Teaching English to Kids.
Teaching any subject to kids can be challenging and teaching English to non-native English speakers can be a daunting endeavor and has its own particular problems. And not just because of class size or skill level of the students.
You’ll need a lot of patience, particularly because every child learns differently and at a different pace.
Teaching ESL to youngsters, on the other hand, is also extremely fulfilling. Remember that youngsters have limited attention spans and that teaching them requires patience as well as a sense of fun and humor.
Here are a few tips that will make it easier for you in the classroom.
My Top Ten Tips for the Kids ESL Classroom.
Make use of visuals
Images are excellent for aiding learning. A child may not realize that the term “book” means “book,” but they are aware of what a book looks like.
Children will be able to deepen their understanding by integrating text and graphics. There are many places online you can get flashcards (Or make your own) that makes learning easier.
Furthermore, photos and posters provide color to your classroom, making it more interesting and conducive to learning.
Keep it simple.
This is one of the most crucial steps in teaching English to children. Simple words will allow your students to gain their knowledge, which you can then build on.
These may include phrases like “sit down,” “put your pencils down,” and “open your books,” among others. Keep your wording succinct, informative, and easy to comprehend.
And don’t forget to teach the fundamentals, such as “may I have some water?” and “may I use the restroom?”
You will want to check to see if they comprehend the short instructions you’ll use in class after teaching them.
Keep it lighthearted.
Encourage your kids to practice and use the language you’ve taught them by utilizing a variety of activities. Incorporate your pupils’ hobbies as well, so they are motivated to study!
Furthermore, nothing is more tedious for the pupils to read from a textbook and complete drab worksheets with a lot of text and no visuals. When it comes to teaching basic English, be creative and use colorful worksheets.
Making learning interesting in the classroom is simple and does not imply just playing games or acting the fool.
There is a plethora of entertaining instructional tools available to promote ESL learning, including a variety of games and activities that drive language growth in novel ways.
More on games can be found in my piece “How to Engage Your EFL Student.”
Mix things up a little.
When children are only taught in one way, they rapidly get disinterested and bored. You may cover a variety of learning types while also making your lessons engaging and fascinating by employing multiple learning formats.
We understand that creating all of these materials takes time, but here is a list of my “top 10 websites for ESL teachers” that will make your job easier.
Use Technology in the classroom.
Using resources like Powerpoint and other technology is an important method to involve children in a class.
There are a multitude of apps, interactive games, and platforms available for teachers to employ in their classes, including these I have listed under ” Technology in the classroom“.
Get them talking.
Overuse of Teacher talk is something I see a lot with novice ESL teachers. Your job is to get the student to talk, not for you to continually talk.
However, there must be some content focused on listening as the listening skill is the first and arguably most important skill to learn. 
It will be tough for children to initiate English discussions if they are just at a basic level. That means it’s up to you to keep them talking and improve their communication abilities.
To keep children involved in the language, ask them questions while they work or finish activities.
Sing songs.
Songs are a terrific method to get kids interested in learning and can also aid with memory recall.
Remember that annoying ” ABC ” song that all the ESL kids sing and you just can’t get out of your head?
For your students, this works in exactly the same way. Memorizing songs can be a great way to help children remember vocabulary.
Use Real-Life objects.
This is especially effective when discussing themes like food, clothing, the home, or anything else where you have easily available materials to support learning.
Bring some food or plates, cups, forks, etc. to class if you wish to improve your student’s food and utensil vocabulary. Check to see if your kids can select the proper utensil or food item that you layout.
If you want to focus on clothes vocabulary, take a trip to your wardrobe and pull out some clothes to show. You can also invest a little money and do classroom dress-ups.
This type of interactive learning is ideal for children since it is more engaging than out-of-context learning.
Practice makes perfect.
You can’t expect your students to understand things straight away. You should give a range of examples and give your students plenty of time to practice what you’ve just taught them. then check for understanding.
When teaching beginners English, this usually entails drilling the students (but not for too long), followed by individual or group practice. Make sure the kids know it’s okay to make mistakes during practice so they don’t feel pressured to get it right the first time.
Use positive reinforcement.
Another key aspect of teaching English to young students is to provide positive feedback. If someone gives an incorrect answer, give them encouraging feedback and correct them.
Never make a student feel embarrassed in front of the entire class. Because if you do they will turn off and learn to hate studying English. Instead, attempt to establish a welcoming environment in the classroom by frequently complimenting your students, even if they make mistakes.
When teaching English to beginners, for example, if they get the term right but mispronounce it, say something like, “Okay, good!” and then repeat the word with the correct pronunciation so that the student is not embarrassed and the rest of the class hears the correct pronunciation.
Conclusion.
For both novice and veteran ESL teachers, teaching English to children can be a lot of fun. Although preparing content for teaching English to beginners may seem difficult at first, you will quickly become accustomed to it.
It’s also quite satisfying when your kids want to talk to you outside of class to tell you about their accomplishments. It’s incredible to watch them progress from having no skills to being able to communicate in basic English!
Following these suggestions will help you gain the respect of both your students and their parents.
Continue to praise your kids so that they do not become disheartened when they make mistakes. Praise will assist them in being self-assured learners who are not intimidated by a foreign language. Be the teacher you always looked up to.
Who Am I?
My name is Stephen and I have been teaching in Vietnam for over 15 years and have my own small school. I am also the author of this article and owner of this website. You can check me out on YouTube below.
My School in Vietnam
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