Hi all,
I thought I'd post this question, since I gather many of you are experienced educators with loads of wisdom to share ( =D ).
I will be teaching at an international school with mostly English Second Language learners. I am specifically calling on all educators from China (but if you've taught ESL kiddies anywhere else, please toss in your 2 cents if you wish)
What are some of the challenges? I've read students from China are quite easy to manage, except for sleeping in class (but they go to school from 7am-9pm (doing both Chinese, and the Canadian curriculums))! Crazy, hey?
What strategies did you use to get your kids motivated to learn English? What worked? What failed (I think lots can be learned from failures =))
Thanks in advance for your wisdom, I hope we can share our insights, and all learn from each other on here.
I guess I'll share what I plan to do: wait at the door everyday, and say hello to the kids. Its a common practise I've used on my native land (Canada), and it also allows me to see how the kids are feeling in the morning. ex: If Jimmy is punching a locker in the hallway, then I can see he's probably in a bad mood. We can have a conversation about it, or I may decide not to call on his that day etc etc . What are your thoughts educators? Please share your wordsmith.
Please accept my appology for this poory written post, as I am in a rush this morning to pick up my Chinese gf from the airport (too personal, sorry again)!
Finally, I was wondering what ya'll thought on this article (its a bit unrealated to my original question): http://www.joebower.org/p/abolishing-grading.html
Be well all,
??
Teaching Chinese ESL Students
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Re: Teaching Chinese ESL Students
Connect with your students. Know WHO they are, what sets them off, what they like, what they might struggle with and how you can adapt what you do to make it easier for them, whether it is simplifying your language, breaking assignments down into several parts instead of just one thing, etc.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Re: Teaching Chinese ESL Students
There is a book called 'Learner English' that will give you specifics about their language issues. Other than that, you'll see when you get there!
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sassylassie
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:45 pm
- Location: almost there...
Re: Teaching Chinese ESL Students
I have taught Asian ELL students for years but not specifically an entire class of Chinese students. So I will share what I've learned and hopefully some of it will be helpful. Sorry in advance for the length of my response--I wanted to explain myself thoroughly and give you some ideas of what to take into consideration. You asked about the most difficult aspects--in my opinion, the most difficult part of any classroom is being able to differentiate content specifically and successfully to students of all different levels, and this is especially true in a classroom of students learning a language.
I will say that many Asian students excel at subjects like math and science--subjects where there is only one correct response and there is a specific, formulaic way to arrive at the correct response. Learning a language is totally different. There are many ways to communicate whatever one is trying to say, and there is no "right" way, no formula to follow (aside from the complicated rules of spelling and grammar). Learning a language is very creative, and the process is more like becoming a good artist or a skilled athlete--you practice bits and pieces over and over and over until you find your groove. So you are going to need to get these kids comfortable practicing their English, and that means comfortable making mistakes without the fear of shame or embarrassment.
You don’t mention what age group/level you will be teaching, and that makes a big difference with ELL. Young elementary students will need to master speaking and listening first, and they will need a decent vocabulary base (both academic vocabulary as well as informal everyday basic-communication vocabulary). Older/more advanced students will need to have a decent understanding of grammar and the ability to express themselves (again, both informally and academically) in writing. Writing skills are more difficult to teach and typically take a lot more practice to master, because the vocabulary needs to be more precise in order to communicate shades of meaning.
The struggle is not going to be “managing” students, it is going to be getting the shy ones to come out of their shell and participate when they might feel uncomfortable at best and deathly afraid of humiliation at worst. With Asian students in particular, you're going to have to overcome a strong cultural aversion to losing face just to get them to raise their hands, much less carry on a conversation voluntarily (although the younger they are, the easier it will be to get them to interact). Use activities that rely on peer interaction and practice doing whatever the targeted skill is (Speaking? Comprehension? Writing?) whenever possible. Find ways to make sure all students can be successful and feel safe, even if their skill level is very low. Try to find ways to make it fun and interesting.
Typical Asian teaching style relies on lecture and rote memorization, but nobody is going to learn to speak (or read, or write) if you’re the only one doing all the talking, or if all they do is memorize word lists and take tests. And when you do talk, make sure you explain things in the simplest way possible. Demonstrate exactly what they need to do for each activity and assignment—don’t just tell them and then assume everyone understands. Have a student (not the most advanced) explain back what they are supposed to do so you know what/how much they understood. Use visuals whenever possible and write down a list of simple steps for them to follow. To my surprise, one of my best classes ever was having older elementary school kids write poetry about their favorite season. It worked because the framework for poetry is very forgiving and unstructured (and there aren't a lot of preconceived ideas about what makes a poem "good" or "bad"). First I showed a lot of examples, we brainstormed appropriate vocabulary words that might be useful, and then we wrote a simple poem or two together as a class. It was something that students of ALL levels could do successfully and be excited to share with their friends.
Finally, the “article” you linked to was not so much an article as a huge list of links to other articles detailing why grades are bad and should not be used. To be honest, I didn’t bother to read them. The whole purpose behind assessment, which by the way encompasses a huge variety of methods, is to measure and evaluate progress toward a goal. Assessments and grades can be very helpful, although that doesn't have to mean formal written tests or worksheets masquerading as exams. A good teacher collects and uses assessment data, formally AND informally, to guide instruction on a daily basis. For ELL students, this means you are going to need to listen to them speak, read what they write, etc., every single day. Look for areas where many students struggle and plan your lessons accordingly. Nobody knows how to use irregular past tense correctly? Find a game or do an activity where they have to learn to do so. Make it interesting enough that everyone will want to do it (ie, preferably not another boring worksheet) and students will get some form of interaction and/or feedback. Middle school students can carry on a conversation and write basic sentences but have no idea how to construct a paragraph or compose a persuasive essay? Find something that speaks to them—have them try to convince or persuade parents to let them have more free time, more allowance, greater freedom, etc.—something that is a naturally motivating topic. Have students edit each other’s essays and do writer’s workshops, but make sure you SHOW them how to do this, give “good” and “bad” examples so they will know how to evaluate work properly. Don't assume they are going to show up to class already knowing how to edit, evaluate content, or be respectful and polite in their feedback.
Good luck! Don't get too frustrated by failure--just keep trying until you find what works, and try to have fun doing it. You'll get there. :)
I will say that many Asian students excel at subjects like math and science--subjects where there is only one correct response and there is a specific, formulaic way to arrive at the correct response. Learning a language is totally different. There are many ways to communicate whatever one is trying to say, and there is no "right" way, no formula to follow (aside from the complicated rules of spelling and grammar). Learning a language is very creative, and the process is more like becoming a good artist or a skilled athlete--you practice bits and pieces over and over and over until you find your groove. So you are going to need to get these kids comfortable practicing their English, and that means comfortable making mistakes without the fear of shame or embarrassment.
You don’t mention what age group/level you will be teaching, and that makes a big difference with ELL. Young elementary students will need to master speaking and listening first, and they will need a decent vocabulary base (both academic vocabulary as well as informal everyday basic-communication vocabulary). Older/more advanced students will need to have a decent understanding of grammar and the ability to express themselves (again, both informally and academically) in writing. Writing skills are more difficult to teach and typically take a lot more practice to master, because the vocabulary needs to be more precise in order to communicate shades of meaning.
The struggle is not going to be “managing” students, it is going to be getting the shy ones to come out of their shell and participate when they might feel uncomfortable at best and deathly afraid of humiliation at worst. With Asian students in particular, you're going to have to overcome a strong cultural aversion to losing face just to get them to raise their hands, much less carry on a conversation voluntarily (although the younger they are, the easier it will be to get them to interact). Use activities that rely on peer interaction and practice doing whatever the targeted skill is (Speaking? Comprehension? Writing?) whenever possible. Find ways to make sure all students can be successful and feel safe, even if their skill level is very low. Try to find ways to make it fun and interesting.
Typical Asian teaching style relies on lecture and rote memorization, but nobody is going to learn to speak (or read, or write) if you’re the only one doing all the talking, or if all they do is memorize word lists and take tests. And when you do talk, make sure you explain things in the simplest way possible. Demonstrate exactly what they need to do for each activity and assignment—don’t just tell them and then assume everyone understands. Have a student (not the most advanced) explain back what they are supposed to do so you know what/how much they understood. Use visuals whenever possible and write down a list of simple steps for them to follow. To my surprise, one of my best classes ever was having older elementary school kids write poetry about their favorite season. It worked because the framework for poetry is very forgiving and unstructured (and there aren't a lot of preconceived ideas about what makes a poem "good" or "bad"). First I showed a lot of examples, we brainstormed appropriate vocabulary words that might be useful, and then we wrote a simple poem or two together as a class. It was something that students of ALL levels could do successfully and be excited to share with their friends.
Finally, the “article” you linked to was not so much an article as a huge list of links to other articles detailing why grades are bad and should not be used. To be honest, I didn’t bother to read them. The whole purpose behind assessment, which by the way encompasses a huge variety of methods, is to measure and evaluate progress toward a goal. Assessments and grades can be very helpful, although that doesn't have to mean formal written tests or worksheets masquerading as exams. A good teacher collects and uses assessment data, formally AND informally, to guide instruction on a daily basis. For ELL students, this means you are going to need to listen to them speak, read what they write, etc., every single day. Look for areas where many students struggle and plan your lessons accordingly. Nobody knows how to use irregular past tense correctly? Find a game or do an activity where they have to learn to do so. Make it interesting enough that everyone will want to do it (ie, preferably not another boring worksheet) and students will get some form of interaction and/or feedback. Middle school students can carry on a conversation and write basic sentences but have no idea how to construct a paragraph or compose a persuasive essay? Find something that speaks to them—have them try to convince or persuade parents to let them have more free time, more allowance, greater freedom, etc.—something that is a naturally motivating topic. Have students edit each other’s essays and do writer’s workshops, but make sure you SHOW them how to do this, give “good” and “bad” examples so they will know how to evaluate work properly. Don't assume they are going to show up to class already knowing how to edit, evaluate content, or be respectful and polite in their feedback.
Good luck! Don't get too frustrated by failure--just keep trying until you find what works, and try to have fun doing it. You'll get there. :)