Question

Students practise functional language for agreeing and disagreeing.

Answer

Before the debate; I would go over any (or all) the expressions that the students have learnt about agreeing and disagreeing. Practise agreeing and disagreeing even if you have to argue against something you actually believe in and this would be one way to have fun with this is to make up a bunch of cards that say agree or disagree. Each person has to pick up a card and then the topic is read out. It is more fun to have a debate this way because you don't have to play your true self. I would try to continue each discussion for at least five minutes for each topic. I could increase the debate by having them debate in small groups or as a whole class.

Question

Students discuss a cultural issue.

Answer

I would give the class this question - "What are some things that define a culture? For example, music, language, ..."

Firstly; we would brainstorm about what makes is culture. I will ask concept questions to check understanding.

Secondly; I would show them the cultural differences between England and the Czech Republic. I would focus on meeting and greeting, giving and receiving of gifts and dinning etiquette; as these are three areas that are different between the two countries. I would give them examples of the differences and as a class we would sort them on the board.

Question

Students practise writing an enquiry email.

Answer

The main focus will be on writing semi-formal emails, and the students will send an email to a tourist information centre of their choice. I would teach or revise the rules of writing emails in English by studying the differences between formal letters, and informal and semi-formal emails.  I would have a discussion as laid out in the lesson plan and then in pairs, in larger groups or as an individual complete the worksheets I would bring the class back together and have them re-create the correct email upon the board.

Question

Students practise listening for main idea and detail.

Answer

"How to eat a healthier diet" lesson - this lesson would be split up into four different tasks. Using a video; I choose  from Howcast.com

The first task is the warm up activity. Here I would ask questions about healthy eating - e.g. would you say you eat a healthy diet? How many portions of fruit & vegetables do you eat a day? etc

The second task would be where we watched a video; I would get the students to make notes on a balanced diet (and if needed words etc they did not fully understand). Discuss anything that the students were unsure about.

The third task is where the students would watch the clip again; however this time I would ask the students to listen carefully and I would quiz them

Question

What are the key points to understand in South Korean culture?

Answer

The key points I feel that are important to understand in the South Korean culture are that there is a hard working ethos, strongly proud of their nationality - one thing that guarantees this is the language. Some older Korean have a strong sense of Koreans as a people and have a group identity. South Korea is a hierarchical, high-power-distance society and follows the Confucian tradition. Keeping face is also important to them.

Question

What role does competition play in South Korean schools and classrooms?

Answer

Competition is tough in South Korea and it starts when a person begins their schooling career. Most children paid close attention about their grades. In a way, Korean children are rather nosey; as they want to know what grades everyone else in the class has also has. I feel that they would compare them to their own grades; which could create an atmosphere within the classroom. People who achieve or have achieved are commonly appreciated and well-regarded. I believe that an outgoing personality is the best weapon for a Korean classroom as you could the catalyst for the competition.

Question

Why is there significant demand for English in South Korea?

Answer

South Korea is a large scale exporter and having a knowledge of the English language is important for building any successful business. As English is being spoken by more people around the world. South Koreans use English to deal with other non-native speakers; while they will want to be intelligible, the idea of sounding like a native speaker is irrelevant. South Korean employers value knowledge of English, and so many South Korean students want to learn English in order to progress in their careers. This is why the teaching of English begins at a young age; as the parents feel that having the bilingualism will improve their child's career prospects; it is linked to competition.

Question

What are the challenges facing EFL teachers in South Korean schools?

Answer

Some South Korean students are unwilling to speak in class due to deep-seated cultural reasons: they defer to the teacher, they're afraid of losing face, and they've been taught not to express opinion - this can be a problem when carrying out debates. On the other hand some South Korean students are very keen to be active participants in class, and to develop speaking and listening skills. The Traditional practices in South Korean English classrooms may largely be attributed to the sheer size of classes, conservatism in teacher education, and the washback from written exams.

Question

Outline some typical pronunciation difficulties encountered by Korean learners of English.

Answer

Some South Korean learners normally have difficulty with certain consonant sounds that will obstruct with their intelligibility. In English we use vowels; either in the short or long form, to convey meaning; we know how to distinguish them. However; this difference does not exist in South Korean, and students may use them interchangeably. Syntax; is also another how words go together in a sentence – is very different in Korean and English. There are some sounds in Korean that are not in English and visa versa.

Question

Knowing how to market yourself is a key factor when it comes to students signing up for your classes. Detail the steps you can take to make yourself stand out from the crowd.

Answer

Use Social Media - ask questions, answer questions, leave comments, give advice and always leave a link to where I can be contacted (website etc)

Have a website - have up to date (and proper) pictures of myself; have a list of qualifications with a copy of my certificate(s), CV with experience and what I offer when teaching

Having a mailing list - by sending out to current students and to blog/social media followers about 'offers' and 'freebies'

Having a blog - here I would place items of interest for fellow teachers and possible students. I currently have two weekly features on my TEFL blog - Idiom of the Week and Word Cloud Wednesday

YouTube Channel - having clips of me teaching or explaining a language concept. Also having personal type videos; introducing myself and possibly stating my qualifications

Question

How would you go about choosing a niche as opposed to only offering general English lessons?  What are the factors you need to consider to help you reach a decision?

Answer

I will have to think about what I enjoy teaching and what aspect of English I am really interested in; as this will make my teaching rewarding and enjoyable. I will also need to think about my ideal student; their age, nationality, level of English, earnings. I would have to think carefully with the age range. I will have to carry out research the market and see the "teaching world" from a student's view; I will need to know what is current on offer and see if I can match or provide more.

When choosing a niche, I am becoming the expert. I will need to use plain English and make the niche appealing to whichever age group, nationality etc. Having the translation facility on the website is a must. Having a professional and presentable manner is also important.

Question

Can you describe some disadvantages of teaching one to one lessons online? 

Answer

Some of the disadvantages of teaching One to One online are that One to one lessons can be intense; as it is hard for the teacher to keep up energy and enthusiasm when they are central to any activity within the lesson. Some students may become bored which can lead to behavioural problems; it is more likely to happen with children. There could be some students who are not willing to take full part in the lesson or be unresponsive. Some students may find One to One classes online a little scary as it can be easier to practice new language and make mistakes in a group setting. It is easier to hide the mistakes. Also practicing English with the teacher can be somewhat artificial; giving feedback to the student could be difficult.

Question

Outline how you would overcome the potential disadvantages you’ve described in Q 3.

Answer

To overcome the issues I have mentioned in Question Three are that I could keep the lessons to 30 minutes long; this will keep the students focused and interested. Showing the students a general interest with their studies and their lives; giving feedback and encouragement is also important. When asking the students a question; it is important to give the students time to think about their answers and getting them to work more is (me as the teacher) to speak less and listen more. Lastly; having the students working in small groups could also help to overcome the disadvantages.

Question

Outline the advantages (at least 2) and disadvantages (at least 2) of working for an Online School instead of working as an independent self-employed teacher.

Answer

The advantages of working for an Online School are that I will have the security of pedagogical and technical support while gaining the experience required to branch out on your own in the future and teaching online will give me the experience before I head into the classroom. However; the disadvantages of working for an Online School are the wages are low per hour and I would not be able to be flexible with my lessons as I would have to follow the plans, syllabi etc set by the school.

Question

Why do Polish people want to learn English?

Answer

As more people are leaving Poland and moving into countries were English is used; they need it for their communicational needs

Question

What sort of students do you expect to find in Poland?

Answer

Confident ones; however there will be the odd few who are not so confident. There are hard workers and have a great sense of humour.

Question

What features can you expect a contract/agreement with a private language school to have/not have?

Answer

There are no benefits or medical insurance, no holiday pay, sick pay, guaranteed hours or even overtime. The teacher only does the duties outlined for the money stated, and the te4acher is only paid for the work that has actually been done. 

Question

What grammar difficulties do Polish speakers have when learning English?

Answer

They find using the correct form of articles; as these do not exist in Polish. The Present Perfect tense also does not exist in Polish. Actually, perfect forms in general don’t exist in Polish. The students may also have problems with double positives & negatives, countable & uncountable nouns and some may even struggle with phrasal verbs.

Question

What can you do to help Polish speakers correctly stress words?

Answer

By spending some of the lesson on repetition; this would be beneficial when teaching new vocabulary.

Question

What are some typical attitudes of Vietnamese parents towards education?

Answer

Families in Vietnam see education as an important part for a person to increase their social and economic levels in their lives. Vietnamese parents also place enormous pressure on children to study hard; therefore parents will see classes that that have games or fun activities as a waste of their children's English education.

Question

What can cause a Vietnamese student to lose face?

Answer

During lessons reprimanding or making fun of a student or students in front of the class can cause the students to lose face. Also forcing a student to speak when they don't know the answer can also cause a person to lose face.

Question

How can a teacher help Vietnamese students talk about a complex topic?

Answer

To help students talk about complex topics; is to show them a model or a script to follow. Pre-teaching the vocabulary and free practice would be needed.

Question

How can a foreign teacher fit in to a school environment?

Answer

Relationships are key in Vietnam and it is vital to get on with the teachers and the other staff members at the workplace. The belief is that problems can be resolved through mutual understanding; rather than following rules and procedures. It is also important to observe people's attitude towards age and status; a foreign teacher needs to remember to treat older/senior teachers with respect. With this respect the older/senior teachers will make sure that all is okay with you and will help you with anything that you may need. Avoiding conflict is another important thing to consider; discuss problems behind closed doors and not in public. Understanding how the school runs and works is important. Asking about the course books, exams and qualifications that the students are working towards.

Question

What are some typical difficulties Vietnamese students have with English?

Answer

There are few items within the English language that Vietnamese students find difficult. There items are:

• pronunciation the final consonant sounds in words (students may drop the consonant)
• the rhythm that words create - word stress in Vietnamese is much more even than English
• verb tenses; as there are no verb tenses in Vietnamese (they may possibly overuse the base form of the verb)
• Vietnamese students may find writing an essay in English hard as in English the essay is written in a linear format, so a model or example to follow would help when teaching writing.