Young students live in the world of their own city or town. Their knowledge is limited to their own experiences except for what they see on television. It’s doubtful that children under the age of twelve or thirteen are able to understand the difference between reality and fantasy. Their world is real, while the television is fantasy. In their everyday life there are consequences – if someone is knocked down then they get hurt, whereas on television people are shot and walk away unhurt or they jump off a high building without any injury. For young students being introduced to a computer, a monitor is a television screen that they can manipulate. This article is about making young ESL children aware of the dangers of the Internet as they use interactive English programs. (more…)

Let’s assume that the students are comfortable with the present tense. At this point they are ready to talk about what has happened in the past. Using and understanding the PAST TENSE can be made easier for the students if it is introduced in a step by step manner. This article suggests a step by step method for teaching the past tense. (more…)

Teachers in many countries of the world encounter children who disrupt the class, demand attention and have difficulty attending to anything for more than a few minutes. These children have special needs – some may be hyperactive while others have emotional needs that aren’t being met outside the classroom. They express their feelings through movement – jumping up, falling off their seats, poking others sitting near them, talking, humming, making faces or drawing on everything. It’s very difficult for them to listen for more than a few minutes. This article suggests several solutions that might help the student and everyone in the classroom. (more…)

English Foreign Language classes can accelerate learning if they offer exciting stories for the children to enjoy. People of all ages need to be interested in what they are studying. If you think of your own experience you’ll remember times when you were expected to learn material that held no interest for you. This article suggests ways in which storybooks can be used to spark imagination and creative writing. (more…)

Let’s assume that the children have had time to settle into the classroom environment and that you are ready for them to begin the first lesson. This is their best learning time. They have focused in on an English environment and have had a short time to adapt to the change from their last situation. This first lesson will include the most difficult material to be taught. It will likely include listening, and because listening and understanding are the most difficult, this is the best time to give your oral explanation. This articles provides suggestions for getting the children excited about your lesson. (more…)

Spend Less Money and Increase Your Advantage!
Online interactive programs that teach English are expensive for many students. They need to have a computer that can access the content within a reasonable period of time. They must also buy the program to be downloaded onto their computer. The expense for all of this can be reduced if the students plan to work with a friend. This article discusses the advantages plus some things to be considered before buying a program. (more…)

Let’s assume you’re teaching rhyming words to your ESL class. Some of the children are interested in your rhyming words lesson but others aren’t participating. Perhaps they are shy, frightened or unfamiliar with some of the sounds. It’s important to understand why many English Second Language children feel frightened and insecure, but it’s more important to find a way to help them. This article discusses why some might be having difficulty participating and suggests some types of activities that could help them. (more…)

Programs to Meet Different Needs
People in many countries have learned to read and write English but can’t speak it. There are interactive auditory programs that teach listening, understanding and pronunciation. Some years ago I learned to read French but no one ever spoke. I never heard it. Later, when I took some conversational French classes, everything I had learned previously made learning to speak and understand a great deal easier. There are other interactive programs that present an entire English course. This article discusses accents and provides tips for choosing an interactive English language program. (more…)

If English Second language children are interested and actively involved in what they are doing, they will learn to understand English. This article will present a type of activity that develops listening comprehension. (more…)

There are thousands of English Foreign Language schools and millions of classes throughout the world. English has become the international language for communication, even though more people speak Chinese than English worldwide. The reason for this may be that all countries have a number of English language speakers while many countries have very few Chinese speakers. The world has many diverse cultures spread over many countries. This article suggests topics that are of interest worldwide. (more…)