By: RIDA AFRILYASANTI

Many EFL students tend to be quite in class as the teachers conduct speaking activities. Dealing with this, many studies on the students’ contribution and communication in classroom activities have been conducted. Many of them showed that one of the reasons for the students not to be active in class is because the lack of vocabulary. Besides, students’ lack of vocabularies in English also makes them have lower comprehension on reading. Here are four areas in the teaching of English vocabularies:

1. Explicit

This method requires you to teach the vocabulary words independently and directly. Choose some vocabularies that will be used and engaged in your teaching materials. Write each word for the students to independently try to read. If the word given is a derivative word, you can then ask for a volunteer to indicate the base word or root word. Don’t directly give the meaning of the words to the students. Encourage them to guess the meaning of the words. You can show pictures of the word or give some sentences using the words as the clues. Vocabulary games can also be a good choice to have your teaching more memorable.

2. Indirect

indirect vocabulary teaching

In this method, vocabulary words are taught along with reading activity. Expose the students to the new words by having them read independently. Select the stimulating text that can engage the students in the individual reading activity. The clues given for the new vocabulary words can be given as contextual clues to vocabulary definitions and or with in-text definitions. As the students complete their reading, have a discussion on the text read. You can ask them to retell and teach each other how they determined the meaning of the new vocabulary words provided.

3. Association

teaching vocabulary using association

In association, you challenge the students to recognize parts of unfamiliar words they may already know. Present an isolated unfamiliar word to the class. Then, ask them if there is part of the word that sounds familiar. You can remind them of a word they have already learnt before; help them to associate the words.  Make a chart on the board and write the list the unfamiliar words, ask the students to look for the base words of the unfamiliar words presented. This will help them deduce the words’ definition. As the students familiar with association technique, give them more practices using reading texts. Practice the skill of association with isolated words regularly to allow students the scaffolded practice to grow as independent, successful readers.

4. Multimedia

vocabulary teaching using multimedia

Encourage the students to memorize the new vocabulary words using multimedia presentation. Exposing vocabulary words in a multimedia setting will help many students commit the words to permanent memory. It will be much better if you are able to attach a representative sound to the word that will initiate when the image is clicked. As the students get a multimedia stimulation, ask them to design a corresponding chart for the vocabulary word by writing the word and drawing an image representing its definition.

Check other tips on: teaching pronunciation, teaching writing

By: Rida Afrilyasanti

adult teaching

Teaching adult learners is somehow very challenging. Teachers have to be able to make the teaching and learning process not only fun but also meaningful enough so that your students feel satisfied and want to retain you for future lessons. Check the following guides to have an effective teaching for your adult students:

1. Have need analysis. You have to know what your students want and expect to learn. As you know what they actually want to learn from you, you can present written contract outlining their rates, the meeting schedule as well as the payment. On the other hand, you also have to explicitly explain to your students what you want and expect.
2. Select the materials or teaching topics in advance. This will make your job easier. You can ask them to help you choosing the certain topics on their interest. You can use newspaper, magazines or other resources from the internet to be discussed in class. Try to find materials that already include the combination of poignant questions, vocabulary lists, proverbs, and witty quotations to make your teaching much easier.
3. If you teach beginners, assist your teaching with visual; pictures, photographs, ads, or videos. You can use a picture dictionary. You also employ more repetitions on your teaching. For the listening and speaking drills you can direct your students to the websites that provide pronunciation drills or listening tasks for lower levels.
4. If your students learn English as the preparation for studying abroad, you can help them with college admission essay writing, TOEFL and GRE practice, and proofreading papers. For sure, you will need to teach grammar, your teaching focus should be on the structure not the content. There are many book and online resources that can be used for this teaching purpose.
5. Introduce them with cross-cultural understanding of English speaking countries so that they have an overview on the use of daily English. This also will help them to understand about the practical life skills. You can elaborate it with the speaking activities; lend them to engage in conversations on the cultural differences and a satisfying exchange of information and insights. You can also introduce them with some idioms that widely used in daily conversation.
6. The most important point is that you have to respect your students, meet their needs and provide a solid structure for your lessons. Have different activities for each meeting to release their boredom and conduct a memorable teaching that can contribute for their successful and satisfying experience.
7. At the end of the program, remind your students about the teaching goal that you both already set in advance and conclude when the students have reached that goal. You can also have feedback from you students for the betterment of your teaching.

Learn more related articles on: teaching guide, encouraging classroom, tips for classroom success

By: Rida Afrilyasanti

TESOL professionals

A successful teaching is a teaching in which the teacher is able to help the students not only learn meaningfully and memorably but also meet the needs of this era and regain their competitive improvements in a quickly changing world. Therefore, follow simple steps below in gaining your professionalism in TESOL and have a successful teaching:

1. Join TESOL communities. By becoming TESOL members, you will be able to stay with the current trends. Besides, you will also get many more other benefits, for instance: getting update with current seminars and publication, getting informed from other TESOL teachers and professionals from all over the worlds, subscribing to the publications, joining other educational programs, and others.
2. Be active in your local affiliate; this is regionally based professional organizations that give services and helps of TESOL. By joining local affiliate, you will also not only gain your teaching theories and practices but also your networking. Share and exchange your ideas and experience with others.
3. Actively attend TESOL conference and its affiliate conventions. In TESOL convention, you will learn more about teaching issues and development, gain your networks wider, and get access for publications as well as job opportunities all over the world. As you learn and be ready, present your own paper, poster, workshop, or demonstration. This will not only gain your credentials, but also recognition in the field as a whole.
4. Participate in TESOL educational programs. You can have it online so that the time is more flexible with your teaching schedule. By joining the program, you will be able to update your teaching skills, learning more about social responsibility and other topics of special interest.
5. Read and learn from TESOL publications. Get informed on the developments on TESOL. You can also start to write an article for TESOL publications based on your own experience in your class.
6. Get opportunities to get financial support for your professional development by applying for grants, fellowship, or award.
7. Make a commitment for your students and institution. This is very important as both of them do not take time away from your writing and research.
8. Enjoy all your activities. Find your passion on this field.

Check other resources on: Distance Language Teaching, teacher guides

By Rida Afrilyasanti

teaching with passion

1. Teaching is not only about motivating your students to learn but it is also helping and teaching them how to learn in meaningful and memorable way.
2. Teaching also means serving, helping your students get the best of you. Therefore, enrich yourself by reading sources, joining some trainings and seminars, being active in teacher communities or forums, consulting with and assisting practitioners. You have to make yourself be at the leading edge. Keeping the balance between enriching yourself with theories and practices.
3. Teaching means listening, encouraging, and engaging all your students to be active in your teaching and learning process. If your class is a ship, your students are the owner of the ship and you are the captain of the ship, so let your students own the class and be active in the activities involved. Your students in a class are varied and you have to recognize their individual characteristics. You have to be able to elicit and develop the oral communication skills of your quite students. Prepare your students to meet the needs of this era and regain their competitive improvements in a quickly changing world; help your students to have good communication skills, respect others and be professional.
4. Being flexible in your teaching. Don’t be afraid to make new experiments in your teaching. Match your lesson plan with the curriculum standard and your students’ needs and interest.
5. Your teaching must be interactive and entertaining; however, you have to still keep on the track, do not miss the substance you have to teach.
6. Enriching your teaching by adding some humor. Humor can be a very effective ice break besides games. It moreover can release the learning tense and create more relaxed atmosphere.
7. Investing your time for the success of your teaching. Have some times to develop yourself as well as your course design, lesson plan, materials, activities, and instructions. Help your students to develop both, their talents and minds.
8. Celebrating your students’ success on their learning. Rewarding your students with praise and encouragement. Give feedback on your students’ work and remediate the skills that they are still poor at.
9. Always noting down your teaching on teacher journal. This will remind you on your teaching, which activities and methods you need to improve and which one is effective to be applied for your students. Remediate your poor teaching by joining some trainings and personal development programs.

BY: RIDA AFRILYASANTI

professional development

Professional development is really needed by TESOL teachers especially for those who just graduate from master TESOL or still barely new in TESOL. Professional development will make you to be competent professionals who in turn, can navigate a competitive job market. Here are things you have to do in order to develop your professionalism:

1. Develop your professional and leadership skills by joining or constructing TESOL association in which you can share and get ideas about teaching as well as be encouraged to take responsible leadership roles while practicing your skills.
2. Establish a professional resource center. Resource center will help you and your members with important information so that you can still stay abreast of professional issues. Important information that has to be available there include: TESOL information, information on job opportunities, resume file, conference proposal file, and professional development opportunities. In addition, you need to be connected with other professional associations, for instance NAFSA, AAAL
3. Get effective contact with university. It is always good to have your previous professors know and observe your performance so that they can help you with reference letter. Moreover, by still having contact with the university, there will be much more opportunities for you to gain your minimal teaching experience and implement what you have already learned in your graduate schools. What you can do is by looking for opportunities within the university community to give your service in order to add plus points on your education profession and build your credentials. You can give your service by becoming an adviser to one of the international student organizations, or assisting with international student orientation.
4. Join and be active in a professional association, such as TESOL, NAFSA. This is the important thing you can do to improve your professionalism.
5. Attend some conferences. Attending conferences accommodate you with relevant information and resources. This also gives you opportunities for networking. Furthermore, this will be must better if you can also present your ideas in the conferences. If you are still not confident to share individually, you can start with collaborative works. Start with local conferences and information that you know will be helpful for others to be employed in their classroom. Presenting in conferences can help you be a committed professional who can disseminate relevant information to others.

In short, the most important thing that you have to do is to document every professional development you have ever joined. Your commitment to professional development will make you more attractive and marketable to potential employers.

Get other information on: Online TEFL course, ESL certification tips

By Rida Afrilyasanti

teaching speaking

It must be very frustrating for you to have one or two students in your classroom who seem very quiet and do not speak English at all. Here are some tips you can do to assist your students to speak up in English and be active in class:

1. Familiarize with your students and memorize your students’ name. You have to be able to pronounce your students’ name correctly and greet them each day. This can help your students to be comfortable in your class. You also need to use simple phrases on an consistent basis, for instance: “I am happy to see you today,” “Are you ready for the lesson today?” and “Sit down and get out your book.” The key point of repetition is that repetition will help your students learn basic English phrases.
2. Ask your inactive student to seat with a peer who can assist him/her with classroom tasks. By having a partner, he/she will be able to watch how his/her partner completes the assignment.
3. Use visual aids for your teaching. Visual images will help your students who speak no English to understand the concepts taught.
4. Give alternate assignments in which she/he can successfully complete it. This kind of assignment will be fair for them as she/he may still not be able to understand the English instruction completely. It, moreover, will reinforce the information you are teaching. The example of assignment given is: if the rest of the class is working on a series of reading questions that require referencing the book, the English language learner can copy the words that are in bold and look them up in a translation dictionary.
5. Assign your non-English speaking student to seat on the front row of the class. This seating arrangement will help them to see the visual presentation and hear what you are saying more easily. In addition, this will also help you to notice and guide them whenever she gets confused.
6. Tell them your teaching expectation. Students who are from countries with a culture of high academic standards can become very stressed when they feel that they are not meeting the teacher’s expectations.

By: Rida Afrilyasanti

teaching technology

Technology is not something anymore in the classroom teaching as it effectively engages students’ interest no matter what application or curriculum it is used for.

Here are some tips you need to consider as you decide to have technology in your classroom teaching:

1. Have some training.

Some training will give you some basic understanding how computers operate and what to do when they do not work properly. You do not need to be an expert on it because schools usually have an instructional technology specialist that will help you if you find problems that you possibly cannot solve. Be familiar with some web browsers and websites that provide tech-integration tutorials and teaching resources.

2. Collaborate with your students.

You may be so surprised to know that your students know more about technology. That is not impossible as your students are 21^st century learners. Cooperate with your students and keep in mind that it is all about and for your students not you. Therefore, it does need their role into the activity employed. Your students, moreover, will probably appreciate you asking for their help and it may spur them to take ownership of the program.

3. Always have plan B

There are always some possibilities that you may not be able to employ technology in your classroom although you have already planned it well. Although you can minimize unwanted surprises by getting some training from an instructional technology specialist, electrical or connection problems can still occur anytime. Always try to make a backup lesson plan.

Furthermore, you also have to consider some guiding principles regarding to the use of technology in classroom teaching below:

1. It must be engaging.

Make sure that all of the students have can to participate on the activity employed using the technology you bring up. It is proven that students love anything to do with computers or laptops in the classroom or any types of digital equipment. Technology is always able to make them curious and attracted into the teaching and learning process

2. It must be in hands of the students.

Let the students participate. Your students will learn best with hands-on implementation rather than passively observing you demonstrate it.

3. It must be in hand with the curriculum standards.

The materials you teach must be still within the curriculum standard and technology is just a hook to get your students’ interest.

By: RIDA AFRILYASANTI

ESL teaching

ESL career offers a unique multi-cultural opportunity. Becoming an ESL teacher provide you international travel opportunities, multi-cultural training, and job satisfaction. It always becomes a good idea to work abroad while thinking about what you really want to do. Like a coin, it also comes up with some negative aspects; therefore, before deciding to have ESL teaching career, learn a guide to what to consider before deciding to become an ESL teacher below:

1. Learn and understand about the ESL/EFL teaching market. Get to know the demand for English teachers out there. You can browse lots of information on ESL Job Market Demand. Knowing the demand will help you to decide whether or not to track this career path besides to give an idea of places in which you are probably going to teach.
2. Get inform on how ESL is taught. You also have to know and learn about standard ESL jargons as well as familiarize with ESL lesson plan format.
3. Find out main teaching areas in which you will be responsible for teaching. Learn more about specific teaching areas such as conversation, grammar teaching in ESL/EFL setting, and others.
4. Choose the teaching materials that can help to develop you own lesson plans. You can browse more information and get tips for choosing the most appropriate teaching materials for ESL/EFL classroom.
5. Learn some different lesson plans. It is a good idea to take a look at some lesson plans to understand the process of teaching English to speakers of other languages. By learning from the professional and other previous ESL teachers you will be able to construct and elaborate the best lesson plans for your teaching.
6. Recognize the way to teach; teaching techniques. Have a look at various ESL/EFL teaching methodologies as you will have a lot of materials to cover and a number of skills to learn and you have to make your students be interested and active in your teaching.
7. Get qualified to teach ESL/EFL. There are different levels of ESL/EFL teaching qualifications. However, basically, if you would like to teach abroad for a few years, you’ll need a TEFL certificate. If you would like to have a career in the profession, you’ll have to get a Master’s Degree.

By: Rida Afrilyasanti

distance teaching

There are many internet companies nowadays that can provide free voice, chat, and video; for instance: Google, MSN, Yahoo, and Skype. They help to fuel the interest on distance education and online tutoring. Online tutoring help ESL/EFL students learn English easier and more comfortable in their own home. What the students need is just a computer running the program, an internet connection, and of course an ESL/EFL instructor who is willing to tutor them online.

This kind of learning has been becoming a popular alternative for classroom learning due to its instant and interactive service. Moreover, student can practice their English more effectively as they learn individually; they can get personalized help such as grammar, sentence construction, essay writing, proof reading, conversational English practice and much more.

For the teachers, distance language teaching of course provide benefits as they can conduct their own private online classes with an ESL/EFL student from any part of the world. VoIP software such as Skype, YM, Google, and others have empowered and allowed TEFL/TESL teachers to work from home, allowing them to start up their own online tutoring service with low risk, and little to no capital investment. The features offer support teachers to have excellent communication with their students; the useful features provided such as chat, voice, file transfer, and video conferencing.

However, in conducting an online English class, what you have to consider is the internet connection and electricity. Make sure that you have a good internet connection. You do not want your class end up in the middle of conference because of your bad internet connection, do you? Besides, learn about the VoIP software first before deciding to use one of them. Browse for information on their benefits and weaknesses. You can also directly try them to have conference with your friends or relatives before really having it with your students.

Check other related articles: tips for classroom success, ESL certification tips, TEFL online course

BY: RIDA AFRILYASANTI

Engaging students' attention

This might be your first teaching day. Getting nervous is something common. What you need to do is how to deal with that feeling. What you need is to focus on engaging your students. Here are some tips to help you get your students’ attention and succeed in your English language classroom:

1. Have games in your teaching. As we know, many teachers employ games to help their students learn English. Games are very helpful in language teaching because they can help to motivate students and make repetition less tiresome and boring. You can browse from the Internet for some fun games that can be employed in your language class depending on the materials and your students’ level of ability. You have to be creative to create a repertoire of games that focus on different skills, so when your students begin to lose interest in one game, you can switch to another and keep the learning process fresh. Make sure that your games really suitable with your students’ ability level; avoid very complicated games.
2. Have fun with songs. Everyone likes to sing and enjoy music. Thus, why don’t you bring some songs and employ them in your classroom teaching as your teaching variety. In having song, you first have to analyze the dictions within it. Bring songs that are on your students’ interest, don’t bring your favorite song because your students may won’t recognize it.
3. Bring drama into the classroom. Adding some drama to your lesson plans can effectively hold your students’ interest. Instead of having monotonous activities by reading dialogue from a text book, you can assign your students to have roles and act out the words to their favorite English movie, dramas, music shows, or others. If you are creative enough, you can create a simplified script that includes famous movie quotes and let your students have fun. Your students will even enjoy more if you can record your students’ performance. This will not only give you more opportunities to review on your students’ ability in English, but also offer the prospect of very engaging, entertaining in-class activities.
4. Ask for your students’ feedback to improve your teaching. Feedback from your students is very important to know the most suitable activity that you can employ for them. As your students which activities they enjoyed the most at the end of the class, then adapt your lesson plans based on their feedback. By having this, you can understand better the teaching methods that are most effective for your students. Adapting your lessons to your students’ language level and learning style is the best way to meet their language need.

Get other valuable tips on classroom organization, teaching tips, teaching EFL tips