yes methodology pack for tefl

8/13/2019 Yes Methodology Pack for TEFL

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MethodologyPack for TEFL How to learn Englishmore efficiently

How to teachEnglish

>The Basics

>A Five-Year Plan to Bilingualism

>Authentic Conversation Classes

>Using Yes in the Classroom

>Taking Advantage of Your Green Teacher

>TEFL as an Option for Non-natives

CONTENTS

Photo by Ralph Daily

www.yes-mag.com


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EDITORS NOTEWelcome to the Yes TEFL supplement. You will be

surprised, even dismayed to see that this methodology

pack is aimed at both teachers and learners. This is

not just an attempt to attract two different audiences.

Rather, we believe that the learning experience isabove all a collaboration between two people. If this

partnership is successful, knowledge and skills are

passed to the student (and usually to the teacher, too).

If not, the class is a frustrating experience for both.

In this short pack we aim to provide you with a

framework so that you can think about what goes on in

the classroom (and outside it), so that you can improve the

experience of everyone involved. Wed love to hear back

from you about the effectiveness of what we recommend.

Nick Franklin

[email protected]

Section 1

THE BASICS4 Basic Classroom methodology:

vocabulary acquisition

5 The Basics: questions, relevance and writing

Section 2

A FIVEYEAR PLAN TO BILINGUALISM6 Your Five-Year Plan to Bilingualism

7 5Year Plan: Contexts

8 5Year Plan: Achieving Your Goals

9 Subscription Form

Section 3

AUTHENTIC CONVERSATION CLASSES10 Effective Conversation Classes

11 Consolidating the Conversation Class

Section 4USING YES IN THE CLASSROOM12 Yes in Class

13 Yes in Class

14 Yes for Vocabulary



Section 5

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF YOUR GREEN TEACHER17 Managing an Inexperienced Teacher

18 More Advantages of an Inexperienced Teacher

19 Ignorance & Inexperience

Section 6

TEFL AS AN OPTION FOR NONNATIVES20 How to Become a Non-Native Teacher

21 Getting Started

22 Tricks of the Trade

CONTENTS

www.yes-mag.com

facebook.com/YesZine

@yeszine
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Photo by Glenn Fawcett

4 | YES Methodology Pack for TEFL

Section 1

Dos and Donts2

VOCABULARY

Dont give students lists of vocabulary to learn. Alist of words with their translations is an abstrac-tion. The word will be learned in the context of the list,

not in a context in which it can be used. Moreover, the

presence of a translation in the students native languagewill increase the temptation to pronounce the word as if it

were from their mother tongue3.

New vocabulary should be presented in a speciicorder. It is important that the students hear theword or phrase before they see it written. Ideally, they

should repeat it before seeing it written. Remember that

there are wrong ways to pronounce any speciic English

word or phrase but there is usually no single4 correct

pronunciation. The important thing is that the students

are able to pronounce the word or phrase in a way that

will be instantly recognizable to a native speaker, not that

they learn to imitate the teachers accent exactly. When

the students see the word or phrase written for the irst

time, repeat the pronunciation and get them to5 repeat

the pronunciation.

If possible, avoid giving6 a translation. If the word

or phrase refers to an object or an action, visualize

it; act it out7

, draw it on the board8

, or, if there is a com-puter in the classroom, lash up9 a picture from Google

Images. Relatively few words have a total correspon-

dence between one language and another, so a transla-

tion is a shortcut10 that will produce problems later. It is

much better to give examples of sentences in which the

word or phrase is used in different ways. The students

should both repeat these and write them down. If possi-

ble, relate the word to lexical elements that the students

already know.

Practise descriptive techniques. Point out11 to the

students that they will never know all the vocabu-

lary they need, so they have to be able to describe things

with the words they have.

1 El English as a foreign

language2 dos and donts things you

should do and things you

shouldnt do3 mother tongue native

language

4 no single not only one5 to get sb. to [+ ininitive] (get-

got-got) make sb. [+ ininitive],

force sb. to [+ ininitive]6 avoid giving try not to give

7 act it out use mime to

describe it8(black/white)board big

rectangular surface on the wall

that a teacher writes on9 to lash sth. up show sth. for a

short time

10 shortcut quick solution11 to point out mention, draw

attention to the fact

Basic

ClassroomMethodologyObviously, in one short article we cannot

teach you to teach English. However, there

are certain mistakes that one sees being

made by school teachers, El

1

teachers andeven TV shows for learning English which

go against the most basic notions of English

teaching and which can easily be corrected.

New vocabulary should bepresented in a speciic order.


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Photo by Marina Carresi

YES Methodology Pack for TEFL | 5

Section 1

QUESTIONS

Refuse to answer questions like, How do you say

alunizaje in English? Only answer such a question

when it is entirely in English: Whats the English word for

when robbers drive a vehicle through a shop window torob the shop?

Refuse to answer questions until the student was

able to ask them without any major1 mistakes.

Depending on the level, tell them in English which part

of the question was incorrect. This forces them to think

about the structure before asking the question.

RELEVANCE

Dont teach grammar structures teach situations.

For example, a tense is an abstraction, putting

words into context makes them real. At the end of a

course the student should have a list of things s/he can

do (talk about habits, present news, hypothesize, etc.) not

structures s/he has learned (the present simple, the pres-

ent perfect, the second conditional, etc.).

Try to relate your examples to your students livesand get them to invent and write down sentencesthat they can imagine using themselves.

WRITING

It is essential that students write regularly in

English as this allows them to2

think about struc-tures and use the vocabulary they know. Moreover, it

gives teachers vital information as to their students weak

areas that need to be focused on.

Useful FrustrationFrequently, students will try to use as much of their

native language in class as possible, only to complain3

at the end of the course that the class was not entirely

in English. It can be beneicial to pretend to4 know very

little of the students language at the beginning of the

course so that they are forced to use English. Once the

habit is established you can reveal that you know more

than you let on5. Be ready to point out6 that the frus-

tration of not being able to communicate directly is very

useful because it is a real frustration that will be expe-

rienced when the students interact with monolingual

native speakers.

1 major important2 to allow sb. to enable sb. to,

permit sb. to

3 to complain protest4 pretend to act as if you, simu-

late that you

5 to let on (let-let-let) make

known, reveal, disclose6 to point out mention, draw

attention to the fact

Basic ClassroomMethodology(continued)

It can be beneicial topretend to4know very littleof the students languageat the beginning of the

course so that they areforced to use English.


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Photo by Petar Milo


Section 2

English DailyThe secret to learning English, as anyone who has

learned it as a second language will tell you, is to incor-

porate it into your life. Only by reading English booksand magazines, regularly using English-language Inter-

net sites, watching TV and ilms in English and actively

seeking out1 opportunities to speak English will you

consolidate a good level. Our average2 Spanish oice

worker (see p. 6) has only been learning English. In other

words his or her English experience begins and ends at

the classroom door. Nobody ever learned English only by

attending3class.

You Only Learn English Abroad4Of course, it would be useful for you to live in an

English-speaking country during your ive-year plan.

Using the language for your most basic day-to-day inter-

action is the ideal way to reinforce basic structures. How-

ever, the difference between, for example, sharing5 a

lat with compatriots in an English-speaking country i.e.

where your home language is not English and makingthe most of6 the options available to you in your own

country is now much smaller than it used to be. The

Internet, YouTube, Skype, etc. means that there is more

English available to you than ever before; all you need

is the resolve7 to use these resources8. If you join an

English-language forum about a hobby that really inter-

ests you, you will soon have people directing you to doc-

uments, videos, etc. that you really want to read and see.

Obviously, the more interested you are in something the

greater effort you will make to understand it. Youll ind

those that share9 your hobbies pointing you towards10

TV programmes, radio programmes, etc. that stimulate

you and help you to develop your English.

Once you have developed contacts with English-speak-

ers who share interests with you, you will be able to plan

holidays in English-speaking countries related to your

hobbies using their insider information.

English at WorkYour new attitude to English will soon be apparent to11

those you work with. Once you have begun incorporatingEnglish into your daily life a virtuous circle12 will begin.

You will be offered and will be willing to13do English-re-

lated tasks14 at work. You will soon be the natural choice

to receive English-related training and your value at work

will rise15. The more English you have, the more indis-

pensable to the company you become.

1 to seek out (seek-sought-

sought) try to ind, look for2 average typical

3 to attend (false friend) go to,be present at

4 abroad overseas, in a foreign

country5 to share (in this case) cohabit

in, live together in6 to make the most of (make-

made-made) obtain maximum

beneit from7 resolve determination,

tenacity8 resources useful things9 to share (in this case) also

have10 to point sb. towards sth.

recommend sth. to sb.

11 to be apparent to be obvi-ous/evident to

12 virtuous circle beneicial

cycle of events that consol-

idates itself, (opposite ofa

vicious circle)13 to be willing to be ready to,

be prepared to

14 task activity, piece of work,job

15 to rise (rise-rose-risen)

increase, go up, augment

Nobody ever learned Englishonly by attending3class.

5-Year Plan:

CONTEXTS


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Photo by Library of the London School of Economics and Political Science

Photo by KF


Section 2

Exams?

Exams dont teach you English, they simply test yourlevel. Some learners prefer to do an exam course because

it provides them with a goal1 and usually means that

classmates2 are more motivated. If this is your case,

then spending part of the year in exam classes is prob-

ably a good thing. However, the one thing3 it is quite

diicult (though not impossible) to get for free from the

Internet, etc. is conversation you talking and someone

correcting your most serious mistakes.

A better option is a conversation class but make sure

its a real conversation class; make it absolutely clear

that you dont want to read, write or listen to any record-

ing in class, you can do all that at home. On the other

hand, if you are in a conversation class it is your respon-

sibility to talk; the teacher will try to stimulate you but

s/he cant make you converse. The student who doesnt

advance in a conversation class because s/he only gives

monosyllabic answers has only himself or herself to

blame4. And remember: the listening, writing, viewing

and reading you have to organize yourself.5

Results: 2019So, what will you have achieved 6 at the end of the

ive-year period? You have incorporated English into

your daily life. You should expect to read, listen to and/or

watch something in English every day. You should write

something in English every day. You will also be better

placed to7 speak to someone in English at any and

every opportunity.

Of course, if you stop your English-language activities

after ive years your English will decline quite quickly

but once you have learned to incorporate English into

your life there is no reason why you would want to.Reading, writing, listening, viewing and speaking every

day in English doesnt detract from8 using your own or

any other language. It simply expands your horizons,

increases your opportunities, enhances9 your job pros-

pects and makes you slightly10sexier! Start today.

1 goal (in this case) objective2 classmates other students in

ones class3 the one thing the only thing4 to have only oneself to

blame (have-had-had) besolely responsible for ones bad

situation5 see: Effective Conversation

Classes (pp. 1011)

6 to achieve accomplish, gain7 be better placed to be in a

better position to8 to detract from take away

from, reduce

9 to enhance improve, makesth. better

10 slightly a little

Some learners prefer to doan exam course because itprovides them with a goal1andusually means that classmates2are more motivated.

5-Year Plan:

ACHIEVINGYOUR GOALS


9/22

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10/22

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Section 3

If you sign up for1 a conversation class, more often

than not the experience is an unsatisfactory one.

Sometimes the class involves a frustrated teacher asking

increasingly desperate questions and getting at worst

monosyllabic and at best very short answers. Occasion-

ally, after a bit the teacher will give up2 trying to stimu-

late conversation for an interminable hour and a half and,

to the great relief3 of everyone involved4, go back to

giving grammar explanations. There is a key concept that

this sad scenario5 has missed: preparation.

PreparationHere I am not really talking about preparation by the

teacher, though he or she should do some (as we will

see). My point is that English learners should prepare

a conversation class as homework before they arrive.Anyone asked to suddenly talk about a random6 topic7

in a foreign language that they are in the process of

learning is likely to8 freeze up9. Only if that person has

had the opportunity to read and listen to different opin-

ions relating to the topic7 in question will she or he be

armed with the vocabulary and structures to talk in class.

Fortunately, students today have a plentiful supply10

of such resources11 at their ingertips12, thanks to

the internet.

Teachers PreparationAs the moderator of the conversation class, the teacher

should introduce the next lessons conversation topic7 at

the end of each class. In the early classes of the year he

or she directs students to articles and videos on the inter-

net that cover the topic7. The wider13 the choice of mate-

rial, the better as it allows14 different students to absorb

different information, which will result in differences of

opinion and a more lively discussion15.

Lets take an example. If you were going to talk about

the rise16 and fall of the West, one student might be

directed to see Niall Ferguson on TED and another to

watch Jared Diamonds series Guns, Germs17 and Steel18

on YouTube. These two audiovisual sources19 analyze the

question completely differently. Of course, the studentsshould be encouraged20 to give their own opinions

rather than21 parrot22 those of the experts, but different

starting points will lead to23 different interpretations.

After the students are used to24 the process the

teacher can encourage 19 them to come up with25 the

conversation topics7. The teacher can even suggest that

if a student wants a speciic topic7, that student should

draw up26 the list of preparation materials (YouTube

videos, articles, etc.).

1 to sign up for/to join2 to give up (give-gave-given)

stop3 relief alleviation, satisfaction4 involved participating, (in this

case) in the class5 scenario (false friend)

imagined situation

6 random arbitrary7 topic (false friend) theme,

question, matter8 is likely to will probably9 to freeze up

(freeze-froze-frozen) (in this

case) be unable to say anything

coherent10 supply provision, (in this

case) variety11 resources useful things,

instruments, tools12 at ones ingertips readily

available13 wider broader, (in this case)

more varied14 to allow permit, enable15 discussion (false friend)

debate, conversation16 rise (in this case) advance,

expansion17 germs bacteria and/or

viruses that cause infections

and contagions18 steel type of hardened fer-

rous metal

19 source place from which youobtain sth. (e.g. information)

20 to encourage urge, incite,

stimulate21 rather than instead of, as

opposed to22 to parrot sth. repeat sth.

word for word23 to lead to (lead-led-led) bring

about, result in24 to be used to be accustomed

to25 to come up with (come-came-

come) think up, ( in this case)suggest

26 to draw up (draw-drew-drawn)

create, prepare

Effective

ConversationClasses

S ti 3


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Photo by Matt Buck


Section 3

ConsolidationThe fact that students are reading and hearing English

vocabulary and structures which they will then be

using in the class means that there is a natural learn-

ing process involving exposition-practice-consolidation.

Structures arent abstractions but1 useful means of2

expressing oneself.

The Teachers Role

Because the students come to class prepared, they will bemore conident3 to speak. It should then be possible to

completely reverse the disaster scenario4 of the teacher

speaking 90% of the time and the student(s) 10%. Once

the teacher is simply a moderator, he or she will have

time to note down5 students major mistakes and will be

able to write these up6. They can be fed back to7 the

students either as emails (the best option) or during a

short correction period at the beginning of each class.

Peer Pressure8

For this scenario4

to work9

it is important that theteacher or language school clearly states10 that the

conversation class will require homework before it

starts. Students who sign up to11 conversation classes

because chatting sounds easier than studying should

be discouraged12.

However, even with a good group of students there

is a danger that some members begin to skimp on13 the

homework not out of14 laziness15 but because we all

have busy lives. In such cases the other members of thegroup must be irm but supportive16, reminding 17 the

individual of the need for preparation and the progress

that will result from the effort.

1 but rather, (in this case) by

contrast they are2 means of (+ -ing) way to (+

ininitive)

3 conident self-assured,positive

4 scenario (false friend)

imagined situation5 to note down write down,

make a note of6 to write sth. up (write-wrote-

written) rewrite sth. in a clear

formal way

7 to feed sth. back to sb. (feed-fed-fed) send sth. as feedback

(= constructive criticism) to sb.8 peer pressure (in this case)

pressure from other members

of the group9 to work (in this case) function

well10 to state say, declare

11 to sign up to join12 to discourage sb. try to

dissuade sb.13 to skimp on sth. not do sth.

fully and properly

14 out of because of, due to15 laziness lethargy, indolence16 supportive encouraging,

stimulating

17 to remind sb. cause sb. toremember

Once the teacher is simply amoderator, he or she will have

time to note down5 studentsmajor mistakes and will beable to write these up6.

Consolidating the

Conversation Class

Section 4


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Section 4

Acouple of months ago, Nair R.A., one of our readersin Brazil, sent an email asking if we could recom-mend a language school in her area that used the Yes

method. I had to confess my complete ignorance but the

question got me thinking1: How could the magazine be

used as an integral part of a classroom course?

DeicienciesThe irst thing would be to identify what Yes or anyother English-learning magazine cannot offer. There are

principally two areas;

1. the opportunity to speak and be corrected, and

2.the opportunity to write and be corrected.

If everybody in the class is reading up to2 100 pages of

footnoted3 texts in English and listening to an hours

recordings at home, there is obviously no need to do anylistening or reading in class. The classroom should be the

place to practise talking and to correct exercises.

Of course, in the context of a one-to-one class, you

might want to do some controlled reading (focusing on

pronunciation) and exercises in class for variety.4

Planning & Forfeits5

However, conversation is always more effective if it is

guided, prepared and controlled. Therefore6the teacher

should determine what learners should read and/or

listen to at home at the end of one class for the next

class. Alternatively, learners could decide collectively

which articles or recordings they want to prepare for

the next class. In any case such a system depends verymuch on learners doing the preparatory work. One way

of ensuring7 this is to agree on a forfeit5 system. For

example, if someone comes to class without having pre-

pared for it, he or she has to bring sweets8 or cakes9,

or buy everyone coffee. The forfeit should be enjoyable

and not so inancially onerous10 that learners prefer not

to come to class.

1 to get sb. thinking (get-got-

got) cause sb. to start thinkingabout sth.

2 up to (in this case) as many as3 footnoted with notes at the

bottom of the page (like this

one!)4

maintaining an artiicialconversation in a one-to-

one class for a long time is

arduous5 forfeit penalty, ine,

penalization6

therefore for this reason7 to ensure make sure of,

guarantee8 sweets (UK English) candies

(US English)

9 cakes 10

onerous oppressive,

severe

The classroom should bethe place to practise talkingand to correct exercises.

Yes in Class

Section 4


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Section 4

10 SentencesIt is often very diicult to get EFL1 learners to do writ-

ten assignments2. However, these are vitally import-

ant for the learners overall3 improvement. The trick4 is

to ask for something minimal say ive or 10 sentences

for EVERY class. The teacher corrects these sentences

between classes and they form the basis of part of the

next class. Grammar is much more relevant when it is

your real mistakes that are being discussed5

than whenits just another class about an abstract grammar struc-

ture (the third-conditional syndrome6). The sentences

can either be determined by the teacher or chosen by the

learners: 10 things you needed to say or write in English

over the last couple of days.

End WordBy using Yes as the focus of class study and specii-

cally classroom conversation rapid rounded7 progress

can be assured for intermediate and more advanced stu-

dents. Whats more, a subscription to Yescosts less than

most course-books while offering much more reading

and listening material.

Oh, and one last thing: if any English school out there

does choose8 to offer courses based on this maga-

zine, wed be happy to mention their names and email

addresses in the magazine for people like Nair.

1 EFL English as a foreign

language2 written assignment home-

work in which the learner is

expected to write sentences ora composition

3 overall in all areas, general4 trick (in this case) secret5 to discuss (false friend)

debate, (in this case) analyse6 i.e. learning a complicated

structure every year that

you never in fact use7

rounded balanced, in allareas

8 does choose (emphatic)

chooses

Grammar is much morerelevant when it is your realmistakes that are being

discussed5than when itsjust another class about anabstract grammar structure.

Yes in Class (continued)

Section 4


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Photo by Adam Dubrowa

Photo by Lois Humphrey

Earthquake

Sand


Recently a Yes reader, Juan C.C., wrote to us asking

for advice3 on how to remember all of the new

words that are introduced in the magazines articles.

Research shows that different people have different ways

of learning vocabulary, but here are a few ideas.

Vocabulary Learning StrategiesBefore you read any further4, consider what strat-

egies a student could use to learn the following

words/ expressions:

earthquake blade lood

clever awful sand

Later we will give some ideas for remembering these

words and others, but remember that your own strate-

gies for retaining new language may be better for your

own learning style.

See, Then See AgainI was once told that, to remember a word, we need to see

it three times. This rule is over-simplistic, but it is true that

repetition is helpful. Different ways of seeing or hearing a

word again include:

> scribbling5the word on some paper,

> recording it on a digital device (smartphone, tablet etc.)

> sticking6 labels7all over your house

with the names of the object,

> carrying a notebook to look at

while8waiting for the bus,

... and many more.Remember that it is especially helpful to see or hear the

words in a relevant context using highlighters9 to

make the word stand out10 in a text can help for this pur-

pose. More ways of relating a word to a context are given

below. Of course, the more times you come across11 a

word explained in different contexts in Yess footnotes,

the more likely you are to 12 learn it.

1 broad range wide variety,

ample choice2 resource tool, useful thing3 advice recommendations,

suggestions4 any further (in this case)

more5

to scribble write quickly6 to stick (stick-stuck-stuck) ix

(with adhesive)7 label sticker, tag, small piece

of paper/card

8 while (in this case) during the

time that you are9 highlighter 10 to stand out

(stand-stood-

stood) be

noticeable11

to come across (come-came-come) encounter

12 the more likely you are to

the more probable it is that

you will

Remember that it is especiallyhelpful to see or hear thewords in a relevant context.

Build Your

VocabularyWith Yesby Miles Pratt

The articles in Yesmagazine, and

their footnotes, offer the student

of English a broad range1of new

vocabulary. What is the best way to

take advantage of this resource2?

Section 4


15/22

Photo by US Marine CorpsFlood rhymes with blood8 and mud9


The poet John Donne famously said No Man is an Island.

Similarly, no word exists on its own1 it is connected to

other information both in the language and in our brains.

It helps us to remember a word if we relate and connect

it to other words, to our experience and to its context. 2

Relate> Relate words to yourself how might you use this

word in the future?

> Relate words to each other synonyms, antonyms,

word families, collocations, etc.3

> Relate words to terms you already know in

English, in your own language, in other languages. For

example the word lood could be related to the English

low, German Flut or the Spanish luir (all are related

to water).

> Relate words to people, places, names, songs,

or other things that you know well for example,

relate blade4 to the Blade movies, or relate clever to

the rhyming name Trevor (there is a song called Clever

Trevor /klev ,trev/ too).5

> Many English words are used in product names and

marketing slogans, and students can take advan-tage of this. For example, an Ecuadorean student could

remember the word earthquake by thinking of the

product Quaker porridge oats6, which are well-known

in Andean South America.7

> Relate words by pronunciation (e.g. rhyming; silent

letters) e.g. lood rhymes with blood8 and mud 9

(and not with food or mood10)

> Relate words to their context what were you read-

ing about/listening to when you irst came across11 thenew word? It might have been in a book, in a song, in a

ilm or in class.

> Relate words to images visualize inding sand in

yoursandwich, for example.

> Relate words with puns12 and other word games, for

example I can easily remember the Japanese word

ichiman (= the number 10,000) by thinking of a man

scratching13an itch14: itchy man!

Re-useWe remember words much better if we use them. So try

to use the new words you learn as soon as possible. Ide-

ally, you will be able to practise them in conversation, but

if not you can write them in a sentence, think of different

sentences and repeat them to yourself, or just15 visualize

yourself in a situation where you will use the new words

for example to remember the word lood you could

think of a sentence about a real lood situation, or imag-ine yourself up to your neck16 in water (an unpleasant

but perhaps effective way of remembering the word).

1 on its own by itself, alone2 look how often in this

case is used in our

footnotes3 notice how our foot-

notes usually offertwo synonyms

4 blade the cutting edge

of a knife or sword5 byIan Dury and the

Blockheads6 porridge oats a hot viscous

breakfast food made from

cereals7 you can simply relate spell-

ings and/or sounds. Theetymological explanation

is that to quake means to

tremble(= shake)and a

quake is a tremor. Quakers

supposedly trembleon hear-

ing the word of God8 blood /bld/ red luid typically

in veins and arteries9 mud /md/ earth/soil mixed

with water10 mood /mu:d/ frame of mind,

humour11 to come across (come-came-

come) encounter

12 pun play on words, piece of

wordplay13 to scratch alleviate an itch14

with your ingernails14 itch cutaneous irritation15

just (in this case) simply16 neck part of ones body

between ones head and ones

torso

Relate and

Re-Use

Section 4


16/22


Yes Vocabulary Sheet

An advantage of Yes is that you already have some important information to help you remember each new word

correctly. The word stress is indicated, the stressed syllable always being underlined, and the meaning/explanation (the

second column in the table) and an example sentence (the third column in the table) can be simply copied from the

magazines text and footnotes.

A simple chart1 like the one below could be a useful tool2 for recording and revising the new vocabulary that

appears in the magazine:

Word orexpression

Synonym /Explanation

Original sentence / context My own sentence

to fall out

(p. 12, n. 17)

become enemies Apparently, the Earl3of Charlemont

and a man called Charles Ffolliott

had fallen outover cards.

I fell outwith my ex-girlfriend

when we were on holiday.

You may wish to use the same format but have a different list for different topic2 categories, for example the sections

of the magazine (Cinema, Internet, Literature etc.). This may be helpful both for remembering the words and as a

reference source4. For example:

Subject Word or

expression

Synonym /

Explanation

Original sentence

/ contextMy sentence

Cinema stow-away

(p. 25, n. 52)

sb. who travels

on a ship without

permission

In Alien(1979) a

mysterious stowaway

on a spaceship kills

each member of thecrew one-by-one.

A stowawaywas discovered

hiding in the life-boat.

Internet Gen-Y

(p. 10, n. 1)

Generation Y: those

born between the late

70s and the late 90s

Gen-Y is the generation

that is most comfort-

able with technology.

My nephew is from Gen-Y,

he grew up with computers

and digital technology.

Literature widely-read

(author)

(p. 20, n. 2)

one of the authors

whose books are

read by the greatest

number of people

[Anne Rice is]

one of the most

widely-readauthors

of modern times.

He went from being

unknown to being one of

the most widely-read

authors in the country.

1 chart table2 tool (in this case) method3 earl aristocrat, English

equivalent of a count4 source place in which you

can ind sth.5 topic (adj.) (false friend)

thematic6 see the Word Building

section each month

Select, Categorize, ListWriting down a new word is helpful, but research shows that

we remember words better in groups, for example:

>Topic5groups (see tables above);

> Grammatical groups (e.g. irregular verbs);

> Words with their collocates (e.g. different phrasal verbs with up, outetc.);> Words containing similar letter combinations, (e.g. words

ending with -ful: useful, careful, awful)6

and so on.

Section 5


17/22

Photo by US Mission Canada


As was pointed out1 in an article from The Daily Tele-

graph a few years back, the rate of pay for EFL2 teachers

is by and large3 atrocious. A career in TEFL4 is strictly

vocational. The upshot5 is that an English-language acad-

emy that guarantees native teachers is likely to6 pair

you up with7a teacher who is pretty8young and inexpe-

rienced (if you are lucky9 she will be pretty10, young and

inexperienced what a difference a comma can make!).

This is not the catastrophe that many learners think.

There are many advantages to having a teacher who has

recently arrived from an English-speaking country, just

as11 there are many disadvantages to having a jade d12

teacher. It all depends how you approach the class. Lets

have a look.

Advantages of a Young Teacher1. Real English. Older teachers like myself who have

spent decades teaching abroad13 dont speak real

English, we speak TEFL4 English (or rather14 a lan-

guage called Ele15). In other words our language has

expanded and adapted to include many words that

non-natives will understand. For instance16, the other

day when speaking to my father I used the word autoch-thonous in a sentence. My father is not exactly ignorant

hes a retired professor17 from Oxford University but

the word drew a blank18. I could argue that the word is

there in the dictionary but it would make no difference:

I was translating from Spanish and no native speaker

would naturally use autochthonous in speech except

if he or she has been living abroad13 for years.19 Its one

silly little example but it illustrates a big problem for long-

term EFL2 teachers. In fact, the problem is worse than

that. Jaded12 teachers are so used to20 hearing Englishmisused that we often leave things uncorrected. There is

a point at which youve heard I want that you... so often

that it doesnt sound so bad.

1 to point out indicate, mention2 EFL English as a foreign

language3 by and large in general,

mostly4 TEFL teaching English as a

foreign language5 upshot result, consequence6 is likely to will probably

7 to pair A with B (in this case)

put A in a class with B8 pretty (adv.) reasonably, quite9 lucky fortunate10

pretty (adj.) attractive,good-looking

11just as in the same way that12jaded burnt-out, no longer

interested in sth. because you

have experienced too much

of it13 abroad overseas, in foreign

countries14

or rather or, to be moreprecise

15 see Yes 4, pp. 252716 for instance for example17 professor (false friend)

senior university teacher18 to draw a blank (draw-drew-

drawn) mean nothing (to sb.)19 wed say indigenous or

aboriginal20 to be used to (+ -ing) be

accustomed to (+ -ing)

How to

Manage anInexperiencedTeacher

Section 5


18/22

Photo by USMC07481


2. Only English. Another advantage of jus t-o ff-t he-

boat 1 teachers is that they probably dont speak your

language. All jaded 2 teachers who have learned the local

language will at least occasionally shortcut an arduous

moment of incomprehension by explaining in your lan-

guage (rather than3 English). Its just 4 so much easier.

And its wrong. Those painful misunderstandings andexplanations are some of the most useful moments in

class time; real learning comes out of that effort.

The only thing to be wary of5with green6 teachers is

to ensure that, as they begin to pick up7a bit of your lan-

guage, the class doesnt drift into8 an exchange. You are

paying to learn English. Obviously, saying this directly is

rather9blunt10. The best solution if the teacher asks how

to say something in your language is to offer to explain

after the class.

3. Energy and enthusiasm. Lets face it11, experienced

teachers are bored to tears of12 hearing what EFL13 stu-

dents think about the death penalty or what they did

over the Easter break14. Most of us dont have highly15

original opinions or very stimulating lives when viewed

from outside. Jaded2 teachers think they have heard it all

before and in most cases they have. By contrast, a younginexperienced teacher is possibly confronting foreign

culture for the irst time and the difference in value sys-

tems can be fascinating for them, so they aremuch more

likely to16really care about what you are saying.

4. Tech-savvy17 Teachers. Young teachers from

English-speaking countries have grown up with the

Internet and all the other new technologies; they simply

cannot imagine a world without these things. They aretherefore18 far19 better placed to advise20 you on the

wealth of21 interesting free material available to promote

and stimulate your learning.

5. More lexible and open to suggestions. Jaded2

teachers knowwhat you need and knowhow you need to

be taught. They will generally not take kindly to22 your

interfering in their class. Younger, less experienced teach-

ers are by and large23 much more open to your input24

about how to assign class time.

1just- off-the -boat recently

arrived2jaded burnt-out, no longer

interested in sth. because you

have experienced too much

of it3

rather than as opposed to,instead of

4just (in this case) simply5 to be wary of be vigilant

about, be cautious about

6 green (in this case)

inexperienced7 to pick up acquire, learn8 to drift into gradually

become9 rather quite, (in this case)

very10 blunt discourteously frank11 lets face it lets be honest12 to be bored to tears of sth.

ind sth. very tedious

13 EFL English as a foreign

language14 the Easter break Holy Week15 highly very16 are likely to will probably17 tech-savvy knowledgeable

about new technologies18 therefore for this reason19 far (in this case) much20 to advise sb. make recom-

mendations to sb.

21 the wealth of the great

variety of22 to not take kindly to not like,

be offended by (+ -ing)23 by and large in general,

mostly24

input contribution,suggestions

A young inexperiencedteacher is much more

likely to16

really care aboutwhat you are saying.

More

Advantagesof anInexperiencedTeacher

Section 5


19/22


Most Anglo1 university graduates dont know what a

phrasal verb or a third conditional or a complement

is. In the Anglosphere2 we simply dont learn English in

terms of nomenclature. However, your young inexperi-

enced teacher can speak English proiciently. The fact is, all

you really need is someone who can speak English as it is

really spoken and who can identify when something you

say is wrong. Green3 teachers get more nervous when

they are asked why-questions to which they dont know

the answers but all teachers face4 this situation; its just5that experienced teachers are better at talking round the

answer6. I dont know but Ill ind out7 for next class is a

perfectly reasonable response. In any case many why-ques-

tions about English dont have a satisfactory answer.

Manage Your Green TeachersIf a teacher is young, it is quite possible that you have

been learning English for more years than he or she has

been teaching it. If the teacher is very green3, you may

even have attended8 more English classes than he or

she has. I hope I have established above that your green

teacher is a valuable resource9; it is your job to manage

that resource tactfully. After all, there is plenty of TEFL10

experience in the class, its just that you are the one who

possesses it.

Suggestions to Make>Suggest that homework be given to the class. Spe-

ciically, reading and exercises should be given ashomework freeing up11 class time for conversation

and correction.

>Suggest that each days conversation topics12 be

agreed in the previous class (see the Conversation

Class article in this series).

>Suggest how the class might be divided up so that it is

more interesting for everyone involved.

>Ask for stimulating activities from the internet.

>If a language topic seems to be a problem for severalmembers of the group, suggest that the teacher ind an

exercise to practise it.

>If you dont think the teacher corrects your pronuncia-

tion enough, ask if such-and-such a pronunciation13

is correct.

>If you come across14 an interesting article or audio ile

somewhere, offer to bring it into class.

Avoid the temptation of only suggesting to do things in

class that you ind easy and enjoyable; the other things

are probably more useful. Remember: an inexperienced

teacher is your opportunity to mould15 the class to your

preferences. If you do so with tact, your teacher and

classmates will thank you for it.

1 Anglo from the Anglosphere,

native English speaking2

the Anglosphere the English-speaking world

3 green (in this case)

inexperienced4 to face confront

5just (in this case) simply6 to talk round an answer not

give a direct answer7 to ind out (ind-found-found)

discover the answer8 to attend be present at, go to9 resource asset, useful thing

10 TEFL teaching English as a

foreign language11

to free sth. up free sth., makesth. available

12 topic (false friend) theme,

subject13 such-and-such a

pronunciation the pronunci-

ation of a speciic word14

to come across (come-came-come) encounter

15 to mould (in this case) orient,

conigure

I dont know but Ill ind out7for next class is a perfectlyreasonable response.

Photo by Eva Rinaldi

Ignorance &

Inexperience

Green Teacher

Section 6


20/22



OK, imagine this scenario1. You live in a country in

recession with unemployment through the roof2. You

have a degree3 or at least a clear idea of what your

career4 is going to be. Nevertheless5, it is practically

impossible to ind work in your sector right now6. At the

same time you have spent a considerable time learning

English and you are something of an Anglophile7. What

are your possibilities of inding

work teaching English until theprospects in your true career4

pick up8?

SecretsHere are a couple of secrets.

The best way to consolidate

your knowledge of a language

is to teach it. Moreover, the best way to learn to teach

a language is to teach it. So, if you want to keep your

English on the boil9 and earn a modest income 10,

TEFL11may well be a perfect choice for you. But how do

you start?

Guinea Pigs12

In most countries there is a more or less inexhaustible

supply13 of children and teenagers who are having

trouble14 with English at school. As I said, the best way

to learn to teach English is to start to teach English.

Obviously, you wont be very good at it at irst. Thats

why you are going to start by offering to help one of

these hapless15

minors16

for free17

. You are bound to18

have a younger sibling19, a cousin20, a nephew21 or a

niece22 who needs help with their English. Even if abso-

lutely nobody in your family has problems with English,

there must be a son or a daughter of friends in need

of assistance23. The cool thing is that once word gets

out 24 that you teach English, more pupils will appear as

if by magic.

1 scenario (false friend) hypo-

thetical situation2 to be through the roof be

very high3 degree university

qualiication4

career (false friend) profes-sional trajectory

5 nevertheless even so,

however6 right now at the moment

7 Anglophile sb. who likes

Anglo (= English-speaking)

culture8 to pick up (in this case)

improve9 to be on the boil be in a state

of readiness (= preparedness)for use at any time

10 income salary11 TEFL teaching English as a

foreign language

12 guinea pig (in this case) sb.

you experiment on like a labo-

ratory animal13 supply stock, reserve, (in this

case) number14 trouble problems15

hapless unfortunate16 minor child, sb. aged less

than 1817 for free without being paid18 be bound to must

19 sibling brother or sister20 cousin the son or daughter

of ones aunt or uncle21 nephew son of ones brother

or sister22 niece daughter of ones

brother or sister23 assistance (false friend) help24 word gets out the news is

disseminated

The best wayto consolidateyour knowledge

of a languageis to teach it.

How to

Become aNon-nativeEFL Teacher

Section 6


21/22

Photo by Bill Larnet


The ideas on the previous page all sound hunky-dory 1

but how can you, with no teaching experience, just2 start

teaching? Well, here are a couple more secrets. First,

most native TEFL3 teachers start teaching English with a

minimal formal knowledge of the language, no teaching

experience and minimal training. You, by contrast, have

an immense experience learning English you knowwhere the diiculties are, the inexperienced native teach-

ers dont! In most countries, unfortunately, helping chil-

dren and teenagers with school English means revising

grammar. The secret is to closely control what your pupil

is studying in class and what is coming up4. In any case

90% of teaching kids5 is a question of inspiring them. In

most cases you are the only adult who pays more than

ive minutes individual attention to6 them and that

includes their parents7! Your primary role is to be enthu-siastic about English and to change their mindset8 so

that English stops being a drag9 and becomes a useful

tool10. However aloof11 and rebellious a young person

might be, he or she will still respond to someone saying

very good, well done, youve got it, excellent its

quite simply human nature.

Questions

You know that you have succeeded in12 changing yourpupils mindset8 and stirring13 an interest in English

when they start asking questions. Dont be afraid of

questions. Often your answer will be I dont know but

Ill ind out14 for next class. Theres nothing wrong with

that (so long as15 you do ind out16 for next time); native

teachers do it all the time without feeling inadequate.

MaterialsOnce you know what your pupil needs to study for

school you need parallel material. You just have to go

and ind it on the Internet and elsewhere. Make sure you

do any exercise you are going to use beforehand 17 on

your own18. That way you will be able to look up19 any

words you dont know, etc. before the class. When you

start teaching, you will spend as much or more time pre-

paring a class as you do in class. However, as you get

used to20 teaching this preparation time will decline asyour conidence21builds22.

1 hunky-dory perfect,

marvellous2just (in this case) simply3 TEFL teaching English as a

foreign language4 what is coming up (in this

case) what they will be studyingimminently

5 kids children (and

adolescents)6 to pay attention to sb.

(pay-paid-paid) focus on

what sb. is saying, thinking and

feeling7 ones parents (false friend)

ones mother and father8 ones mindset ones way of

thinking9 a drag sth. tedious, a bore10 tool utensil, means to an end11 aloof cold, uncommunicative12 to succeed in triumph in, be

successful in13 to stir (in this case) incite,

provoke14 to ind out (ind-found-found)

discover15 so long as provided that, if

(and only if)16 do ind out (emphatic) ind

out14

17 beforehand (in this case)

before the class

18 on ones own by oneself,

alone19 to look up (in this case) look

for sth. in a dictionary20 to get used to (get-got-got)

become accustomed to21

conidence self-assurance,self-belief

22 to build (build-built-built) (in

this case) grow

Getting Started

You have an immenseexperience learningEnglish you knowwhere the diiculties

are, the inexperiencednative teachers dont!

Section 6


22/22

Photo by Fiona McKinlayOne Direction


The Secret to a Good ClassOne of the most important things to remember is that

the secret to a good class is variety. This is less import-

ant if your class lasts2 45 minutes and absolutely vital if

it lasts two hours. In general its best not to spend morethan 20 minutes doing the same thing. If you do more

than one exercise in class, make sure that they are dif-

ferent types of exercises. Other options include the

learner reading out loud3 to you, playing short games

and doing listening exercises. If there is a computer

with internet available, incor-

porate short videos. You need

to spend time looking through

YouTube and other sites to induseful material.

You should also spy on your

pupil. What is he or she inter-

ested in? They may tell you

straight out4 but dont wait

for this. A bit of graiti5 on a

pencil case or a poster on a wall

could be your clue6. Remember

that Wikipedia has documents

in simple English (just change

the language setting7). Bring-

ing in an article on, say8, One

Direction, may be a revelation if

thats what your pupil is into9.

However, dont just10 repeat topics11 that you think young

people like, if there is no interest in the sport, pop star or

whatever, you may just earn your pupils scorn12by trying

to be interested in a young theme.

Onward & Upward13

You may ind that you rather14 like teaching English,

even though you know it will never make you rich. If you

decide to rely on15 English as your backup option16 over

a longer period of time you should think about getting a

TEFL17 qualiication. This is not necessary to ind private

classes but if you want the option of working in a lan-

guage school as a non-native, it probably is. There are a

variety of options, just10

Google TEFL qualiications toind out18what they are.

Even if TEFL17 is strictly a temporary option, all poten-

tial employers will be more impressed by a year teaching

English on your CV than a years unemployment, what-

ever your career19.

1 tricks of the trade useful

methods known only to

people who work in a speciic

profession2

to last go on for, continue for3 out loud loud, audibly4 straight out directly5 graiti homemade pictures

and slogans

6 clue indicator, indication7 language setting chosen

language8 say (in this case) for example9

to be into sth. like sth.10just (in this case) simply11 topic (false friend) subject,

theme12 scorn contempt, derision,

disdain13 onward and upward

progress14 rather quite15

to rely on count on, dependon16 backup option second

choice, way of earning money

when you cant do your

profession17 TEFL teaching English as a

foreign language18 to ind out (ind-found-found)

discover19 career (false friend) profes-

sional trajectory

Tricks of

the Trade

1

You should spyon your pupil.

yes methodology pack for tefl

Documents