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Tips for Teachers of English

Posted by thaouyen on Nov 02, 2009 - 04:25 PM  (454 Reads)

 

Here are some tips to help you on your teaching experience:

1. Dress right. Jeans, sneakers, and just-out-of-bed hair may be okay for teachers in the U.S., but in many parts of the world, a neat appearance counts far more than credentials. In Korea dark clothes lend an air of authority. Red is to be avoided at all costs. In Morocco female teachers don’t wear pants, sleeveless blouses, or short skirts.

2. Behave appropriately. When it asked 250 students at the Sichuan Institute of Foreign Languages in China what they liked and disliked about native speaker English teachers, the students’ main gripe was the informality of foreign teachers, who often seem to undermine their own authority by acting in undignified ways. In the U.S. teachers go on a first-name basis with students, sit on their desks, sip coffee, and even bounce off the walls without causing student discomfort or losing prestige. But these behaviors don’t export well.

3. Don’t worry if students seem unresponsive at first. Americans are used to participatory classrooms with plenty of teacher-student dialogue. Elsewhere, students are often trained to be silent, good listeners, and memorizers. It’s disconcerting to stand in front of a sea of blank faces, but expecting it reduces the shock. Introduce new concepts, such as discussion and role-play gradually. You’ll be surprised at how students will come to embrace the change.

4. Choose topics carefully. There are still many countries in the world where people are hesitant to voice opinions because of a fear of reprisal. If you’re conducting a classroom debate, remember that there’s a distaste for Western-style argumentation in Middle-Eastern societies, and in Japan it’s offensive for an individual to urge others to accept his opinion.
Certain topics may be taboo for cultural reasons: Most Americans don’t want to discuss their salaries or religious beliefs; Japanese may be disinclined to talk about their inner feelings; the French think questions about their family life are rude.

5. Don’t ask, “Do you understand?” In China and Japan, students will nod yes, even if they’re totally lost, in an attempt to save face for the teacher. Even in a country as far west as Turkey, yes often means no.

6. Avoid singling students out. Our society fosters a competitive individualism which is clearly manifested in our classrooms. American students are not shy about displaying their knowledge. In classrooms outside the U.S., however, showing solidarity with classmates and conforming to the status quo is often more important than looking good for the teacher. In Turkey and Montenegro students told me they disliked volunteering answers too often because it made them look like show-offs and attracted the evil eye of envy. If you want to play a game, make the competition among groups rather than among individuals. If you need to discipline a student, do so in private.

7. Be aware of cross-cultural communication styles. French students appreciate wit. Venezuelan students like boisterous rapid-fire exchanges. In Japan, where debate is not as valued as in the U.S., students appreciate long pauses in discussions and silent “think time” after you ask a question. “Hollow drums make the most noise” goes a Japanese proverb, and Japanese students are uncomfortable blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. American teachers, who are uncomfortable with silence, tend to anticipate the student’s words or repeat their original question—both irritating interruptions for the Japanese student.

8. Present a rationale for what you do in class. Your pedagogy is going to be very different from what students are used to. They’ll conform much more eagerly to new classroom content and procedures if they understand the benefits.

9. Expect the best of your students. They’ll be serious about learning English because their economic advancement often depends upon mastering it.

10. Relax and enjoy yourself. Happiness in the classroom is contagious.

Link: http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/teachingenglish/tips.asp


 
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Rating

Comments

Author: oanhvolehoang
Nov 02, 2009
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Your tips are quite helpful for those who are teachers and those who are going to be teachers, I am very grateful to read these. However, you have not mentioned the way we treat naughty students or those who do not pay attention in class. I think, teachers should involve ss more in the lessons by ask them questions regularly to keep their attention, and we should not force them to study if they are not in their attention span.

Author: soarinthesky
Nov 03, 2009
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They are tips that are very useful. Hwever, this article is not close to our teaching enviroment as I expect. I think it would be more interesting and convinced if the examples related to Aian teaching circumstance. In my oppinion, beside these things, English teachers need to understand clearly about the learning style and the level of students to make sure their teaching methods are effective and suitable for students. They should be well-prepared before each class. Lastly,I think that hey will overcome all obstacle if they teach english with all their heart

Author: zebu
Nov 03, 2009
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I think these tips are very helpful.To me,the third tip seems a little hard to follow :D when the students look unresponsive, I often feel confused and disappointed. This feelings sometimes become hindrance in my teaching...not easy all..As a teacher, maybe we have to try our best to deal with these problems...just bear in mind that students are the priority.

Author: brightheart214
Nov 03, 2009
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Thank you for your extremely useful tips. For the 5th tip, I think instead of asking "Do you understand ?", teachers should use some techniques for checking understanding such as using content questions. By asking students for specific information, teachers can notice whether the students understand the lesson or not.

Author: lilac69
Nov 05, 2009
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Through these tips, I've learned a lot. In my opinion, when we teach in front of many students, the first thing we should pay attention is to be confident and patient. We're confident on our own knowledge and teaching ability to gain students' attention. We should not be confused in any situations, or worried about anything. these will affect lessons and students' behavior. Besides, we should be patient, students may not understand lessons easily and quickly, so We have to find a variety of methods to make students acquire lessons.

Author: hoamaivang
Nov 05, 2009
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A helpful article
It's really helpful for the students of ED in general and other students in University of Pedogogy. maybe these tips are not really the most effective but I think the most important thing depends on the teacher. perhaps he applies these tips but we can't know whether he's sucessful or not. We should combine these tips with other techniques to help the students study more effectively......

Author: ngocsau3b07
Nov 06, 2009
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I think this article is interesting and useful but I don't think it's appropriate completely for Vietnamese teachers and I think it would be better if there are some tips that involve more closely for Vietnamese teacher in general and for Vietnamese teachers who teach English also. Thanks for your tips!

Author: quocthanh4a06
Nov 06, 2009
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What u ve said reminds me of my ELT teacher this semester, esp. "Dont ask Ss DO U UNDERSTAND". However, sometimes i feel that these may only help at first only, when the Ss and u know each other quite well quite long, all of their interest in u (as well as ur interest in them) will fade n fade. That's why Ss n a teacher shouldnt work with each other longer than a school year.

Author: mayamdau
Nov 06, 2009
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This article also remind me of my first time of teaching at an English center when the ss seemed to be very unresponsive and made me totally shocked.

I quite agree with quocthanh4a06 in the way that some of these tips can only work well when the relationship between ss and T is not so closed and long.

Author: tranthiainhi
Nov 07, 2009
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thanks for your useful article. i can learn a lot from this. you know, culture is a key thing in communication. we should consider which culture do our students belong to so that we have appropriate methods in teaching them. actually, it's true that we should never ask students the question " do you understand?". instead you can ask them questions like " can you follow me?", "is this clear?", " do you see my points?", "are there any question?"...

Author: memory08
Nov 07, 2009
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I want to add something!!
I want to add something in these tips:
- dress right: I agree that teacher should care about their appearance. In Viet Nam, it is suitable for female teachers to wear the Ao dai and for male teachers to wear suit. The way of dressing expresses teacher’s working style. However, there is no need for teachers trying to show off their fashion. So, all teachers should be careful!
- Behave appropriately: teachers are the best mirror for students in class and in real life. Consequently, they should behave well in their classes. In class, many unexpected situations will happen anytime,so teachers should know how to control themselves.
- Don’t worry if students seem unresponsive at first: Vietnamese students are usually shy and inactive, especially in the first class. Therefore, teachers should prepare themselves with this situation. Maybe it is quite hard for young teachers to cope with this problem.
- Choose topics carefully: good topic can arouse students’ interest so that they can really like to join in activities in class. To teachers, choosing topic is really important.
- Don’t ask, “Do you understand?”: with this question, students don’t usually dare to answer “NO”. Insteading of asking this useless question, teachers should use exercises to check comprehension!
- Avoid singling students out: teachers should give all students the same chance to express their ideas in class. It is not good for some good students to dominate themselves all the time.

Author: thanhtam
Nov 11, 2009
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I think teaching is not easy. To teach effectively the teachers must have rich knowledge and know how to convey the knowledge to the learners. The article can be useful because if the teachers know the students’ learning styles, they will find the best way to teach them. I agree with: “students will nod yes, even if they’re totally lost, in an attempt to save face for the teacher”. That will make the teachers not know whether their students understand or not.
Why don’t you give more articles about students in Asian countries, especially Vietnam? I think it will be more helpful.

Author: luxubu
Nov 12, 2009
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I think some tips which the article mentions are useful for teachers and teachers to be. They should know the way to behave and control effectively in the different classes and with different kinds of students.So, teachers will choose the appropriate methods to teach. On the other hand, I think the article may be better if it mentions more information about learning style of Vietnamese people that is so helpful with Vietnamese teachers.

Author: lekhanh3c
Nov 12, 2009
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thanks for your article, it is very helpful. I can apply them for my teaching.I think in order to be a good teacher, the most basically important thing is that we should do our work with the whole heart. Because everything can change when you try your best to get better.

Author: muavanoinho
Nov 13, 2009
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Tips for Teachers of English
i think it's very helpful for English teachers. i know there is nothing perfect but in this article we just apply in high level class. in fact, Vietnamese classes are always large and have many kinds of students. they become more and more naughty and use the unpredictable ways to cope with teachers. in the fouth part: choosing topics carefully, i think teaching English or any other subjects needs to follow the syllabus so, it's quite hard.anyway, thanks for posting this article.hihi

Author: duongtuyethoa
Nov 13, 2009
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This is helpful article. I think anyone is a teacher or will be a teacher in the future cannot but reading it. Some tips do not apply in common to all of English teachers all over the world because each country has its own culture. However, everyone knows more knowledge that is helpful to working effectively in career in each country.

Author: phamthevinh
Nov 14, 2009
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Thanks very much for your 10 tips. I think it’s a very useful article. Actually, I knew some tips but the others are new. Frankly, teaching is a challenging career. when we teach in front of many students, he must be confident and patient. However, in my opinion, the most important thing is the teachers must be well-qualified. And besides these tips, when being in real life situations, teachers will have more experience. In addition, teachers should use technology and ELT in teaching English. This can make the lessons more lively and interesting.

Author: nico
Nov 14, 2009
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Thanks for your very useful tips. I also agree with “students will nod yes, even if they’re totally lost, in an attempt to save face for the teacher”. To be honest, I did nod yes when my teachers asked whether I understood what they said or not. I think instead of asking "Do you understand", teachers should ask comprehension Qs which require specific answers.

Author: nguyenminhhoa
Nov 14, 2009
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At the first time, I imagine that I will know more about tips used only in Vietnam. However, I can gain more knowledge in teaching language in an international classroom. I can think of it because I think I'm not able to stand in front of international students without any experience. Thanks your tips, they have made me more confident if I have a chance to appear in front of an international class as a teacher or a teaching assistant.

Author: bloodsucker
Feb 02, 2010
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Useful tips
I like this article. There are plenty of useful and practical tips that we can apply in future. Who know? Maybe, someday you or I will become an English teacher standing in front of thirty international students. At that time, knowing the tips given above is very necessary. Truly speaking, I think that those tips above are not enough for us. The most important thing is that we, the future pedagogues, can realize that teaching is not, and will not an easy job to do, so we have to try our hardest to be well-prepared, flexible, patient,...and...( I let you state more). The last thing I want to say, thank the person who wrote this article. I hope that there will be more tips for us to learn.hihi!

Author: quynhnguyen_310
Feb 08, 2010
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Intercultural communication is very important in every aspects of everyday life, especially in teaching. If the teacher don't know clearly about the culture, the customs, the ways of behaviors which is of the country he or she teaches in, he or she can easily be shocked or make the students feel angry or dissappointed about his or her unappropriate acts. So do research so that you know the culture of the country you are going to teach. Thankyou for your useful tips for us.

Author: dear2
Mar 13, 2010
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the first tip is a little bit funny, but somehow it is quite true. Although you are really good quality teacher, your students will not respect you if you are untidy. The same with tip 2. Some teacher, they may not be really well-qualified teacher, but because of their behavior or their personalities, students love them very much...I hope in the future, I will be able to apply all these tip into my teaching.

Author: t.van
Mar 25, 2010
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These are not so new but remarkable tips for all of teachers-to-be just like us!!! GOing throught this artical I want to summarize that because an teacher of English ,now, has a chance to teach English in many diffirent countries,hte most important thing he/she should do is to learn about those cultures first!It will help the teacher out with most of the problems above such as having proper behaviours,choosing suitable topics,avoiding misunderstading in communication etc...Besides, I 'll remember to expect the best of my students and try to look bright when I'm in class! i really appreciate these thing!!

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