Teach English in Jinqiao Jingji Jishu KAifAqu - Huhehaote Shi — Hohhot

One of the key components of keeping children engaged when teaching English as a second language is the teacher (International TEFL & TESOL training, 2011). Children will often look to the teacher for not only motivation but also for validation. It is important to make a child feel heard and as though they are achieving to keep them engaged and willing to learn (International TEFL and TESOL training, 2011). While teaching children can have some advantages it also comes with its disadvantages. One of those disadvantages is keeping them engaged. Children tend to get bored faster than adults and will therefore switch off in a lesson becoming distracting to not only the other children but to the teacher themselves (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer, 2015, International TEFL & TESOL training, 2011). They are also by nature full of energy which can come with its own distractions (International TEFL & TESOL training, 2011). Two of the main components of keeping children engaged are, positive encouragement & praise, and fun and exciting lessons. Children respond well to praise and positive encouragement. From a young age, children have always been told over and over how well they are doing when they say a new word or phrase. This is an action that should therefore be practiced by teachers in a classroom setting. Irrespective of how a child pronounces a word, positive praise should be practiced to keep the child engaged in the lesson (International TEFL & TESOL training, 2011). Children have a large desire to be noticed and appreciated. For this reason alone, the teacher in a kindergarten setting should make a conscious effort to always be praising children in a fun way to keep them engaged. Children love to share with their parents their achievements and feel the need to gain their parents approval by showing them what they are learning. Keeping a set of fun, bright and positive stickers with you to hand out to children during the lesson is an easy and effective way to positively praise a child for their achievement (International TEFL & TESOL training, 2011). Because children have short attention spans it is important to remember to change up activities frequently while also keeping them short and concise (International TEFL & TESOL training, 2011). Children thrive off of competition and love to collect points and win (International TEFL & TESOL training 2011). Therefore, turning simple activities such as naming objects into a game, can become far more exciting when they are turned into a competition. Remember however, it is important not to put an individual child on the spot to produce an answer as this can cause a child to become anxious and could risk them not participating in future classes (International TEFL & TESOL training, 2011). Above all it is important to remember to have fun. Children learn best when they are enjoying themselves and can see that those around them are having fun too. Sometimes you may have to play the fool. Being comfortable in your own skin as a teacher is key to creating an engaging and exciting class. You may have to make fun of yourself, joke around with the children and behave in a silly way. Children enjoy seeing adults behave this way. If they see that the teacher is having fun they to can also relax, have fun and learn a new skill in the process (International TEFL & TESOL training, 2011). References: Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2015). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (6th ed.). Victoria, Australia: Cengage Learning. International TEFL & TESOL training (2011). Unit 19. Teaching special groups. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/User/Desktop/Beijing/TEFL/19. Teaching Special Groups.pdf