By Ardita Bazelli
We, as, teachers struggle and think a lot how to make our students acquire the language as correctly and naturally as possible. We employ various techniques and strategies by involving them in our English lessons so as the expected outcomes will be present.
What are some helpful ways we can employ as guides when teaching English?
The following are some of the guides the English teachers consider as effective in the classroom environment.
Limit our talking time as teachers and leaving space to the students to talk and leave the students be the main actors. We, as good directors, should encourage them through various techniques and strategies.
By asking open-ended questions, we push our students to make use of the language. Interacting in small groups they have the possibility and enough time to practice new structures and vocabulary. If you want from the students to use the language ask them questions starting with ‘’Tell us…./Describe….’’.We, as teachers, should always prepare activities beforehand which will instill the desire to cooperate and be alert throughout the class.
Offer students time when dealing with the activity we engage them in. Why? This way they will understand that they have responsibility on one side, but even the possibility to use the language on the other side.
Offering support to the student is something they long for. In order not to make our students step back, we should encourage them, praise them, choose materials that apply to various levels within the classroom. This way students will know the achievements and will try to overcome any obstacle they face. Supporting them builds community and resilience.
Engage games in your learning so that students learn the language in an entertaining and natural way. This way they will feel secure, not struggling with the fear of whether they will be English learners or not.
Learning a language through projects (Project Based Learning ) is an engaging and fruitful way. Being a student-centered pedagogy gives the students the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills through engaging projects that treat problems and challenges of today’s world.
This way students, explore materials, extend vocabulary, interact in groups and pairs. By working that way they have a deep knowledge of the language, use it naturally being equipped with a sense of self-esteem, and growing a sense of motivation.
When you prepare a lesson stop and think ‘’Who is my ‘’audience’’?What are they interested in? How do I maintain them as engaged as possible?
Engage new and different ways of giving feedback to the students.
The feedback should be beneficial to the student, the pair of students, or groups of them. If you feel you have to say something to individuals, do it in a private way.
Checking students’ progress regularly and in an entertaining way. How?
Through games, exercises –gap filling, multiple choice, matching, etc.
We all know that nowadays the environment of teaching a language has changed, but what we know for sure is that the essence of it is still the same –the quality in teaching and the provision of a positive teaching environment.
Being in search of effective ways on how to make our learners be engaged in language acquisition is part of creating the environment for learning.
About the author
Mrs. Ardita Bazelli is the head of the English Department at LSIA.
