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Teach English in Xinshi Zhen - Zhuzhou Shi

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Xinshi Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Zhuzhou Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language.

Building rapport within classes from the initial stage is an important task each teacher should master, especially when teachers are interacting with children or young adults. When students are able to have a good relationship with their teachers, it sets a different tone in the class along with that student’s mindset. According to Weimer (2010) rapport builds “higher motivation, increased comfort, increased quality, satisfaction, enhanced communication and trust.” As such, teachers need to establish a relationship between their students and themselves not only to promote interaction, but it can also be seen as teachers being confident in their field. This cohesiveness promotes a level of understanding among all participants which in turn leads to productivity. Rapport is having a good understanding of someone, therefore able to have an effective communication (Cambridge Dictionary, no date). There are numerous ways to establish rapport in classes. Some of them were mentioned in TEFL Course Unit 5, Managing Classes. Teachers can establish rapport through eye contact, gesture and voice. Making eye contact in class presents a level of involvement and encourages contributions within classes. Looking at students also ensures that students are participating in the class activities. Forming eye contact shows a level of confidence that students are always seeking from their teachers. Eye contacts can also be used as a class control to maintain discipline and making students aware. This is very effective in large classes especially when doing explanations or demonstrations. Gesturing is an international nonverbal language that can be understood around the world as such it has been recognized as the second way to establish rapport. It is similar to sign language but more generalized. Incorporating gestures within classes while doing explanations is a great way for students to understand the meaning of words or phrases without the need to speak in the student’s mother tongue. The continuous use of gestures will allow students to be familiar therefore remembering the words or phrases. In the long run, the teacher can demonstrate the gestures without the need to say the words or phrases associated with it. Teacher’s tone within classes is vital as it specifies how students should react or behave within a class session. Voice variation is important and should be based on the situation of the class. Students tend to ignore low monotones and in turn will disturb the rest of the class but the teachers’ voice should be projected just enough so that all students can hear clearly as it shows a way of involvement. However, being too loud or stern can make the class feel tense resulting the students to not respond as they might think they would be scolded. The teacher should have a natural relaxed tone for the students to be confident to respond in class. Although these are specific ways to promote rapport, a teacher needs to consider five factors that Weimer (2010) mentioned to make rapport effective. These are by showing respect to students, while having the ability to be approachable, caring, with positive attitude and being able to be transparent in communication. Reference Cambridge Dictionary https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/rapport Weimer, M. (2010, October 5). Building Rapport with Your Students - Faculty Focus: Higher Ed Teaching & Learning. Retrieved December 19, 2019, from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/building-rapport-with-your-students/.


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