28 Aug TOP 3 TIPS ON HOW TO EXCEL IN TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

Out of the 1.5 billion of the world’s population who speak English, only 360 million people are native speakers, while the remaining 80% of the 7.5 billion people speak other languages.  These numbers present overwhelming opportunities to English language educators, especially given the advances in technology that continue to bring societies all over the world closer together.

At this point, and for a few more generations to follow, learning to communicate in English will continue to be useful for doing business, boosting career prospects, travelling, and relating to people around the globe in person or on-line.

And as English remains strong in being the most widely spoken language worldwide and the preferred language of business, we see the demand for more competent ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers continuously rising.

One’s edge in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) is strongly measured by 2 factors, communication proficiency and learner sensibility.

It is important for teachers to be equipped with the skills to use and teach good grammar, practical speech, coherent writing, active listening, and critical reading. However all these will not count much if the ESL teacher is not able to inspire her students to learn more and empower them to get better.

Dr. Sheila Viesca, TalkShop Founder and Pioneer of Integrated Language Teaching (ILT) shares valuable reminders to Teachers and Professionals who want to excel in the field of TESL:

1)  BE MINDFUL OF LEARNER MOTIVATION

All ESL classrooms consist of individual students who are motivated to learn English for a variety of reasons. Be mindful of different motivations to allow individual students to feel that they own their learning space and that their learning style is respected, while they are given the room to participate in challenging activities that make them stretch and get involved in the group learning processes.

2)  EMPLOY VARIED TEACHING METHODOLOGIES

There are different teaching methodologies available to an ESL teacher.  These are ways a teacher can employ to teach English to students so they can immerse in the learning experience.  There is not one single best method of teaching ESL for everyone in all contexts, and no one teaching method is inherently superior to all others.
The professional ESL teacher is expected to be well grounded in the various teaching methodologies of ESL and to use a variety of these methodologies and approaches according to learning context and objectives.

3) INVEST IN PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ESL teachers are expected to keep evolving and adapting to their learners so they can make the classroom a rich experience for everyone involved. This requires them to engage in continuous personal and professional development throughout their career.  The pursuit and love for learning that got them started on their path of teaching will enable ESL teachers to remain competitive and effective in this ever growing people-centric and knowledge-based profession.

TESL Philippines has endorsed the training services of TalkShop to respond to the requirements of teachers and professionals who want to be certified in TESL.  TalkShop is the leading communication training institute in the Philippines that offers corporate trainings and personal effectiveness courses for Managers. Educators, and Team Leaders across industries.