Challenging ESL Students

Christmas Party!

When I teach I like to challenge my students. I like giving them work that is difficult and then they feel a sense of accomplishment when they complete it. I like knowing I taught them something they can use and they know they couldn't do it before. Like having my students have to puzzle something out and find the solution. The problem I found was ESL students find it challenging to do anything in English. Having them have a conversation is often challenging to them as much as debating something. Talking on the phone in English is one of the most challenging things to an ESL student. They can rely on no other clues besides the tone of the voice and the words.

Teaching my class to play softball.

One of my students that wants to be a teacher sent me her lesson plan today for her final practicum. She wanted her students to debate whether students should wear uniforms or not. I was thinking that was something that might be done in a US school and she didn't want to teach "down" to her students, she wanted to give them something challenging. She is forgetting that the "challenging" part of it is doing it in English, not what they do. I think teachers need to remember the Objective of their course, not just try to make things challenging.

Sarah visiting my class

I often tell my student teachers, "If you don't laugh you don't learn". I also tell them if the students aren't happy with the teacher then they will go to another school. It isn't like high school or college where they were trying to get a good grade. It is more like students going to the most popular movie and next week they will go to another movie if your movie isn't fun and entertaining. Even though the students are adults doesn't mean they don't like to have fun, it is just the difference in what they find fun. Some people find debating fun, but more people are on the football team than the debate team for a reason. You need to make the class fun for the masses not the geeks that find debate fun!

My class in 2006