Teaching phonics to English Foreign Language children can be a challenge. There are aspects of the children’s environment that make phonics difficult for the teacher to teach and for the students to hear, repeat and understand. As we look at some of these problems let’s keep in mind that the key to their success – the most important factor in any lesson – is getting them interested and if possible, making it fun, an interesting challenge or perhaps funny. They’ll learn if they are enjoying themselves. This article offers ideas that can make phonics fun. (more…)

Experienced teachers know that there are many different types of classes. It seems that each group develops a personality of its own. Some groups have their energy needs under control – they are ready and eager to learn throughout most lessons. This type of group is the dream of all teachers! Although these students make teaching easy there are many other more complex situations that teachers deal with every day. Let’s consider several of the more difficult groups and offer some possible solutions. This article is about how teachers can help these students in the classroom. Anything a teacher can do to assist a student with problems outside of the school situation, would vary from culture to culture and will not be addressed in this article.
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Learning Can Be Fun for English Second Language Children
Every teacher wants to teach effectively and every child is eager to learn if we provide a caring and welcoming atmosphere. Learning is fun and rewarding! How can we help English Second Language children to understand, speak, read, write and enjoy English? Let’s start when they first enter the class. The first activity sets the tone.
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Let’s assume that the students entering a Beginner’s Class know the English alphabet, that is, they can name the letters and identify the vowels. They don’t, however, have any speaking or reading vocabulary. They want to learn to understand, speak, read, and write in English. Oral questions and group activities are an effective way to get everyone started.
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