Teacher’s Blog

Information for ESL teachers

The Art of Good Conversation Classes

 

When English language teachers do a CELTA, Trinity or PGCE course to learn how to teach, we are generally taught to plan our lessons using the 3P’s method – presentation, production and practice. This works very well within a formal academy or school setting with a curriculum, syllabus and groups of students who have to attend regularly, and on time. But for those of us who deliver private lessons or business English training and find ourselves being asked to deliver ‘conversation classes’, the 3P’s aren’t so helpful. In fact, insisting on the strictures of this format can often drive clients away. So how can English teachers ensure that their students are engaged and entertained in conversation whilst still studying and learning? What is the art of delivering a good conversation class?
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By English Evolution, ago

The Benefits of Teaching in the Zoom Classroom

Since COVID19 disrupted the world as we knew it, we have all had to adapt to what is being called ‘the new normal’. But man has proven time and time again that he is nothing if not resourceful. Shakespeare wrote ‘All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players’; and so despite this real life tragedy, as they say in theatre: ‘The show must go on’. And so it has; sort of.

 

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By English Evolution, ago

Heaven, Hell and EFL – Summer School Confessions

First of all, let me start off by saying that despite the significant shortcomings I will highlight here, there was much to enjoy during my first summer school experience. This was mainly due to the infectious enthusiasm of the young post-graduates who were responsible for activities, but also largely due to the fact that, at between £600 and £800 per-week per-head, we were dealing with predominantly sweet, respectful and polite adolescents from wealthy European, South America and Saudi Arabian families, rather than the borderline psychopathic, lunatics that inhabit a lot of British secondary schools.

 

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By English Evolution, ago

Fluency Lessons: How To Practice Fluency in the ESL Classroom

Teaching ESL students how to speak fluently and accurately is an often neglected part of English language lessons. TEFL courses and exercise books don’t provide teachers with many teaching tools to help their students improve their fluency. Yet anyone who has taught or tried to learn a foreign language knows that one of the obstacles to speaking is the fear of sounding stupid. If you can speak fluently, you feel more confident speaking so you speak more, practice more and improve. So how can ESL teachers use fluency exercises in the classroom?

 

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By English Evolution, ago

When Teaching English is Like Pulling Teeth

One of the great things about English language teaching is the opportunities you have as an English language teacher to travel the world and embrace different cultures in different countries. However, teaching English in Spain or any other country will always have its challenges. One of those challenges can be adapting to the teaching methods and learning culture that your students have become used to.

 

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By English Evolution, ago

English Language Teaching Contracts in Spain and The Myth of the “Competitive Salary”

If you are looking for English language teaching jobs in Spain, you will often see that the employer will include “competitive salary” in their advertisement; but is it? A competitive salary by definition is a salary that is significantly above the norm. The typical salary for an English language teacher working in an academy is between 1000-1200€ gross per month for around 20-24 teaching hours respectively. This means a competitive salary would be at least 1200-1500€ per month right? Well in this article we will look at the ‘convenio collectivo’; this is the agreement which regulates English teachers’ salaries.

 

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By English Evolution, ago