughie, it still has a tendency to
cause headaches.
One of the rules with the interview
questions, is that you should provide
as much information as possible,
even if it is not directly asked for in the
question. This allows you to put for-
ward as many of your positive points
as possible, and proves to the inter-
viewer that you are an effective com-
municator.
THE TOUGHIES:
1
TA?
- WHAT DID YOU LEARN
FROM YOUR TESOL / CEL-
Arghhhhh! This question often leaves
many teachers clinging on to whatev-
er they can get the hands on. In many
cases, teachers have completely for-
gotten about everything in their TE-
SOL course and replaced it with some
of the things that they have learnt
on when thrown in the deep end. It’s
good to have a technical answer
about lesson plans or an answer
about grammatical awareness on
hand.
2 - WHAT
WOULD YOU DESCRIBE
AS YOUR WEAKNESSES?
- Erm... None? Of course not! =
Bad answer (although very true!)
- It’s difficult to say, as I am the sort
of person who is always endeav-
ouring to improve all aspects of
life, whether it be personal or work
related. = Good answer.
5
 3 - A LARGE NUMBER OF
STUDENTS ARE USING
THEIR MOBILE PHONES IN
Also, remember you are selling your-
self, so give as much detail as pos-
sible and don’t be afraid to use the
hard sell!
CLASS, WHAT WOULD YOU
DO?
Wow, this one is a tricky one as you
want to answer in a way that would be
appropriate for the new job. While your
old methods may have been perfectly
acceptable, e.g., letting the students
be, and not disrupting the flow of the
class, your new school may actually
involve a little more disciplinary action
to be taken in such an event. It’s a bit
of a gamble as to whether to be hon-
est or not, I would generally tend to go
with the honest answer in this situa-
tion, but back it up with reasons.

4 - SO WHY DID YOU COME

TO WORK IN ___?
Mmmmm, personal questions are al-
ways the toughest to answer. And no,
cheap booze is never a good answer.
Try to show a strong interest in the
country where you intend to work.
One good way of doing this is to say
that you have loved the country for a
long time and decided one day that
you would like to experience the cul-
ture on a long-term basis.

5 - TELL ME, WHY DID YOU

BECOME A TEACHER?
In other words, why the hell would you
give up a six-figure salary to come
and do this lowly paid job? A few good
ways to handle this sometimes-curly
question is to deal with it by saying
that a time in your life was reached
where you simply woke up and felt
that it was time to make the change.
I always make sure to mention that
my father gave me the idea that ESL
teaching is a valid career that allows
me to reside in a foreign country (true
story!).

SO, THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE

AN ESL INTERVIEW IS ALWAYS
GIVE ANSWERS THAT ARE POSI-
TIVE, BE STRONG AND BELIEVABLE
WITH YOUR RESPONSES, AND IF
YOU EVER COME ACROSS A DIFFI-
CULT QUESTION THAT YOU NEED TO
THINK ABOUT, SIMPLY ACKNOWL-
EDGE THAT IT IS A DIFFICULT QUES-
TION AND TAKE YOUR TIME IN
ANSWERING.

6
I Got the Job! The Critical
First Weeks as an ESL Teacher
SO YOU GOT THE JOB, THE ESL TEACH-
ING JOB YOU’VE WANTED FOR SO
LONG! THAT’S THE GOOD NEWS. THE
BAD NEWS IS THAT CLASS BEGINS ON
MONDAY.
In addition, you aren’t really prepared,
and the first weeks of a term are criti-
cal in setting the tone. The good news
is, however, that you can easily get pre-
pared keeping a few principles in mind.
KEYS TO YOUR FIRST
WEEKS AS AN ESL
INSTRUCTOR
1 GET TO KNOW THE STAFF.
IDENTIFY KEY PEOPLE.
These are the people to go to for as-
sistance: the receptionist who takes
your calls and knows where supplies
like printer paper and white board mark-
ers are, the custodian, who has the
key to everything, literally, your co-
teachers who always are there with
advice and assistance. Get to know
these people quickly and offer your own
assistance on their behalf to establish a
good relationship.
2
IDENTIFY IMPORTANT
PLACES AND RESOURCES.
I once worked at a university for the
better part of the year before learning
the student union/cafe was right across
from my office — in fairness, I was holed
up in the office working on my disserta-
tion much of the time. However, I would
usually discourage this practice — it’s
important to get out, talk to people, and
learn the news of the organization, if
for no other reason than students may
be asking you for this information. You
should know where the union, the li-
brary or learning resource center, the
registrar, and the tutoring center are.
3
GET TO KNOW
SCHOOL CULTURE.
Each workplace has its own norms,
rules, and expectations, its “cul-
ture.” Spend some time learning that of
your new school because understand-
ing a workplace’s culture may be as
important as possessing the requisite
job skills. No two work cultures are
alike: in some, for example, occasional
tardiness is not a problem while in oth-
ers it is severely frowned upon. Look
around and ask yourself questions:
How important is it to be on time? What
do most people wear to work — jeans
or suits? How long do people take for
lunch, and do they eat here or go else-
where? What is celebrated here and
how? Are employee birthdays, for ex-
ample, recognized? Is there an annual
holiday party?
4 GET TO KNOW
YOUR STUDENTS.
When school starts and students start
attending classes, begin immediately
memorizing their names. This can be
more difficult than it sounds: many ESL
students are in an intermediate stage
of acculturation and have adopted
“American” names but haven’t yet fully
committed to them, so you have to re-
member both: that Mohammed’s West-
ern name is “Sean,” although he often
doesn’t respond to it but sometimes
writes it on his papers. You should learn
not only student names, however, but
also something about each student as
an individual — a career goal, a hobby,
an interesting story. Knowing something
about each student helps in getting to
know him or her — and, incidentally, re-
membering those pesky names!
5
ESTABLISH
A CLASS ROUTINE.
As part of these critical first weeks, you
should also establish a class routine,
which helps a class run more smooth-
ly. Establish procedures for entering
late, for turning in late work, where pa-
pers and books are located, and what
students should do with personal items
such as electronic equipment during
class. Also covered should be what is
included in each class day: reading at
the beginning, perhaps? Journal reflec-
tion at the end? Such procedures will
help the class run smoothly because
everyone knows what he or she should
be doing. In addition, if you have stu-
dents help you in establishing the rou-
tine, this gets them involved and more
committed to making the class run well.
6 OFFER YOUR HELP;
ESTABLISH A “NICHE”
Again, while certainly veteran teachers
will come forward to help you — that is
what teachers do — you should offer
help in return. You may think that, as
a rookie teacher, you have little to of-
fer, but everyone has something to of-
fer, even if it’s general availability — as
I did as a new teacher at an ESL adult
program, where I quickly gained a rep-
utation for willingness to teach almost
anything, anytime — I would substi-
tute almost any class with little notice.
Indeed, one evening the vice principal
glanced at me and said, “Weren’t you
wearing that same dress yester-
day?” I replied, “No, not yesterday
-- this morning, it’s the same day,”
an exchange which shows the kind of
hours we were both keeping. However,
I did quickly gain a reputation as a flex-
ible and hard worker, while also devel-
oping the experience I lacked. I was, of
course, at this time young and childless,
those hours are not possible for every-
one. However, other new teachers can
establish their “name” in other areas:
one of the students in my graduate
courses, for example, as a new teacher
“leaked” his computer expertise when
helping a colleague fix her computer.
After that “secret” was out, he was in
constant demand around campus help-
ing teachers and staff with their temper-
amental technology — so much so that
it began to interfere with his teaching
duties. However, this also, in a difficult
economy, provided some buffer for him!
7
RELAX. HAVE FUN!
The hard part is over now! You
understand the school culture, you
know your students, and the students
know you and understand the class rou-
tines. And you have your niche! You can
relax now — until midterm, that is!
STARTING A NEW JOB IS NEVER
EASY, PERHAPS EVEN LESS SO WITH
TEACHING JOBS.
But by identifying key people and re-
sources, and setting up your own class
procedures, you’ll be part of the school
culture in no time!
7
5 Worst Mistakes All Beginner ESL
Teachers Make (And You Too?)
Oscar Wilde once said, “Experi-
ence is simply the name we give
our mistakes”.
2 IGNORING BOUNDARIES
BETWEEN TEACHER
AND STUDENTS
for a group of students than empty
promises or weak threats. Once you
define how you’ll manage your class,
stick to it!
This holds true for everyone starting
out in a new career, and ESL teachers

are no exception. But one thing is ac-
cepting we’ll make mistakes as we go
and chalk it up to a lack of experience,
and another is completely ignoring the
worst kind of mistakes you could make.
Since anyone can learn from their mis-
takes, then we can certainly learn from
the five worst mistakes beginner ESL
teachers make.
5 WORST ESL
MISTAKES
ESL teachers should be friendly and
strive to bond with students in order to
achieve the best learning outcomes.
But there’s a line between being friendly
and being a friend. A teacher is meant
to be an authority figure, one that is
most definitely not on equal terms
with students. This is a very common
mistake in young teachers, especially
because they might be the same age
as their students. It’s all right to share
some personal things and talk about
family, pets, interests or hobbies. But
you must never let it get too personal.
4
FORGETTING
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
Some teachers are so focused on
teaching things about the English cul-
ture, they completely ignore their stu-
dents’. Some gestures ESL teachers
commonly use in the classroom, like
the gesture for OK, may be very rude
in other cultures. In some countries,
students may be used to lecturing, and
may not react positively when you pro-
pose a game. This is a mistake ESL

1 TAKING UP
ALL OF THE TALKING TIME
In an ESL class, what is the most
common reason students are en-
rolled? They want to SPEAK English!
And what happens when the teacher
speaks most of the time? They don’t
have enough chances to actually prac-
tice their speaking skills. Those who
are new to ESL teaching often make
this very crucial mistake: They take up
too much of the talking time, either be-
cause they feel uncomfortable around
silence or long pauses, or because
they are over-enthusiastic to share
their knowledge. So clearly, hogging
most of the talking time is out of the
question. But, how to find the right
balance between student talking
time and teacher talking time?
As a general rule of thumb, students
should speak for 70% of the class
time, while teachers speak for the
remaining 30%. These percentages
could be tweaked in cases where stu-
dents are absolute beginners (50-50),
or at the other end of the spectrum, very
advanced learners in need of intensive
speaking practice (90-10). This means
that in most cases, your participation
should be limited to giving instructions
and explaining essential points, but
above all to eliciting response from stu-
dents and facilitating all types of speak-
ing activities.
8
Any personal information shared must
be supplied to give students context
when they are learning something new.
teachers make above all in foreign
countries where the culture is very dif-
ferent from Western culture, like Arabic
It is not meant to be shared so you may or Oriental cultures. Learn about their
be accepted by students. This is when customs, especially greetings, and
the lines become blurred and students use this information to create a pos-
get confused. You lose all authority itive learning environment.
and any effective classroom manage-
ment is severely compromised. Be on
friendly terms, talk about your dog or
what you did last weekend, but make
5 NOT GATHERING ENOUGH
INFORMATION
ON STUDENTS’ BACKGROUNDS
sure students feel there is a boundary
AND NEEDS
that can’t be crossed.
How many beginner ESL teachers start
3 POOR OR INCONSISTENT
CLASSROOM MANAGE-
MENT
a lesson with a new group and don’t
even find out where they’ve studied
English before, how long, and with
which results?
This is one of the mistakes that is of-
What if you have a student who has
ten made due to a lack of experience.
studied English countless times, off
Classroom management is not an ex-
act science, it’s not like teaching the and on, over the last 20 years, but is
still at an intermediate level? It doesn’t
past simple tense. Each group of stu-
matter if you obtain this information
dent is different and rules must be set
from your department head or from the
as a group. The problem stems from the
students themselves: this is essential
fact that new teachers may not have
information to have if you want your
a clearly defined teaching style. So,
students to advance, to make prog-
they either become too strict or too lax.
ress in their English language skills.
There are plenty of articles you can
read on effective classroom manage-
ment. You may agree with some of the
DON’T BE AFRAID OF MAKING MIS-
techniques, you may disagree with oth-
TAKES, FOR MISTAKES WILL SURELY
ers and choose to implement your own.
BE MADE. THERE ARE VALUABLE
LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM
For example, you may choose to forego
EACH AND EVERY ONE. START BY
stickers as a means of rewarding stu-
AVOIDING THE ONES LISTED ABOVE,
dents, and choose another method. It’s
AND YOU’LL START YOUR TEACHING
not about being stricter, but rather be-
CAREER OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT.
ing consistent. There’s nothing worse
5 Most Common Misconceptions
Beginner ESL Teachers Have
MANY ESL TEACHERS THAT ARE
NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS HAVE
LITTLE TO NO TEACHING EXPERI-
ENCE BEFORE BEING PLACED IN A
CLASSROOM.
room, these teachers can struggle with
classroom management and lesson
planning too. It takes more than just a
handle on the material to be an efficient
teacher. With experience, research,
and training, you can succeed in ESL
instance, tell students that if you were
an Australian tourist visiting their city,
you might ask them for directions and
it would be so great if they could help
you.

This may be true for recent graduates
who have degrees in education too.
For these beginning teachers there are
a lot of things that may come as a sur-
5
classrooms and having some good re- IF STUDENTS PERFORM
source materials on hand will definitely
POORLY, IT IS THEIR FAULT
help.
In most places teachers are held ac-

prise. Teachers with more training are
less likely to have these misconcep-
tions but some may still apply.
MISCONCEPTIONS
AND WHAT TO DO
ABOUT THEM
3
YOU DON’T HAVE TO
SPEAK ANOTHER LAN-
GUAGE
If you have students with different
native languages in the same class,
knowing one other language is not go-
ing to be especially useful. However, if
you are teaching a class in Korea with
countable for the performance of their
students. The thinking is that if a teach-
er develops good lessons and moti-
vates students to work hard in class,
students will do well. This means that
you should be prepared to devote
extra time and energy to helping stu-
dents who struggle in your classes. Be
sure to plan activities that appeal to

1
TEACHING IS EASY
How this idea ever got started
is unclear. Teaching is a very chal-
lenging career choice. Teachers are
responsible for planning, teaching and
grading possibly hundreds of students
a week, often participate in at least
one extra curricular activity, and may
act as private tutor or counselor to
students who seek or need more indi-
vidual attention. The number of hours
in the classroom does not even come
close to representing how many hours
a teacher works. Teachers, especially
those just starting out, will find them-
selves planning lessons or thinking
about classes even outside of school.
It can be difficult to separate your work
and personal lives when you devote so
much time and energy to helping your
students.
only Korean students, knowing some
Korean can only help you. Knowing
simple commands and encourag-
ing phrases can help build a rapport
with the students. They will appreci-
ate your efforts and may be eager to
help you improve your vocabulary.
On the other hand, learning the lan-
guage fluently may hurt you because
once students know that you can com-
municate with them in another lan-
guage, it may become more difficult to
get them to use English.
4 STUDENTS WANT
TO LEARN ENGLISH
This really depends on what kind of
school you teach at and who your stu-
dents are. Most likely your students
will have different reasons for learning
English and it is almost never for the
love of the language itself.
different types of learners. How much
students study on their own time will
impact their scores but if the majority
of your students are struggling, you
should probably reevaluate your teach-
ing methods.
These are just some of the misconcep-
tions teachers might have.
KNOWING THE TRUTH CAN HELP YOU
DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT ESL
EDUCATION IS RIGHT FOR YOU AND
ADJUST YOUR IMAGE OF BEING A
TEACHER TO MATCH REALITY. IT WILL
HELP YOU BE MORE PREPARED FOR
STEPPING INTO THE CLASSROOM.

2 IF YOU SPEAK ENGLISH,

YOU CAN TEACH ENGLISH
While native English speakers bring a
lot to ESL classrooms, especially when
it comes to pronunciation, they often
cannot explain grammar rules clear-
ly. Native English speakers can often
tell when something is wrong based on
how it sounds rather than on what rules
are being broken.
Without any experience in the class-
Not all students are self motivated or
well behaved so giving encourage-
ment, providing positive feedback, and
classroom management become as
important as being able to plan and
give lessons effectively. Students who
feel that they will never have the oppor-
tunity to speak English are often chal-
lenging to motivate so try to provide
them with some real life experiences
where their knowledge of English will
be useful. When teaching directions for

9
Becoming A Super ESL High School
Teacher: 8 Little-Known Secrets
ANY TEACHER WHO HAS SPENT SOME
TIME TEACHING IN SCHOOLS (ESPE-
CIALLY IN ASIA) SOON REALISES THAT
SMALL CLASS SIZES ARE SOMEWHAT
OF A DISTANT MIRAGE - A MYTH THAT
ONLY A FORTUNATE FEW WHO WORK
AT INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE.
Many government schools often have
class sizes that regularly exceed 50 stu-
dents! Imagine teaching 50 fifteen year-
olds who have no interest in English.
What would you do to capture their atten-
tion and get them interested in English?
Teachers should draw on their own expe-
rience as a learner and recall the teach-
ers who had an impact on them when
they were the age of their students. It is
the teacher who is a little eccentric,
unpredictable and, ultimately, inspir-
ing who manages to capture the atten-
tion of the students.
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN
BECOME A ‘PRO’ HIGH
SCHOOL ESL TEACHER:
1
GIVE THEM
WHAT THEY WANT
If you want the best result from stubborn
high school students, the most effective
technique is to give them exactly what
they want. If they want games, then give
them games! The great part about giving
students what they want is this can be
used as a bargaining tool in order for
you to get them to complete work. Senior
high school students can be difficult to en-
force discipline, so one fantastic way is to
negotiate with them. If they complete the
required exercises, then they can play a
game at the end of class! When it comes
to exercises that can be a little ‘dry’, edit
them so they can talk about things that
your students are interested in. Find
out about some of their favourite pop
stars, movie stars and base the exer-
cises on that.
2
IF POSSIBLE, STAY AWAY
FROM THE GRAMMAR!
In many cases, it is the task of a local
English teacher to teach the grammar.
Your task as a native speaker should be
encouraging students to use the lan-
guage.
10
Don’t focus on grammar, keep the em-
phasis on communication. Of course, if
a student makes a grammatical error on a
regular basis, do correct them. However,
provide usable examples of the grammar
within context that the student could use,
not out of a textbook.
3
DON’T BE PREDICTABLE
Predictable teaching means that
students very quickly switch off and
continue with their own thing. Keep
them focused on what is happening in
the classroom by being a little unpredict-
able. Try asking ‘trick’ questions or saying
‘Good Afternoon’ in the morning. This
tests their English and checks that they
are tuned in. Speak loudly, speak softly,
just don’t be boring and monotonous.
4
HAVE A LAUGH!
Be prepared to laugh at them and
laugh at yourself. Students generally re-
spect a teacher who they can have a joke
with. Generally, this works in the favour
of the teacher, as most ESL/EFL teach-
ers cannot speak the L1 of the student. If
the student can joke to the teacher using
English, well hey! They are using English!
When you have a laugh and a joke with
them (in English), then you are providing
them with English, albeit in the form of a
joke.
5
MAKE IT REAL
One thing that we find works really
well is to throw away the grammar books
and get the students to work on a skill
that they could use later in life or with
their further education at university. On-
going projects are a great way to teach
language that is used on an everyday
basis, and helps them build on language
structures that they may eventually in-
volve in the workplace. Some projects
that help build on real life English include:
• Work as a group to plan a company,
then present.
• Research and report on what’s hap-
pening in another country.
• Devise an advertising campaign for a
produce.
• Work as a group and plan a travel
itinerary around the world – decide
as a group where you would go and
what you would do.
6
THE PSYCHOLOGY
OF A FUN CLASS
Starting off with a game and ending
with a game is what we refer to as a
‘Sandwich of Fun’. By starting with an
activity and ending with an activity, stu-
dents generally forget about the ‘boring’
grammar exercises or reading activities.
7
SET FAIR RULES
WITH THEIR INPUT
When you set the rules with the stu-
dents, you create a fair environment
where the students can voice their expec-
tations of the teacher. If all of the students
agree to the rules of both teacher and
students, cooperation should be easy
to maintain. Also set some fun rules as
well, for example, make it a rule that stu-
dents should answer the question ‘How
are you?’ with anything other than ‘I’m
Fine’.
8
FOCUS ON STUDENTS
WHO WANT TO LEARN
Often when faced with classes where 46
out of 54 students don’t want to learn,
it’s a good idea to put the activity on the
board and then focus on assisting those
students who want to learn. Without to-
tally neglecting the needs of all students
in the class, simply assist those stu-
dents who really want it. Focusing on a
student who doesn’t want you help takes
valuable teaching time away that could
be used on providing assistance to a stu-
dent who truly appreciates and wants to
further their English skills.
Practically any teacher has the abil-
ity to become an inspiring teacher to
senior high school students - it is sim-
ply a matter of walking into the class-
room with the right attitude and by
following the above tips and tricks.
EVEN WITH MORE DIFFICULT CLASSES,
TEACHERS CAN STILL BE AN INSPIRA-
TION TO THEIR STUDENTS AND PRO-
VIDE THEM WITH A SET OF USEFUL
LANGUAGE SKILLS THAT WILL STAY
WITH THEM FOREVER.
Becoming A Teacher:
What Makes A Good Teacher
SOME PEOPLE ARE BORN TO TEACH,
WHILST OTHERS MUST CONSTANTLY
STRIVE TO REINVENT THEMSELVES
AND RECREATE THEIR LESSONS
IN THE PERPETUAL PURSUIT OF
PERFECTION.
It is an ever evolving yet challenging
and lifelong learning environment of
which we are an integral part. This ar-
ticle attempts to summarize top quali-
ties of a good teacher, looks into what
makes a good teacher, and provides
ideas on becoming a better teacher.
Hope you find it interesting and make
another step on the road to even bet-
ter teaching!
WHAT MAKES A
GOOD TEACHER?
• Creating a positive learning
atmosphere and developing a
good rapport without showing
favoritism. Having the ability to
engage and involve students with
your personality.
• Being patient – for slow learners,
‘needy’ students requiring atten-
tion and those lacking motivation.
• Clarity – answering questions in
a clear and concise way.
• Being organized – punctual, pro-
ducing well-planned lessons with
suitable material.
• Sense of humor – miming and
body language often require this
quality, without resorting to circus
antics.
• Being adaptable – being re-
sourceful.
• Being imaginative – in creating
and adapting teaching materials
and also empathising with stu-
dents in building rapport.
BECOMING A
TEACHER. ONE
TEACHER = MANY
ROLES
Controller - the person in control of
class management.
Assessor – checking and deciding
the method of giving feedback e.g. er-
ror correction.
A Resource – this is especially the
case in developing countries, where
there are limitations
Coach – encouraging class participa-
tion, especially for shyer students.
Tutor – in one-to-one teaching.
Organizer – instruction of students
for activities and providing feedback.
Facilitator – for student interactive
communication.
Counsellor – solving any language
learning problems.
An instructor – on language points
such as pronunciation, vocabulary or
grammar.
A provider of experiences – in order
for students to practise the four skills
they require, as many language ex-
amples as possible are needed.
A model – particularly for pronuncia-
tion.
A motivator – balancing activities to
achieve language targets and student
interest.
An authority – students rely heavily
on teacher pronouncements and so
generalizations should be avoided/
explained as such.
An arbiter – balancing fluency with
accuracy in assessing error correc-
tion.
An examiner – continuous monitor-
ing and testing.
A disciplinarian – essential to main-
tain class control.
A balancer – a sliding scale which
constantly changes.
A mentor – giving language insight to
another culture.
A prompter – without taking away the
initiative from the student e.g. role-
play activity vocabulary support.
A participant – e.g. discussion.
A performer – with suitable behavior
according to the activity being under-
taken.
Rapport builder – recognizing, lis-
tening to, respecting and being even-
handed with students, in a profession-
al manner.
WHAT OTHER
ATTRIBUTES MUST
A GOOD TEACHER
HAVE?
• The teacher has to exploit his/her
talents as a visual teaching aid to
incorporate mime, gesture and
expression to convey meaning
and atmosphere in the classroom.
• Language modeling is important
as students may find video and
audio recordings difficult to un-
derstand.
• Teacher Talking Time (TTT)
should be used productively and
the importance of our voices nev-
er under-estimated.
• Observation skills in assessing
student performance and prog-
ress are also vital.
• Teachers must be culturally
aware e.g. Japan has a mascu-
line collective culture, virtually all
classes are monolingual, long-
term oriented with a high degree
of uncertainty avoidance.
11
Newest Strategies
For ESL Instruction
FOR SOME TIME IT WAS UNKNOWN
TO WHAT EXTENT TECHNOLOGY
WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO ESL
TEACHING METHODS, but recent studies
have painted an overall good picture of
the newest techniques being used in
English as Second Language learning
environments.
The generally agreed upon conclusion
is that educators should integrate
multimedia into their lesson plans
as much as possible. The reason for
this is that multimedia has been shown
to activate both sides of the brain, and
the study of foreign languages has been
shown to be most successful when the
whole brain is used. Therefore, there
are both practical and scientific rea-
sons to incoporate computer software
and Internet use in lesson plans. But
in the process of integrating technol-
ogy into the classroom, teachers should
not forgo solid lesson plans and cutting
edge, interactive instruction. Innovative
technology is vitally useful, but it will
never replace the value of a powerful
teacher-student relationship.
WHY USE THE NEWEST
STRATEGIES FOR ESL
INSTRUCTION?
1 UTILIZING THE POWERFUL
MEDIUM OF THE INTERNET
It’s been known for well over a decade
that the Internet increases language
use and helps people to learn second
languages by encouraging students to
use the newly learned language pat-
terns in their daily lives. Internet interac-
tions can also help to simulate real life
discussions and linguistic and semantic
idiosyncrasies related to negotiation, in-
formation requests, and persuasion. Be-
cause of social media, the Internet has
now expanded to encompass much, if
not all, of our daily correspondences.
Because language is not just words
alone, but a highly complex network of
syntactical relationships, the Internet’s
presentation of art and media and its
demand of keyboard skills, file storage,
and search engine entries, helps with
both technical and conceptual language
mastery. Additionally, the Internet helps
to expand and evolve the interaction be-
tween the teacher and the student, help-
12
ing education become more focused on
the student. The Internet also facilitates
collaborative projects which are good
for the social aspects of language edu-
cation. And, it provides a wealth of re-
sources for both students and teachers.
2 USING EDUCATIONAL
TOOLS AND SOFTWARE
There are a variety of different tools
out there that can help with many edu-
cational needs. A number of teachers
are utilizing interactive gadgets such as
digital whiteboards. There’s also a great
deal of software and online communities
that can be beneficial to both teachers
and students who are engaged in lan-
guage learning.
Voxopop, a voice-based e-learning tool
allows teachers to create online real-
time talkgroups based on voice, rather
than text. For the text side of it you can
try Visuwords, which is an online graphi-
cal dictionary. These services have been
utilized by people studying for ESL and
TOEFL degrees. The app Wallwisher al-
lows educators and students to collabo-
rate on projects through a shared online
board.
Other programs, including Photopeach,
Voicethread, and Community Clips al-
low students to use visual media, such
as video, audio, and pictures to create
stories, break down lesson plans and
create digital dialogues. These pro-
grams have the potential to be particu-
larly useful to students learning English
as a second language, as they are given
a neutral intermediary that can break
down initial language barriers.
3 CREATING STRATEGIES FOR
MORE EFFICIENT LEARNING
At a certain point, the onus lands back
on the educator. Sometimes the success
of the student depends on the strength
of the teaching he or she receives. ESL
educators must create strong game
plans. They need to use comprehen-
sible gestures and body language to
impart meaning to new students, cre-
ate visual lessons (possibly with the aid
of the applications listed above) using
graphics, maps media, and semantic
storytelling, produce relationships be-
tween new data and prior knowledge —
harness a student’s personal and cultur-
al narrative, and encourage cooperative
learning styles that facilitate students
working together and sharing unusu-
al words, idioms, and phrases. They
should also allow for alternative assess-
ments of skill levels by offering tests of
oral, visual and physical (acting it out)
knowledge.
It can’t be stressed enough the impor-
tance of encouraging the students
to socialize and talk to each other.
Whereas in other subjects this may
be distracting, in language learning
students need to absorb words and
phrases in a number of different dia-
lects, contexts, slang words, proverbs,
and difficult pronunciations. This should
help you avoid the common problems
that ESL teachers confront in the class-
room, which include students frequently
reverting to their first language, students
being unsure of what they’re supposed
to be learning, and students being too
dependent on the teacher.
Teachers should also remember not to
echo the students, as it cuts into their
talking time and adds to their depen-
dency on the teacher’s affirmation. A
better way to interact is by adding help-
ful sentence completion. If a student
cannot think of a phrase, the teacher
should work on redirecting the tail-end
of a sentence in a way that still makes
the student finish his thought.
IN SOME RESPECTS, ESL, TESL AND
OTHER FORMS OF LANGUAGE LEARN-
ING ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN OTHER
SUBJECTS SUCH AS MATHEMATICS,
LITERATURE, CHEMISTRY, OR BUSI-
NESS. Educators must still experiment
with new teaching strategies and edu-
cational tools and software platforms in
order to maximize productivity and ensure
a constructive relationship between the
teacher and the student and between the
student and his/her peers. But there are
aspects of learning a foreign language
that are particularly challenging, which
is why immersing the classroom with
Internet access, digital whiteboards, and
plethora of applications and talkgroups is
an excellent way for progressive educa-
tors to start constructing a game plan for
top notch ESL learning.
Pair Work vs. Group Work:
What’s Better For The Learner?
BOTH PAIR WORK AND GROUP
WORK HAVE A PLACE IN ESL
CLASSES.
Using a variety of seating arrange-
class and want all the groups to pres-
ent material at the end of the lesson,
larger groups may be necessary but
limit group size to about six.
and have an opportunity to work with
different people.
Creating different groups of students
is easy especially if seating arrange-

ments and groupings of students
is important as it allows learners to
practice different types of things.
Working with others gives students
the opportunity to interact with a vari-
ety of people and learn from one an-
other. It also encourages cooperation
which will help students get along in
class and could reduce the number of
student outbursts too.
THE PERFECT
BALANCE BETWEEN
PAIR WORK AND
GROUP WORK
2
MONITORING
Pair work is harder to monitor
than group work because there are
going to be many more pairs of stu-
dents than groups of students. Be
sure that everyone has a very clear
understanding of the material before
beginning any activity. The best way
to monitor students working in pairs or
groups is to walk around the class-
room during the activity correcting
students who make mistakes and
answering questions.
You can gauge the effectiveness of
ments change throughout the year.
If your class size is under thirty, you
may be able to group students by row
or column for activities.
You can also tell students sitting near
each other to form groups or have stu-
dents count off for example from one
to five and then ask students who said
the same number to form a group. In
order to better facilitate this method of
forming groups, direct students who
said each number to different areas
of the room. Keep in mind that if stu-
dents count off from one to five, there
will be only five groups so you need

1 APPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES
& BENEFITS
Pair work is great for practicing model
dialogues, playing games such as
battleship, conducting vocabulary
checks, and completing worksheets.
Working in pairs gives individual
students a lot of speaking time. If
working together, students will often
have more confidence than when
completing exercises individually.
If students are competing with their
partners, they will be more motivated.
Students can work in groups or form
teams for role plays, races, games
such as board games or card games,
and discussions. Groups give stu-
dents the opportunity to create
the activity by doing comprehension
tests afterwards. If students are hav-
ing difficulty with material after com-
pleting an activity, it is likely that they
practiced incorrect structures during
the exercise.
This is unfortunate and highlights why
it is so important to ensure that stu-
dents understand material by com-
pleting practice exercises as a class
before asking them to work in pairs or
groups. If you find that students have
practiced incorrect material, you have
to review the key points of the tar-
get structure again and be sure to
explain everything more thoroughly
before using the same activity with
another class.
to determine which number will divide
your students into appropriately sized
groups.
Besides pair work and group work,
students can also complete activi-
ties individually and as a class.
MIXING UP THE STRUCTURE OF
YOUR ACTIVITIES WILL KEEP
CLASSES INTERESTING BUT BE
SURE NOT TO WASTE A LOT OF TIME
REARRANGING THE CLASSROOM.
IF YOU MAKE GROUPS FOR AN
ACTIVITY AT THE BEGINNING OF
CLASS, IT MAY BE BEST TO STICK

more complex dialogues, explore
relationships between characters,
pool knowledge together, and have
a more social learning environment.
Additionally there is a better chance
for self correction or peer correction
and for a discussion on a wider range
of thoughts and opinions with larger
group sizes.
On the other hand, individual speak-
ing time is limited when working in
groups. You can increase the amount
of speaking time students have by de-
creasing the size of groups to three
or four people. If you are in a large
3
PAIRING/GROUPING WITH THAT ARRANGEMENT FOR
THE DURATION OF THE LESSON.
STUDENTS
If students sit in the same seats for
the entire year, they are likely to be
paired with the same person through-
out the course. For pairs that work
well together, this is a good thing but
usually not everyone benefits from
having the same partner for a long
period of time.
Try to change the assigned seating
regularly so that everyone can maxi-
mize the amount they learn in class

13
Top 10 Resources You Might Not
Know You Have
SOMETIMES TEACHING ESL CAN FEEL
OVERWHELMING. We feel responsible
for a group of students who have trav-
elled half way across the world for a good
education, and we have the responsibil-
ity of being their teacher. The last thing
we want to do is disappoint, either them
or ourselves. With all this pressure for
success, ESL teachers may feel frantic
and frustrated when the teaching just
does not happen the way they imagine.
When you are having one of those mo-
ments when you just do not have the
answers, turn to one of these resources
for what you cannot put your finger on.
TOP TEN RESOURCES
YOU MIGHT NOT
KNOW YOU HAVE
1
THE INTERNET
These days, the internet is prob-
ably the first place a person turns when
looking for information. With that in
mind, there are many great internet
resources for ESL teachers who are
looking for answers to grammatical hur-
dles or who are in need of some quick
lesson plans.
2
THE LIBRARY
Just because you are a technolog-
ically savvy teacher with one website af-
ter another at your fingertips, that does
not mean that a good old book does
not have some value once in a while.
Take a trip to your local library and
see what your tax dollars can do for
you. The library is an especially great
resource if you are teaching a thematic
unit. You can find books, movies and
other resources with no fee attached,
and most librarians are happy to help
you compile resources about a topic
you will be teaching.
3
THE DICTIONARY
Speaking of books, there is a
wealth of information in that old Web-
ster’s dictionary. You will find informa-
tion there on pronunciation, related
word forms, word origins and even ant-
onyms. The next time you are compil-
ing your list of vocabulary, take a peek
between those thin pages to see what
14
information you may not have known
about your native language.
4 A NATIVE SPEAKER’S
INSTINCT
Though that heavy book will likely give
you some new information, as a native
speaker you already possess a vast
amount of knowledge about the English
language. Even if you are new to teach-
ing, the instinct that comes with one’s
native language is invaluable. Trust
that instinct when it tells you some-
thing is not quite right with how your stu-
dents may be using English, and then
take the time to research the grammar
to explain the feeling.
5 OTHER NATIVE SPEAKERS
While you are at it, why not con-
sult another native speaker for his or
her opinion. Though our own instincts
are usually reliable when it comes to
grammar and language use, if you have
been teaching ESL a long time you
may have become used to some com-
mon misuses of the language. Ask your
spouse, roommate or friend if a particu-
lar language structure “sounds right” the
next time you are unsure yourself.
6
OTHER TEACHERS
Other teachers are also a very
valuable resource when it comes to
teaching ESL. Your fellow teachers are
articulating some of the best explana-
tions of grammar right now, so the next
time you have a question or a problem,
ask the person in the classroom next
door. He or she may be able to explain
something you have not been able to
put into words.
7
OTHER STUDENTS
If your co-teachers cannot lend
a hand in the great English mystery,
why not ask some of your students?
This is not to say that your ESL student
should explain English concepts to an-
other student in their native language.
Even when the explanation is complete-
ly in English, your student, with under-
standing of the native language of an-
other student, may be able to help. He
is often able to explain a language con-
cept in such a way that it makes more
sense to another non-native speaker. If
your overall goal is to get your students
speaking English, they will be doing just
that when they offer explanations of
English in English to fellow students.
8 THE NEWSPAPER
Another underrated resource is
the daily newspaper. These short ar-
ticles in clear language are easier for
your ESL students to understand than
other realia. In addition, there are non-
pros writings in the paper that are valu-
able for your class including weather
maps, movie schedules and comics.
9 GAMES
Board games and card games are
other resources you can turn to for your
ESL needs. There are many games
that are primarily language based, and
these can be used as is or tweaked to
suit your teaching needs. Games will
not only challenge your students’ lan-
guage use and teach them new vo-
cabulary, they will bring an element of
fun to the classroom. That levity can be
just what you need when your class is
getting stressed over the difference be-
tween the past progressive and the past
perfect.
10 YOUTUBE
Worth listing on its own,
YouTube offers an unlimited collection
of videos suitable for use in the ESL
classroom. With realistic language pre-
sented by native speakers from all over
the world, you can find clips on YouTube
for any content area. Not only that, the
non-teacheresque speaking style and
regional accents are valuable for your
students to learn.
TEACHING ESL IS OFTEN A DIFFICULT
AND FRUSTRATING TASK, BUT YOU DO
NOT HAVE TO GO AT IT ALONE.
By using these and other resources, you
can become a better teacher each day
you step through that classroom door.
Not only that, you can feel better about
what you teach and how you teach it
knowing that you have given your very
best to your students!
Top 10 Websites
for the ESL Teacher
THE LONGER YOU HAVE BEEN
TEACHING, THE THICKER YOUR
FILES ARE GETTING, BUT IT IS NEVER
TOO SOON OR TOO LATE TO ADD TO
YOUR POOL OF RESOURCES.
You may already be familiar with the
following websites, or this might be
your first introduction. Either way,
each of them can be a ready resource
for your ESL teaching needs and a
4 ESLVIDEO.COM
While you are at it, why not
make up your own quizzes from your
favorite videos on YouTube? With
ESLvideo.com you can create your
own quizzes and even have your stu-
dents search by teacher to find them.
If you are looking for comprehension
activities that are ready to go, this
site also has videos and quizzes from
other teachers sorted by fluency level
that your students can access any-
8 USINGENGLISH.COM
Looking for something a little
more intangible than simple defini-
tions? Check out the dictionary of idi-
oms available from usingenglish.com.
There are hundreds of idioms listed
on this site as well as phrasal verbs
and other grammatical irregularities
your students may need help with.

9
way to freshen your teaching plans
and answer your questions.
where and anytime. ETS.ORG/TOEFL
If you are a teacher of English,
TOP 10 ESL WEBSITES the odds are that you probably have

1 ENGLISHGRAMMAR.ORG
Every ESL teacher has to teach
grammar, even if that is not one of
your course names. This site lists the
grammar rules of English alphabeti-
cally, and they are easily accessible.
Not only that, they provide PDF files
of lessons on these rules that you can
use with your students.
5 PINKMONKEY.COM
If you teach literature in any of
your ESL classes, PinkMonkey.com
has seemingly limitless resources for
you. Here you can find book notes and
activities for you and your students for
free. With over 460 books listed, you
will never need another set of Cliff’s
Notes again.
not taken the TOEFL. Your students,
on the other hand, will be working to-
wards a proficient score on that test to
prove their English skills. Familiarize
yourself with the test and what your
students will have to know to succeed
on it with the information here on the
official TOEFL site.

10 BUSYTEACHER.ORG

2 ESLPARTYLAND.COM
Are you looking for some out of
the ordinary materials to use in your
classroom? This site includes materi-
als for teaching with film and video,
the internet and music.
6 BRIGHTHUB.COM
This site offers a bounty of infor-
mation to the ESL teacher. Here you
can read articles about teaching ESL
as well as find lesson plans for differ-
ent times of the year. Are you out of
ideas for games, vocabulary or activi-
ties for your students? Get some in-
spiration here.
If you are reading this,
you already know that busyteacher.
org is an essential resource for the
ESL teacher. Why not take some time
to explore other tools that we have
to offer including free worksheets,
flashcards, ideas for vocabulary, and
teaching ideas, just to name a few.
You will never know there was so
much available to you so close to
home.

3 ITESLJ.ORG/QUESTIONS/

What is the point of language
study if it is not to speak the language
in question? Give your ESL students
something to talk about with this com-
pilation of discussion questions you
can use in class. Click on the topic
you are planning on studying and find
more than enough questions to keep
your class in conversation for as long
as you want to let them talk.
7
DICTIONARY.COM
Neither you nor your students
wants to carry around a ten-pound
English reference dictionary, but you
likely already carry something that
gives you internet access. If so, book-
mark dictionary.com for easy refer-
ence. This site will give you definitions
of English words as well as thesaurus
entries and a word of the day. There
are also many other helpful resources
this site offers.

15
10 Ways of Sprucing Up Your Classes
MANY TEACHERS SOMETIMES WILL
FEEL, AT ONE POINT IN THEIR CAREERS,
THAT THEY NEED A CHANGE OF
TACTICS. This could be for a variety of
different reasons. Perhaps they feel that
their methods are not working anymore,
and they are not engaging the students in
the ways that they used to. A lot of people
feel that they themselves might even be
getting bored with the particular method of
teaching. Ultimately, our goal is to teach
students how to speak English, and in
order to do so we must keep the students
interested and engaged. But for this to
happen, we ourselves need to be inter-
ested as well. It can be very discouraging
for a student if the teacher doesn’t really
seem to care about the topic at hand and
appears bored in the class. This will have
a detrimental effect on their learning and
will be the complete opposite of what we
are trying to do.
SPRUCE UP YOUR
CLASSES TODAY:
1 SPEAK
WITH OTHER TEACHERS
Some teachers will work on a freelance
basis and therefore may not have a lot
of contact with others. Usually they will
be sent out to various businesses and
have little contact with others, save for
the occasional e-mail and phone call
from the company. Taking time to meet
and talk to other teachers will give one
some insight into any new methods that
might be out at the moment. It can be a
great learning experience for everyone
involved. This will be easier for teach-
ers who work in a language school which
they are at for most of the day. Over cof-
fee in the morning, or during lunch break,
it might be a good idea to sit down and
see how colleagues are handling certain
situations.
2 OBSERVE ANOTHER TEACHER
This is a very good idea for teachers
who are new to the game. It is something
that normally slips many peoples’ minds
but it is definitely something everyone
should do. If one is lucky enough to teach
in a set language school, then this should
be no problem. Ask that teacher if they
don’t mind you sitting in on their class,
taking notes and seeing how they work
their method. Very useful tips and hints
can be picked up here so it is important
to record everything that goes on. Note
16
how they interact with students, what sort
of games they use to challenge the stu-
dents’ speaking skills, and see how they
distribute talking time amongst them.
3 ATTEND TRAINING SEMINARS
Have a look on the Internet for
any teacher training courses that might
be available at the moment. Depending
on where one lives, there may be very
few. Usually in foreign countries, English
speakers and teachers tend to stick to-
gether so it won’t be too difficult to net-
work with others in order to find out what
is going on at the moment. Sometimes it
might even be a good idea to do an ad-
ditional TEFL certification course in order
to get some new tips and ideas, as well
as boost one’s own qualifications. Some-
times companies will offer training cours-
es as well to their employees.
4 TRY NEW METHODS
The Internet is a great resource in
this day and age. There is a lot of infor-
mation out there, so a good idea would
be to have a look through the reams of
information and see what might be out
there. Some teachers, particularly if they
have been teaching for a long time, might
be a little more set in their ways and
therefore less willing to change. Be open
to experimentation and you might find
methods that work even better than your
old ones did.
5 BOOKS
Never underestimate what you can
find in books. Like the Internet, there is
a lot of useful information out there. Re-
read what you have already read be-
fore, and try and see if you can apply
it in a new way!
6 GIVE THE STUDENTS
A CHANCE TO TEACH
This is a very interesting exercise which
could wield some even more interesting
results. This is particularly useful if one
happens to find that one student tends
to dominate the class with their talking.
Get them to go up to the board and ask
them to explain a specific concept. Do
not make it seem like you are punishing
them, however. Allow them to get a feel
for what it is like to be the teacher, and
see if they can explain a particular sub-
ject to you in an understandable way.
7 BE CREATIVE
There are many ways in which a
teacher can creatively get a class learn-
ing. Having the class come up with a sto-
ry - particularly for younger learners - is a
great way of getting everyone interested.
A lot of amusing situations can be imag-
ined, and everyone involved will have a
lot of fun creating characters.
8 CHALLENGE YOUR STUDENTS
Don’t make things easy for them.
Giving them increasingly more com-
plex tasks and sentences will keep the
students on edge and keep the wheels in
their heads turning. When studying, we
need to be constantly challenged in order
to learn more. Once they have mastered
one particular aspect of language, the
students will gain a lot more confidence.
9 PLAN YOUR LESSONS
DIFFERENTLY
When beginning, the new teacher goes
into a class with all the best intentions.
They will probably be very meticulous
about what they do and plan their class-
es down to the very smallest detail. While
it is always a good idea to plan one’s
classes, you might find that sometimes
things never go according to plan.
In this spirit, one should take a new ap-
proach to planning a lesson. Perhaps jot
down a few ideas which the class can be
based around, and work from there.
10 USE MEDIA
When you think about it, there
many different ways to teach a class.
Even in a place where there are very poor
resources, one might be lucky enough to
have access to a computer or the Inter-
net. If this is the case, then one can come
up with a whole range of different ideas
for helping the students learn. One great
way to help children learn is through the
use of rhyming songs.
AS YOU CAN SEE, SPRUCING UP ONE’S
CLASSES TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF
THOUGHT AND EFFORT. Sometimes
people need a bit of change in their lives,
and therefore one needs to be able to
adapt to particular situations. Always
remember to keep the students’ best inter-
ests in mind, but also remember that a
happy teacher will make for a more fun
and interesting class!
Yes, You Can: 8 Keys to Being
a Successful ESL Teacher
One of the first things I am asked when I
tell people I am an English as a second
language teacher is, “What languages
do you speak?” Though it might make
my high school French teacher cringe,
I have to admit that I am fluent only in
English. “But how can you teach peo-
ple English if they do not speak it?” I
often hear. The truth is, you do not have
to speak a foreign language to teach
English to speakers of other languages.
HOW TO BE A
SUCCESSFUL ESL
TEACHER: 8 KEYS
1 SMILE
Did you know that smiling is a
universally understood trait among hu-
man beings? Babies smile at four to six
weeks regardless of their culture of ori-
gin. Researchers have even observed
smiles in babies born blind. So when
you make a habit of smiling at your stu-
dents, they will know the emotions that
are behind the toothy grin and will make
a habit of smiling back. This simple ges-
ture will give your class a fun feeling no
matter what content you are teaching!
2 GO BEYOND YOUR VOICE
Communication is more than the
words one person speaks to anoth-
er. (That is part of why it is harder for
ESL students to communicate over the
phone than it is in person.) When you
are speaking with your students, give
them all the communication clues that
you can. This means, though it may
seem awkward at first, letting them see
your mouth as you say words, both
words that they know and do not know.
It also means writing words on the board
so they can see the written form as well
as hear the oral form. Using body lan-
guage is also important, and don’t be
afraid to get creative or dramatic in how
you communicate.
3 SPEAK THOUGHTFULLY
A common mistake among Eng-
lish speakers is thinking that a higher
volume will increase comprehension in
English as a second language speakers.
Since you teach, you probably know that
is not true, but how you speak can affect
how well your students learn. When you
speak to your students, speak clearly,
perhaps a little slower than your natural
rate. Articulate your words and try to limit
your dialectal accent.
4 SPEAK STRATEGICALLY
Whether you are teaching in Eng-
lish only or are using your students’ na-
tive language as well, thinking about
what you say in addition to how you say
it will help your students learn more lan-
guage without even realizing they are
doing it. When they have that I-don’t-
know-what-you-are-talking-about-
but-I-am-just-going-to-smile-and-
nod-anyway look, rather than asking if
they understand what you said, simply
say the same thing in a different way.
This, in effect, gives them a definition of
what you said to them but in a natural
and conversational way.
5 MORE THAN YOU THINK
Everyone understands more
language than they are able to suc-
cessfully produce. This is true of first
language speakers as well as second
(or third) language speakers. If you
doubt it, think about the vocabulary lists
we all had to learn for the SAT’s or the
TOEFL. Remembering that your stu-
dents understand more than they can
articulate is important for teachers when
our students aren’t producing the kind of
language we think they should.
6 DON’T BE
THE ONLY TEACHER
Letting your students help each other
can make a big difference in your class
and their language learning. More ad-
vanced students will understand some
problems specific to native speakers of
their language, and they may be able to
explain a concept better to their peers.
When this happens in the classroom,
the student with the question benefits
because he understands, but the stu-
dent giving the explanation also ben-
efits. We remember far more of what
we teach than what we are taught, so
your teaching student will solidify the
language concept in her mind as well as
she explains it to the other student.
7 PUT ON RESPECT
One of the most difficult parts of
being an ESL teacher is learning and
using students’ names. Though strug-
gling to pronounce foreign names may
make us sympathize with our students,
sometimes it is easier to assign English
names to the members of our class. And
while some students do not bat an eye at
taking an English name, others may take
offense. When we require our students
to use foreign to them names, we can
unintentionally devalue them as people,
and we devalue their culture, too. So
before you require English names from
your students, ask each person what he
or she would like to be called, and use
the name they give. You can let your stu-
dents know they can choose an English
name at any time, but it is not required.
Some will never choose one, but most
probably will even if it takes them a while
to decide how they would like to be iden-
tified in English.
8 CULTIVATE RESPECT
The most important thing in be-
ing a successful ESL teacher is having
respect for your students’ and their cul-
tures. Those of us who have travelled
and taught overseas are well familiar
with the phrase “It’s not wrong, just
different” and that is never more useful
to remember than in the ESL classroom.
Sometimes we or our students can take
offense for something that was never
meant to offend. For me, the realization
came when my students started refer-
ring to me as “Teacher” rather than us-
ing my name. Where I was offended be-
cause they seemed to be talking down
to me, they were using it as a term of
respect and authority. Without knowing
about their culture, I would have con-
tinued to be frustrated at what I did not
realize was their expression of respect.
COMMUNICATION IS ABOUT SO MUCH
MORE THAN KNOWING A SET OF
VOCABULARY. FOR ESL TEACHERS,
CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION GO
HAND IN HAND, AND KNOWING AND
RESPECTING OUR STUDENTS ARE AS
IMPORTANT AS COVERING THE GRAM-
MATICAL STRUCTURES OUTLINED ON
THE SYLLABUS.
17
How To Be A Better Teacher: The
Secret Recipe Every Pro Knows
Qualities of a good teacher - what are
they? This article attempts to look into
the practical side of being a good teach-
er by reviewing the various aspects of
a ‘successful teacher’ strategy that con-
tains both internal and external teach-
ing tools. Happy teaching, and we hope
after reading the article you’ll be one
step closer to becoming the teacher of
your learners’ dream!
HOW CAN YOU BE A
GOOD TEACHER?
Voice – Speak in a normal native speed.
Do not slow further for understanding
when giving key directions. Use of lan-
guage clarification.
Attitude – Natural, attentive, exigent,
assertive, challenging, energetic, per-
sonable, at times uses humor.
Lesson Preparation – Announce objec-
tives topically/functionally. Have a les-
son outline on the board. Lesson should
proceed from presentation/checking for
understanding to practice to application
stages. Summarize lesson at the end.
No hesitations. Material selection is ap-
propriate.
Classroom management – Set time
limits. Use pairs. Monitor and modify
behavior. Call on students randomly.
Switch partners, Create accountability.
Hurry students along. Take charge of
seating. Efficient switching of partners
i.e. student on one end has to move to
the other end.
Materials management – Give direc-
tives clearly, efficiently and concretely.
Modify text lesson to improve communi-
cation and relevance. Use writing as a
springboard for production. Use brain-
storming as a prelude to presentation.
Break management – Assign mingling.
Check on a few students after the break
to create accountability.
Vocabulary/Grammar Presentation –
Present grammar inductively. Pre-teach
and brainstorm needed vocabulary. Ex-
plain vocabulary through context, para-
phrase, gestures etc. Lead students
with cues, hints, silent pauses. Chal-
lenge students.
18
Pacing/Variety –Activities may include
pair/writing/review/grammar aware-
ness/info gap/grammar correction /pre-
sentation/fluency. Aim for a good vari-
ety.
Student speaking time –60% of class
time in pairs is ideal.
Lesson relevance – lesson is consis-
tently applied to the student’s world.
Error correction – Correct directly/anon-
ymous indirect teacher correction. Use
peer/self correction.
Student empowerment – Allow the stu-
dents the opportunity for using language
clarification. Students should cooperate
and peer correct. Compliment students
for desirable SE behaviors.
Behavior modification – Compliment for
correct responses/emphatic behavior
modification.
Props/Visual aids - gestures/handouts/
mime/student’s imagination/facial ex-
pressions etc.
WHAT ABOUT
SPECIAL TEACHING
SITUATIONS?
A ‘good teacher’ should focus on par-
ticular needs:
1. Young Learners – It is important
to consider how children learn, so
classes should be child-initiated,
creating a need to learn and then
filling it. To get a child involved
emotionally and psychologically re-
quires skilled judgment and imagi-
nation.
2. Senior Learners – You must pace
the lesson according to the students
and appreciate that knowledge may
not be retained or quickly forgotten.
Patience and understanding and
sometimes socially therapeutic tal-
ents are called into play.
3. Large Classes – This is so chal-
lenging as you must cater for indi-
vidual learning styles, different lev-
els and interests, activate quieter
students, delegate responsibilities
and manipulate group activities to
ensure maximum potential.
4. Limited Resources – This really
tests your resourcefulness without
the dependence upon technical
equipment or supporting materials,
as you communicate and interact
directly and creatively by generat-
ing your own ideas as situations
demand.
5. One-to-One – This requires the
ability to ‘tailor-make’ lessons
based on a preliminary needs anal-
ysis and then streamline or modify
your course as necessary, whilst
performing a variety of roles includ-
ing participation as a fellow student.
6. Business English – Commerciality
necessitates a high level of focus
on customer service and personal-
ization of course design and deliv-
ery to client needs. Language train-
ers should desirably bring their own
corporate background to class and
be able to understand, analyze and
produce results in a highly demand-
ing environment, to ensure repeat
contracts. Sensitivity, negotiation
skills and a genuine interest in busi-
ness are also important.
7. On-line teaching – this may be the
future format for many teachers and
you really need to be up-to-date
with the latest developments-and
creative in composing materials.
FOLLOW THIS SIMPLE
FORMULA:
• Be presentable and professional in
your approach.
• Always have a lesson plan, but be
flexible as required.
• Be enthusiastic, positive, challeng-
ing and motivating.
• Create fun and give that added val-
ue to ensure economic survival in
these recessionary times.
WHAT MAKES A ‘GOOD TEACHER?
YOU DO.
It’s Personal! 7 Ways to Get
Students to Open up and Share
Are you married? Do you have
kids? Where do you work? Where
do you live? Sometimes, we try to
get personal information from our
students, and it sounds like an in-
terrogation.
Yet, this is information that is essen-
tial to our goals: we need to know as
much as we can (without getting too
personal) to tailor activities to their
needs, to create rapport, or simply get
to know them better. This is particu-
larly challenging with beginners with
limited vocabulary or who are very
self-conscious about their English-
speaking skills. Here are great ways
to get your students to open up, with-
out your having to give them the third
degree.
HOW TO GET YOUR
STUDENTS TO OPEN
UP AND SHARE
1 BE THE FIRST TO SHARE
How unfair is it to expect stu-
dents to tell you all about themselves,
without taking the time to reciprocate?
If you want each of your students to
tell the class a little bit about them-
selves, lead by example and go first.
They’ll be more willing to share after
you’ve done it.
2
THE “YES” GAME
One student stands in front of
the class, and the rest ask him/her
questions with the goal of obtaining
a “Yes!” This is a game that can be
played with any number of structures:
Simple Present (“Do you...?”), Simple
Past (“Did you...?”), Present Perfect
(“Have you ever...?”), etc. When one
student obtains 5 affirmative respons-
es from their classmate, they win!
3
READINGS THAT LEAD TO
SHARING
If you want students to share their
views on a specific topic, it may be
a little hard to get the discussion go-
ing by asking a question up front. Try
reading a short piece on the subject
first, followed by some comprehen-
sion questions, and THEN ask stu-
dents to weigh in with their opinions.
4
THAT’S RIDICULOUS!
If students are tense about shar-
ing, particularly on the first day of class,
break the ice with some comic relief:
introduce yourself (using a very funny,
made up name) and with a straight
face, tell them you are 82 years old.
Unless you have an extremely tense
class (and thankfully, that is rarely the
case) some of your students should
understand that it’s a joke. Then you
confess to the ruse and tell them your
real name/age, which is a perfect lead
in to your asking them theirs. The
same can be done for professions,
hobbies, number of languages you
speak, etc. Make a false, exaggerated
statement, wait till they catch on, and
once they’re a bit more relaxed, they’ll
be more willing to share their personal
info!
5
INTERVIEW
YOUR CLASSMATE
This activity is also a fantastic ice-
breaker. Divide students into pairs,
and have them ask each other ques-
tions about their family, background,
profession, where/how long they’ve
studied English, etc. Once all the in-
terviews have been completed, stu-
dents report on what they’ve learned
about their partner to the rest of the
class.
6
SHOW OFF YOUR PROFILE
Another great way to share per-
sonal info indirectly is through a visual
aid. Have each student bring a per-
sonal photo to class: this will be their
profile pic. Give each student a piece
of construction paper or poster board
and ask them to create a profile. It
doesn’t have to be flashy or glitzy,
perhaps something as simple as this:
Photo
Name
Age
Nationality
Likes
Dislikes
Favorite Food
Etc.
Put up the profiles where they will be
visible to all, like the bulletin board.
You also have the option to have each
student create a profile for a class-
mate, thus forcing them to ask each
other questions. Don’t be afraid to
try this with adult learners. Business
English students may create their own
resume in English, which you’ll keep
on file.
7
TIME TO SHARE
What happens when students
are too eager to share? This is often
the case with young learners who
bring their newest toy to class or inter-
rupt the lesson to show you their most
recent addition to their collection of
knee scars (and of course, go into a
play by play account of how they fell
off their bike). While it’s great that they
spontaneously wish to share these
things, these outbursts disrupt the
class, and often lead to more students
jumping out of their seats to compare
injuries or share their own experience.
So, here’s what you can do. Set aside
a time to share, perhaps the first or
last five minutes of class. Start the
class by asking your students if they
did anything interesting they’d like
to share. On the other hand, when a
student interrupts the lesson to share
something, simply tell them you’ll want
to hear all about it, at the end of class.
MAKE YOUR STUDENTS COMFORT-
ABLE ABOUT SHARING AND KNOW
WHEN TO DRAW THE LINE.
If someone is uncomfortable talk-
ing about a certain personal topic,
respect that and never pry. Create a
fun, safe environment for your stu-
dents to share information about
themselves, and they will open up!
19
8 Things that Will Give Your
Teaching Confidence a Boost
“My students are not learning.” “I’m
not a good ESL teacher.” “I don’t
have enough teaching experience.”
“My students can tell I’m not an ex-
perienced teacher.”
And the list goes on...If you have ever
thought or even said any of the above out
loud, then you lack teaching confidence.
In teaching, communication is key, and
a lack of confidence can be a real bar-
rier to communicating effectively and
helping your students improve their
English skills. A lack of confidence is
quite common in new ESL teachers, but
even the most seasoned ESL teachers
have a crisis of confidence every now
and then. So here are some tips that
will help you boost your confidence and
never doubt yourself again!
HOW TO GIVE
YOUR TEACHING
CONFIDENCE A BOOST
1 CONSIDER
YOUR STRENGTHS
Take a good hard look at yourself. What
abilities do you have? What do you
think you do better than most? Are you
funny and engaging in class? Do you
know English grammar backwards and
forwards? Are you great with young
learners? Are you a patient teacher?
Every teacher has strengths they bring
to class, and weaker areas to work on,
but the goal of this exercise is to boost
your confidence so focus on your posi-
tive qualities. Make a list and then ask
a colleague to add some more. Focus
on the things that make you unique as
a teacher, whether they are personal-
ity traits or knowledge you’ve gained
through the years.
2 GET SOME PERSPECTIVE
So, you’re faced with the task of
teaching absolute beginners, who don’t
know a thing, and you’re expected to
“make” them speak English by the end
of the course. First of all, when faced
with a teaching challenge that seems
insurmountable (“Get absolute begin-
ners to speak English”), try to break it
down into feasible goals. In this case,
you’ll have an estimate of the number
of words they will have learned by the
20
end of the class, and you know they
will learn to greet others in English and
manage in simple day-to-day situa-
tions. Focus on helping them achieve
these goals, and when they do, your
confidence will shoot through the roof!
You will have placed knowledge where
there was none before. How awesome
is that?
Second, in today’s world, we have it
much easier than ESL teachers 20, or
even 10 years ago. We have an amaz-
ing wealth of resources right at our fin-
gertips thanks to the Internet, from au-
dio to video tools, as well as handy little
worksheets you can download for your
class with only a click (hint, hint).
3 LOOK FOR EVIDENCE
THAT YOU’RE AWESOME!
Nothing is more rewarding than when a
student tells us we are good teachers.
Do you have a box with the little cards
your young learners made for you? Or
birthdays cards? An email from a happy
student? How about prizes or awards?
Your TEFL certification? Look back at
the achievements that made you proud.
No matter how small they may seem,
they made you the teacher you are to-
day.
4 REMEMBER A TEACHER
THAT WAS NOT AWESOME
Did you have a college teacher that
literally put you to sleep? Remem-
ber your 7th grade Math teacher who
never smiled? Well, you’re a lot better
than that! If you’re reading this article,
then you’re one of the many teachers
who care about their students and care
about becoming better teachers. We’ve
all had teachers in the past who didn’t
seem to care about anything except
getting their paycheck and their sum-
mer vacation. You are not like them!
5
STEER CLEAR
OF NEGATIVE NELLIES
Do you hang around teachers who do
nothing but complain about wages,
about the school infrastructure or the
educational system in general? Al-
though in many places educators face
real problems, it doesn’t help you to
constantly focus on the negative. This
is classic “glass half empty” attitude. If
you notice you are surrounded by these
Negative Nellies, try to find another
group to hang out with, one with a more
positive outlook on things. What is the
positive? Your students, of course! And
how tremendously rewarding it is to
teach them.
6 CELEBRATE YOUR STU-
DENTS’ ACHIEVEMENTS
Naturally, it doesn’t make sense to have
a party every time your students learn
something new, but why not have a spe-
cial celebration every now and then?
End the course with a special event and
go through everything they’ve learned.
Remember when they couldn’t ask a
simple question correctly? Now they
can ask plenty! Thanksgiving is the per-
fect holiday to celebrate this.
7 CHEER YOURSELF ON!
“I have a Business English class
tomorrow, and I know nothing about
business. My students will see I know
nothing.” That’s exactly the kind of
thought you need to avoid. Say to your-
self, “Tomorrow I have a new group
and my class will rock!” Say it out loud!
Do this often. Say, “Damn, I’m a good
teacher!” After you finish a class say,
“Nailed it!” (Say it out loud, but when
you’re alone in the room – remem-
ber you want to cheer yourself on, but
there’s no need for students to find out).
8 TEACH AS MUCH AS YOU
CAN
The best way to boost your confidence
in teaching is simply by teaching, and
teaching and then teaching some more.
The more you teach, the more confi-
dent you’ll feel. If you’re a new teacher,
there’s no way around it. Experience
does wonders to your confidence.
It’s great when someone else gives us
a pat on the back and an instant confi-
dence boost, but we can’t depend on
others to keep us feeling confident. You
are responsible for developing and nur-
turing your self-confidence.
Why You Should Always Start
With a Warmer
STARTING WITH A WARMER IS
IMPORTANT FOR A NUMBER OF
REASONS. YOUR STUDENTS NEED
A CHANCE TO SETTLE DOWN INTO
THE CLASS AND GET THEIR MINDS
FOCUSSED ON THE LESSON AHEAD.
DELVING STRAIGHT INTO DIFFICULT
SUBJECT MATTER ISN’T GOING TO
HELP THEM IN THE LEAST BIT.
We need to slowly ease people into
learning, starting them off with some-
thing easy and slowly becoming more
and more complex. This is generally
how a course runs, and in a way the
class is much like a miniature course
within a course. The students need
something easy to get them started,
so the wheels in their head can start
turning, so to speak. There are also
numerous warm-up techniques which
teachers use. Testing vocabulary is
usually one of the most obvious ones
that people will use. There are many
more, but it is important for teachers
to realize why they warm up classes.
WHY YOU SHOULD
START EVERY LESSON
WITH A WARMER
1 SETTING THE TONE
Undoubtedly, a warm up lesson
will set the tone for what is to take
place during the class. This is a great
idea for many reasons. Students will
have some idea of what to expect,
and the topic can easily be introduced
to them. For example, if one were
teaching a business class about im-
ports and exports, one could have a
warm-up exercise where the students
can test their own knowledge of re-
lated vocabulary. It will allow them to
start off in a single train of thought in
order to keep them on track for the re-
mainder of the class.
2 THE IMPORTANCE
OF PLANNING
A lot of teachers plan. In fact, plan-
ning is probably where most of the
work goes into a class. Of course, the
important parts are gone over includ-
ing the activities and other exercises.
But a lot of teachers will forget to do
things such as warming up and cool-
ing down. They will often come into
the class and pull something off the
top of their head. Whilst this can work,
it is always good to be prepared. Con-
struct a good warm up session from
the materials that are going to be cov-
ered in the class itself. This will give
the students plenty to talk about at the
beginning, and will help ease them
into the rest of the lesson.
3
INHIBITED STUDENTS
Warm ups and ice breakers are
essential for those classes where ev-
erybody is new, including the teacher.
They will allow everyone to relax and
get to know each other. This way,
people will become less inhibited and
more likely to chat with their peers
and with the teacher. It will raise the
energy levels, allowing everybody feel
a little more at home. It is important
for students to feel comfortable in the
class, as a first day can be especially
daunting. In this spirit, a warm up ex-
ercise can work wonders at getting
people more mobilised.
4 LENGTH OF TIME
Normally it is advised to have a
warm up session during the first five
minutes of the class. Students need to
get from speaking their own language
to speaking English.
If one is teaching in a country where
the official language is not English,
then beforehand the students will be
speaking their own language. This
might continue after they have gone
into the class, so it is important to give
them some time to get used to speak-
ing English. This way they will also
increase in their confidence, and re-
lated back to the last topic of helping
them to lose their inhibitions.
Student participation is key, as this
class is for them to improve and there-
fore they need to be able to speak it
as much as possible. This ties in with
the concepts of Teacher Talking Time
and Student Talking Time. Student
Talking Time is meant to increase as
the class goes on. The teacher can
consider the class a success if the
students end up speaking more Eng-
lish as it proceeds.
5
MAKING CORRECTIONS
It is true that students also need
to be corrected during class. This will
allow them to identify their mistakes
and not make them again. Stress
how important it is for the students to
make mistakes, so they will not feel
embarrassed or afraid to speak again.
But during the warm up exercises,
disregard this. The warm up session
needs to have a certain flow. Allow it
to continue and then perhaps jot down
whatever mistakes were made. Once
it is completed, then one will be able
to go over the mistakes with the stu-
dents again and tell them where they
went wrong.
It is also important to make sure that
the warm up sessions are a little bit
fun. Getting the student relaxed and
thinking in English is the key issue
here.
NOTHING CAN BE LEARNED IF
THE STUDENTS ARE TENSE AND
UNWILLING TO SPEAK, THERE-
FORE WARMING UP WILL ALLOW
THE WHEELS IN THEIR HEAD TO
START TURNING AND OPEN UP THE
GATEWAY TO KNOWLEDGE.
21
 What Do You See? 8 Steps
to Teaching Basic Vocabulary
Picture books are a useful tool for
the ESL teacher, especially when
she is teaching younger students.
Picture books can be a great help in
reading and writing lessons and can
even be the basis of a conversation
class. For vocabulary lessons, simple
books with repeating phrases are par-
ticularly useful. One such book is Bill
Martin’s Brown Bear, Brown Bear,
What do You See? which teaches
basic colors and animal vocabulary.
If you have beginning students who
need a lesson or a review on colors
and animals, here are some activities
you can try. Your kids will have fun,
and they will learn as they play with
Martin’s prose.
HOW TO TEACH
BASIC VOCABULARY
1 GET READY
Start by reading the book to
your class. It is best if you can intro-
duce the book before you plan to do
the rest of the activities so your stu-
dents have some familiarity with it.
2 MAKE MASKS
On the day you plan to start
the activities, read the book to your
class again. After you read, give each
student a picture of one of the animals
in the book, and ask them to color the
animal like the one in the book.
Make sure you have at least one of
each animal represented in your class,
and having multiples of the animals is
okay, too. Have each student cut out
his or her picture and glue it to a paper
plate. Then, have them glue or tape a
tongue depressor to the plate. Each
person now has a mask which shows
one of the animals in the book.
3 ROLL CALL
With your students holding
their masks, read the book again
and have each person stand when
22
his animal is speaking. Have your
students sit down again when the next
animal speaks. After you read the
entire book, say each animal again
and have your students stand for their
animal.
4 REVIEW THE ROLES
On the following day, repeat the
activity. Then have student exchange
masks and read the story again. They
should stand when the animal on their
mask is speaking. If any of your stu-
dents have learned the chant, encour-
age them to say it along with you.
5 LOOK AND SEE
Then rearrange your students
so they are sitting in the same order
as the animals in the book. Starting
at the beginning of the line, ask each
student what he sees. “Sam, what do
you see?” for example. The student
should answer with the name of the
animal next to him. He can say either
the animal’s name (e.g. red bird) or
the entire phrase (I see a red bird
looking at me).
To make sure everyone has prac-
tice with more than one animal, have
your students exchange masks and
repeat the activity. Continue until every
student has had the opportunity to be
each of the animals in the book.
6 REVIEW
On the third day, prepare for
your color and animal lesson by
hanging poster paper in the front
of your room, one page for each of
the animals, and glue a picture of
each animal to a poster.
Distribute the masks again before
reading the book one more time, and
encourage your class to chant along
with you. Many of them will be good
at it by now.
Like the previous two days, have
each person stand when his animal is
speaking.
7 WHAT DO YOU SEE?
Tell your students that now
you are going to play a game. You
will say their name and ask them what
they see. They should respond by
naming an object in the room as well
as its color. For example:
“Hyun, Hyun, what do you see?”
“I see a brown desk looking at
me.”
Give each of your students at least one
turn.
8 A CLASS COLLAGE
Then, make available to your
students some old magazines. Tell
each person that she should find one
picture among the magazines for
each of the animals, and the color of
the object should match the color of
the animal. When a student finds an
appropriate picture, have her come
to the front of the room and point out
the poster where her picture belongs.
She should also tell you the color of her
object. Then have her glue her picture
to the correct poster.
Give your class enough time so every-
one can find one picture for each of the
animals. When you finish, you should
have a collage of magazine pictures for
each color in the book. You should also
have a good read on how well your stu-
dents have learned their colors.
THESE ARE SIMPLE ACTIVITIES THAT
TEACH SIMPLE VOCABULARY, BUT
IF YOU ARE TEACHING YOUNG ESL
STUDENTS, YOUR CLASS WILL LOVE
IT.
Once your students know their colors
and animals, there are many follow up
activities you can do to reinforce their
new vocabulary.
Simon Says You’ll Love
these Games for Teaching
Anatomy Vocabulary
ALMOST EVERY TEACHER OF
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
HAS TAUGHT A UNIT ON ANATOMY
AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER.
Perhaps this is because it is one of
the most tangible sets of vocabulary a
nonnative speaker can learn. Perhaps
it is because our bodies are such an
important part of what makes us
uniquely ourselves. Perhaps it is for
some other reason. Regardless of the
motivation behind the theme, anatom-
ical lessons naturally find themselves
in the ESL classroom. Once you have
given your students some basics on
the parts of the body, try one or more
of the following games to review what
they have learned!
TRY THESE ESL
GAMES FOR
TEACHING ANATOMY
VOCABULARY IN
YOUR CLASSROOM
1 IN THE CLASSROOM
“Simon says touch your
head. Simon says touch your
toes. Touch your ears”.
Whether or not you are good at fol-
lowing directions, Simon Says is a
simple game that you can use to
review the vocabulary of the body.
Having your students go through the
motion of moving and identifying parts
of the body is a great review for vo-
cabulary that you have introduced in
an earlier lesson. You can match the
difficulty of the game to the skill level
of your student – speaking more or
less quickly, using more or less com-
plicated vocabulary. Your students,
too, will have a great time as you
make the game harder and harder to
eliminate players. Give the last one
standing a prize, or just let him be Si-
mon for the next round!
If you are feeling particularly adventur-
ous, you may decide to play a game
of Twister Scare. To play, either use
a Twister mat or create a similar lay-
out of colors on your classroom floor
using craft foam, carpet squares or
construction paper. (Heads up – you
will want to make sure all the desks
are moved from the area in which you
will be playing.) Then ask your class
to brainstorm a list of common
words for parts of the body. Write
each of these body parts on a small
slip of paper and put into a bag or hat.
For each turn, pull one body part from
the pool and either choose a color or
use a spinner or die to determine the
color that will be the goal for that body
part.
Keep playing for as long as you can or
until your students have had enough!
2
IN THE GYM
If you have a bag of old clothes
that you use in your ESL class, that
can also be repurposed for a review of
anatomical vocabulary. They make for
a great relay race when teams have
to identify the parts of the body that
the clothes and accessories are worn
on.
To play, divide your class into two
teams and have each team choose a
model who will eventually wear all of
the clothes. For each turn, have one
player from each team stand on either
side of you as you pull an item out
of the bag. The first person to iden-
tify which part of the body the piece
is worn on wins the piece and should
run to her model and put the piece of
clothing on that person. When you
get to the last piece of clothing in the
bag, the team with more items on their
model is the winner!
3
OUTSIDE
If your students are getting
sleepy in their seats, this anatomy
game is sure to wake them up. Take
your class to a large playing area, out-
side or a gym work well. In this game,
you will call out pairs of body parts
like “Ear to Elbow” (the name of the
game). Students must then rush to
find a partner, and one of them must
put his ear to the other’s elbow. If any-
one is unable to find a partner or does
not match the body parts correctly, he
is eliminated. Give another paring and
each person must find a new partner.
You may choose to make calls such
as head to knee, hand to foot, hip
to hip, shoulder to back or any other
combination you can think of. The last
pair standing wins a prize.
4
IN SMALL GROUPS
Do you want to play a game of
body parts with your students but
get them to think outside the box?
Try the classic game of Operation in
which students must remove “punny”
body parts from an electric surgical
patient. Students will draw cards ask-
ing them to remove such items as the
funny bone, the breadbox, the Adam’s
apple and butterflies in the stomach. If
they touch the sides of the opening for
each piece, a buzzer will sound and
that person loses his turn.
You can use this game as a jumping
off point to talk about idioms or ex-
pressions that have to do with parts of
the body. Challenge your students
to do some research and compile
a list of all the expressions using
body parts that they can find. You
can make this a game in itself by
grouping students and giving them a
set amount of time to come up with
their lists.
JUST BECAUSE LESSONS ON
ANATOMY HAPPEN SO FRE-
QUENTLY IN ESL CLASSES DOES NOT
MEAN THAT YOU CANNOT HAVE
FUN WHILE YOU GIVE THEM.
These games provide a fun review of
what your students have learned and
may also teach them a thing or two.
So try one with your class and get
in some laughs as you do your body
parts review!
23
 Amazing Animals:
A Super-Engaging Elementary
Lesson on Adjectives
YOU HAVE COVERED NOUNS AND
VERBS, AND THE GRAMMAR CUR-
RICULUM HAS YOU MOVING ON
TO ADJECTIVES WITH YOUR ESL
STUDENTS.
Still, you want them to have fun and
make a personal connection with the
naturally offer descriptive words for
each of the animals. You should point
out that words which describe things
or people are adjectives.
4 LIST ADJECTIVES
Close the book and ask your
them to describe their animal to the
group. Encourage students to think
of other adjectives that can describe
their animals and their friends’ ani-
mals. Each student should make a list
of these adjectives that describe the
animal he chose.

material you teach even when you are
teaching grammar. Here is an activity
you can do with your elementary level
ESL students that will get them think-
ing creatively and using adjectives
appropriately, and they will have fun,
too!
HOW TO TEACH A
SUPER-ENGAGING
ELEMENTARY LESSON
ON ADJECTIVES
students which animals crowded
into the mitten. Write each animal on
the board as they say it. Then, taking
one animal at a time, ask what words
they can use to describe that animal.
You should allow your students to use
their dictionaries as they offer adjec-
tives that can be used to describe
each animal. Make a list of adjectives
under each animal on the board. You
will want to include words like fuzzy,
soft, prickly, sharp, warm, little,
big, lumpy and others on your list.
7
DESCRIBE YOUR ANIMAL
Now that your students have
thought about their animals and
made a list of the adjectives to de-
scribe it, have your students write
a paragraph describing the animal
they chose. In their paragraph, they
should use several adjectives to de-
scribe their animal.
8 MAKE A CLASS BOOK

1 WHAT IS WINTER?
Start by asking your class
5 AN ACTIVE ADJECTIVE
GAME
Once each student is finished
with their paragraph, give them
time with your classroom comput-
to describe the weather in winter. er or take them to the computer lab
What clothes do people typically wear to type out their paragraphs. Using
You can review some of these ad-
in the winter? Why do they wear these the paint program on the computer,
jectives by playing a game with
clothes? If your students are willing, they can draw a picture of their ani-
your students. On her website, Jan
allow some of them to share a per- mal. Have students spell check their
Brett has pictures of the animals in
sonal story of when they were out- paragraphs and print them out. You
her book, which are designed to be
side in winter weather and how it felt. can then compile the paragraphs and
used as masks. Print enough of these
If they do not have a story to share, pictures into a classroom book. Make
so each student has a mask to use
you might want to share a story of this book available to your students
during the game. Allow students to
your own, perhaps the first time you during independent reading time.
cut out their masks and then attach a
saw snow or an experience sledding
tongue depressor to the bottom. Now
or skiing.
ask your students questions using the

2
READ THE MITTEN
After your discussion, read
your class The Mitten by Jan Brett.
This charming story tells the tale of
how a mitten left behind became a
cozy place for several animals to hide
from the winter cold.
adjectives you listed on the board.
“Who is fuzzy?” If their animal is
fuzzy, the student should stand. Re-
peat with a different adjective. Your
students should notice that some ad-
jectives can be used to describe more
than one of the animals from the book.
6
CHOOSE AN ANIMAL
WHETHER YOUR STUDENTS ARE
STUDYING ESL OVERSEAS AND
ARE NEW TO THE IDEA OF WINTER
OR YOU ARE TEACHING ABROAD
AND HAVE NEVER SEEN SNOW
YOURSELF, YOUR STUDENTS WILL
LOVE THIS CHARMING TALE OF
HOW WINTER BRINGS ANIMALS

3 RETELL AND IMAGINE

Ask your students to retell
After playing the game, ask
your students to think about their
favorite animal. This can be an ani-
TOGETHER!
Not only that, they will learn how to
use adjectives to describe these win-
the story of the mitten as you show ter animals and their own favorites,
mal from the story one that was not
them the pictures. As they retell the too. The end result will be a book that
in the book. Ask your students, “What
story, ask what it might have felt like your class will treasure for the entire
words on the board can be used
when each animal crowded into the year.
to describe that animal?” Put your
mitten. As you do, your students will
students into groups of three and ask

24
How to Get Your Students Start
Thinking in English
“How do you say, ‘Que tengas un
buen fin de semana’ in English?” How
many times have your students asked
you to translate something from or into
their native language?
How often do you have students who
translate things in their heads before an-
swering you? By contrast, how often do
you have students who provide a natural-
sounding reply, spontaneously and auto-
matically, without even blinking an eye?
Chances are most of your students still
translate in their heads – at least some of
the time. Our goal as teachers is to guide
students towards increasingly thinking in
English and drop the crutch of transla-
tion. But we all know this is precisely one
of the hardest things to achieve. So how
do we do that? How can we effectively
get our ESL students to think in English?
WHY IT’S SO
IMPORTANT FOR ESL
STUDENTS TO STOP
TRANSLATING AND
START THINKING IN
ENGLISH
Consider their main goal. They want to
learn to speak English, not become trans-
lators. There’s no point in them speaking
their native language in their heads while
they’re trying to learn another.
It’s counterproductive. The constant
comparison of one language to another
hinders naturally flowing speech. Expe-
rienced interpreters are real pros at this,
but your students are not.
Some things are simply too hard to
translate. This creates a situation where
the student is desperately trying to re-
member how to say the one word they
have in their minds in English, while they
should be trying to recall a recent lesson
instead.
Now, that we’ve established the impor-
tance of getting students to think in Eng-
lish for the duration of the class, let’s see
ways to help them achieve this ever-elu-
sive state.
HOW TO GET YOUR
STUDENTS TO STOP
TRANSLATING AND
START THINKING IN
ENGLISH
1 USE AN ENGLISH-ENGLISH
DICTIONARY
If you teach ESL by only speaking Eng-
lish in class, then you often supply defini-
tions or explanations of words in English.
Ask students to use Eng-Eng dictionar-
ies, and it will contribute to your efforts.
2 MIME
FEELINGS AND ACTIONS
When you teach feelings like “sad”, “hap-
py”, “scared”, etc., it’s a lot simpler to
translate them. But it’s so much more fun
to act them out – for you and your class!
The same goes for actions like opening
closing things, walking, running, etc.
3 TEACH LANGUAGE
IN CONTEXT
A student a writes a word on the board,
points to it and asks what it means. Most
of the time we have no idea where they
got it, which leads us to ask questions
about the context. After all, there are
plenty of words that have different mean-
ings in different contexts. This is pre-
cisely why language must be taught in
context. For example, would you teach
the Past Simple by presenting a list of
verbs and their past forms? What if there
are verbs they don’t understand? Your
best course of action is to introduce the
context first. Tell students what you do
every day, and then tell them what you
did yesterday. This eliminates any need
for translation.
4
INTRODUCE SET PHRASES
AS SET PHRASES
Has a student ever asked you to trans-
late the meaning of “You’re welcome”?
In most languages a literal translation is
ridiculous, but providing a similar phrase
in the students’ native language is not
necessary, either. When students ask for
translation simply say a set phrase is a
set phrase. Make sure they understand
it’s a reply to “Thank you”. They will prob-
ably figure out the equivalent in their lan-
guage, but with some expressions an
equivalent is hard to come by – think of
proverbs or idiomatic expressions. The
goal is for them to understand the mean-
ing of the phrase and when it’s used.
5 USE VISUAL AIDS
Like miming, visual aids such as
flashcards, illustrations, posters and
even video are great ways to avoid
translation.
6 USE OPPOSITES
OR SYNONYMS
Use words they already know in lead in
questions: Are you happy to see your
friend? You’re glad to see him. Check out
these other great ways to teach vocabu-
lary. No translation needed at all!
7 TEACH LANGUAGE
IN GROUPS
The need for translation will be elimi-
nated if you teach words in groups that
make sense, for example, “eat” and
“drink” with a list of food items.
8 PRETEND
YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND
If students try to say things in their own
language, simply say you don’t under-
stand. Try to lead them to say what they
want to say in English. This is by far my
favorite strategy. If a student speaks
to me in Spanish, I love to say, “Yo no
hablar español” with a thick English ac-
cent (besides being absolutely fluent in
Spanish, I’m also a good actress). Be-
cause it’s funny, it predisposes students
better than a reprimand!
THERE IS STILL MUCH DEBATE AS TO
WHETHER AN ESL CLASS SHOULD BE
ENGLISH ONLY OR INCLUDE SOME
ELEMENTS OF THE NATIVE LANGUAGE.
I have personally had excellent results
speaking only English in my classrooms.
There have been very few occasions in
which I had to explain something to a
student in Spanish, but those were very
special cases or students with some
type of learning difficulty. When I teach
Japanese students, I can’t use their na-
tive language at all. I can’t speak a single
word in Japanese, but that doesn’t im-
pact the lesson negatively, in fact, it is
very helpful, as students are not tempted
to use their native tongue.
25
 Top 10 Ways
to Motivate Your Students
EVEN THE BEST STUDENTS HAVE
DAYS WHEN THEY ARE NOT MOTI-
VATED FOR CLASSROOM LEARN-
ING. WITH A LITTLE NUDGE FROM
YOU, YOU CAN TURN THOSE DREARY
DAYS INTO SUCCESSFUL CLASSES IN
THEIR ESL CAREERS.
We have already discussed student
motivation before. Here are 10 more
ways you can motivate your students
today.
10 TEACHER-TESTED
WAYS TO INCREASE
YOUR STUDENTS’
MOTIVATION QUICKLY
AND EASILY
1 Children fulfill the expectations
that the adults around them com-
municate. This does not mean that
every student will score 100% on ev-
ery test we write. It does mean that if
you communicate to a child that he or
she is failure, he or she will fail. If you
communicate to that same child that
he or she will succeed, you will often
find that that is the outcome. With ev-
ery opportunity, encourage your stu-
dents that they are making progress
in their language learning. Point out
to them the areas in which you see
progress and improvement. For areas
in which a student struggles, try to
portray a picture of what success will
look like. Encouraging your students
to visualize their success will aid them
in accomplishing those goals you set
before them.
2 Making sure you are teaching
to all the learning styles in your class-
rooms is another way to motivate your
students. It is unrealistic to expect an
auditory learner to be successful and
motivated if her sole instruction comes
from reading a textbook. Likewise, a
kinesthetic learner will be frustrated
listening to his teacher lecture class
after class. Make sure, as you plan
your lessons, that you are teaching
to all the learning styles in your class-
26
room. If you do, you will engage stu-
dents who might otherwise struggle to
pay attention in class.
3
When a student disengages
from class, it is a good opportunity
for you the teacher to notice what
methods you are using in class. Al-
though some practices may be fine
for most students, timed tests, inde-
pendent learning time, self checking
methods, for example, there will be
students who not only do not con-
nect with these methods but who suf-
fer negatively when you use them in
your classroom. If a student begins to
disengage, be aware of the methods
you are using and look for patterns.
Though it is difficult to meet every
need of a classroom full of language
learners, you can take pains to avoid
certain methods when it is possible to
help certain students perform better in
class. This will also help you be inten-
tional about using a variety of meth-
ods with your class further engaging
all of them.
4
Sometimes motivating your stu-
dents is as easy as changing the ma-
terial you are using. For most teach-
ers, the school chooses a curriculum
that they expect each teacher to fol-
low in his or her classes. Even when
this is the case, it does not mean that
you cannot bring additional resourc-
es to class. Sometimes students are
turned off by the style or approach of
certain curriculum authors. Bringing
a different perspective into the class
will reengage your students who are
turned off by your current materials.
In addition, it will challenge those who
are already seeing success from the
assigned curriculum.
5
Varying your environment can
also be just the thing a reluctant stu-
dent needs to find fresh motivation.
Field trips are always a great way to
learn in a practical setting, but even
if that is not possible, take your class
outside for today’s lesson. Your stu-
dents may also benefit from a class
meeting in the library or in another
classroom. You can still meet your
daily class goals even if you take your
class beyond the classroom walls.
Try setting your students to research
at the library, observe another class,
or listen to native speakers in a pub-
lic area. There is always language to
be learned, so meet your listening,
speaking, and reading goals outside
the confinement of students’ tables.
6 Providing students with ac-
countability is an important element of
being a teacher. Without the idea of a
deadline and a grade, many students
would never have the self-motivation
that is required to successfully learn a
language. Be clear with your students
when you tell them your expectations.
Make sure they know the deadline for
a project’s completion and what stan-
dards you will use to assess that proj-
ect. You may also consider contract-
ing grades with your students who
are at more advanced levels. When
you contract grades, your students
sign a contract which outlines the re-
quirements to receive an a and a b.
Do not give options for lower grades.
The student selects which grade he or
she will receive in the class and then
must complete those requirements
satisfactorily. From the start of class,
your students know what they need to
accomplish, and they know that their
success is completely dependent
upon themselves. This will get them
to be self motivated learners and help
them engage themselves in the learn-
ing process.
7
Have you ever seen a child, or
perhaps you have one, who is angelic
when in public and a terror at home?
Some young people have similar be-
havior patterns when it comes to the
classroom. For you they misbehave
repeatedly, but a substitute teacher
would never know it. You can break
them out of this pattern by bringing
outside influences into your class-
room. Invite a guest speaker or trade
classes for a period with a fellow
teacher. The change in style and au-
thority, even for a short period, may be
enough to spark some motivation in
your students who have become ac-
customed to your teaching style and
expectations.
not work, sometimes there has to be
negative consequences to your stu-
dent’s actions. Keep your students
after school if you have to. Commu-
nicate with a child’s parents if pos-
sible and when necessary. Discipline
should be a last resort motivator and
only used sporadically.

8 Competition is a great way to

EVERYONE STRUGGLES TO BE MOTI-
VATED AT SOME POINT. WHEN YOU
SEE YOUR STUDENTS IN THAT PLACE,
motivate students. We do not suggest
posting grades publicly or otherwise
TRY SOME OF THESE FUN WAYS TO
embarrassing your students, but there
ENGAGE AND ENLIVEN YOUR CLASS.
are many ways to foster a friendly
IF ALL ELSE FAILS, IT MAY BE TIME
spirit of competition in your class.
FOR SOME CONSEQUENCES.
Variety is enjoyable for students and
Games are fun for reviewing and they
teachers alike. Avoid getting stuck in
motivate and engage students. You
a rut and your students will probably
can also group your class into teams
find themselves motivated without
and set them to a challenge. Who can
you even trying to make it happen.
collect the most authentic examples
of the grammatical structure you are
currently studying? Which team can
write the most entertaining skit with
this week’s vocabulary words? What-
ever you are studying, there is some
way to add some competition to the
mix.

9 One never fail motivational

method you can use with your stu-
dents is giving rewards. Tell your stu-
dents that if everyone in class earns
an 80% or higher on a test you will
have a pizza party. Tell them that with
successful completion of the class
novel you wills spend a day to watch
the movie together. Even something
as little as a sticker on a teenager’s
paper can be enough to spark some
giggles and winks but with it some
fresh motivation. Design your rewards
to your students’ personalities, and
tell them what your plans are. Stu-
dents look forward to even the simple
pleasures that you can dole out on an
ordinary day.

10 Finally, though not as en-

joyable as other techniques to moti-
vate, consequences of certain actions
can also be a motivator to students.
Make your expectations clear, and
communicate to your student what
the consequences will be to certain
behavior or work ethic. No one likes
to be punished, but when positive re-
inforcement and lively change ups do

27
Dealing with Broken Copy Machines
and Other Professional Snafus
IT’S A PRETTY COMMON SCENARIO IN
A TEACHER’S LIFE: YOU GET TO WORK,
ALREADY RUNNING LATE AND WITH A
SET OF COPIES TO RUN BEFORE CLASS
— ONLY TO FIND A GROUP OF OTHER
TEACHERS CROWDED AROUND, WRING-
ING THEIR HANDS, MOURNING THE
DEFUNCT COPY MACHINE.
And your lesson that day had depended
on those copies. In fact, the more you
depend on a set of copies, it seems, the
more likely it is the copy machine will jam,
break, and go out of commission for the
day. The same goes for overhead projec-
tors and computers: the more you rely on
them, the more likely they are to fall apart.
So what do you do on those days when
everything seems to be conspiring against
having a good class?
DEALING WITH
PROFESSIONAL SNAFUS
AND KEEPING YOUR
SANITY
1
DON’T PANIC
The most important thing is to not
panic and to breathe. Beginning teachers,
in particular, might go into a minor panic
attack over this kind of situation. Howev-
er, the situation is not as dire as it seems
although it may appear so with forty stu-
dents waiting for you and your now-obso-
lete lesson. However, panic prevents you
from breathing, which prevents you from
thinking effectively. Remember to breathe.
2 HAVE AN ALTERNATE PLAN
When lesson planning, it’s best to
plan ahead for things going wrong, as they
generally will. Plan ahead for the copy ma-
chine breaking down. Can you write what
is on the handout on the board? Or do you
have an alternate activity? Some teachers
have a series of activities in their “reper-
toires,” ready to pull out at a moment’s
notice. One such activity is writing “Find
Someone Who—“ on the board, and then
finishing the sentences with ten items: e.g.
1. has been to France. 2. has ridden on an
elephant, and so on. This can be adapt-
ed for whatever students are studying. If
they are studying the past tense, I would
phrase the questions in various forms of
the past tense. The goal is for students to
28
copy the questions down and then to write
a name by each question—which means
they will have to go around the room and
learn people’s names, which they might
not have yet. This is an easily adaptable
activity, and students usually enjoy it.
3 ONGOING PROJECTS
If students have some ongoing proj-
ect they are working on, give them time to
work on that. Usually in an English class,
there is at least one ongoing project that
there never seems to be time for. This
might be that day for students to get into
their groups and finish their research proj-
ects or collaborative stories.
4
GO FORWARD WITHOUT
THE PLANNED RESOURCES
I know some teachers who actually like
days when they forget their books or the
copy machine breaks, and so forth, be-
cause this brings out their most creative
side: they feel inspired by the need to cre-
ate that perfect lesson. Take a moment to
scan the learning objectives. What way
can you possibly teach them without the
planned resources? For example, can
you teach paragraph structure without
the graphic organizer showing neat para-
graphs with topic sentences? How about
by brainstorming details about the class-
room together and then coming up with a
suitable topic sentence based on the de-
tails? Students can then practice this In
pairs based on the school, the yard, the
park down the street, etc. It allows for cre-
ativity on the students’ parts and requires
few resources other than pencil and paper
and the whiteboard.
5
GET STUDENTS TO HELP
Most students are very willing to
help when the need arises, so ask them
to share handouts, write material on the
board, and so forth. Call on volunteers
to help or get the whole class to pitch in.
Students usually appreciate the feeling of
being needed and of being an equal to the
teacher who can help.
6 GET HELP FROM COLLEAGUES
Other teachers are also usually
helpful to another teacher in a jam. They’ll
willingly help you with the copier, show
you where extra books are stored, and
so forth. The only time they might show
reluctance to help is when they are so
swamped with their own classes that they
are unable to—which might make that
teacher a prime candidate for help when
you are more able to offer it.
7
FREE CONVERSATION DAY
Most ESL students can use some
work on conversational fluency in Eng-
lish. On the board, or on index cards if
you have them, write common topics of
conversation in English: “The Weather,”
“Work,” “School,” “Movies,” and “Sports,”
for example. Spend some time discuss-
ing what might be said on each topic, then
have students get in pairs or groups, se-
lect a topic, and go!
8 FREE READING DAY
Similar to conversational fluency,
reading fluency is an area where most stu-
dents could stand some practice. If there
is a class library of any sort—even sets of
newspapers or textbooks—this is an ideal
opportunity to allow students to browse
the material and select something to read.
Have them fill out an informal report at the
end, that you’ve written on the board, on
what they’ve read: what the main idea is,
any vocabulary learned, and one question
about the reading. This provides some ac-
countability while extending learning.
9 DECLARE A CATCH-UP DAY
Finally, a teacher can always call a
day where the plan went out the window
a catch-up/advisory day, in which you’ll be
available to give individual advice to stu-
dents on their papers and conference with
them about their work and grade. Far from
this being a “free” day, this often ends up
being one of the busiest of all because
students readily respond to this offer, and
they might be hanging around long after
the period ends.
So those bad days when the copier
breaks and you leave your briefcase at
home do not have to be bad teaching
days. IN FACT, WITH A LITTLE CREATIV-
ITY, “THOSE” DAYS MAY END UP BEING
THE BEST OF ALL!
Handling Transitions
in the Classroom
YOU’VE PROBABLY EXPERIENCED IT.
You’re in front of your class, having
just introduced a complicated grammar
point, perhaps the present perfect tense.
You’ve just taken the students through
some guided practice and are about to
give out the second handouts for inde-
pendent practice. It is only then you re-
alize the handouts aren’t on your desk.
They aren’t on the podium, either, nor on
the table. Where are they? As you franti-
cally search, you are aware of the stu-
dents breaking into little conversational
groups, there are scraps of various lan-
guages, a burst of laughter. Oh, no! It’s
the dreaded transition! When you locate
the handouts a few moments later, it
takes ten minutes to get the class settled
down again and back on task.
Transitions, those instructional moments
in which the class moves from one activi-
ty to another, are fraught with opportunity
for mishaps like those portrayed here —
needed materials go missing, students
forget what they should be doing, and
so forth. The transition can be at a huge
time drain, or even worse, the force that
derails an entire class period. However,
with some planning, the instructor can
guide students from one part of a class
to another with ease so loss of instruc-
tional time is minimized.
HOW TO MANAGE
TRANSITIONS
1
HAVE SUPPLIES READY AT
THE BEGINNING OF CLASS
Review your lesson plan before class,
note supplies needed, and place them in
the same area every day. If you make it
a habit to run copies for the next day be-
fore leaving campus, you won’t be short
needed handouts. And if you always
keep the handouts in the same place
during class, such as on the table in the
front of the room, you won’t need to stop
to look for them. An additional benefit of
this is your students will know where the
handouts are kept, too, and will automat-
ically pick the copies up when they arrive
late rather than sitting and then asking
loudly, “What are we doing?”
2
PLAN, PLAN, PLAN
If the teacher plans every moment
of instruction, including the transitions,
he is more likely to stay with the plan
rather than get swept up by the digres-
sion of an awkward transition. If students
take the opportunity of the pause of go-
ing from the reading to the writing ac-
tivity, for example, to start chatting with
their cute seat partners, the teacher can
move in and gently remind them, “We’re
working on writing now, so you should be
getting out your portfolios.” If the instruc-
tor is unsure of what he wants students
to do, however, or hasn’t planned, stu-
dents will quickly sense that and go on
with their conversation.
3
WRITE THE SCHEDULE
ON THE BOARD
If the plan is on the board, both teachers
and students are likely to stick to it. It’s
suddenly tangible and real, not some-
thing ephemeral that exists only in the
teacher’s mind. So if the teacher has to
go to the door to answer another teach-
er’s question, for example, students can
look at the board and say, “Oh, we’re
supposed to be on page 72 now.” And
if a student wanders in late and asks,
“What are we doing?” the teacher need
only point at the board.
4
TEACH THE ROUTINE
Writing your plan on the board is
part of teaching your instructional rou-
tine. Students should, both explicitly and
implicitly, learn the typical activities of the
class and how to transition, such as how
to get into groups with minimal disrup-
tion, where to look for supplies like paper
and textbooks, and where to get neces-
sary information. If students are taught
the routine from the start of class, there
will be fewer students saying “What are
we doing?” or, worse, “I don’t know what
to do, so I’m just going to sit and talk with
my friends.” And if a student does forget
and asks “What are we supposed to be
doing?” another student will probably
point to the schedule or supplies more
quickly than you can.
5
KEEP ACTIVITIES
FOR THE TRANSITION
Teachers should keep both regular ac-
tivities for transitions as well as specific
daily ones. These might be as simple as
proofreading an essay coming due—
a regular activity, which students know
they can do when the teacher Is set-
ting up the DVD equipment for the video
they’re about to watch—or specific daily
activities, such as looking ahead to the
assigned reading. Instill in students the
value of not wasting time, and instead
of sitting at their desks with their hands
folded as the teacher struggles with
electronic equipment, they can get some
of their own work done by reading ahead
in the homework.
6
PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK
FOR INTERACTING
Because those transitional moments
when the teacher’s attention is focused
on something else seem to be a time
when students develop the need to chat
with each other, give them a legitimate
purpose to do so. If you’re busy at the
beginning of class trying to locate that
section in the textbook you just had, tell
students to catch up with three peers on
what they did over the weekend and to
focus on their past tense verbs because
you may ask them about what their
friends did. Or keep a set of conversa-
tional cards, with topics like “the weather”
and “sports,” on your desk in a box and
tell students to select a card from the box
and hold a conversation with their peers.
7 SET LIMITS
Finally remember to remind stu-
dents of your boundaries. Sometimes,
even if you have done all of the above
to handle transitions, there are still those
students who seem to seize on the mo-
ment of seeing you rummaging through
your desk for the missing dry erase
markers to come up to you and begin
telling you their story on why their home-
work isn’t complete. It’s fine to tell the
student, “I want to hear you, but I want to
give you the attention you deserve. Let’s
speak after class.” This begins to teach
the student about appropriate time and
place.
TRANSITIONS, IN CLASS AS IN LIFE, ARE
NOT EASY.
But with planning, making the plan trans-
parent to students, teaching students the
routine and value of using time wisely,
the disruption caused by transitions can
be minimized.
29
Teaching in a Classroom
with Nothing at All
“So how are you keeping up on all of
the technology in your classroom?”
the woman from staff development re-
cently asked me at a meeting. “Would
you like to sign up for any training?”
“For what?” I asked. “Do you mean
the overhead projector?” “No-o-o,”
she said hesitantly. “Don’t you have a
smart classroom?”
A smart classroom. It begs the question
of what we had before. I thanked the
woman from staff development politely
and told her I thought I’d be all right.
There is a general perception that our
classrooms are loaded with the latest
gadgets—smart boards and Ipads and
Nooks. And if it’s not being incorporated
into the curriculum, it’s because teach-
ers are too stubborn, or stupid, to learn
it.
However, if all that technology is indeed
out there, it has yet to find its way to
most of the classrooms I have contact
with. Humanities in general, ESL in par-
ticular, is not high on the spending pri-
orities for most educational institutions.
We ESL educators have a different tech-
nology problem: how to cope with tech-
nology several millennia old. Socrates
might have taught in my classrooms of
plain brick walls and chalkboards.
So if indeed the most advanced tech-
nology in your classroom is the over-
head, how do you teach with the exist-
ing resources, especially with a student
population and even teacher population
increasingly used to more advanced
technology?
HOW TO TEACH IN A
CLASSROOM WITH
NOTHING AT ALL
1
WEAVE THE EXISTING TECH-
NOLOGY INTO CURRICULUM
It is possible to use existing resources
to their fullest if you use your creativity
as well. I really honed my artistic skills—
or rather, developed ones I didn’t know
I had—when I became an ESL teacher
and found myself having to draw clowns
and carriages to demonstrate vocabu-
30
lary in students’ textbooks, vocabulary
without accompanying pictures or defi-
nitions. Another teacher I’ve worked
with will, instead of developing a Pow-
erPoint show because of the lack of
needed technology in her room, will in-
stead use her overhead projector and
make a set of slides, quickly moving
between them—in effect, simulating a
PowerPoint show. Before the first day
of school, all teachers should assess
the existing “tools” in the classroom and
how the curriculum will work with it or
how it can be made to work.
2 BEG, BORROW, AND STEAL
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
If you decide that the tools in your class-
room are indeed not sufficient, there
are options. Nearly everyone has at
least one—maybe several—old or un-
used electronic devices in their homes.
E-waste pick-ups, in which city trucks
come by for special pick-ups of elec-
tronic garbage, have become common.
Maybe some of this material—perhaps
in your own or a neighbor’s house—still
has a life. There is a classroom, I’m
sure, that can use my old Mac desktop,
two boom boxes, and a laptop. If you
hold your own “e-waste” drive to ben-
efit your class, you might be surprised
at what you receive. Often people will
dump electronics not because there is
anything wrong with them but simply
because they are a year or two old. In
addition, teachers can often actually
use old technology—boom boxes that
play cassette tapes, useless to owners
of iPods, actually can be used by ESL
teachers who work with a curriculum
that is still in part on language tapes.
3
GAIN SUPPORT
As you are on this quest of bring-
ing your room into the 21st century,
people are going to notice you. Some
will become your supporters. They may
show their support with simple words of
advice to more extensive phone calls
and offers of equipment. Their motives
are usually straightforward: people like
to think that they are helping students
and schools. Any help should be grate-
fully accepted and acknowledged, per-
haps with a list of supporters in your
class on your class website.
4 RESEARCH
Your mission might at some point
expand beyond a simple local, informal
effort and become formal and exten-
sive. For example, if you decide your
class would benefit from iPads or a
Smartboard, this has gone beyond the
level of your school site or neighbor-
hood. It’s time to do some research on
what resources are out there for teach-
ers who want to modernize their class-
rooms. There are agencies out there
that will support this mission and fund-
ing to give, but they have to be located.
You might start locally and see, for ex-
ample, if the nearby Apple computer
plant makes donations to schools. You
can also search the web to see about
possibilities. Even in recessionary
times, there are still organizations mak-
ing donations of material and monetary
support!
5 WRITE A GRANT
Finally, if you find an agency that
supports your specific need, you might
decide to write a grant. Study the com-
pany’s website and guidelines for giving
grants: many have specific deadlines
and their own forms to fill out, for ex-
ample. If you decide to go ahead with
the grant, keep in mind some general
principles: be as specific as possible on
what you are requesting, how it will be
used, when your goals will be accom-
plished and why you are a strong candi-
date for the grant. There are even grant
writing workshops available at little or
no cost online. In addition, your district
might offer such workshops.
It isn’t easy, teaching in a classroom
with nothing at all.
HOWEVER, WITH PERSISTENCE
AND CREATIVITY, THE TEACHER CAN
MAKE “NOTHING” WORK FOR HER
OR CAN BECOME A TRAILBLAZER,
TAKING HER CLASS FROM “NOTH-
ING” TO FULLY EQUIPPED FOR THE
NEW MILLENNIUM.
ESL Teamwork:
Collaborating With Colleagues
COLLABORATING WITH YOUR COL-
LEAGUES IN ANY WORK ENVI-
tion to see which class performance the principal about how to get your
the audience liked best. ESL students involved in other activi-
ties around the school. Perhaps you

RONMENT CAN HELP GUARAN-
TEE SUCCESS FOR EVERYONE
INVOLVED.
When working together, people can
contribute their unique skills for a bet-
ter overall result. This is the same
when it comes to teaching and can
be even more beneficial than in other
work places because the students
ultimately get more out of their edu-
cational experiences when teachers
work together.
Here are some ways you can collabo-
rate with others at your school.
HOW TO WORK AS AN
ESL TEAM
2
ENGLISH TEACHERS –
DIFFERENT COURSE, SAME
STUDENTS
If your students take English classes
besides yours, consider coordinating
activities with their other instructor or
instructors. An English reading course
might have a chapter on poems which
would be a great opportunity to talk
about rhyming words and to encour-
age students to write poems of their
own in your class.
By talking to other teachers, you can
help one another reinforce themes
common in both classes. This will also
benefit students because they will be
can set up a display in English about
the class, school, town, or country.
By approaching the principal with
ideas like this one, you are showing
that you are interested in English be-
ing part of the school’s identity and
are thinking about how students can
use their knowledge in practical ways
not just theoretical ones.
Students should be able to use Eng-
lish in real life situations and design-
ing displays or booths for school fairs
is a great way to encourage this. A
display like the one suggested would
be something students could be proud
of.

1
able to examine various things related
ENGLISH TEACHERS – to a single topic in different classes. For students with a special interest in
SAME COURSE, DIFFERENT English, you can even create an op-

STUDENTS
If you are not the only teacher in
charge of a particular course, for ex-
ample English I, take the opportunity
to collaborate with teachers of other
sections of the class. During exams
work together to develop a test that
will provide a good baseline for all
students. The results will allow you to
see how classes compare to one an-
other. Creating exams can also be a
lot of work so breaking up the respon-
sibilities will lessen your workload.
Additionally, having multiple people
review the test will lead to better ac-
curacy which is really important when
it comes to test sheets as students
may become confused if questions or
directions are unclear.
Another thing you can do is create a
project that all the classes can par-
ticipate in. It may be challenging to
work together if classes meet at dif-
ferent times but one thing you could
consider doing is putting on a per-
formance. Each class could have its
own presentation or skit to perform
3
tional English club that meets after
OTHER TEACHERS school once or twice a week. Working
It would make sense for art with the principal will ensure that you
classes to focus on Asian art while are allowed to do certain activities and
students are studying Asia in their also have space either to display work
geography or history class right? The or to meet with students.
same thing can be done with English
lessons if you are willing and able to
coordinate themes with another in-
structor.
YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO WORK
WELL WITH EVERYONE IN YOUR
Consider approaching art, history,
SCHOOL.
and geography teachers to get some
While this is not always possible, it
ideas. Especially with younger stu-
is an admirable goal and collaborat-
dents incorporating topics from other
ing with others will often help you
classes should be very easy and en-
form better working relationships with
joyable. The material at this level is
teachers. Always remember that your
not too challenging. First grade geog-
primary focus is teaching students
raphy is pretty straightforward while
English and while collaborating, be
calculus might be a stretch for some
sure to share in the work and respon-
ESL teachers and also harder to link
sibilities of each project so that your
to the English language.
colleagues do not start to resent you.
Where possible, consider tying things
together and let students teach you
what they have been learning in other
classes by using English and learning
the related vocabulary along the way.

4
for other students and even parents.
PRINCIPAL
This could be a lot of fun and you may
even choose to turn it into a competi- You can also present ideas to

31
8 Typical Characters You’re
Sharing Your Teacher’s Room With
ESL teachers would have to be one of
the biggest motley crew of around. As
a whole, they are people who gener-
ally know exactly what they want in life,
and are incredibly determined to get
what they want. But, as like all jobs, ESL
teaching has a cross section of individu-
als who are all teaching for their own
private reason. This article will take a
light-hearted (but somewhat true) look at
those who you share the teacher’s room
with.
DO YOU RECOGNIZE
ANY OF THESE ESL
CHARACTERS?
1
THE SPOILT RICH GIRL
The Spoilt Rich Girl is generally
on her first escape from mummy and
daddy. This is the kind of girl that would
let out an ear-piercing scream and run
away as fast as she can at the mere sus-
picion of the presence of a cockroach.
This poor girl’s tastes for the local food
simply haven’t adjusted, and so she’s
forced to live on expensive western food
and delivered McDonald’s and KFC on a
regular basis. The Spoilt Rich Girl is al-
ways constantly on the verge of finishing
her contract, packing up her backs and
going home.
2
THE GUY WHO’S TEACHING
BECAUSE HIS WIFE’S LOCAL
This guy couldn’t really give a stuff
about what’s happening at the school,
because he’s only working there for the
visa and a source of income. He’s gen-
erally a very friendly guy, quite stable at
the school and often joins for after-work
drinks when he wants time away from
the ‘trouble-and-strife’. Generally a very
pleasant guy and has quite a good per-
sonality, although his heart may not lie
with teaching.
3
THE BROKE-POOR BACK-
PACKER
Ah yes, this guy or gal has signed up to
become a teacher because their bank
account balance has dropped to the
point where even toothpaste and sham-
poo is an expensive purchase. Mum
and dad’s last Western Union transfer
ran out a few days ago, and things are
32
looking desperate for him. So, he’s on
his last legs, and taken his final possible
step to sweep him out of destitution – by
becoming an ESL teacher! The ‘broke-
poor backpacker’ is generally a vibrant
and positive member of the staff and
participates in all activities.
4 THE LIFETIME EFLER
One of the most annoying people
you could ever meet. The Lifetime EFLer
generally has a black-or-white perspec-
tive on life and will force their opinion on
anyone who cares to listen. He could be
viewed as a modern day hippy, some-
one who has become rather discontent
with their lifestyle at home. The Lifetime
EFLer has taught on every continent,
has notched up double-digits in countries
and probably triple-digits in the number
of schools! He will also gladly give his
two-cents worth on how the school oper-
ates, other teachers at the school, while
at the same time placing himself on a
pedestal. Stay clear at all costs, when
he’s talking about how great he is or how
the school could be better run, just nod
your head and agree, while looking for a
way to get out of the conversation.
5 THE RUNAWAY CRIM
More of a common employee at
your small independent language school
rather than large international schools,
The Runaway Crim is someone that
many of us have come across during our
time playing the ESL game. The Run-
away Crim is a mysterious fellow, who
we never quite seem to know everything
about. When you ask him about his past,
he will usually answer something so
general or vague, that you quickly lose
interest or you just accept the fact that
you don’t want to know about his past.
Covered in tattoos, the Runaway Crim
looks like the kind of guy who you want
to steer well-clear of in a dark alley, and
litters his sentences with some quite cre-
ative profanity. However, he is actually
a big softie, and gets the best feedback
from students!
6
THE CHE GUEVARA
El Che is one of the main plotters
who intends to take down the person in
charge, while planning to launch their
own Viva la Revolution for the teach-
ers. Che is always on the war path over
low pay, excessive-teaching hours, work
conditions, cleanliness of the toilet, and
practically anything else he can take
an opposing side on. His futile mission
against the head teachers will often see
him as the target by management who
accuse him of contributing to a negative
vibe. El Che probably won’t be seeing a
second year at the school.
7 THE ALCOHOLIC
Ahhhh yes. The Alcoholic. He’s
good mates with the Lifetime ESLer, but
doesn’t associate with the rest of the
group. This guy generally has his own
favourite drinking spot away from the
other teachers. The Alcoholic is gener-
ally uber qualified and probably pos-
sesses the skills to work at an interna-
tional school. However, he works at the
language centre because he can’t hold
a job at any of the international schools
-that, and the fact that classes don’t start
until 3pm! He’s the one who always com-
plains about having no money after one-
week of receiving his monthly salary,
and is always the first to ask the boss for
an advance of his pay. Remarkably, this
guy has managed to keep his job at the
language school as is a grammar whiz
and receives some of the best feedback
from students!
8 THE WANNABE LOCAL
A bit of a loner in the teacher’s
room, the Wannabe Local generally
can be seen sitting at the rather unhy-
gienic looking food stall down the street
or chatting and laughing with the local
staff. He is generally fluent in the local
language, has a local wife, wears typical
local clothing and serves as a common
go-to person for advice on cultural differ-
ences or translations. For a new teacher
at the school, he comes across as slight-
ly arrogant due to the philosophy that
while in a foreign country, he will attempt
to live as much like the locals as possi-
ble. The Wannabe Local is great for the
school, as he generally keeps out of of-
fice politics and is quite a conscientious
employee. This guy saves an absolute
shirt-load of money, as he lives in local
style accommodation and takes the non-
air-conditioned, jam-packed local bus to
work, that looks like it will fall apart in the
next summer breeze.
5 Types of ESL Colleagues and
How to Get Along with Them
When not in their classrooms, where
do ESL teachers go? Often it’s the staff
room, that place with the refrigerator, mi-
crowave, copy machine, and—oh, yes,
other ESL teachers! Usually, that is an
advantage—the coming together of col-
leagues. You can discuss your classes
and teaching methodology, trade stories
of textbooks and materials, and discuss
shared preferences in vacations and free
time activities. But not all colleagues are
necessarily people you want to share
much time with! In fact, there may be the
few that you may want to limit time with
or will need to really work to get along
with when you do encounter them.
5 TYPES OF PROBLEM
ESL COLLEAGUES
1 MR. TALKATIVE
Mr. Talkative wants to do just
that—talk. It doesn’t seem to matter that
his audience is or what that audience is
doing—eating lunch, grading papers—
anyone who enters the staff room or
his periphery is fair game for one of his
monologues, often on his personal life,
like what he did that weekend, and at
length.
2 MS. COMPLAINER
Ms. Complainer has a lot in com-
mon with Mr. Talkative, however, while
Mr. Talkative’s lengthy verbiage is fo-
cused simply on personal issues, most
of them inconsequential, Ms. Complain-
er’s excessive discussion is focused on
the negative, complaining, and usually
about the school: the students, the ad-
ministration, other teachers, electronic
equipment and facilities, etc. Individu-
als who have been teaching a long time
may fall into this pattern, perhaps after a
number of negative experiences in the
profession.
3 MR. WORK ETHIC-CHAL-
LENGED
Mr. Work Ethic-Challenged never seems
to be in a hurry. He always looks well-
rested. His briefcase usually looks dis-
concertingly light and empty (always a
telling sign). He is out the door with the
bell, rarely comes to meetings, and nev-
er contributes to any of the work of run-
ning the department, like participating
in grading sessions or serving on com-
mittees. This type is rare in a profession
that generally requires hard work and in
which workaholics thrive, but they can
be found.
4 MISS STILL-A-STUDENT
You can tell Miss Still-a-Student by
her bike, book bag, long hair, and jeans.
In other words, she looks like a stu-
dent, and may in fact still be a graduate
student or was one recently. She also
perhaps identifies with other students,
seeing herself as one, and invites her
students over to her home and social-
izes and spends time with them over her
colleagues.
5 MRS. SABOTEUR
This is a mercifully rare type in a
profession where people are committed
to helping each other, but again she can
be found. Mrs. Saboteur may, for ex-
ample, deliberately set out to undermine
a colleague with negative comments to
students and staff. The behavior prob-
ably arises out of insecure feelings and
a need to make others look bad in order
to feel or look better herself.
WAYS TO DEAL WITH
TROUBLESOME
COLLEAGUES
1 IDENTIFY THE BEHAVIOR
The first part of dealing with any
problem is identifying it as a problem.
“Oh, I get it. Jonathan keeps saying neg-
ative things about me to students be-
cause he’s a Mr. Saboteur. It isn’t me.”
There is something liberating in this—
recognizing the set of troubling behav-
iors has something to do with the prob-
lem colleague—it is his or her “thing” that
he or she does with everyone or nearly
everyone, in all probability, and is not an
overreaction on your part.
2 DIRECT APPROACH
A direct approach is usually best
when dealing with problem colleagues.
Someone who talks nonstop when you
come into the staff room isn’t going to
get your subtle hints like deep sighs—or
even putting on headphones or leaving
the room! She might just follow you out
and continue the routine.
A direct approach works best: “I’m sorry,
I’m correcting papers now and can’t talk
now.” And then take out your papers and
begin grading.
3 SET BOUNDARIES
Related to taking a direct approach
is setting boundaries: in establishing
boundaries you are directly stating what
behaviors you will tolerate in relation to
yourself and others. For example, to the
colleague who keeps popping in and out
of your class when it’s in session (it’s
surprising how many instructors do this
even with classrooms that are otherwise
free for hours at a time), you might say,
“I’m sorry, we’re in class until 11 am. Af-
ter that, the classroom is yours as you
need it.” She probably suddenly won’t
need it at 11, but this sends a powerful
message on protecting your and your
students’ instructional space.
4 BE A ROLE MODEL
Ultimately, a good teacher is a
good role model to her students and her
colleagues. This is especially important
for colleagues like Mr. Work-Ethic Chal-
lenged. If he sees his peers staying after
class, correcting papers, and heading up
committees, he will begin to get a mes-
sage about the culture of the school and
of the profession. Miss Still-a-Student,
also, in seeing her colleagues spending
their lunches lesson planning and shar-
ing ideas will get the idea that she is now
one of these professionals and should
join them—at least occasionally—in-
stead of hanging out with her students
in the union.
IT TAKES ALL KINDS TO MAKE UP A
TEACHING STAFF, AS IN ANY PROFES-
SION. Most of the types you will meet as
a teacher are positive role models—hard
workers who communicate well and are
good with people. There are a few more
problematic types, however. But with
communicating directly, setting bound-
aries, and being a role model, you will
find you don’t need to hide out in your
office and can confidently return to the
staff room!
33
 5 Dreadful Teacher Types
You Should Avoid Turning Into
During the course of your own stud-
ies, you have probably encountered
numerous teachers whose teaching
styles did not serve you, the student,
well or that you simply did not ap-
preciate. Obviously these are not the
people who inspired you to teach or
who had the most impact on your aca-
demic development.
With this in mind, let’s look at some
dreadful teacher types that no one
wants to become.
5 TYPES OF ESL
TEACHERS THAT
YOU SHOULD AVOID
TURNING INTO
not driven to work hard because they
meet endless praise in the classroom
regardless of performance.
3 THE SHY GUY
The Shy Guy (or Gal) is too timid
to be put in front of a classroom. He
often speaks so softly that students
sitting in the back of the room must
ask for things to be repeated. This
teacher lacks the self confidence to
assert his authority and therefore stu-
dents are unwilling to give him the
respect a teacher deserves and dis-
regard instructions. This teacher lacks
even the most basic classroom man-
agement skills and cannot keep stu-
dents in check. The Shy Guy leaves
class each day feeling defeated and
tinue along the same path. As classes
with The Timewaster often end with-
out getting to the main point of the les-
son, students will feel as if they are not
gaining anything by attending classes
and become frustrated with how their
time is being spent. Particularly driven
individuals will do well through self
study while the rest of the class will be
sorely deprived of the education they
need.
HAVING THOUGHT ABOUT THESE
FIVE DREADFUL TEACHER TYPES,
PLEASE DO YOUR BEST TO AVOID
BECOMING ONE OF THEM.
TEACHERS WHO ARE UNDERSTAND-

1 THE DISCIPLINARIAN
The Disciplinarian is very strict
and loud. He may lash out with an an-
gry command when frustrated, upset,
or disappointed with students. Talking
out of turn and being late are com-
students prey on his weakness by
further insulting him. Even generally
well behaved students will act poorly
in this teacher’s classroom because
there is no real consequence for their
actions.
ING, RESPECTABLE, AND ASSERTIVE
THAT INCLUDE A VARIETY OF ACTIV-
ITIES IN THEIR LESSONS AND MAXI-
MIZE STUDENT TALKING TIME WILL
SET HIGH BUT REASONABLE EXPEC-
TATIONS FOR THEIR STUDENTS.
Students will then meet those goals

pletely unacceptable in his classroom
even if there might be a reasonable
excuse. Nothing is ever his fault even
when students are unclear on direc-
tions and he is reluctant to repeat him-
self. Students tend to be afraid of The
Disciplinarian and therefore are less
likely to speak up in class. He all but
shatters their confidence even when
covering basic material that students
are familiar with. In his classes stu-
dents have to pay attention and avoid
attracting attention.
4
through the continued support and
THE LECTURER
encouragement they are given every
The Lecturer believes that if he day by their teacher. Good teachers
repeats something enough times, learn something from every class and
students will understand what they grow throughout the course of their
are being told. Rather than rephrase careers always striving to be a better
or test comprehension, the teacher instructor.
requires that students just repeat ex-
actly what he said. If this teacher is a
non-native English speaker, it is likely
that he will lecture almost exclusively
in his native language. When students
struggle with material, The Lecturer
will start speaking more loudly as if

2 THE FRIEND
The Friend is easygoing and le-
nient. His lesson plans are designed
to be fun and active so that students
can enjoy the learning process. He
this will somehow help the situation.
ESL students with this type of instruc-
tor will suffer from lack of speaking
practice and will often not compre-
hend the meaning behind their words.

tries to relate to students and some-
times even succeeds. He will never
challenge students to step outside
their comfort zones or embarrass
them by asking them to repeat, de-
velop, or change their answers. Stu-
dents really enjoy having The Friend
as their teacher but are often less pro-
ductive than their peers due to lack
of discipline and focus. Students are
5
THE TIMEWASTER
The Timewaster likes to domi-
nate speaking time and regularly
holds one-sided discussions about
topics completely unrelated to the
lesson. He will half-heartedly attempt
to engage students in material that
is neither relevant nor interesting to
them and upon failing will simply con-

34
Team Teaching:
Tips for Success
SOME COUNTRIES AND SCHOOLS
RELY ON TEAM TEACHING TO
MAKE THEIR ESL CLASSES MORE
EFFECTIVE. TEAM TEACHING IS
WHERE TWO INSTRUCTORS WORK
TOGETHER TO TEACH LESSONS. THIS
ARRANGEMENT USUALLY, BUT NOT
ALWAYS, PAIRS A NATIVE ENGLISH
SPEAKER WITH A NON-NATIVE
ENGLISH SPEAKER WHO SPEAKS
THE LOCAL LANGUAGE.
In Japan, Assistant Language Teach-
ers are the native speakers placed in
number of reasons but the most com-
mon one is that students are having
difficulty with the material and con-
tinuing along the same course will
only confuse them further. If you are
not the one leading the class, it is im-
portant to follow the path the other
teacher decides to take and be pre-
pared to step in with a new activity if
necessary. More than anything else,
team teachers need to cooperate to
ensure that students have the best
classes possible.
role as the primary instructor espe-
cially around students. If you feel that
you are only being included in one as-
pect of teaching, volunteer to perform
other tasks such as grading and plan-
ning activities.
A teacher who has never had an as-
sistant before may not realize the
amount of work you are willing and
able to do and might welcome your
assistance in these areas.

schools to work with Japanese Eng-
lish teachers. In this case the primary
goal of team teaching is to improve
student pronunciation by having a na-
tive speaker available to model words
and phrases for them. In other coun-
tries large class sizes are the reason
behind team teaching as this allows
students to have more one on one
time with an instructor. Working as
part of a team can be a challenge so
here are some things to think about
when team teaching.
TEAM TEACHING DO’S
AND DONT’S
2
DON’T
Team teaching will not be suc-
cessful when there is no team. If
teachers do not actually work togeth-
er, they will not lead classes effec-
tively and the materials each person
prepared may not complement one
another.
There is nothing worse than learning
on the way to the classroom that your
partner, without telling you, expected
you to prepare the lesson that day.
Students cannot learn in a setting this
disorganized no matter how well you
manage to salvage the class time with
TEAM TEACHING CAN BE VERY
EFFECTIVE. EVERYONE WORKS IN
DIFFERENT WAYS SO THE BEST
THING YOU CAN DO IS CONTRIBUTE
YOUR SKILLS AND ASK THE SAME
OF YOUR PARTNER.
Collaborating can reduce the amount
of work you need to do individually
and lead to better lessons while act-
ing separately will not benefit anyone
least of all your students.

1 DO
For a successful team teaching
some brilliant, last-minute plan.

Some other things to keep in mind

relationship, it is important to com-
municate with one another. Talking
about lesson plans, sharing ideas,
and editing exams together outside
the classroom will help you develop
a good working relationship. Meeting
on a daily or weekly basis and know-
ing who is responsible for what during
the lesson can increase the quality of
are not to interrupt when the other
teacher is speaking and not to under-
mine each other’s authority. The two
go hand in hand, making the other
teacher look bad will not improve your
situation. Students will lose respect
for both of you and that is not a good
classroom situation.

your classes and your overall confi-
dence as a teacher. You will be able to
learn from one another and increase
your understanding of each other’s
experience and teaching methods.
This will help you work together better
in the classroom too because you will
have the same goals, expectations,
and plans.
In class it is important to be flexible
and adapt when your partner decides
to make changes to the lesson plan
you discussed. This can happen for a
3
ASSISTANT TEACHERS
If you are a teaching assistant
who is expected to team teach, start
off by asking what the teacher you are
assisting expects of you. Once you
have mastered those things, try to en-
courage more collaboration and make
suggestions about lesson plans and
activities.
Some teachers will be more open to
your ideas than others so proceed
with caution and be respectful of their

35
 How to Be
a Great Teaching Assistant
TEACHING ASSISTANTS ARE AN
ENORMOUS HELP BOTH INSIDE AND
OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM.
With another set of eyes in class,
things often run more smoothly while
having some extra input can make
lesson plans and worksheets even
better.
Here are some things teaching assis-
tants can do to maximize their useful-
ness.
HOW TO BE A SUPER
TA
1 INSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Helping with classroom man-
agement during lessons is the most
important role of a teaching assis-
tant. When the teacher is busy work-
ing with a student, you – the assis-
tant - should answer questions other
students have, assist students with
their work, and give feedback or en-
couragement when needed. While
the teacher is giving instructions or
lecturing, you can help maintain order
by breaking up student conversations
and minimizing distractions.
You can also help when students form
groups or move desks in between ac-
tivities to shorten the amount of time
these things take and thus ensure that
students have more time to practice
English. With a teaching assistant in
the classroom, the primary instructor
will not have to disrupt the flow of the
lesson by trying to be in two places
at once.
2 HOW THEY SEE YOU
It can be difficult to establish a
good rapport with students. Some
students may not respect teaching
assistants because they are not “real”
teachers in their eyes, or because
TAs’ perceived or actual power is min-
imal. At the same time, you are in an
excellent position to assist students
who are struggling because you have
36
more time to monitor them.
For instance, the class clown who
sits at the very back of the room and
consistently interrupts may have little
interest in the lesson, difficulty un-
derstanding the material, or just want
some attention. Whatever the case
may be, you can help by working with
him one on one to keep him focused,
answer questions, and obviously fulfill
the need for attention without being
disruptive to the rest of class. The stu-
dent may still be reluctant to focus on
the lesson material but will appreciate
the teaching assistant’s attentiveness
and the rest of the class will benefit
by having the undivided and uninter-
rupted attention of the teacher.
How students see you and your role
in the classroom depends heavily on
how you are treated by the teacher
you assist. It is beneficial to talk about
your responsibilities during particular
lessons before heading into the class-
room and to develop strong respectful
working relationships with teachers.
3
OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Depending on the teacher, a
teaching assistant may be respon-
sible for any number of tasks outside
the classroom. Teaching assistants
are commonly asked to mark papers
and grade exams. You may be asked
to create and edit worksheets, hand-
outs, and exams and will most likely
have to make copies of these items.
You are free to express your ideas
about lessons but they will not always
be taken into consideration.
The extent to which you are involved
in any and all activities depends on
who you are assisting and may vary
from teacher to teacher within the
same school. Remember that you are
a teaching assistant and not a person-
al assistant so that you can remind
your teachers of that if required.
4
TEAM TEACHING
In an environment that encour-
ages team teaching, you as a teach-
ing assistant may, on occasion, have
the opportunity to plan activities or
entire lessons. This is especially com-
mon if you are a native English speak-
er teaching abroad with a non-native
English speaker. In this situation, your
activities should focus on pronuncia-
tion and speaking while your lesson
plans should revolve around cultural
topics such as holidays.
When you are teaching, do not expect
a full role reversal. While it would be
nice for the other teacher to assist
you, that is not always how things
work out so you should be prepared
to do everything on your own just in
case.
EVERY TEACHER SHOULD BE LUCKY
ENOUGH TO HAVE A TEACHING
ASSISTANT.
If the teacher you work with is not
used to having an assistant it might
take a while for him to get used to
having your help. You should feel free
to offer your thoughts and services if
you feel that you are not being given
enough tasks. It may simply take a lit-
tle while to adjust to having a helping
hand. Assisting others can give you
some great experience in a classroom
and help you form teaching methods
of your own. Being a teaching assis-
tant is an excellent learning experi-
ence whether you admire the work of
your teacher(s) or not.
What Can I Do to Help? Manag-
ing Volunteers and Assistants
Occasionally, in my inner-city adult
ESL classroom, volunteers from the
neighborhood or paid assistants from
the district would come to my class-
room to help.
Usually they would just show up one
day and say, “Hi, I’m Tracie, and I’m
here to help.” Sometimes they were
bilingual, speaking both English and
some of the students’ first language.
Sometimes they were truly volunteer,
retired people or stay-at-home moms,
with some free time that they wanted
to fill by serving. Other times they
were paid by the school district and
had some college credits in being a
teaching assistant.
So what’s the problem? Sounds
great, right—assistants who want to
help you at your job, especially when
you have a large class? Well—yes
and no. In fact, most of the assistants
were fine, and I would welcome them
back. However, not all teachers are
like this and don’t enjoy sharing the
autonomy of their own classroom and
instruction, and that is legitimate. In
addition, some teaching assistants or
volunteers are definitely more chal-
lenging than others to work with.
SO WHAT ARE THE
TOP CONCERNS
WITH VOLUNTEERS
AND TEACHING
ASSISTANTS?
1
LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
Most teaching assistants and
volunteers don’t have the knowledge
base of a teacher—they may indeed
have a strong base of life knowledge
but don’t have the training in English
or in teaching it that a teacher does.
(Once a volunteer in my class pointed
out as I was writing on the board that I
had “forgotten” the apostrophe before
the “s” in word—a plural, not posses-
sive, word.)
It might be best to limit these assis-
tants to noninstructional duties, such
as making copies, or light instruction,
such as participating in a discussion
group.
2 LACK OF CULTURAL
UNDERSTANDING
One of my more memorable moments
in dealing with an assistant was the
one who, after I had set students up in
mixed-language groups, exclaimed,
“But that group is all Chinese!” In fact,
none of the students in the group in
question were “Chinese”—although
the assistant was correct in noting
they were all Asian. Someone who
assumes anyone who looks Asian
must be Chinese, however, probably
requires some training in cross-cultur-
al issues before assisting in an ESL
class.
3 TRIES TO TAKE CONTROL
OF THE CLASS
Some assistants I have met have very
domineering personalities and try to
take over the classroom in deciding
what should and shouldn’t be taught
and how. This should be stopped as
that is the teacher’s role, and for a rea-
son—the teacher generally has more
insight into curriculum and teaching
strategies than the assistant.
4
NOT ENOUGH TO DO
Sometimes, especially if it is a
small class, there may not be enough
for the assistant to do—the teacher
has all the copies, grading, and in-
struction covered for a group of fifteen
students as the school year trails to a
close. The assistant becomes under-
standably bored. In this case, a rea-
sonable solution might be to refer the
assistant to another larger, or more
difficult, class.
5
WRONG REASONS
FOR VOLUNTEERING
Sometimes a potential assistant sim-
ply has the wrong reason for volun-
teering—it’s common for people out-
side the field, for example, to equate
ESL education (where only English
is used in instruction) with bilingual
education (where two languages are
used, typically Spanish and English
in the United States). I have had as-
sistants come to my classroom of
multiple native languages because
they wanted to “learn Spanish.” Some
quick education here about the nature
of ESL (Spanish is not used in instruc-
tion) might save the volunteer some
time.
So there can be multiple difficulties
with assistants in the classroom. What
are some ways to address them?
METHODS TO DEAL
WITH TEACHING
ASSISTANTS
1 LIST OF GUIDELINES
AND EXPECTATIONS
It’s helpful to have a set of volunteer/
assistant guidelines ready for when
assistants come to your room, what-
ever you would expect for helpers in
your class. This will vary from teacher
to teacher, of course. For example, I’m
comfortable with the assistant who is
eager to teach to try out his own mini-
lessons as long as he has run them
by me first, while other teachers might
not be so comfortable with this. That
is the teacher’s decision and should
be put in the guidelines.
Likewise, it is in my guidelines that I’d
prefer assistants not translate what
I say into the students’ native lan-
guage, and I explain why—it is con-
trary to the principles of ESL instruc-
tion as students tend to stop listening
to the English at all and just listen for
the translation and therefore defeat
the purpose of ESL instruction. Other
instructors may have less problem
with this but would not let an assistant
teach a lesson.
However, whatever is important to
the teacher should be communicated
clearly in the guidelines.
37
 2 WELCOME
THE VOLUNTEER.
INTRODUCE HER, AND FIT HER
IN THE CLASSROOM
When the volunteer first arrives in
your class, welcome her warmly and
introduce her to the class. As much as
possible, make her a part of the class
routine.

3 SET DUTIES AND OPTIONS

One way to make an assistant
a part of the routine is to give her set
duties and options within those du-
ties. Find out her reason for becoming
an assistant. What does she hope to
gain—teaching experience? Connec-
tions to people from other cultures?
A social experience or an intellec-
tual one? All of these are legitimate,
but if the instructor knows the assis-
tant’s goals, this can guide her into
what duties should be assigned an
assistant. Someone whose goals are
simply cross cultural connections, for
example, may be happier working in
discussion groups than in assisting
with lesson planning.

4 COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY
With assistants, as in most cas-
es, direct communication is preferred.
Most people fail at picking up subtle
clues as to what others want. The list
of guidelines helps here. In addition,
as the term progresses, the teacher
should clearly express what he likes
and doesn’t like.

5 CHECK IN
Keep in touch with your assis-
tant—don’t just leave her hanging.
Regularly, perhaps at the end of each
day, take time to ask how things are
going and if there are any concerns.

TEACHING ASSISTANTS CAN BE

A BLESSING IN THE CLASSROOM,
BUT OCCASIONALLY THERE MAY BE
CONCERNS.
With clear communication and direc-
tion, however, your assistant can be-
come a fine addition to your class.

38
Don’t Do It: 10 Things
Never to Do in the Classroom
TEACHERS ARE THE HEAD OF A CLASS-
ROOM, AND WITH THAT RESPONSI-
BILITY COMES A CERTAIN AMOUNT
OF AUTHORITY. REMEMBER THAT
ALL TEACHERS HAVE BAD DAYS AND
MAKE MISTAKES.
This list of 10 things never to do in the
classroom is to help you avoid those
missteps and get you back on track if
you slip.
1
LOSE YOUR TEMPER
Losing your temper in any class-
room can be disastrous. This especially
applies in Asia where showing strong
negative emotion is one of the worst
things you can do. All teachers have
bad days, get irritated with students,
and struggle to maintain composure at
one time or another. You really do not
want to lose your temper so that you
end up shouting, yelling, or crying. If
you feel yourself getting angry it might
be a good idea to step out of the room
or remove yourself from the situation
and count to one thousand
2
LOSE CONTROL
One thing you will never gain
back if you lose it is control. Don’t let
the students in any class walk all over
you, take control of your lesson, or get
unruly in any way. Sometimes student
might become overly-excited or obnox-
iously loud during an activity, and you
need to be able to bring them back
down. Students need to respect you,
and if you are too passive and don’t
have boundaries you are bound to lose
control at some point. One great strat-
egy that works with both kids and adults
is to create a signal that when they see
it, they know they are expected to do
the same thing, and get quiet. Some
popular options are: raising your hand,
clapping if it isn’t too noisy already, or
waving. It is a domino effect when you
reach a few students, the rest will follow
and you will regain control.
3
GO CRAZY WITH HAND-
OUTS
Too much paper is just not a good idea.
Temper handouts with activities that
involve students and don’t just keep
them sitting idly by doing boring rote
work and trying to weed through your
ten-page grammar explanation. Use the
board, interact with students and never
rely on paper to do your job.
4 EAT LUNCH
You’d be surprised how many
teachers bring their lunch into the class-
room! This is just not appropriate with
any level or any age. Drinking a morn-
ing cup of coffee or bringing in donuts
or snacks for the group is one thing,
but don’t eat your afternoon meal while
class is in session.
5 GET OVERLY INVOLVED
Depending on your circumstanc-
es, it can become pretty easy to become
overly emotionally involved with your
students. Because you are teaching
a language, you may learn a lot about
students during the class, and you may
even need to extend some help to them
outside of the classroom. Be careful to
have boundaries for yourself and don’t
get too caught up in students’ problems.
Also be wary of creating personal rela-
tionships outside of the class. This can
easily happen when teaching adults,
just be sure it doesn’t interfere with the
classroom dynamic.
6 MAKE FUN OF STUDENTS
It may seem obvious that you
shouldn’t ever mock or make fun of
students, but sometimes what seems
to be a harmless joke or comment can
wound a student’s confidence and self-
esteem. It is a great talent to be able
to use humor in the classroom and also
show students how to laugh at them-
selves. Just be careful that your jokes
or sarcasm aren’t aimed at particular
students in a personally harmful way.
7 SIT DOWN
Sitting down through an entire
class is just not appropriate. In Asia,
for example, the teacher is expected
to stand or walk around throughout
the whole classroom period. Sitting
down for too long delivers a message
of laziness, unless you are injured or
ill. When in the classroom it is a time
to interact, to circulate and to lead the
students. You also don’t want your stu-
dents always sitting down and not mov-
ing around. Give them the opportunity
to mingle around, stand at the board, or
do group work away from their chairs.
8 BE LATE
Being late is a big problem in
many countries and for many nationali-
ties of students. It is very important to
model the behavior you want from stu-
dents. Being late very occasionally or
sometimes coming in a few moments
late is not a problem. It’s when you are
chronically late that you show the stu-
dents it is acceptable for them to be late
as well. Be as punctual as you possibly
can, and when you are late be sure to
apologize to students.
9 ONLY FOLLOW THE BOOK
Sometimes teachers fall into the
trap of teaching everything directly from
the textbook. This is not only boring and
tedious: it is doing your students a dis-
service. Because they are learning a
language, students need a lot of oppor-
tunities to practice and to experiment
with their new skills. If you only focus on
what the book dictates, the students will
miss a lot. A textbook is a guide and can
provide ideas about the order of topics
and the structure to follow. Be sure that
you are connecting your activities to the
book, but not solely doing everything
from that one source.
10 PLAY FAVORITES
All students in the class
need to get your attention and your di-
rection. It is okay to have your favorite
students as long as you don’t give them
concessions that you don’t provide to
anyone else. It is only natural to hit it off
with certain students, just be sure that
you are fair to all the students in your
class and give everyone adequate con-
sideration and praise.
We’ve probably all met teachers that
have done at least one of the items
on this list. Look at your own style and
be confident that you won’t ever per-
form any of the ten things on this list.
39
 ESL Dress Code:
What Smart Teachers Wear
WHAT YOU WEAR AS A TEACHER
DEPENDS A LOT ON WHERE YOU
WORK, WHO YOU WORK FOR, AND
YOUR STUDENTS.
Regardless of what the requirements
are, you need to be comfortable.
Since you are active and stand for
long periods of time in the classroom,
shoes that you can move around in
are a must too.
5 IMPORTANT ESL
DRESS CODE TIPS:
1
GROUND RULES
If you work in a public or private
school, you can dress the way your
coworkers do. Different countries,
schools, and even weather affect
your choice of clothing. Generally
clothes that are not too formal and
not too casual are safe for work. This
is obviously a broad range but here
are some things to keep in mind.
Women should not wear skirts that
are shorter than knee length, need
to be aware of acceptable necklines,
and should make conservative
choices when it comes to jewelry. For
men, a dress shirt and pants may be
just fine while some schools require
suits.
Jeans and T-shirts are not often seen
as acceptable for work.
2 DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK
In some cases teachers are
hired not by the school districts they
serve but through another company
which may have certain expectations
regarding their work attire. If this is
the case, these rules or guidelines
should be outlined for you.
If anything is unclear you can always
contact the company with your
specific questions. If your company
expects you to dress quite differently
from the other teachers at your
school, you may want to find a middle
ground so that you can please both
40
your school, by fitting in, and your
company, by looking professional.
3
TEACHERS = BUSINESS-
MEN?
If you work at a conversation
school, business attire is highly
recommended. This gives you a
very professional appearance and
students, especially students of
Business English, will see this as
a reflection of the school. Since
schools are aware of this, they may
have strict rules regarding clothes,
accessories, and even hair styles.
Employers in many countries may
ask you to cover tattoos when
interacting with students so take this
into consideration when applying for
positions and attending interviews.
4 SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE IS
BEST
You will probably wear different
clothes depending on the age of your
students and the country you work in
as well. If you teach younger students
and do lots of arts and crafts, you
can hardly be expected to wear a suit
while high schools may require teach-
ers to wear one.
In some countries, such as Japan,
teachers tend to dress more formally
while in others, like Cambodia, they
do not. You should be aware of what
clothes are socially acceptable for
teachers and ask your employer what
is recommended if you have any con-
cerns.
5 DRESSCODE FOR
TEACHING ONLINE
When using a webcam to teach on-
line, your appearance is still impor-
tant but dressing for online classes
is slightly different. You do not need
to worry about comfortable shoes or
coworkers but you should still dress
professionally. If you choose to wear a
dress shirt and pajama bottoms that is
fine as long as what students can see
reflects well on you. When teaching
online, you also need to take a look
at your background. Try to find a neu-
tral space that does not give away a
lot of personal information. If students
can see your bed or see through the
hallway into the bathroom, you need
to reconsider your workspace.
Additionally you may want to think
about wearing clothes that stand out
against your background. This may
seem like a minor point but if you wear
black against a black background,
students will see what appears to be
a floating, talking head during their
lessons and that could be distract-
ing. While teaching online lessons is
drastically different from teaching in a
classroom, you should still dress and
act professionally.
HOW YOU DRESS AFFECTS HOW
PEOPLE VIEW YOU..
Regardless of location or employer,
you should look professional because
people base their opinions on appear-
ance as well as behavior. Students
may respect you more if you dress
appropriately and this will help your
classes run more smoothly. In most
cases you can simply contact your
employer or someone at your school
for guidelines if you are unsure of
what is expected of you.
Keep in mind that being comfortable
is important and will also boost your
self confidence!
“Does That Make Sense?” Ways
To Check For Comprehension
IT HAPPENS ALMOST EVERY CLASS.
The teacher explains something. The
students nod. The teacher asks “Does
that make sense?” The students nod.
However, when the students go to
practice, they can’t meet the lesson
objectives. Why? Because they never
understood in the first place. Check-
ing for comprehension is one of the
most important steps in the language
classroom. At the end of the day, it’s
not the lesson we taught that matters
most, it’s what the students actually
learned. Here are some ways to en-
sure that all of your students are com-
prehending your lessons:
HOW TO CHECK FOR
COMPREHENSION
1 IMMEDIATE WRITTEN PRO- A great way to have students rein-
DUCTION force knowledge is to have them
When practicing with the class, give
each student something to write their
answers on and hold up when they
have finished the question. Individu-
al small white boards work very well
for this. Simply give each student a
white board, a dry-erase marker, and
a paper towel, and you can have stu-
dents answer each question individu-
ally and check their comprehension.
As students hold their boards in the
air, you’re able to immediately see
how many are correct and who needs
to keep trying. This is a better alter-
native to oral questioning where only
one student can answer each ques-
tion.
If you don’t have whiteboards avail-
able for all of your students, laminat-
ing a white piece of paper works well
although it is less durable.
Alternatively, you could give students
index cards or simply have them use
their own paper to hold up for review.
2 EXIT TICKETS
Before students leave your
class, ask them to write an ‘exit ticket.’
You can have students summarize the
day’s lesson, write down something
they didn’t understand, or answer
specific questions that you assign.
Students often feel more comfortable
writing down their questions as op-
posed to asking them aloud. Review
the tickets as you prepare for the next
day’s lesson to see what students still
need help with. You can also have
students write entrance tickets to
check for understanding over a period
of time. Before your lesson begins,
have students write down what they
remember from the previous lesson to
ensure that that material is still stick-
ing with them or that they understood
the purpose of their homework..
3 PAIR WORK AND GROUP
WORK
teach each other. After going over the
material, pair students up and assign
one the role of teacher. Their job is to
pretend that their partner is a new stu-
dent, and they must explain the new
concept to the student. When stu-
dents explain or teach concepts, they
get a deeper understanding of what
they learned. If the students struggle,
their partner can also help them fill in
any gaps they may have. After you
teach an additional concept, have the
partners switch roles.
Allowing students to write quiz ques-
tions is also another good way to en-
sure comprehension. Ask each pair
or group to come up with two or three
questions they think you might ask
them on a quiz for this concept. If they
can write an accurate question, then
they understand the material well.
4 QUESTIONING METHODS
The simplest and least time-con-
suming method of ensuring compre-
hension is to question students during
the lesson. Rather than asking ques-
tions with a presumed answer (such
as, “Do you understand?” or “Does
this make sense?”) ask specific objec-
tive questions about the concept you
are teaching (also known as ‘concept
questions’). The students’ answers to
the objective questions will tell you
more about their understanding than
any other kind of question.
Equally important to the type of ques-
tions you ask is how you ask the
questions. Make it random: don’t let
the same students answer all the
time. A popular method is to use pop-
sicle sticks with student names. After
you draw a student’s name, put the
popsicle stick to the side to make sure
that you call on all of the students. An-
other option is to use the seating chart
to make sure all students are called
upon. Always wait a few seconds after
asking the question before calling on
the student.
Alternatively, you could call on the
student first before you ask the ques-
tion so that they are attentive and pre-
pared. When a student gives a correct
answer, always ask a follow up probe,
such as ‘why is this the answer?’ or
‘how do you know?’ to ensure they un-
derstand. If a student is struggling, try
to scaffold them to the answer before
allowing another student to give the
correct answer. Call upon the strug-
gling student again later in the lesson
or work with this student one-on-one
during the practice time.
5 ENGAGE MULTIPLE INTEL-
LIGENCES
Undoubtedly, the students in your
classes will have various learning
styles. Regardless of preferred learn-
ing styles, it is always good to engage
more than one intelligence for all of
your students. After reading a text, for
example, have them draw a picture to
illustrate their understanding. When
explaining sentence structure, write a
sentence and cut it up into individual
pieces to have students put the words
in the correct order. The more diverse
41
 styles you can incorporate into a lesson, the deeper students will learn.

6 HOMEWORK/QUIZZES
Of course, the traditional methods of homework and quizzes are also effective ways of gauging your class’ under-
standing. Always be careful to convey the purpose and importance of each homework assignment. If students feel they
are simply being assigned ‘busy work,’ you will not get a true measure of their understanding. Don’t assign homework if
you cannot evaluate it or review it in some way to show students their progress. With quizzes, keep them frequent and
short. Quizzes at regular intervals will inform you about what you need to review or reteach before you give your sum-
mative assessment.

7 KNOW YOUR STUDENTS!

The best and most effective way of checking comprehension is to know your students. Understand their learning
styles and their typical communication patterns in class. If a typically talkative student is unusually quiet, monitor them
more closely to see if their quietness can be attributed to a lack of understanding. Most importantly, know how your stu-
dents like to be taught. With a solid understanding of their learning styles, you will be more effective with teaching each
lesson and have less confusion when you do comprehension checks.

MAKING SURE YOUR STUDENTS HAVE ABSORBED THE CONTENT AND ARE ABLE TO APPLY IT EFFECTIVELY IS
OUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY AS TEACHERS.

Our meticulously planned lessons will be meaningless unless our students have truly comprehended the material. Using
the above comprehension checks help to make sure each lesson is as successful as possible!

42
How to Check Comprehension:
Easy Ways
THROUGHOUT LESSONS, TEACHERS
HAVE TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS
ARE PAYING ATTENTION AND UNDER-
STANDING THE MATERIAL.
Conducting comprehension checks
will highlight what students are strug-
gling with and what needs to be cov-
ered more thoroughly before complet-
ing additional activities or moving on
to the next topic. The comprehension
exercises you do are often determined
by the type of activities you have de-
cided to include in your lessons.
This how-to guide describes some easy
ways to check comprehension.
HOW TO CHECK
COMPREHENSION
If students are required to use a specific
structure in their answers be sure that
they have had plenty of practice using
it and when you mark their papers, pay
special attention to whether or not stu-
dents are using it appropriately.
3 SPEAKING
Speaking activities are very im-
portant in English classrooms. Most of
the comprehension checks for speaking
exercises will be done during the initial
introduction and practice sections of the
lesson. You can have students practice
the pronunciation of new words, provide
synonyms for certain vocabulary, and
give you translations of target structures
to see if students grasp the meaning of
certain material. During speaking exer-
passage. Using the example above you
may ask if Lisa was happy, sad, tired, or
hungry at her birthday party even if the
passage did not directly address this.
Fill in the blank activities are generally
more challenging than multiple choice
ones but you can provide the missing
words so that students have some guid-
ance when completing them.
AT EVERY STAGE IN THE LESSON BE
SURE THAT STUDENTS HAVE A FIRM
GRASP ON THE MATERIAL.
If students are struggling with some-
thing in one exercise, the same thing
may give them trouble in the next one
as well. Rather than let them become

1 READING
When doing reading activities, you
should spend time introducing new vo-
cabulary and topics before reading the
material. Give students the opportunity
to read silently at first and then have
them do some pronunciation practice.
While conducting these pronunciation
exercises, you can ask students for
synonyms or translations for words and
phrases.
Teachers often use simple true or false
statements, multiple choice questions,
or ask for students to summarize or
paraphrase key points to check that
students understand the content of the
reading.
cises it may be difficult to correct stu- frustrated due to lack of understanding,
dents because correcting a student dur- explain key points again.
ing a class activity brings him negative
attention while when students are doing You can do this individually if only a cou-
exercises in groups it is impossible to ple students are having difficulties or as
catch everything they say. a class if the majority of students have
questions. In certain classes, pairing or
The most important things you can do grouping students who understand the
during speaking activities is listen for material well with those who do not may
correct pronunciation of key vocabu- also help.
lary and make sure that the material
students are producing are appropriate
for the structure or topic being covered.
If you notice a trend in student errors,
this could point to a comprehension is-
sue that you will have to review before
moving on.
4 LISTENING

2 WRITING For listening activities students can

For writing exercises it is important
that students understand the questions
they are being asked or the topic they
are being given before beginning the ac-
tivity. Prior to even introducing the writ-
ing activity, have students volunteer to
answer similar questions or talk briefly
about the same topic. Once students
have been given the assignment, pro-
vide them with a clear sample response
and write it on the board if you think that
students may need to refer to it later on.
complete some of the same activities
they would for reading exercises. If your
students have difficulty answering true
or false questions without being able to
refer directly to the passage, multiple
choice or fill in the blank exercises may
be more appropriate. You should ask
basic comprehension questions about
the material. If the passage was about
Lisa getting a dog for her birthday, you
can ask if Lisa received a dog, cat, fish,
or horse as a comprehension question.
If these types of questions are too easy,
you can also ask questions about things
that are implied from the tone of the

43
 HOWTO: 3 Easy Steps to
Grading Student Essays
IN A WORLD WHERE NUMBER TWO
PENCILS AND BUBBLES ON AN
ANSWER SHEET OFTEN DETERMINE
A STUDENT’S GRADE, WHAT CRITE-
RIA DOES THE WRITING TEACHER
USE TO EVALUATE THE WORK OF
HIS OR HER STUDENTS?
After all, with essay writing you can-
not simply mark some answers cor-
rect and others incorrect and figure
out a percentage. The good news is
that grading an essay can be just as
easy and straightforward as grading
multiple-choice tests with the use of a
rubric!.
WHAT IS A RUBRIC?
A rubric is a chart used in grading es-
says, special projects and other more
items which can be more subjective.
It lists each of the grading criteria
separately and defines the different
performance levels within those crite-
ria. Standardized tests like the SAT’s
use rubrics to score writing samples,
and designing one for your own use
is easy if you take it step by step.
Keep in mind that when you are us-
ing a rubric to grade essays, you can
design one rubric for use throughout
the semester or modify your rubric as
the expectations you have for your
students increase.
HOW TO GRADE
STUDENT ESSAYS
1 WHAT SHOULD I INCLUDE?
When students write essays,
ESL teachers generally look for some
common elements. The essay should
have good grammar and show the
right level of vocabulary. It should be
organized, and the content should be
appropriate and effective. Teachers
also look at the overall effectiveness
of the piece. When evaluating specific
writing samples, you may also want
to include other criteria for the essay
based on material you have covered
in class. You may choose to grade on
the type of essay they have written
44
and whether your students have fol-
lowed the specific direction you gave.
You may want to evaluate their use
of information and whether they cor-
rectly presented the content material
you taught. When you write your own
rubric, you can evaluate anything you
think is important when it comes to
your students’ writing abilities. For our
example, we will use grammar, orga-
nization and overall effect to create a
rubric.
2
WHAT IS AN ‘A’?
TUsing the criteria we selected
(grammar, organization and overall ef-
fect) we will write a rubric to evaluate
students’ essays. The most straight-
forward evaluation uses a four-point
scale for each of the criteria. Taking
the criteria one at a time, articulate
what your expectations are for an A
paper, a B paper and so on. Taking
grammar as an example, an A paper
would be free of most grammatical er-
rors appropriate for the student’s lan-
guage learning level. A B paper would
have some mistakes but use gener-
ally good grammar. A C paper would
show frequent grammatical errors.
A D paper would show that the stu-
dent did not have the grammatical
knowledge appropriate for his lan-
guage learning level. Taking these
definitions, we now put them into the
rubric (Fig. A, see next page)
The next step is to take each of the
other criteria and define success for
each of those, assigning a value to A,
B, C and D papers. Those definitions
then go into the rubric in the appro-
priate locations to complete the chart
(Fig. B, see next page)
Each of the criteria will score points
for the essay. The descriptions in the
first column are each worth 4 points,
the second column 3 points, the third
2 points and the fourth 1 point.
3
WHAT IS THE GRADING
PROCESS?
Now that your criteria are defined,
grading the essay is easy. When grad-
ing a student essay with a rubric, it is
best to read through the essay once
before evaluating for grades.
Then reading through the piece a
second time, determine where on the
scale the writing sample falls for each
of the criteria. If the student shows
excellent grammar, good organization
and a good overall effect, he would
score a total of ten points. Divide that
by the total criteria, three in this case,
and he finishes with a 3.33. which on
a four-point scale is a B+. If you use
five criteria to evaluate your essays,
divide the total points scored by five to
determine the student’s grade.
ONCE YOU HAVE WRITTEN YOUR
GRADING RUBRIC, YOU MAY DECIDE
TO SHARE YOUR CRITERIA WITH
YOUR STUDENTS.
If you do, they will know exactly what
your expectations are and what they
need to accomplish to get the grade
they desire. You may even choose to
make a copy of the rubric for each pa-
per and circle where the student lands
for each criterion. That way, each per-
son knows where he needs to focus
his attention to improve his grade.
The clearer your expectations are
and the more feedback you give your
students, the more successful your
students will be. If you use a rubric
in your essay grading, you can com-
municate those standards as well as
make your grading more objective
with more practical suggestions for
your students. In addition, once you
write your rubric you can use it for all
future evaluations.
FIG. A:

FIG. B:

45
 7 Great Ways to Check Answers
with Your ESL Class
“NUMBER 1 IS A; NUMBER 2 IS C;
NUMBER 3 IS B; NUMBER 4 IS C;
NUMBER 5 IS A…” YOU’RE PROBABLY
ALREADY YAWNING AND WONDER-
ING WHERE THIS IS GOING. READING
OUT ANSWERS TO EXERCISES IS
PROBABLY THE MOST EFFECTIVE
WAY TO BORE YOUR STUDENTS
AND SEND THEM STRAIGHT INTO
A SNORE-INDUCED STUPOR THEY
WON’T EASILY COME OUT OF. THAT’S
RIGHT. IT’S EVEN MORE BORING
THAN MEMORIZING PAST PARTICI-
PLES OR REPEATING PHONEMES.
But we all have to check answers
sometimes, right? It’s a wonderful
learning opportunity for ESL students
(remember the whole learning from
mistakes thing?), but the problem is
not the stopping to check answers, it’s
the HOW you do it. So here are some
wonderful ways to check answers
with your class – strategies that are
guaranteed to not induce any yawning
or snores of any type.
HOW TO CHECK
ANSWERS WITH YOUR
CLASS: 7 GREAT WAYS
1 SUPPLY THE ANSWERS
You can either hand out copies
of the answer sheet or write the an-
swers on the board before class. This
way you can simply give them five min-
utes to check their answers and walk
around the classroom to attend to any
questions or doubts that may arise.
This method works great with adults
and autonomous learners who easily
grasp their mistakes when confronted
with the correct answer.
2 CHECK THROUGH PAIR OR
GROUP WORK
Divide students into pairs of groups
of no more than three or four to com-
pare their answers. This type of answer
checking encourages speaking as stu-
dents explain to others what their mis-
take is and why it’s wrong. This method
works best with beginner to intermedi-
ate students, or for answers that are
easy to explain. For example, a student
may easily correct a peer on the correct
46
past participle of “swim”.
3 THE SNAKE GAME
This is a fun game that is perfect
for checking answers and works best
with long exercises of 20 or more ques-
tions. Make a grid on the board like so:
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20
Divide your class into two teams. Team
A starts by answering Question num-
ber 1. If they answer correctly circle
the number 1 in red. Team B continues
by answering Question number 5 and
also gets a circle (of another color) for
a correct answer. Team A now has the
option to answer Question 2, 6, or 7.
And so each team moves across the
grid - the snake can move horizontally,
vertically or diagonally – and the team
with the longest snake wins!
4 SUPPLY THE ANSWERS – IN
THE WRONG ORDER
This method works best with gap-filling
exercises, for example if students have
to fill in the blanks with words or verbs.
Write all of the correct answers on the
board in random order and as students
check their answers, they must find
them from the options provided.
5
FOCUS ON THE HARD
QUESTIONS FIRST
Sometimes you’ll come across a ques-
tion that was hard for most, if not all,
of the students in your class. And this
question in particular may take more
explaining than the rest. So, why not
tackle the hard ones first and get them
out of the way? Before checking their
answers, ask students to raise their
hand if they had a hard time with a
question in particular – find out if this
was the case with other students in the
class. Go through each of the ques-
tions they had trouble with and finally
check the remaining answers to make
sure they got those right as well!
6 BE RANDOM
The thing that probably bores
students the most is the monotonous
drone of the teacher’s voice as he/
she gives one answer after another in
strict order. Nothing shakes students
up more than randomness. So, give
the answers in random order. Call on
students randomly. Then ask your stu-
dents who wants to give the next an-
swer. Then supply an answer yourself.
That will keep them on their toes! By
not letting them know what to expect,
your students will be attentive and en-
gaged.
7 WAIT BEFORE CONFIRMING
IF AN ANSWER IS CORRECT
This is something that can easily be
done with higher levels or adults.
When a student gives you their an-
swer, don’t confirm right away if it’s
right or wrong. Ask them, “Why did you
write/how did you come up with that
answer?” Students will be forced to go
through the process that led them to
reach their conclusion. Then, you can
ask another student if they agree and
if they reached the same conclusion. A
terrific exercise!
THE METHOD FOR CHECK-
ING ANSWERS WILL LARGELY
DEPEND ON THE SIZE OF THE
GROUP, THE LEVEL, AND WHETHER
THEY ARE CHILDREN OR ADULTS.
Choose the one that you think will
work best for your particular ESL class.
Choose the method that will maximize
their learning from mistakes. Checking
answers doesn’t have to be a tiresome
chore that you have to get done as fast
as possible. Instead of seeing it as an
unavoidable task, look at it as another
learning opportunity within your arse-
nal of fun activities to do with your ESL
class.
 5 Essential Reference Books You
Must Have for Your Classroom
WHETHER YOU ARE A SEASONED PRO
OR NEW TO THE ENGLISH AS A SECOND
LANGUAGE SCENE, YOU FACE CHAL-
LENGES IN YOUR CLASSROOM EVERY
DAY. YOU EXPECT NOTHING LESS,
RIGHT?
After all, you are teaching a group of
people, maybe young, maybe older, who
do not speak English, and it is the only
language you have at your disposal.
There will be bumps in the road. The
good news is that even though you face
daily challenges, you can overcome
those challenges when you have the
right tools at your disposal. This list of
essential reference books for the ESL
classroom includes some of those tools
that you probably already have. If you
do not have them, it is time to get them
through your classroom door and start
using them with your students!
5 ESSENTIAL
REFERENCE BOOKS FOR
YOUR CLASSROOM
+ 5 OTHERS TO KEEP
AROUND
1 EN G L I S H O N LY
D I C T I O N A RY
An English only dictionary is essential
for the ESL classroom. This is because
of the way the brain learns language. In
its most simple terms, when the brain
learns a vocabulary word in a foreign
tongue, the easy way to remember its
meaning is to link that new word to an
existing equivalent in the first language.
There are two problems with that pro-
cess. First, the foreign vocabulary very
rarely corresponds directly with the word
from the original language. It may be
used differently grammatically or refer
to a slightly different body of reference.
The second problem deals with the dif-
ference between language learning and
language acquisition. To truly acquire a
second language, the speaker’s brain
must develop an independent path from
the target language to the meaning of
what they hear, bypassing the first lan-
guage completely. Using an English only
dictionary helps students develop an un-
derstanding of new words independent
of their first language vocabulary.
2 BI L I N G UA L
D I C T I O N A RY
While an English only dictionary is pre-
ferred, there are times when it just does
not seem to help your students under-
stand what you are trying to teach them.
This is most likely to happen when your
students are at the early levels of Eng-
lish studies. At times like these, it eases
tension and frustration for both you and
your students to use a bilingual diction-
ary. If all of your students share the same
language, you will probably want to have
a bilingual dictionary available in your
classroom. If your students possess a
variety of native languages, you can al-
low them to bring their own bilingual dic-
tionaries, but make sure they use them
sparingly. It is far too easy for students to
get overly dependent on bilingual diction-
aries which hurts them in the long run.
3
THESAURUS
A thesaurus can be used for a
seemingly infinite number of activities in
the ESL classroom. It can function as an
English only dictionary does by helping
students understand new words. It can
be used to enhance and enrich your stu-
dents written and spoken vocabulary. It
can be used for specific activities where
you need synonyms and antonyms for
certain words. Make sure your students
understand what a thesaurus is and how
to use it and the opportunities to use it
will come up naturally during all kinds of
class activities.
4
PI C TURE
DI C TIO NARY
A picture dictionary is a must for anyone
teaching beginning to intermediate lev-
els of ESL, but it comes in handy in the
advanced classroom as well. Picture dic-
tionaries are most useful when teaching
concrete vocabulary. Your students can
see pictures of the words they are trying
to learn. A picture dictionary can also be
used to expand your students’ vocabu-
lary naturally since most words are listed
according to a specific theme. Use these
groupings as vocabulary lists or chal-
lenge students to fill in the vocabulary
that they already know in a copied page
with words whited out.
5
GR AMMAR
R EFERENCE
Our brains can let us down even when
we are teaching the language we first
learned to speak. The truth of the mat-
ter is that just because we know how to
use English grammar and can tell when
a sentence or phrase is ungrammatical
does not mean that we can explain why
it is wrong. First language learners inter-
nalize the grammar of their language and
use it without really knowing why they
formulate the structures that they do.
With education and experience we come
to understand the rules behind the pat-
terns, but every so often we come across
a situation for which we cannot articulate
the necessary rule. When that happens,
a grammar reference book is the answer.
These books lay out the rules for English
grammar in logical pieces and can help
a native speaker explain a concept that
he knows subconsciously but may not re-
tain on a conscious level. Keeping one of
these handy in your classroom will help
you out of tight situations when you know
what the right answer is but you cannot
explain the reason behind it.
6 GRAMMAR
EXERCIS ES
Though not absolutely essential for the
ESL classroom, having a ready source
for grammar exercises will save you
time and extra work. With pages target-
ing each specific language skill, you
can copy exercises as needed for your
students. This way when you notice
consistent errors in speech and writing,
you can address the problem even if
it does not show up in the chapter you
are currently working on in your primary
text.
7
VOCABULARY
LISTS
Keeping a collection of vocabulary lists
in your classroom is another way to
keep ready resources for your teach-
ing needs. Vocabulary lists can be used
to teach theme-centered groups of
vocabulary to your students. Besides
that, they can also be used to test areas
where your students’ knowledge may be
47
 lacking. You can use these lists to create lessons or activity sheets for your students, and you can also use vocabu-
lary lists for games and other activities in the classroom (you can use our online resources to create vocabulary word
searches, double puzzles and tile puzzles, for example) . By reviewing these lists, your students will have a more
rounded vocabulary and you will not have to rack your brain every time you need to teach a new set of English words.

8 DAILY NEWSPAPER OR NEWS MAGAZINE

Newspapers and news magazines are a great source of realia for your ESL students. Often you can find short,
manageable passages for classroom activities. You may want to have your students write summaries of what they
read. You may have them scan the paper for specific information or read movie times or weather charts for nontradi-
tional reading activities. You can design a cloze activity by blanking out every tenth word and asking your students to
supply the answers. If your students are familiar with current events, you can also use these materials to focus atten-
tion on language use rather than thematic content. Subscriptions cost very little considering all the use you can get
from printed news media, so they are worth the investment for the ESL teacher!

9 CONVERSATION STARTERS
If you are looking for a way to fill five minutes at the end of class or you want to do an assessment of your stu-
dents’ speaking abilities, having a collection of conversation starters in your classroom will make sure you are always
prepared. You can use a book like ‘Would You Rather’ or any other source that offers conversation topics. You can
also keep these handy if you have native speakers coming into the classroom for conversation practice with your stu-
dents. If anyone is stumped for something to talk about, he or she can check one of the reference books. In any case,
when you are less interested in the content and more interested in your students getting conversation practice, these
are the way to go.

10 COMPUTER
Yes, obviously a computer is not a reference book, but if you have internet access in your classroom the
computer can connect you with limitless resources. There are countless websites for ESL teachers (busyteacher.org
being the best, of course) besides sites like dictionary.com and grammar reference sites. That is not even considering
all the online activities your students can access to practice their language skills. Ultimately, this non-book can give
you access to the information in hundreds of traditional books!

HOPEFULLY YOU FIND YOUR REFERENCE SHELF FULL OF USEFUL ITEMS ANY TIME YOU NEED THEM.

If you have space there, though, consider getting one or more of these reference books to keep handy. Ulti-
mately, you and your students will be glad that you did.

48
8 Activities For Putting Phones
to Positive Use in the Classroom
WHEN THE TYPICAL TEACHER
SEES HER STUDENTS USING CELL
PHONES IN CLASS, HER RESPONSE
IS TO PUT IT AWAY, TAKE IT AWAY
OR THROUGH SOME OTHER MEANS
REMOVE THE PHONE FROM THE
CLASSROOM.
Today’s phones, though, have many
features your students can use to
their advantage when learning Eng-
lish, and allowing them in the class-
room may just help your students
learn. Here are some activities you
might want to try in class that will also
convince you cell phones really can
be put to positive use in class.
TRY THESE 8 CELL
PHONE ACTIVITIES IN
YOUR CLASSROOM
1 PASS THE PICTURE
Since most of today’s cell
phones include a camera feature,
phones can be a terrific way to help
your students learn new vocabulary.
Set a precedent in your class that
students can bring in cell phone pic-
tures of objects they see outside the
classroom, objects that they do not
now possess English vocabulary to
describe. Pass the picture around
the class and see if anyone can give
their fellow student an answer to his
vocabulary conundrum, or give the
answer yourself if no one else has a
ready answer!
2 PICTURE SCAVENGER
HUNT
On the flip side, you can give your stu-
dents a set of words that corresponds
with a unit you are studying in class
and send them out on a picture scav-
enger hunt. This will work particularly
well with very concrete sets of vocab-
ulary, words that your students would
use and see examples of on a daily
basis. Send groups out with vocabu-
lary lists and camera phones and see
how many they can find before return-
ing to class at the assigned time.
3 NO-SEE
For second language learners,
visual clues are very important when
it comes to communicating. Unfortu-
nately, real life language situations
do not always give ESL students
ideal situations for communicating in
English, for example, language ex-
changed over the phone. Cell phone
conversations can give your students
a chance to practice conversational
skills without visual input to aid com-
prehension. Though they may be
challenging, they will ultimately be
beneficial to your students and their
language studies.
4 VOICEMAIL CHALLENGE
Even more challenging to your
students’ listening skills is listening
to a recorded message via voicemail.
They will have the same challenges
that come from lack of visual input,
but they will additionally have the
distortions that come from a digital
recording. Be creative and send your
students regular voice messages.
Use a group message to your class to
assign homework or give information
that they will need for class the next
day. The group message will save you
from having to repeat the same mes-
sage twenty times and your students
will still reap the benefits that come
with the voicemail challenge.
5
TEXT-A-SUMMARY
In reading class, cell phones
can play a valuable part as well. The
next time you want your students to
write a summary of something they
have read, have them text it to you or
your website. Because many phones
have a strict and very low limit on the
number of characters one text can
contain, it will force your students to
be concise and avoid trivial and use-
less words in their summaries.
6
WRITING INSPIRATION
In writing, use cell phones as
inspiration for writing assignments.
Have students take pictures of people
or scenes they see outside the class-
room for inspiration when they write
inside the classroom. They may want
to take pictures of interesting build-
ings, beautiful scenery or interesting
people. For a real challenge, have
students exchange phones and pic-
tures and be inspired by their class-
mates’ photos.
7
ACT’N’SNAP
Or have your students reenact a
piece of literature they read in class
in play format. As groups of students
perform in front of the class, the rest
of the students use their phones to
take pictures. After everyone has per-
formed and taken at least one picture,
have your students use one of their
pictures to write about what was hap-
pening in the selection at that point.
8 RESEARCH ASSISTANT
If you ever find yourself frustrat-
ed because you do not have enough
internet resources for your classroom,
allowing your students to use their
phones for internet access in class
can alleviate that problem. Your stu-
dents can then use the reference
sources available online as well as do
research right in class. Since they are
using their phones, you will not need
wifi or computers in your classroom.
AS WE COMPLETE OUR TRANSI-
TION INTO THE INFORMATION AGE,
CLASSROOMS ARE BOUND TO FEEL
THE EFFECTS, BUT TEACHERS CAN
PUT THESE CHANGES TO POSITIVE
USE ON A DAILY BASIS.
By allowing and encouraging cell
phones in the ESL classroom, you
will have a unique bank of resources
at your fingertips, and your students’,
ready to move them toward language
fluency in English.
49
How To Avoid Sensitive Issues
When Teaching ESL
DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE
TEACHING, IT IS IMPORTANT TO
REMEMBER THAT CERTAIN ISSUES
MIGHT BE TABOO.
Of course, this is going to vary from cul-
ture to culture. A lot of teachers will find
that they are going to be going abroad
for work. Popular destinations at the mo-
ment include South Korea, Vietnam and
China.
China in particular is currently experienc-
should never be discussed at the dinner
table, and those are politics and religion.
In general, the same can be applied to
a class. Of course, sometimes topics of
religion come up so it is important to be
aware of the students’ reactions to it.
Keep the debate civilized, and above
all, try to avoid your own personal opin-
ion. At the end of the day, you’re trying
to teach a language. A culture class is
something else, therefore it is no sin to
change the topic at hand.
often huge differences between Span-
ish and Latin American culture. Within
Spain, one can find people of Basque
origin, Galician, Catalonian and much
more. Therefore one needs to keep
these facts in mind when teaching the
class to ensure that certain issues might
be avoided. An example being that the
Basque people have been aiming for
independence from Spain.
Keeping this out of the conversation will
allow for a much more peaceful lesson.

ing a boom. As a result, more English
teachers are required than are actually
available. Whether you are teaching as
an online job, or are actually physically
in the country, do a little bit of research
before going over. Take a look at what
the main culture finds acceptable, and
what it doesn’t. There have even been
certain cases where people have been
jailed due to certain perceived insults,
although there was actually no harm in-
tended by them! Usually, within a lot of
Western countries, these won’t be very
big problems. It is still a good idea to take
a look over how they differ from your own
culture anyway. Germany, France and
2
BEING AWARE OF CULTURAL
DIFFERENCES
Another way of avoiding certain issues
which might be deemed sensitive (such
as women’s status in Islamic countries,
if you happen to be teaching there) is to
be aware of the difference from the be-
ginning. Depending on how strict a Mus-
lim country is, if you are female you will
probably have to cover up to a certain
extent.
Respecting a country’s ways is key
here.
IN COUNTRIES WHERE DISCUSS-
ING CERTAIN TOPICS MIGHT BE A BIG
RISQUÉ, IT IS IMPORTANT TO STICK TO
RATHER NEUTRAL ISSUES SUCH AS
HOUSING, COST OF LIVING ETC.
If there is an economic recession going
on, be careful when discussing things
like unemployment. Religion, for the
most part, is a no-go area in countries
such as China.
If you have any doubts, then speak with
the head of the school and see what is
acceptable and what isn’t. It is always

many other countries in Western Europe
tend to have only a few cultural differ-
ences, due to a common history. This
won’t necessarily be the case if you are
intending to go and teach somewhere
like Saudi Arabia or Shanghai.
Avoiding certain issues will therefore be
something that every teacher needs to
watch out for.
HOW TO AVOID
SENSITIVE ISSUES
3
best to be safe than sorry!
MULTIPLE CULTURES
Even teaching abroad, you might
find that you have a classroom filled
with people from all over the world.
This is particularly true in countries like
Germany. A lot of the time, they will be
businesspeople as this is probably the
most in-demand form of English teach-
ing available.
The teacher must also keep in mind that
just because students share a similar
language, it does not mean they have

1 AVOIDING THE ISSUE

Sometimes students might want
a similar culture. For example, English
speakers can be found all over the
world. They come from many differ-
to discuss something which may not
ent backgrounds: South Africa, Britain,
necessarily be appropriate for the class,
Ireland, the United States, etc.. Whilst
and might even be offensive to certain
there are similarities, Irish culture can
members. If this happens, then it is a
be seen as being vastly different from
good idea to quickly direct the conversa-
American culture right down to the
tion away. Perhaps introduce a new part
difference in slang. Likewise, those stu-
of the topic. Another good idea is prob-
dents who are Spanish speaking might
ably to suggest that everyone play a
not necessary be from the same part
game in order to practice their language
of Spain, or even country. There are
skills. As the old saying goes, two things

50
ESL Controversy: Native Speaker
vs. Non-Native Speaker
NATIVE SPEAKERS AND NON-
NATIVE SPEAKERS CAN BOTH
SUCCEED AS ESL TEACHERS.
It’s true, but there has always been
some controversy in the ESL commu-
nity over the difference between hav-
ing one or the other teach language
courses. Obviously the situation
varies from place to place but there
are definitely pros and cons for both
sides of this debate. Let’s take a look
at just a few key points.
TEACHING ENGLISH:
NATIVE SPEAKER VS.
NON-NATIVE SPEAKER
1 PRONUNCIATION
It has been argued that only
native speakers should teach English
because they have the best pronun-
ciation. On the one hand, this is has
some validity. In Japan, Japanese
English teachers often have very
little experience speaking English so
their pronunciation can sometimes
be quite poor. Assistant Language
Teachers from English speaking
countries have easily found work in
Japan because the Boards of Edu-
cation are trying to improve student
pronunciation and native speakers
have encouraged more pronunciation
practice in Japanese public schools.
However, an Assistant Language
Teacher from Jamaica could be re-
placed after a year with an instructor
from Scotland. It seems like this may
not be ideal because obviously peo-
ple from these two English speaking
countries sound entirely different so
the model pronunciations they give
will not be the same.
When teaching a language, consis-
tency is important so there are some
problems with this approach.
On the other hand, in countries such
as the Netherlands, English teach-
ers often have very good English
pronunciation and therefore students
do not really need a native speaker
to model sentences for them. Good
English pronunciation does not mean
using a British or American accent: if
a teacher is Italian, an Italian accent
is perfectly acceptable as long as the
words are being pronounced correct-
ly. Accents are not an indication of
poor teaching but of where a person
is from.
At any rate, audio and video clips
demonstrating proper English
pronunciation are readily available
and should be used by every ESL
teacher to give students a chance
to hear other voices. This does not
mean that recordings can replace
native English speakers or teachers
with good pronunciation: it is simply
another tool that teachers can use in
their classrooms.
2
COMMUNICATION
In most school systems, the im-
mersion method is not used to teach
English but the goal of ESL teachers
should be to speak English in the
classroom whenever possible. While
this is a good rule for teaching a lan-
guage, this approach can be frustrat-
ing for students especially those who
are older and beginners. It is often
helpful for students to be able to ask
questions in their native language
or to draw parallels between their
language (L1) and English.
An English native speaker may not
be able to clearly communicate more
complex ideas and structures to
students especially if his understand-
ing of the local language is limited.
In contrast a teacher who is fluent in
the local language will have an easier
time completing these tasks and will
often be able to relate to and manage
students more effectively too.
3
EXPERIENCE
Most non-native speakers
are trained teachers either in their
country or the country they teach
in which means that they often will
have much more teaching experi-
ence than native speakers. It seems
foolish to assume that just because
someone speaks English they can
teach it effectively. Without training in
classroom management and lessons
in English grammar, native speakers
cannot be effective ESL instructors.
They may be able to speak the lan-
guage but explaining it is an entirely
different matter. If a native speaker
is a qualified educator, then they will
have an advantage but when teach-
ing abroad, as mentioned above, it is
also beneficial to be able to com-
municate with students in their native
language.
When native English speakers are
paired with local teachers, students
have the best of both worlds.
IT SEEMS THAT BOTH NATIVE ENGLISH
SPEAKERS AND NON-NATIVE
ENGLISH SPEAKERS CAN TAKE
STEPS TO IMPROVE AS TEACHERS.
Native English speakers who want to
teach English as a Second Language
need to study on their own or enroll
in a course to help them improve
in certain areas. They should keep
reference material on hand so that
they can find the answers to difficult
questions when they arise and study
the basics of the native language.
Non-native speakers may have to get
more practice speaking English but
this has become much easier with
the invention of programs like Skype.
Both groups have valuable skill sets
that benefit students in different
ways.
51
Top 10 Ways to Teach Culture
IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT CULTURE IS
LIKE AN ICEBERG, THAT ONLY TEN
PERCENT OF IT IS VISIBLE AND THE
OTHER NINETY PERCENT IS HIDDEN
BELOW THE SURFACE. FOR THIS
REASON, ESL TEACHERS MUST MAKE
INTENTIONAL EFFORTS TO TEACH CUL-
TURAL UNDERSTANDING AND TOLER-
ANCE TO THEIR STUDENTS.
If you are looking for a way to bring up
the subject of culture, try one of the fol-
lowing.
HOW TO TEACH
CULTURE IN YOUR
CLASSROOM
1 FOOD
Everyone eats, but not everyone
eats the same things, and the differenc-
es in diet from one culture to the next
can be very dramatic. You can let your
students share their culture through
food by inviting them to talk about or
share dishes typical in their countries.
To do this, have a cultural food fair or
ask your students to prepare a national
dish in a class presentation. If everyone
in class gets a little taste, even better,
just keep in mind food allergies that your
students may have.
2 HOLIDAYS
What better time to talk about tra-
ditional foods than during the holidays.
Any holiday that pops up on the calen-
dar is an excuse to celebrate any and
all holidays from January to December.
Ask each of your students to talk about
a traditional holiday from their native cul-
ture. They can give information about the
holiday itself as well as national and fam-
ily traditions. The students in your class
will enjoy sharing some of their traditions
as well as hearing about those of their
classmates.
3 CLOTHING
Often another element of holi-
days or special occasions is traditional
dress. It is not unusual for ESL students
to bring some pieces of formal or tradi-
52
tional dress when they travel overseas
to study. If you are teaching immigrants,
your students also have a good chance
of having these clothing items at home.
You can invite your students to wear tra-
ditional clothing on a certain day or bring
picture of themselves or others in tradi-
tional dress. Encourage each person to
explain the significance of the different
pieces, if any, and give an opportunity for
everyone in class to ask questions.
4
TIME
While you are talking about
holidays in your class, have another
conversation about what people do in
their free time. Generally, a person’s
schedule will be reflective of his or her
values. Looking at the typical distribu-
tion of time can give an insight into what
is important in a given culture. Of the
168 hours in the week, how many do
most people spend working? Studying?
Going out with friends or spending qual-
ity time with family?
The answers to these questions and the
differences from one culture to another
will help your students understand and
appreciate what their classmates value.
5
MUSIC
While you are at it, does anyone
in your class play a traditional instru-
ment? That may not be all that common,
but most students could probably play
some popular music from their country
for the class. Bring in an iPod dock and
play a little rock and roll, then invite your
students to share some of their music.
Again, encourage open conversation
and question among your students.
Be sure to remind your class that
national preferences vary as do per-
sonal preferences, and remind them to
be sensitive to what their classmates
share.
6 MONEY
Why not bring culture into the
classroom with a little show and tell?
Set a day, perhaps at some point dur-
ing a unit about business, to invite your
students to bring in a sample of money
from their native countries (which you
should make note that they brought and
make sure they bring home). Either col-
lect all the money in one place or pass
it around and let your students look at
the coins and bills. Have them take note
about who or what is pictured on the
money, and give your students a chance
to talk about these people and things.
By sharing stories about what is im-
portant enough to put on the country’s
currency, your students will gain another
level of cultural understanding from their
classmates.
7 TRADITIONAL STORIES
Traditional stories such as folk
tales or tall tales are another way to
bring culture and history into the class-
room. You can have your students read
English translations of traditional tales
or have your students tell the stories to
their classmates.
By noticing who plays prominent roles in
the stories and how they handle conflict,
you and your students will see some
more of what motivates and challenges
a national group.
8 RELIGION
Though religion is not necessarily
a national value, allowing your students
to share their religious beliefs and those
that most members of their culture hold
will also provide valuable opportunities
for your students to understand one an-
other. With a spirit of open-mindedness
and acceptance, ask your students to
share some religious practices or beliefs
and allow the rest of the class to dis-
cuss the issues that may arise from the
discussion.
If everyone in your class can be tolerant
of their classmates beliefs, there is
the potential for a very powerful and
informative discussion on the topic of
religion, simply proceed with caution.

9 HISTORY
Often key events in a country’s
past will either establish or define that
culture’s values. You can give your
students an opportunity to discuss
significant events in their country’s
history, and if you do asking, them
to explain how those events influ-
ence their people today will give you
an insight into culture. If you have
done other activities on culture, you
may have already touched on these
events when talking about holidays
or money, but looking at things from
a historical perspective can add an-
other layer of understanding for your
students.

10 FAMILY
Not only does a country
hold particular values, but families
also hold certain values that they
pass on to their children. Allowing
your students to share about their
families can open the door to talking
about the values that their families
hold. Talking about these family val-
ues will also often lead to a discus-
sion about the values of a people
group.

When opportunities arise for your

students to talk about their fami-
lies, encourage it and perhaps your
students will learn a little more about
one another.

CULTURE PERMEATES EVERY

ASPECT OF OUR BEINGS. THESE
TOPICS ARE JUST A FEW THAT YOU
CAN USE TO INTENTIONALLY BRING
A DISCUSSION OF CULTURE INTO
THE CLASSROOM. AS A GENERAL
RULE, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANY
OPPORTUNITIES TO TALK ABOUT
CULTURE WITH AN OPEN MIND.

You will be a better teacher for it, and

your students will be better leaders of
their nations.

53
The Gift of Gab: 10 Conversation
Starters that Will Never Fail
OFTENTIMES, STUDENTS ARE QUIET
SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT
BEEN PROPERLY PROMPTED TO
SPEAK.
Some may have the gift of gab in their
native language, others are typically
shy. Whatever the case may be, it is the
ESL teacher’s role to provide students
with ample opportunities for speaking.
Here are 10 conversation starters that
will never fail you. Seriously. They work
great as ice-breakers or time fillers,
and may be used to practice a variety
of verb tenses.
TRY THESE 10 Conversation
Starters With Your Next Class
1
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
The ideal conversation starter
for a multicultural classroom, this
simple question is great for groups
of all levels and may be expanded to
include more complex questions for
higher levels. Start by asking a student
where he/she is from, and then encour-
age the others to ask more specific
questions about what you can do there,
what the typical food is, what language
they speak there, etc.
2 NAME 3 THINGS YOU HAVE
IN YOUR HOME/ROOM
Students take turns naming things
they have at home or in their bed-
room. Encourage them to name things
that may be unusual, perhaps a strange
musical instrument or equipment for
a sport not everyone plays. Students
may also expand on their answers and
explain why there is, for example, an
antique typewriter in their home (it be-
longed to a grandparent). Make it chal-
lenging and tell each student that they
can’t repeat an item already mentioned
by a previous student.
3 TELL US ABOUT
THE LAST FILM YOU SAW
AT THE MOVIES
Ask the student to name the film,
and if possible give a short summary
of the plot (without spoiling the end-
54
ing!) Students then ask him/her ques-
tions about the film, like who’s in it, how
long it is, if it’s a good film, if they liked/
recommend it, etc. Expand to a discus-
sion of the types of films they enjoy the
most and their favorite movies.
4
WHICH 3 THINGS
WOULD YOU TAKE
TO A DESERTED ISLAND?
Students name three things they
would take with them to a deserted
island and why. You can make it more
challenging by specifying that each of
the three things have to be one animal,
one technological device and one non-
technological device. Say what they
would do with each.
5 WHAT IS YOUR DREAM
VACATION DESTINATION?
Students say where they would like
to go, anywhere in the world and
why. What would they do there? What
sites/places would they see? Encour-
age students to ask questions. or ask
students to supply information they
may have about the destination. Has
anyone else been there? Share!
6 TELL US ABOUT
YOUR FIRST JOB
A good conversation starter for adult
ESL learners, students talk about their
first job. Where did they work? What
did they do? What were their responsi-
bilities? How long did they work there?
Why did they leave this position? Stu-
dents discuss if it’s a common job, if
there are lots of people who do this or if
it’s an unusual thing to do.
7 WHAT WAS THE LAST
THING YOU BOUGHT?
Students talk about the last item they
bought. Why did they buy it? Where?
Was it a gift or for personal use? Ex-
pand to discuss where students usually
go shopping. Do they ever buy things
online? What would they buy and what
wouldn’t they buy online? Do they pre-
fer large department stores or small
shops?
8 IF YOU HAD TO ELIMINATE
ONE OF THESE THINGS
FROM YOUR LIFE, WHICH
WOULD IT BE? YOUR
COMPUTER, YOUR CELL PHONE,
OR YOUR TV?
Which would they choose and why?
How would their lives be different with-
out this particular item? Why did they
choose to keep the other two? What
are the advantages and disadvantages
of keeping each item?
9 WHAT IS ONE THING
YOU’VE NEVER DONE (AND
YOU’D LIKE TO DO)?
Get the ball rolling by telling your stu-
dents about something you’ve never
done: “I’ve never hiked to Machu
Picchu, but I want to.” Students take
turns talking about things they’ve never
done before, but they’d like to do. They
must start by saying, “I’ve never...”
Find out if there is anyone who has
already done that. “Pablo says he’s
hiked to Machu Picchu. Tell us what
that was like, Pablo.”
10 IF YOU HAD 3 WISHES
TO MAKE, WHAT
WOULD YOU WISH FOR?
This is the classic conversation
starter for students who have been
learning the unreal conditional.
Ask each student to name their three
wishes and say why they’d wish for
that. How would their lives be different
if these wishes came true? Here, you
may also ask students to not repeat
previous students’ wishes.
THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER GREAT
CONVERSATION STARTERS. WHEN
CHOOSING ONE, TRY TO MAKE IT
SOMETHING THAT SPARKS INTER-
EST IN YOUR CLASS.
You may also tailor each question to
your class. You may ask a group of
teens who is, in their opinion, the great-
est pop star today, whereas you might
ask a group of adults who was the
greatest pop star of the 80s or 90s.
Top 10 Time Fillers
For Your Classroom
Try as you might, careful as you
are with your planning, sometimes
what you plan to cover in class
does not work with the clock.
When you are ready for the bell but the
bell is not quite ready for you, try one
of the following time fillers to keep your
class busy until it is time to dismiss.
TRY THESE TOP 10
TIME FILLERS WITH
YOUR CLASS!
1
TWENTY QUESTIONS
Do you remember car trips as a
child playing twenty questions in the
back seat? You think of a person or ob-
ject and your siblings have twenty op-
portunities to ask yes/no questions to
determine what object you are thinking
of. This is an easy and short activity for
you to do with your ESL class when you
have a few minutes to spare. The first
time you play, your students will need
specific direction as to the types of
questions to ask. You should help them
understand how to ask strategic ques-
tions to identify the object. The more
practice you give your students with
this activity, the better they will get at
it, and before long they will be begging
you to play!.
2 PICTIONARY
No matter what you are currently
studying in class, you most likely have
a list of vocabulary your students need
to learn. When that is the case, a few
minutes at the end of class is a great
opportunity for either of these two vo-
cabulary revision activities. Have your
current vocabulary list written on index
cards that you can use at a moment’s
notice. Then, when you have a few
minutes, have one student come up to
the board and select one of the vocabu-
lary words. Set a timer for between one
and three minutes, depending on how
difficult you want to make the activity,
and allow him to draw pictures to try to
get the class to guess the word.
His classmates can call out their guess-
es while he draws. He is not allowed
to use any letters, numbers or symbols
as he draws. If his classmates correctly
guess the word, you can either give
another person a turn or have him se-
lect a second word. As you study more
vocabulary throughout the year, add
those words to your collection. By the
end of the year, you will have all your
vocabulary words collected ready for a
review.
3 CHARADES
The second vocabulary revision
activity is similar. You can play a few
rounds of charades with your students
in a similar manner to the Piction-
ary activity. Use the same vocabulary
cards, but this time have your student
or students act out the vocabulary word
rather than draw it. Either you can have
one person act out the word for the en-
tire class or have two people act out the
word for one half of the class. As is tra-
ditional with charades, the actor cannot
say anything. The first group to guess
the word wins a point. If you like, keep
a running score for the two teams for a
month at a time and then award prizes
at the end of the month.
Then you can switch up your teams
and seating arrangement for the next
month’s competition.
4 WRITE A COMMUNAL STO-
RY
With a few extra minutes, you can also
have your class work together to write
a communal story. Start with one sen-
tence on the board. Have your students
take turns coming up to the board and
adding one sentence to the story. Each
person will be able to use his or her
creativity to further the story, and the
whole class can make sure the gram-
mar is correct with each addition. The
more often you do this, the more cre-
ative your students will become in their
additions. It will be fun for your class to
see just how crazy they can get and still
keep a logical plot.
5
WHY/BECAUSE
This silly little game has the potential
for some laughs with your students.
Give each person two index cards or
two small scraps of paper. On one card,
each person should write a question
that begins with the word ‘why’. Then
on the second piece of paper, each per-
son should answer his or her question
starting with the word ‘because’. Then
collect all the why’s in one pile and all
the because’s in another. Mix up each
pile and then read one why card with
one because card. The combinations
can be very funny, and then after read-
ing all the random match ups you can
have your students match the correct
answers with the correct questions.
6 WOULD YOU RATHER
This activity is a good one for get-
ting to know your students better. Keep
a list of questions for your students
starting with “Would you rather...” For
example, you may ask, “Would you
rather be a leader or a follower? Would
you rather eat ice cream or cake?
Would you rather have a cat or a dog?”
You can be straightforward with your
questions or be creative and out of the
box.
Ask your class a question and have
your students move to one side of the
room if they answer one way, the oth-
er side of the room if they answer the
other way. Then ask random students
on each side to explain why they chose
the answer that they did. You can do as
many or as few questions as you have
time for. You may learn some interest-
ing facts about your students and their
preferences with this activity.
7 TELEPHONE
This old-fashioned game can get
new life in the ESL classroom. Have
your students arrange themselves in a
circle around the room. Come up with a
long sentence yourself or have one of
your students do it (check to make sure
it is grammatical) and whisper it in the
ear of the first student in the circle. The
listening student then has one opportu-
nity to whisper it in the ear of the next
student. The process continues around
the circle until it reaches the
55