In this video I share 7 Tips for teaching complete beginners online.
The tips are summarised below:
Tip 1: Make it Personal
Connect with parents to find more information about your learner and their personal interests. Use photos and personalised contact to help them connect with the language in a meaningful way.
Tip 2: Grade your language
On average, native speakers use 100 words a minute when they re speaking. This can be overwhelming for a beginner. Reduce your language so as not to overwhelm your learner, keeping it to a minimum and using body language to help with communication.
Tip 3: Review
Review new language again and again and... again!
This it the key to cementing it in log-term memory.
But isn't that boring? That brings us to...
Tip 4: Sustain interest by using gamification in your sessions to review language.
Keep the content fresh by mixing and matching different styles of games and activities. Gamification is the application of typical elements of game playing (like point scoring, competition with others, rules of play). Gamification has the ability to transform the dull things in life into fun!
Tip 5: Learner Involvement
Stimulate and involve students by giving them the opportunity to create with the language. Studies show that language retention is increased when students are making their own choices, sharing opinions and actively participating in sessions.
Tip 6: Structure and Goals
Keep your learner on track by regularly reviewing your progress together with progress maps and charts. Seeing what they're done, and where they are going, gives their learning a sense of purpose and direction.
Tip 7: Be Patient
Parents, teachers and students can often get frustrated at the slow pace of learning a new language. Unrealistic expectations can do a lot of damage to self-esteem. As teachers, parents and learners ourselves, we need to accept that every learner is different. With the right encouragement and support, we can reach our goals. We need to be kind and patient.
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