TESOL Bristol

This unit focuses on how to teach different groups according to their needs, such as adults vs. children, beginners, business English groups (an ESP--English for Specific Purpose), and individuals. A teacher should tailor the lessons as much as possible to the needs of the classes. A class of beginners would need to start out slowly with the material, not covering too much in one lesson, and involve more visual aids, for example. One for children should involve shorter activities due to shorter attention spans and particularly activities that will engage the students. Teacher praise and a cheerful classroom atmosphere (such as colorful posters on the walls) are particularly important for child learners. Individuals tend to cover material more quickly and the teacher may do the partner exercises with them. Business English classes are conducted better if the teacher has an idea of what the learners need to know in terms of the subject area (if possible) and the tasks they need to carry out (such as telephoning or giving presentations). Authentic material from their workplace is particularly helpful. Monolingual and multilingual classes also have a different dynamic. A teacher should be sure to limit their language use to English only.