Teach English in ShuikoushAn Zhen - Yongzhou Shi

For the past two months I've been locked in on my computer studying the TEFL course. It has been a great experience and as a teacher it has given men clarity on a number of things i didn't have clarity on before. As a person who is already teaching English in a private language school i can say that the TEFL course has booted both my skills and my confidence in teaching. The course provided me with a lot of useful tips on teacher conduct and on how to get students involved in classes. The best thing I've learned from the course is the ESA methodology which i started implementing and using in my lessons. I started planning my lessons according to this methodology and since then my lessons have greatly improved in quality. The ESA methodology is simple and yet very effective. It includes the Activate phase where i activate my students with a game or warm up activity to get them going then it is followed by the study phase which i usually kick off by eliciting words or the grammar concept that i will teach in the class from the students. I've also learned through the course that in the study phase mere explanations are not sufficient. The DEGO method has been extremely useful to me in the study phase and it getting my students to understand the activity at hand. I have to Demonstrate the activity, elicit correct responses then give out the materials. To finish of the lesson i use the activate phase and try to increase the Student Talk Time, through the course I've learned that during this activity the most important thing is not accuracy of the language per say but it is fluency and allowing students to be creative with the language. Previously i would just butt in and correct every mistake students make but now i take notes and correct the mistakes through a follow up lesson or through feedback. I've also learned to adapt the ESA methodology to different students who are a t different levels of English. For beginners the straight arrow ESA model, for intermediate students the boomerang ESA model and for the advanced students the patchwork ESA model. Adapting games, lesson plans, my language to my students is a also a technique i have picked up from my TEFL classes. Classes should and must be student centered and the teacher must involve the students at all levels. The TEFL course also gave me insight into how to plan and prepare for lessons, this is something i took for granted as a teacher ofttimes i would go in to classroom unprepared but i now use the lesson planning format provided for by the course and as a result my lessons are more focused and better organised. Also incorporating the ESA methodology into the lesson plan has been valuable as this gives a flow to the class and builds on knowledge i would have already taught the students. Embedded in the ESA methodology is the concept of increasing STT (student talk time) i have found this extremely important that I as a teacher should not be the center of attention but the students' participation as talk time should be maximized through games and activities. I have learned to adopt the role of a facilitator and policeman in the classroom rather than lecturing through the whole lesson. Other things I've learned from this course are the ideas on how to teach young learners through games and interactive ideas rather than through word of instruction only. It is difficult to pin point only one thing that i have learnt from the course but the ESA methodology stands out as it has given me clarity into how to conduct and plan a class and also into what ,y role is in the classroom. Such clarity of purpose has made me a well rounded teacher who is more competent and who delivers interactive and engaging classes.