Teach English in ShewAn Zhen - Zhumadian Shi

There are many different issues that could arise in an English language learning classroom. Having the proper tools to deal with these issues can be the difference between a teacher that the students admire, and one that they don’t. This essay will discuss several of the most common types of problems that a TEFL teacher will encounter in the classroom, and the most appropriate responses to each of them. One of the biggest possible issues a TEFL teacher will face is working with different levels of students in the same class. There will be some students who are stronger English speakers, while there will also be students who have weaker English skills. Teachers should not deal with different levels by devoting most of their time to the stronger students, or most of their time to the weaker students. Instead, a more appropriate way of dealing with this situation is to pair weaker students with stronger students. This way, the stronger student will be able to help the weaker students. The stronger student will also be benefiting from this set up, as they will take on the role of teacher. They will have to know the material well enough to be able to teach another student. Another potential solution is to divide the class into groups: the stronger students and the weaker ones. Once the two groups are formed, the teacher can give different material to each group that better caters to the students’ needs and their level. Having different levels of students in a class is a common problem, but it can be overcome by using some of these appropriate techniques. Another possible issue that a TEFL teacher could run into would be large class sizes. With large class sizes, it can be more difficult to maintain control. It can also be more difficult to get all students to participate equally. There are some ways to lessen these problems, however. One solution would be to use worksheets. This way, each student will be able to participate, rather than just one student participating at a time in a large classroom discussion. Another technique to deal with large classes is to select a group leader. This person can be in charge of handing out worksheets, turning things in, etc. This can help things move along faster and with more ease. One last technique is to use pair and group work. This again increases student involvement and allows more students to be speaking and using English at once. TEFL teachers can also run into the problem of low-resourced classrooms. Some schools might not have the necessary money to provide all of the resources that a teacher is used to having or had in previous schools. There are many ways to get around this issue. One of them is to bring in authentic material that is lying around the teacher’s house, or the students’ houses. Things like newspapers, magazines, and cartons that would otherwise have become waste can be very beneficial to English language learners. Using this authentic material can additionally provide students with a sense of confidence. Another way around this issue is if the teacher has a computer. There are many different resources on the Internet for all levels of English language learners. All that teachers need is a computer and a printer, and they can print off limitless worksheets to help students learn English. These issues are only some of the possible issues that TEFL teachers will encounter in their time teaching English. However, every problem can be lessened by brainstorming and coming up with an appropriate solution. A teacher being able to predict possible problems they will run into is an invaluable skill, as this will allow them the time to come up with a solution. This way, teachers will be able to deal with any and all of the problems they encounter swiftly and surely, without having to show uncertainty in front of their students.