Section 5: Teaching Skills

Chapter 28: Survival English Vocabulary

When you start teaching it is likely that you may get students who have never been exposed to English before in their lives. It is also very likely that you will get students who have never seen or met a foreigner in their lives before. During your first few classes with these types of students you will need to focus on teaching them survival phrases and skills to slowly help them adjust them to language. The most important things for them to learn is their name, how they feel, and how to communicate if they are thirsty or want to use the bathroom. As time goes on the students will adjust and pick up English more naturally over time, but when you start with students with no foundation or background is good to give them the basic skills that they need in order to communicate with you as a teacher and in order for them to survive in class. In these types of classes, you will see that gestures and the use of props and other items will be very important to show what you expect of your students.