A Christmas themed lesson
Is it a lesson in culture?
kids love them and some adults hate them.
What do you think? Are there many benefits to learning Christmas vocabulary or about the traditions of the festival in an English speaking nation.
Have you ever had a Christmas lesson that you felt was highly beneficial?
As a teacher, I love giving Christmas lessons but often worry i'm wasting my students time. Sometimes I think I should stick with grammar and continue with the action plan i've set up with my student.
Thoughts and advice please - what do you enjoy?
What websites do you recommend for effective exam practice for Cambridge exams/ IELTS etc
I couldn't live without flo-joe
What about you?
What's the best book for learning English?
Many people recommend children's books but many students find the grammar highly complicated even if the vocabulary is easier to understand and less detailed.
Have you read a book in English and what do you recommend for different levels?
What's the best book for learning English?
Many people recommend children's books but many students find the grammar highly complicated even if the vocabulary is easier to understand and less detailed.
Have you read a book in English and what do you recommend for different levels?
What are the best methods to improve your listening skills?
Should you focus on every single word or get used to the sounds and rhythm of the new language?
Many of us are very strict with ourselves in our 2nd language. We get frustrated and angry with ourselves when we don't understand a word in a sentence in our 2nd language; but if this happens in our native language we just ask "what do you mean" or don't even notice the strange word if we already understand the meaning.
What techniques have you found to improve your listening skills and do you think its necessary to understand every single word in a sentence?
When you first started learning English - what word made you laugh?
In English, when something makes us laugh really hard we say "it cracks me up".
I remember my Spanish friends laughing at the word 'cauliflower'. They thought a vegetable with the name flower was brilliant.
What made you laugh?
You are searching Italki for a new teacher, what accent do you prefer?
I am a native English speaker with a southern UK accent and many of my students comment on how clear my language is.
Of course, a clear voice and well pronounced words can help you hear each sound clearly but is it more to do with what you are accustomed to?
I've heard many Spanish students comment that they prefer the Irish accent due to its stronger 'R' sound, similar to their own.
I've spoken to Korean students that prefer the American accent as they have grown up watching movies and television, listening to the rhythm and roll of the US accent. A student recently told me that many teachers from the UK change their accent to sound more American to keep their students happy.
What do you think?
Do you prefer a type of accent or do you like to work with teachers from around the world to gain experience from a wide range of voices, accents and pronunciations?
Children seem to 'pick up' languages, even if they live in their native country and go to classes twice a week.
How do they do this so easily and smoothly when adults have to put in so much time and effort?
Noam Chomsky believes that children are born with an inherited ability to learn any human language. He claims that certain linguistic structures which children use so accurately must be already imprinted on the child's mind.
Do you agree with this statement? There has been a lot of arguments against it.
In my teaching experience, children will only work when they are enjoying themselves and motivated. In an English class, we don't expect children to work hard, but to feel the language, sing songs and learn through games. They feel more relaxed, more confident and less scared of being wrong - therefore they practice and use the language as much as possible. Something most of us adults struggle with.
What do you think?
A question for all teachers out there....
What object do you consider 'gold dust' when teaching online?
(Of course, not counting the computer or Skype).
A question for all students out there....
What is your favourite object or activity a teacher has done with you during your online class?
I love using objects when I teach children online. It's great fun to hide the object away from the camera and then introduce it at the last minute as a surprise. It's a great learning technique. I like using objects that make a noise as it can boost vocabulary, especially adjectives and adverbs to describe the object. One small object can also be great for question games, practicing sentence structure and question word for lower levels.
What do you use to help students? Do you know any online programs that make the learning experience more valuable for the student?
Students - what has your teacher done which was super helpful and really good fun?
Thanks a million everyone for sharing your ideas.
