My teaching approach ensures a solid connection with the student from day one and a level of trust to break down learning barriers. The focus is always on the student. I ask them to explain as much about themselves as possible. I establish why they are studying English and when they need it in their everyday life. They may have particular areas that they would like to practice. This exercise helps me determine their level and encourages satisfaction on their part since they have the chance...
My teaching approach ensures a solid connection with the student from day one and a level of trust to break down learning barriers. The focus is always on the student. I ask them to explain as much about themselves as possible. I establish why they are studying English and when they need it in their everyday life. They may have particular areas that they would like to practice. This exercise helps me determine their level and encourages satisfaction on their part since they have the chance to speak right from the start. I also gain valuable insight into their strengths and weaknesses.
Especially with second language acquisition, students tend to attempt to fall back on their native language, but I stay firm to keep communication always in English amongst their peers as well. I prepare for each class (including dry runs), encourage student participation, and guide them in the right direction.
The session structure that has the best results consists of 50% speaking practice and 50% grammar or vocabulary instruction.
Some of my new students request to practice speaking to improve fluency; however, without proper micro-skills (grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation), these students will not understand why they commit errors, making speaking correctly tricky.
I define a syllabus with course objectives and learning outcomes per lesson. At the end of each lesson, I propose the next lesson's topic and reach an agreement. If any student has a preference, it can be modified. The important thing is that the student knows they are on a trajectory!
As motivation is critical, I give praise when due and highlight errors gently and inoffensively. It's about having fun and connecting with the class. Emotion is a powerful way to communicate at all levels.
Regarding structure, I begin the lesson with an easy warm-up speaking practice to get the students in the right frame of mind. Ask them to tell me about a podcast or video they watched for homework, or to comment on a current event.
Then, I review what they learned in the previous lesson and test the students' knowledge.
Then, I move on to a new grammar or vocabulary lesson agreed upon in the last class. As there are many cognates in English and Spanish, I will reinforce these when applicable to facilitate learning.
The student then freely practices the grammar or vocabulary point through oral drills, role-play exercises, asking open questions, debates, describing photos, or creating stories. Another fun way to practice is through games such as crossword puzzles or missing words. As a visual learner, I use mnemonics as a powerful memory device to help students recall larger pieces of information.
In the last part of the class, I ask the students about the language point that we practiced and then set homework. This can be reading an article or writing a few sentences using the grammar or vocabulary studied. There are wonderful free podcasts on CNN, BBC, and Youtube. This work has a dual purpose: it provides valuable comprehension practice as well as a speaking activity for the next lesson.
Finally, the student can agree upon what will be covered in the next lesson.
If there is time left, finisher activities can be a fun way to end the class and review what was covered (identifying locations on a map, a calendar review, or a topic of interest).
