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Teacher Talk

how do we make students love englısh?

dilemma36

dilemma36

Turkey

can you share your ideas about making students (of ages 11,12,13) have pleasure while learning.

my studens generally say that"ıt s so difficult to learn a second language". especially because of their age, they cannot think abstractly wel, so they seem to have difficult times to get new words and structures of a new language. they generally start to face a new language at the age of 9 in public schools in Turkey, which is very late according to me. Anyway ı m waiting for your valuable ideas.

02:42 PM Sep 27 2009 |

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pjsenior

Germany

Dilemma36, first of all, don't be too disheartened. I think we've all had this situation with our students, and not just 11-13 year olds.

I'm guessing their level is pretty low, and the class size will be about 30. You're probably using a text book with them, and they have to learn lots of vocabulary and grammar. Naturally, it is difficult to learn something new. You were their age once, and had to learn English. What made classes interesting for you? Try and use those ideas.

You want them to learn, but they resist learning. Forget the end goal of what they have to learn, and think about the environment and the ways of learning. Pictures, music, games, conversation, information gaps, etc. can all be used to give variety to your class and make students more interested.

At the same time, provide lots of encouragement to the students who try to participate in class. Especially try to encourage the quieter or naughty students to speak, and congratulate them when they make an effort. Make students think that trying is more important than getting it right, and the atmosphere will improve.

Good luck, tell me how it goes, and I'll try to keep in touch and give some more suggestions

 Phil

 

09:17 AM Sep 28 2009 |

Ferike333

Ferike333

Hungary

Hi there. Well I'm still a student, and I'm a few years older than yours, but I can tell you what I like in my lessons, that you could also use with your children. For practicing and improving vocabulary my teacher uses 'games'. I don't only think of Scrabble. Sometimes there is some leftover on the blackboard and she choses a long word from there and writes it up vertically, once up to down and revers:

C … E

O … T

N … U

T … B

R … I

I … R

B … T

U … N

T … O

E … C

And children have to fill out each gaps. That who has finished, tells it, and then end of the game, he tells you his solutions, and if someone had something different, he may tell you, too. These words are something I remember betterso that next time I may be the first :) You can control how much letters they are allowed to use.

Or she choses a longish word, and you have to create new words from using its letters.

And children can exchange their knowledge, which feels not so official and mandatory.

And there's a third game we use. But that's something I can't explain here well enough, but let's try.  There's a game (don't know what it's called) which is generally played in 3×3 checked areas. You writethe first letter of recently learned words in each gaps. You split the class. The goal of the game is to have three X's or 0's in a row. So one team choses a letter, you give the definition of that word, and the team who finds it out can have their an X or a 0. And so on. But this might be only for older, because of the definition.

After having tested these games you can ask them which one they prefer to play.

Or today we played 'say an animal' next one 'say what it eats', 'say another animal that eats that', 'say another thing it eats'.

Who is the last, or best in any games, can get a 'plus' or a good note (we have little fives something like little A's would be in GB /No idea what you have in Turkey :$/. So five little fives makes a big, which is an entire good note).

And don't know how it is in your country, but here American English is absolutely not acceptable, and if you happen to know an American word you may use it unwillingly, and some teachers don't accept them in tests. That can disappoint one very much. But it's not only up to the teacher, I know.

I can tell you about other games, too, if you're interested. Just write me a mail here or by email. They are right, it is hard, but even other subjects are hard. Make them talk about their interests, whatever they want (of course, just normal things), and correct them only after having finished. Hope, I could help you,

Feri

03:09 PM Sep 28 2009 |

mahabah

Yemen

my kid  still in his fourth age and what i can do with him to learn english quikly ?

11:53 AM Sep 29 2009 |

dilemma36

dilemma36

Turkey

thanks a lot for your valuable ideas. especially the third game you told about is very good but these games take too much time and teach limited vocabulary. anyway ı will try it. bye

08:54 PM Sep 29 2009 |

dilemma36

dilemma36

Turkey

thanks a lot pjsenior for yur valuable ideaas. you are so right abut it s natural they have difficulty in it. "Make students think that trying is more important than getting it right" idea is super. ı contact you again. see you.

08:57 PM Sep 29 2009 |

pjsenior

Germany

Dilemma36, you're welcome! Good luck and let me know how it goes.

08:17 AM Sep 30 2009 |

Ferike333

Ferike333

Hungary

Yes, you're right, but you can chose the topics, and you can play it for 10 minutes each lesson. I think that's enough. (We have 45 min. lessons here.) Well, if we have something extraordinary, I'll tell you. Thanks are to my teacher.

Good luck,

Feri

PS: and please write a short feedback, how they like it.

04:21 PM Sep 30 2009 |

dilemma36

dilemma36

Turkey

thanks ferike for your nice comment. see you

10:14 PM Sep 30 2009 |

zahraa flower

Algeria

Well mm I am a student at a high school of teacher  ,and this year am going to have a training period in some schools.So ,i just want to ask you ,how could I be admired by the students and the traner teacher?

Thank you.

09:19 PM Oct 01 2009 |

dilemma36

dilemma36

Turkey

hi zehra,

ı had that period twice at the university times. firstly, they want you to watch the English teacher and take notes and give a report of what you have observed about some speacial points. then, they want you to practise  teaching yourself. isn't it? ı recommend you to be calm and you must trust yourself. high school students are a little bit arrogant and because of you are young they may seem to be not interested in what you teach or tell. Do not see them in the class and if they go over the boundary of respect, then you can give a lesson with a witty saying. ıf you panic, you seem as if you don't know anything.

If you are succesful in making students love you, then, teachers will admire you, ı think.

goodbye

too.  

09:48 AM Oct 02 2009 |