Tag: ESL

How to Grade Your Younger ESL students.

Testing your younger ESL students.

ESL students’ English-speaking ability can be assessed in a variety of ways. The two most common are speaking tests and speaking exams.

IELTS and TOEFL are tests are normally used for older and more proficient students and you can find out more information about this at ielts.org.

But first you need to look at the age of your new student and their proficiency in all the 4 learning skills. Especially as today we are concentrating on the younger student.

What are the 4 skills for learning a language?

Listening

When you were a kid, the first thing you did to learn how to speak was just listen to what everyone else said However, to improve listening skills, you must listen, listen and listen again.

It is not enough to take a lesson with your teacher; your student should also make an effort to watch cartoons or listen to music in their spare time, always keeping in mind that the content they select is appropriate to their level.

Subtitles in movies can also be used to learn new words.

This is where you need to involve the parents in the learning process.

Find out more about “Helping Your Children to Learn English at Home“

Speaking

As a child, the second skill is to reproduce the sounds you had previously heard. Simply try to say the words. Talking is the key to progressing in speaking abilities.

Get your students to talk to other students and native speakers to get a sense of the language’s cadence and rhythm. The students must build up a belief in themselves and strive to communicate as much as possible.

It does not matter if they make mistakes because they will learn from them. The objective is to get them to talk as much as possible.

Do not over correct them as it may inhibit their desire to speak.

Reading

Learning the alphabet and repeating the vowels and letters was the third thing you did in school. And it is the same with ESL. This is the 3rd skill.

There are certain actions you can take to improve reading efficiency. First teach words and short phrases. Then build to teaching the reading of paragraphs.

Then use the skim reading approach, which is reading quickly in order to get a rough impression of the information. A silent reading is also recommended internalizing the pronunciation of each word as well as the punctuation pauses.

However, you should make a list of the words your students don’t understand so you can look them and translate if necessary.

I was always told not to translate, but with some of the more prosaic words it is easier to do a translation than waste 30 minutes trying to get your students to understand a difficult word.

Writing

Writing is the fourth skill. However, before you begin writing, you must consider potential topics in order to arrange your thoughts. That means do a lesson plan, please. This skill is ranked last not because it is less important, but because it is the most difficult to master.

When practicing this skill, keep in mind the three main elements of the text: introduction, body, and conclusion, as well as studying punctuation, which will aid in text cohesiveness (how to utilize punctuation).

On the other hand, if you want your younger students to write right now, it’s best to start with short sentences, then tiny paragraphs, and finally whole text.

At this level do not expect too much. I concentrate on things like; ” I like chicken” ” I do not like fish” And I do not teach contractions at this level. The students have enough to think about already.

So what is the easiest way to test your new student without spending a long time going through everything, well this is how I do it.

Speaking Examinations

The first and most straightforward technique is to ask questions in a comfortable in-class or exam atmosphere.

For younger and lower-level students, or for those who do not have access to a formal testing location, a spoken test is preferable.

Before you ask questions you need to know the basics understanding the steps in learning English, or any language.

Understanding the first steps in learning English.

Starters.

Pre A1 Starters can assist your child in taking their initial steps toward: comprehending basic English information on the internet; enjoying English-language books, songs, television, and films; and making worldwide friends.

Movers

A1 Movers can assist your child with comprehending basic directions and engaging in simple discussions.

comprehend basic notices, instructions, or data

Fill out basic forms and make notes on times, dates, and locations.

Flyers.

A1 Movers can assist and develop your childs comprehension with basic directions and participating in simple discussions. As well as understanding basic notices, instructions, or data. And filling out basic forms and scribbling down notes, including times, dates, and locations.

It’s also better to focus on the English fluency level than the complexity of the question while administering a speaking test.

Questions that are age relevant.

To find out which level of learning your new student is on, you should mix up the questions, but always start with some easy ones first. And try to make it fun, they will be nervous and for some it may be the first time they have ever talked to a “foreigner”

Questions that can be used.

  • What is your name?
  • How old are you?
  • How many people in your family?
  • Who are they?
  • Where do you live?
  • When were you born?
  • Do you have any pets?
  • What is your favorite color?
  • What’s your favorite food?
  • Can you say the “ABC.”
  • Can you say the days of the week?
  • Can you say the months of the year?
  • Can you swim, cook etc?
  • Do you have brothers and sisters?
  • Are they older or younger than you?
  • Do you live in a house or an apartment?
  • What school do you go to?
  • What class are you in?
  • What is your favorite subject?
  • How long have you been studying English?
  • What country are you from?
  • What time is it?
  • What hobbies do you have?
  • What’s your favorite food?
  • What is your mothers name?
  • What is your fathers name?
  • Are you crazy? ( Remember have fun)

And I can list so many more, but for this age group keep it simple and short and evaluate the students answer. Then look at their age and social skills and choose a class accordingly

You should also use flashcards and other resources to fully develop an understanding of your students skill level.

Conclusion.

Whatever method you use to grade your students, please be gentle and kind. The best approach is to engage the students with humor so they want to learn and not forced to learn. Be the teacher you always looked up to.

Article by;

Stephen

Stephen is an English Teacher with more than 15 years of experience in online and face-to-face classes. Stephen also places ESL teachers throughout South East Asia and finds that this and tutoring match perfectly.

Book a class with Stephen to explore his teaching methodology, and improve your English level.

You can check me out on Facebook and leave a message if you wish. Stephen.

Any or all links on this site maybe affiliate links, and if you purchase something through those links I will make a small commission on them.

There will be no extra cost to you and at times due to my affiliation you could actually save money.

You can read our full affiliate disclosure here.

Vietnams ESL Sector | A Series of disappointments.

The education sector in Vietnam has its genuine actors but generally the entire industry is saturated, swamped if you will, in a quagmire of distasteful players.

Editorial feature about ESL in Vietnam.

The comments below were written by Marty Hoare who is a moderator of the Facebook group FETV 

( Foreign English Teachers in Vietnam)

The opinions stated are not necessarily the opinions of Vietnam ESL.

However, it is good to look at the perspectives of those that have been involved in the Vietnamese Education sector for a considerable time.

For the sake of speed of readability some small parts have been edited, all with the OK of the Author. 

With no further ado, let’s jump in.

A Quagmire of Disappointment |Marty Hoare, Vietnam, April 2021.

FETV Facebook picture

It is a sector inhabited by unprincipled operators ravenous with an appetite for effortless financial gain. Expectant students (funded mostly by ill-informed parents) are more often than not the casualty of this habitually disreputable industry.

Although the sector also has its genuine actors, the entire industry is saturated, swamped if you will, in a quagmire of distasteful players.

Background

With a growing population of approximately 100 million people, Vietnam is often referred to as the next Tiger Economy. This Tiger Economy mantra has been harmonized since the mid-1980s and continues to be vocalized through to the present day. Even with the arrival of Covid-19 early in 2020,

Vietnam’s songs of advancement continue to be heard loudly across the globe. Yet, due to the flood of questionable press, sponsored economic reports, and expensive consultancy hyperbole, the realities of Vietnam’s rapid expansion into the 21st century make the reality of the exact state of affairs in Vietnam anyone’s guess.

The ESL Industry

Much like the ESL industry in Vietnam, authenticity in this part of the world is often masked behind a veil of duplicity.

In spite of this, there is no arguing that Vietnam has seemingly progressed from a mostly agrarian insular society to one of a developing nation rhetorically unified under one flag.

Of its 100 million people and after 4 decades of growth, it is understood that 70% are rural dwellers with the remaining 30% spread across 2 major cities.

These now mega-cities heaving under the pressure of inadequate infrastructure, mass overcrowding, increasing pollution, and ever-present corruption include Ho Chi Minh City and its capital Hanoi, with the central coastal city of Danang rapidly becoming a significant regional entity.

It is also understood that in the order of 30% of Vietnam’s 100 million people are under the age of 24, often referred to as the next generation. With these numbers is it any wonder that the ESL industry in this part of the world is thriving?

English Language Education in Vietnam.

English is a compulsory subject from 3rd grade onwards. Students in Government schools are mostly taught by under-qualified Vietnamese English teachers with little English proficiency skills.

The external English language center business (also flooded with unqualified and ill experienced teachers), accounts for a large number of foreign teachers.

But literally hundreds of thousands of poorly equipped Vietnamese teachers using archaic methods of grammar exercises, often reproduced from outdated and poorly photocopied texts, and vocabulary cramming, present to scores of disenchanted students.

Public classrooms across Vietnam are stretched to breaking point under the weight of 40, 50, and even 60 or more students in each classroom.

After Class Teaching

Due to the lack of quality education delivered in classrooms across Vietnam, many parents send their children to after-school classes, commonly referred to in Vietnam as Extra Classes.

These are little more than an opportunity for Vietnamese teachers to earn additional lucrative cash income, these extra classes have little to no impact on student outcomes as many of those delivering the content are less than qualified to do so.

It is a vicious cycle and one that appears not to be slowing down. In Vietnam’s latest national high school exam results the average English score was lowest among nine subjects.

Core Results

Recognizing that English language proficiency is a crucial component to the advancement of a Tiger Economy, the National Foreign Language 2020 Project was launched back in 2008

The project attracted considerable negative public attention and feedback from those concerned; no more so than from the then and recently re-elected Minister of Education and Training, Mr. Phung Xuan Nha who in November 2016 admitted that “the National Foreign Language Project 2020 had failed”.

Lack of Qualified Teachers.

In Vietnam, there are around 8 million elementary students, 5 million lower-secondary students, and 2 million upper-secondary students enrolled in little over 15,000 primary schools, 10,000 lower-secondary schools, 2,400 upper-secondary schools, and almost 1000 mixed schools.

It’s unclear how many Vietnamese teachers there are to attend to such a large number of students. In Vietnam, however, it is estimated that there are about 260,000 instructors at the tertiary level.

In 2008 Harvard researchers Valley and Wilkinson described the Vietnamese education system as “being in a state of crisis. As we end the first half of 2021, and after many millions of dollars have been gobbled up by the system, this state of crisis remains.

A Corrupt Sector.

It is all about Money.

Vietnams corruption is well-known. In their Global Corruption Perceptions Index released in 2020, Transparency International classified Vietnam as the 36th most corrupt country out of 179 countries.

After the police, Transparency International ranked education as the second most corrupt industry in Vietnam.

If you want to see how Vietnam or your country is ranked click on the link above.

Bribery is frequent in order to gain university admission or improve grades. Bribing teachers and school administrators is also a frequent practice among parents.

A top government employee was recently proven to be a prominent culprit in the altering and falsification of exam candidates’ answer sheets in national high school examinations in a highly publicized case.

An example of this can be read about in The Vietnamese online Newspaper, Vietnam Insider.

Plagiarism in higher education, the fraudulent acquisition of academic degrees, distorted budget estimates, and the leakage of cash from public procurement initiatives, such as the National Foreign Language Project 2020, are all issues that have been widely highlighted.

Two Sides to a Story

Here we are faced with a dichotomy of judgment. On the one avaricious hand, we have Vietnamese English teachers arguing that it is their system that has failed them and their students, while on the other equally cash adoring hand we have the authorities who would have us believe that it is their teachers who are contributing to the cesspit of sludge that is Vietnam’s education sector.

As the authorities clearly stated in their Vietnam Education and Training Development Strategy, “all levels have not caught up with the reality of education and training development as people are influenced by their own personal benefits”.

Failing Proficiency levels.

Entering an IELTS exam prepared in surreptitious harmony by the Hanoi University and the British Council at the IELTS examination center exposed the inadequacies of the system.

The course students (teachers) were streamed into levels 1 to 3 depending on their band score and were introduced to the formalities of sitting, what instructors understood to be, an authentic IELTS exam.

On completion of the course. It quickly became apparent that the Vietnamese teachers’ English proficiency across the board was far below not only the official IELTS assessment criterion. It became apparent that the English Proficiency Index 2020 report entrance scores were extremely liberal.

Putting aside the blatantly obvious overzealous entrance results, over the first 7 weeks of the course instructors worked painstakingly to prepare their underprepared students for round 1 of their first of two-practice simulated IELTS exams. The outcome of the initial exam proved to be disturbing.

Students that entered the course with a certain IELTS band level were found to be at a considerably lower level. Listening and reading skills were distressingly low with writing skills taking a close second.

Although most students could navigate an English-speaking country as a tourist, engage in small talk with colleagues, and understand simple emails, they could not indulge in an in-depth discussion with native English speakers.

The scene was set for a catastrophic outcome, not to mention a tremendous challenge for instructors that continue to this day.

Candidate Feedback

The majority of the candidates indicated unequivocally that the academic aspect of the IELTS preparation course and the exam was not needed to practice their profession.

The majority of students stated that they would have preferred to be taught modern pedagogical practice with an emphasis on vocabulary and speaking skills.

It’s debatable whether or not their allegations are justified. However, it was painfully evident, based on previous experience, that the course was beyond their skills.

The unpleasant realities of a general lack of competence were exposed but ignored. The awareness that their system had failed them once more, combined with the unpleasant truth about the waste of vital financial resources, resulted in an even more negative attitude.

Vietnamese English teachers who finished the IELTS preparation course went to the Hanoi University IELTS training center to take the official IELTS exam. What the result of that was, is anybody’s guess.


The Cost of Education

Piggies in the trough.

In Vietnam, basic schooling is quite expensive. There are simply too many forms of school fees and contributions.

Additional school fees include enrollment and tuition, construction and repair, purchasing equipment, class fund, textbooks and stationery, uniforms, canteen, parking fees, supplementary classes at school, extra classes outside of school, insurance, parents’ association funds, and gifts and “envelopes” for teachers.

These are among the 15 major groups of fees identified by the HIDE Survey 2013.

School Problems

Schools are under-resourced, and instructors are underpaid. Parents pay construction and maintenance fees to fund school capital expenditures that are frequently diverted to other purposes.

Teachers collect a variety of donations that are far from little, with collection tactics that frequently border on harassment.

Furthermore, it is typical for instructors to make their talents and time accessible to families in exchange for monetary compensation.

As a result, these additional classes are rapidly expanding, allowing an increasing number of students to believe they have achieved higher academic levels.

Supplementary classes.

Supplementary lessons appear to be a mechanism for families to compensate for what they perceive to be instructional flaws and poor educational quality. Extra classes are frequently little more than a way for hungry teachers in collusion with even more rapacious school officials to request additional funds.

A Lucrative Business

The education market in Vietnam is tremendously lucrative. This trend is consistent with education being regarded as the second-most attractive sector in Vietnam, with two main factors driving this growth.

  • The first is the growing number of middle-income earners in Vietnam.
  • And the second is the failure of public school enrollment to keep pace with population growth.

Furthermore, parents want to provide their children with more soft skills that are not available in public institutions, and the private sector is filling the gap.

Martins Opinion

“This sludge pit will only become worse, with students being the hardest hit by these shady practices

Pigs get fat and Hogs get slaughtered is a well-known phrase that can only be used to describe this industry.

The pigs have been fattened by the cesspool of muck that is the Vietnamese school system, and if allowed unchecked, the hogs will continue to be slaughtered.”

Author: Martin P Hoare B.A., B. Teach

I speak from the position of a mature-age professional educator having had many years of involvement in the global English language sector of which 13 have been spent in South East Asia.

To read the full version of the edited article please go to the FETV Facebook group and read Martins article.

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How to engage your EFL students | English in the classroom.

TPR at work in the classroom

Engage your students.

A good teacher should always find new ways to engage the student. Looking for new content and activities for the classroom needn’t be difficult or a chore. There is a wealth of ideas and activities that can be gleaned from the internet alone. Then there are other resources like class books, flashcards, YouTube sites, and teacher forums.

A young student in Vietnam.

A. Classroom tactics.

Almost every EFL teacher has encountered this situation: a class of pupils that are uninterested in what is going on in the classroom, regardless of how hard you worked on the lesson plan. Student involvement is a goal we all aspire for, but we also know there is no one-size-fits-all approach to achieving it, whether we teach online or in person.

Each class has its own strengths, dynamics, expectations, and outcomes. Fortunately, we can utilize the tactics listed below to encourage involvement without appearing to be overly pushy.

Oxford University provides some excellent training videos to help you in the classroom as well, and they can be accessed via Oxford Seminars, How to motivate your students and be a better ESL teacher.

Do a warm-up activity.

A quick warm-up exercise allows you to learn about your pupils’ interests and respond favorably in order to form bonds. Everyone enjoys talking about their passions, so why not allow students to communicate with us and one other through their shared interests?

Five warm-up activities

1. The A to Z Game.

Give students a theme, for example, food, animals, countries, etc. Write the letters A to Z on the board. Teams of students must race to write a suitable word next to each letter on the board.

You can also do this without the students running around. Split the class into at least two groups. I have found the students love competing against one another. Especially a boy vs girl challenge.

You can say the alphabet and the chosen student has to give the answer. For example, A- apple, B- banana, etc.

Or you can choose a student from each team to say the alphabet in tandem. ( Penalty points apply if they get it wrong )

2. Draw what I say.

This is a great game for the listening skill. I draw a simple picture and get the students to copy what I am doing without showing the image. I will talk the students through what the picture is about.

For example, I might say draw a line in the middle of the page and on top of that line draw a house with 4 windows and 1 door. To the left of the house draw 6 flowers. In the sky draw the Sun and 3 clouds in the top left-hand corner.

You will need to pre-teach, top left-hand corner, middle of the page, and other keywords as well. This is a great test of their vocabulary skills and prepositions of place vocabulary as well.

At the end of this activity the students will have drawn some very strange stuff, so play it up and have fun with the results

.3. The memory game.

In this activity, the students need to listen closely and add on extra phrases. I normally start the game by saying something like; ” I am going on holiday and taking a camera.

Then each student adds on something else they can take while repeating everything already said. e.g. I am going on a holiday and taking a camera and a bag. Etc.

Again I split the class into two groups and do this activity several times. You can also allow the students to write down the things taken, but don’t slow down the game.

4. Charades.

Students take turns acting out a word that you offer and their classmates try to guess what it is. This is an excellent way to review vocabulary from a prior session or try out a new word.

You can play this as a team activity as well. Put 2 chairs facing forward and choose a student from each team to sit in them. Then behind their backs write a word on the board and the teams have to try to get the chosen person to say that word.

Repeat the process by changing the students who sit in the chairs. This is a lot of fun and the students enjoy this activity.

Young students especially become engrossed in this activity, and they frequently try very hard to act out the meaning of the word.

5. Hangman.

This popular filler can also be a fantastic way to begin a class with beginners who are still unfamiliar with the alphabet. Simply write a freshly taught word on the board ( In dash format ) and have the children guess a letter.

Choose a topic, let’s say food, and tell the class what the topic is and choose a word for the game. Let’s say “Grape”

On the board draw 5 dashes that correspond with the number of letters. I this case 5 _ _ _ _ _. Now the students take it, in turn, to fill in the word, the first group to guess the word wins the points.

When doing a warm-up activity consider the following;

Keep it simple and age-relevant.

A good warm-up activity should cover these points.

  • Simple to comprehend and implement.
  • Easy to execute, in the sense that they require little to no preparation.
  • Appropriate for the age and grade level.
  • Efficient use of time.
  • Attractive and intriguing and fun.
  • Getting to the point of the lesson or the target language
  • To encourage student participation and confidence, use familiar vocabulary.

B. Total Physical Response and gestures.

Teachers and students do not have to be passive during the learning. Try to generate answers by urging them to raise their hand if they have a question or give a thumbs up if they enjoy something.

Students are more involved if they feel the teacher is having fun. So introduce T.P.R into the classroom. T.P.R involves using body language to help students understand a word or phrase.

An example of this is, brush your teeth then doing the action of brushing your teeth. This is a particularly useful technique for teaching younger students.

Learners in an online classroom can answer in a similar fashion by using emoticons or a group board to write on or even in a chat pod

You can find out more about teaching styles and Total Physical Response on my older blog. “Teaching English Abroad”

C. Praise your students.

Praise has a direct impact on students’ perceptions of success and failure. Many pupils assume that their teachers’ assessments of their abilities are the only ones that matter. This isn’t always the case, though. Even an average student may learn to excel with the right direction and perseverance.

It is critical that teachers recognize their incredible potential to influence their students’ ideas. If a teacher can make kids believe in themselves, they will be able to attain new heights and explore new horizons.

To be useful, positive comments must be specific and related to the outcome being discussed. “Great job” is nice, but “I loved how well-structured your argument was” is even better and gives your students a clear path to follow in order to achieve a better outcome.

D. No negative comments.

There is nothing more demoralizing for a student to be told they are lazy and not doing well in the classroom. Try to find out the reason for their apparent laziness or learning difficulties.

It may well be they are helping their family out in the shop after school and not getting to bed until midnight. Even the truly lazy student can be turned around with words of encouragement and praise.

Students who have received effective praise are not afraid of failure or setbacks. These are seen as stepping stones to achievement by them. They see setbacks as opportunities to develop new skills and expand their knowledge. To them, the method or manner by which they failed becomes one of the methods by which they succeed.

E. Create a positive atmosphere.

A pleasant learning environment is one in which each student feels accepted, at ease, respected, and capable of expressing themselves.

It’s crucial to be receptive to what pupils say, and as a teacher, you should constantly remember to set the tone. So, when a student talks, wait for them to finish; praise them when they give a viewpoint, and act appropriately when they show their feelings.

This is probably easier in an online context, as non-verbal reactions on camera can be used to build and reinforce bonds between students.

If there is only one thing you take away from this article, it should be, have FUN in the classroom. You will enjoy teaching more and the student will enjoy learning much more.

Conclusion

There are many things to think about when trying to engage students whether in the classroom or online, and these are but a few ideas. I hope it has provoked some thought about how you will engage your next class.

What is your favorite strategy to engage your students in the learning process? What have I left out?

Who am I and what do I do?

I am an EFL teacher who has been living in Vietnam for 15 years and now have my own school. . I also do teacher placements in Vietnam. If you want to look at my school click on the YouTube button below.

My School in Vietnam

Life in Vietnam can be both fun and challenging, it depends on you how much you wish to enjoy it. But there are some big cultural differences. Those that can accept that do well, those that don’t, not so well.

I hope you enjoyed this brief read.

Stephen

Any or all links on this site may be affiliate links, and if you purchase something through those links I will make a small commission on them.

There will be no extra cost to you and at times due to my affiliation, you could actually save money.

You can read our full affiliate disclosure here.



What are Vietnamese Students really like?

This is a post about how Vietnamese students view themselves and the overall problems facing students and teachers alike.



How do Vietnamese students see themselves?

When I ask my students what they think about the schools and teachers in Vietnam the main response is “Boring”. And the result is the students see themselves as lacking and describe themselves as lazy. But let us look behind the scenes a bit more.

The number of students in the school and classroom is huge. It is not uncommon for a class to have 50 students and if you get a class with only 30 students you should consider yourself lucky. This is not conducive to good teaching. There is not much individual teaching done in the classroom.

Very basic classroom tools.

Teachers tend to stand in front of the blackboard and write down the lesson of the day and then get the students to copy. While the students are copying the lesson into their notebooks the teacher will often just sit behind his or her desk and play with their phone.

There is also a distinct lack of technology in the classroom. Whatever technology is in the classroom is often paid for by the parents. Televisions, microphones, and DVD players are more common. But don’t expect a classroom full of computers.

And there are reasons for all of the above too. It is not an easy fix. Let us start with the problems the teachers face.

Teachers Problems

The native teachers of Vietnam have to deal with a lot of problems. And some of these only come to light after you have been teaching here for a while.

After teaching here for about 5 years, I got to talk to one of the teachers. She was worried because she was having another baby. Baby number 3. It seems the Ministry of Education frowns on more than 2 babies per family, so she was worried this would adversely affect her career. That blew me away as I thought this sort of thing only happened in China.

Another problem we can all relate to is that they are grossly underpaid. Their monthly income barely pays for rent and the cost of living. Only a few years ago they were getting the equivalent of $300 to $500 per month. Living in a big city makes it very difficult to make ends meet.

Extra activities

As a result of this, a lot of teachers take on extra teaching activities at home. Sometimes informing the parents that if their children don’t attend the extra classes they will get bad grades. This would seriously affect the students’ post-school ambitions.

Scheduling and timetables are a huge drain on the teachers of Vietnam. With classes starting at 7.00 to 7.30 am and going through to 4 or 5 pm, this is a seriously long day. As well as the long day the teachers are pushed into taking as many classes as possible while still having their own “home class” to look after.

As mentioned before class sizes are huge, with classes of 50 plus students not uncommon. In fact, they are more the norm rather than the exception. Pity the poor introvert teacher who has 55 talkative outgoing students in their class.

Lesson planning helps overcome this and you can find out more ==> HERE <==

Vietnamese English teachers.

When I first started teaching in the public schools I thought all the Vietnamese English teachers would come up to me and want to talk. No, it didn’t happen, and I started to think it must be me. But it wasn’t, they were scared that if they talked to me they would be found out that their English language skills were lacking.

Some of the faults of the Vietnamese English teachers are probably easy to understand. They focus more on Grammar than pronunciation. The outcome being the students know the grammatical aspects of the English language better than most native English speakers. However, they either can’t speak or are very limited in their speaking skills.

Native English speakers

And it is for this reason that native English speakers from the USA, England, Australia, and many other countries are employed to teach in the schools. Often this is also funded by the students’ parents.

Don’t get me wrong. There are some seriously good Vietnamese English teachers out there. But they are in the minority and are more progressive in their teaching approach. And even though I haven’t been told, I would think the “establishment” would consider their teaching methods too liberal.

Teaching English is both profitable and fun if you are a good teacher. But first, you have to learn before you earn. Udemy is a great resource for studying anywhere in the world. To check out their classes click the link below.

Now is a great time to get your English teaching license as the borders in Vietnam are just starting to open. You can find out more about International flights ==> HERE <==

The Vietnamese students | What are they like.

When it comes to learning English, Vietnamese students face many problems. It’s difficult in schools where class sizes are huge and English teachers are scarce in both quantity and quality.

One of the key issues is proper pronunciation. Students find it difficult to converse in English as a result of current teaching methods. English education should focus on helping students to speak and communicate effectively in the real world, not just on grammar.

Time-traveling.

When I started my journey as an EFL ( English as a foreign language) teacher, I envisioned spending 1 or 2 years in a lot of countries around the world. Time for “time-traveling”

I came to Vietnam first on holiday about 16 years ago after my first marriage fell apart, and I was desperately looking for something. But didn’t know what I was looking for.

I traveled from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh city and met some amazing people, both locals and fellow tourists. I stopped off at a lot of places and had a great time.

After returning to my home country I knew I had been bitten by the travel bug. So I sorted my affairs, lol. And did a course on Teaching English and hightailed it back to Vietnam.

Fast forward to today.

I am still in Vietnam and one of the biggest reasons is the students. I find them fun and inquisitive, they are eager to learn and if you approach your class in the right way they will show you respect. it is not uncommon for students to bow to you outside the classroom. however, with the older students, I try to get them to just say “Hi” and introduce their parents.

Even though they describe themselves as lazy, they are some of the hardest working and enjoyable students I have ever had the pleasure to teach.

Students the world over.

Like students everywhere, they will test you and push your buttons. but once you have established the ground rules and talk to them at the same level and not down to them, you gain their respect and attention. 

I now have my own school in Vietnam. Lately because of Covid we have been teaching online. Yes, I still teach as I love it, it keeps me young. Teaching online produces its’ own problems. You can find out more ==> HERE <==

Once again the students have buckled down and worked exceptionally well. The online classes I do focus on pronunciation, talking, and vocabulary. Homework, yes I give homework, is written work. Below is one example of an assignment about work experience from one of my students. Jenny. An English nickname is chosen by her.

Jennys’ blog on work experience.

Written by one of my students.

“The work experience I had as a vet was one of the most difficult and rewarding experiences of my life. The first day was exciting but overwhelming. I had never seen so many animals at once and there were many different types of them.

I learned how to identify and diagnose the animal’s symptoms and what might be wrong with them. I had to make some tough decisions on whether we should euthanize the animal or not, especially when they were in pain and we couldn’t help them anymore. It made me feel really emotional because you could tell that they trusted me to help them have a better life.”

JENNY

I have not changed anything in this and am very proud to share it, with her blessing. She just asked, if you like it please share and leave a comment. She would be chuffed for a foreigner to reach out and say she is doing well. Jenny is only 14 years old, so pretty impressive.

Conclusion

Normally at the end of every post, I talk about myself, but as this post covers this, it could be better to show you my house in Vietnam. If you click on the YouTube button below it will take you to my YT account and you can check out my house with me.

Any or all links on this site may be affiliate links, and if you purchase something through those links I will make a small commission on them.

There will be no extra cost to you and at times due to my affiliation, you could actually save money.

You can read our full affiliate disclosure here.

On-Line Teachers Tools to make life easier

Make On-line teaching exciting and fun.

Teaching and learning online can be boring for both the teacher and student alike. But with a bit of upfront work and using some of the tools available you can go from zero to hero.

Technology has become increasingly important in the instruction of children and adolescents in this new era of learning. Here are some resources that help teachers and students communicate more effectively. You might find useful

Popular digital education tools.

Thousands of digital education tools have been developed with the goal of giving students more freedom and enhancing the learning process. These tools foster collaboration and improve communication between teachers and students. At the same time as making the lessons more exciting for both the teacher and student.

Here is a list of my most popular on line tools.

Socrative

Socrative is a system that allows teachers to build exercises or educational games that students may complete using mobile devices such as smartphones, laptops, or tablets. It was created by a group of entrepreneurs and engineers that are passionate about education.

Teachers can view the outcomes of the exercises and, based on this information, adapt following sessions to make them more personalized.

cK-12

cK-12 is a website that aims to bring academic books to the K12 market in the United States and around the world at a lower cost. To accomplish this goal. This platform uses an open-source interface that allows users to create and distribute educational content via the internet.

These can be customized and that includes movies, audios, and interactive exercises. It can also be printed if it meets the editorial requirements in each region. The books developed in cK-12 can be tailored to each instructor or student’s needs.

Twinkl

Twinkl produces instructional materials that may be used at every stage of a child’s education. Their teacher-created resources include anything from complete schemes of work, lesson plans, and evaluations to online educational games, augmented reality, and much more.

Anyone who wishes to use the Twinkl website to download teaching resources must first create a free account. A free account grants you access to a wealth of free resources. You can purchase a premium subscription to obtain unrestricted access to all of Twinkl’s award-winning teaching materials.

ClassDojo

ClassDojo is a tool for improving student behavior. And the teachers can provide immediate feedback to their students. Good behavior in class is rewarded with points and kids are more open to the learning process.

For pair or group work, ClassDojo gives real-time alerts to students, such as ‘Well Done Susan!’ and ‘+1.’ The data gathered on student behavior can later be shared with parents over the internet.

Kahoot!

Kahoot! is a game-based and question-based instructional platform. Teachers can use this tool to generate questionnaires, conversations, and surveys to go along with their academic teachings.

The information is shown in the classroom, and students answer questions while simultaneously playing and learning.

Kahoot! encourages students to learn through games, which boosts student engagement and produces a dynamic, sociable, and enjoyable learning environment.

Google Classroom.

Google Classroom is a powerful learning community-based social platform. Students can ask questions and receive responses from their lecturers and classmates. Teachers can also upload engaging questions and lesson materials for students to review at home.

It can also be used in conjunction with other Google products, such as Google Forms, which can be a useful tool for gathering student feedback. It is a free online learning environment that can be used with google meet.

Quizlet / Quizlet Live

Students and teachers can use Quizlet to create and share their own learning materials, such as flashcards and diagrams. Quizlet Live is a free in-class quiz game created by Quizlet that may be used to bring learning materials to life. To win, kids must all contribute, stay focused, and communicate well in this fascinating and interactive game. Quizlet routinely receives positive feedback and is a fantastic method to bring study notes into the twenty-first century.

Baamboozle

Another free online game site is Baamboozle. Its key benefit is that it is set up in such a way that students may play online in teams without having to go into separate breakout rooms.

To put it another way, students can choose a question to answer and discuss it in front of others to find the correct response ( While other students are waiting for their turn to choose another question).

If that explanation was a little perplexing, don’t worry; after you visit the site, everything will be clear.

Starfall

Starfall is an online service that was created to help children learn to read. Its phonics-based learning model includes online activities and print series that can be downloaded for use in the classroom and at home. It includes animated songs, videos, and math activities for children in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Grades 1–3.

Choosing the right Tools for Online Education

It’s just as vital to understand how the tool or platform you’re using works as it is to choose the right one.

Explore each tool and learn how to make the most of it to improve your teaching experience. Your pupils will look to you to teach them how to use the platform on their own.

There is a wide choice of remote teaching software available, and I have selected some of the finest around.

Communication Tools for the Internet

Whether in a real or virtual classroom, effective communication is essential for successful teaching and learning. Maintaining online communication with not one, but over twenty pupils is, without a question, difficult.

Platforms that enable communication with bigger groups, including video conferencing, instant messaging, voice conferences, virtual rooms, and more, can be accessed from any device and from anywhere.

The following are some of the most in-demand tools:

Zoom

Microsoft Teams

Skype

Google Meet

With these tools, you can have a better teaching experience.

Make an agenda or a plan for each online session and share it with the class before it begins.

Explain to students what online etiquette they should use in class and what is expected of them prior to or at the start of the course.

All microphones, except the one used by the speaker, should be muted. This helps students maintain their focus by canceling out distracting noises. Anyone who has to say something can make a gesture to get the speaker’s attention without interrupting them.

Have I Forgotten Any of Your Favorite Online Teaching Resources?

Most of the above-mentioned online teaching tools are free, or you may test them out for free to see how they perform for you. Invite a colleague to look over the tools with you and choose the ones that best fit your teaching goals.

What other tools do you recommend for remote teaching? Please let me know in the comments section below.

This is the second in a series of articles about online teaching.  I hope you found this post helpful.

Stephen

Any or all links on this site may be affiliate links, and if you purchase something through those links I will make a small commission on them.

There will be no extra cost to you and at times due to my affiliation, you could actually save money.

You can read our full affiliate disclosure here.

Educational Flashcards | ESL

Flashcards are an excellent resource to use in the ESL or EFL classroom with younger students.

Learning Styles and Flashcards

Flashcards are a very important tool in the classroom. They are a great visual aid that helps with visual style learners.

There are several different styles of learning. Visual, auditory, physical, verbal, logical, social and solitary. .

Learning styles focus on how a student is best able to learn or their preferred method of attaining knowledge. This is usually influenced by their unique brain and experiences, and has a direct impact on the way they get information and learn.

For teachers it’s extremely important to understand learning styles and how they impact the students in your classroom. Each student will have their own preferred learning style, and teachers can help create activities that cater to different learning styles to help more students learn effectively..

The visual style is very effective especially with younger students. And flashcards are an effective tool for visual learners.

What are Flashcards?

Flashcards are normally A4 or A5 size pieces of cardboard that have pictures of the subject you are teaching. For example if you are teaching body parts your flashcards will have pictures of the nose, ears, arms etc. If you are teaching numbers they may have numbers from one to ten on them. There are a wide range of flashcards. Quite often they are used to teach a beginner level student..

Using Flashcards in an ESL classroom.

How we use flashcards is very important. If you just stand up in front of your class and show the card and say the name on the flashcard the students will be bored.

The first thing to think about is the age group of the students. With flashcards I generally target the younger student. Mainly because they adapt to a visual style of learning (with the use of flashcards)  better than older students. From four to eleven year old.

The older students will think you are being condescending if you use flashcards and treating them like children. However if I find an older student is having trouble understanding a word , I have used them. But very sparingly. And more in a one on one teaching environment.

So, how do the younger students like to learn. They like to have FUN. So the best way to use flashcards with younger students is to pre-teach the vocabulary, then use the flashcards in a game.

Flashcard games.

Many different games can be played with flashcards. You can make up your own or use the internet to discover how many there are. Here are some that work well.

Concentration: You need 2 sets of flashcards for this game.  Place both sets face down on the floor.  Students take turns in turning over 2 cards (saying the cards aloud).  If the cards match then the student keeps the cards.  If the cards are different the cards are turned back over again in their original places.  The student or team with the most pairs at the end of the game is the winner.

Charades: Have a student come to the front of the class and show a flashcard or whisper a word to that student.  The student then acts out that word to the rest of the class and the first student to guess what it is can be the next player.  This works very well with action verbs. Split the class up into teams – the first student to guess wins a point for his/her team..

Pictionary: Good for reviewing vocabulary. Choose a student and show them a flashcard picture or whisper a word into their ear.  The student then draws the picture on the board and the first student in the class to guess what the picture is gets to draw the next picture.  This can also be played in teams with a point system. Better in teams.

Trashball: Students take a shot at the trash can/box/etc. First show a flashcard to Student 1.  If he or she answers correctly then they can have a shot at the basket.  If the student gets the trash in the basket then they win 1 point. The person  who gets the most points is the winner.  This can also be played in teams. A good game at the end of class for cleaning up..

Fish: Before this game you need to have the students in pairs draw and cut out a picture of a fish for each pair.  While they are doing that put 2 parallel lines of tape on the floor a few meters apart.  Have students play in pairs – each student behind a different line, facing each other with the fish in the middle.  The teacher shows Student 1 a flashcard and asks what it is.  If the student answers it correctly they can blow once to move the fish forward.  Next, the teacher asks Student 2 who can blow the fish back towards Student 2.  The student who blows the fish over their opponents line is the winner.

Memory : Split your class into two teams. Boys verse girls always works well. Put your flashcards face down on the floor. Then say the name of one flashcard and choose a student to find that flashcard. They only have one turn each. No multiple pickups. Then choose another student, and another etc. It is surprisingly simple yet the students love it.

Over-under:  Line up your student in two teams. Give the two students at the front each a flash card. When you say go, the first in line says the word and passes the flashcard over their head, the next student says the word and passes the card under between their legs, the student kid over, then under, etc. The last student in the line races to the front to hand the flashcard to the teacher and says the word. The first team to finish gets a point.

Backs to the Board Game: This one is good for higher level kids.  Make two teams and stand one student from each team in front of the board, facing away from it.  Place a flashcard picture on the board (e.g. “hamburger”) and the students have to explain that word to their team member (e.g. It’s made of bread and has meat and lettuce and tomatoe in it, you can buy it at Lotteria , [ a Vietnamese  McDonalds ], it’s got cheese and tomatoe sauce on it).  The first student to guess the word wins a point for their team.

Back to back Game: This game is really good fun.  You need some  tape. Pair up students tape a card onto each student’s back.  Both students face each other with hands behind backs waiting for the teacher to shout “Go!”.  At this point they must try to discover his/her partner’s hidden flashcard without letting their partner see theirs.  When the student finally sees his/her partner’s card s/he has to shout it out to become the winner.  .

Chase the Flashcard: Put your flashcards in corners, then call out the name of one flashcard. The last student to the corner gets eliminated. Do this until you have one person left. Good for smaller class sizes as you do not want the eliminated students waiting too long.

Products.

Here are some Flashcards for toddlers and preschoolers that won’t break the bank and are professionally made. Buy from Amazon for less than $10.00 per set.

Conclusion.

There are many more games for flashcards that you can find online. Also talk to other teachers and ask what games they use. We are a helpful group of people

It is a good idea to have some reward for the student or team. It doesn’t have to be big. A sugar free lolly or an eraser or pencil works fine. I save the points until the end of the class and buy an iced lolly for each student on the team. Vietnam is hot.

Flashcards are a great tool but use them wisely. If you use them all the time the students will become bored and you have wasted a good resource. I use them for 20 minutes in a classroom at the most, and not everyday. There are lots of other resources for visual learners as well. And do not forget the other styles of learning.

If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact me. I always reply.

Steve

Any or all links on this site may be affiliate links, and if you purchase something through those links I will make a small commission on them.

There will be no extra cost to you and at times due to my affiliation, you could actually save money.

You can read our full affiliate disclosure here.

 

Tech Tools for the classroom

Teach Easy.

To make your life easier in the classroom (Public schools) it is advisable to have some tools available to help.

Why? 

Classroom sizes in Vietnam are pretty big. You can walk into a class of 50 students every day. If you are not prepared you will be exhausted by days end. You need help to project your voice.

What do I need?

First off a wireless headset with a blue tooth connection to a speaker will save your voice after a day in the classroom.

I currently use an “Aporo”  wireless headset and Sony 30 watt speaker (XB32). As well as this I run all my audio recordings through Google drive on my cell phone.

Any good wireless headset and speaker will work. I recommend you try before you teach.

My cell phone is also connected via blue tooth to the Sony speaker. I have pre-saved all my audio recordings to my cell phone and pre-program the tracks I need for the lessons ahead.

I also use a mini projector for any visual presentations and display it on a wall in the classroom. Or I use a whiteboard or a rollout screen. I also have the audio output of the projector connected to the Sony speaker.

If you want to make your classroom experience more exciting and easier for you, invest in your future.

Here are a couple of items that may help.

I hope this helps. Also, have a look at my other posts, they might even help you.

 How to teach English in Vietnam. – Teaching ESL in Vietnam 2021 (vietnamesl.com) 

Any comments are gratefully accepted and always answered.

Any or all affiliate links on this website may be affiliate links, and if you purchase something on these links I may make a small commission on them.

There will be no extra cost to you and at times due to my affiliation, you could actually save money.

You can read our full affiliate disclosure here.

Teaching English Abroad in Vietnam

There are certain ways that will make it easier for both the teacher to teach and the student to learn English as a second language. This will help you to understand more about teaching English in a foreign country.

How do students learn

Before we move into teaching styles and the methodology of teaching it is a good idea to reflect on how languages are learnt. If you can think when a baby is born it does not come forth into the world with a full range of vocabulary.

He or she spends the first years of life listening and absorbing the fundamentals of the language.

The first skill learnt is the Listening skill which is the foundation of all the other skills. ( I can quite often guess the nationality of the teacher because of the pronunciation of the student).

This is, arguably, the most important skill. The second skill in learning order is the speaking skill. Once the child has heard enough sounds, he or she will start putting together words and then phrases and sentences. The third and fourth skills are reading and writing and are higher learning skills.

And similarly to a baby learning a language this can be an effective guide in teaching English to an ESL (English as a second language) student. however, we do not have years to teach in the same way and time frame that a baby has to learn its native language.

Integrating the four skills can develop communicative competence because it focuses on the realistic communication, which is the main pursuit of teaching and learning in modern society

Teaching styles.   

You will ultimately find your own teaching style and classroom techniques as you develop as a teacher. some recognized styles of teaching T.P.R (Total physical response), The communicative approach, meaningful learning, and the old-fashioned rote learning. Most teachers will cherry-pick from the below teaching techniques to suit themselves.

You can find out more about teaching styles at the ” Australian Christian College“

Total Physical Response.

T.P.R is a language acquisition method developed by psychology expert, Professor James Asher. TPR uses a combination of language and physical actions to engage students in the language learning process.

Total Physical Response has a lot of benefits, particularly for beginners and young learners.

  • The pairing of movement with language is innately associated with effective learning
  • Students actively use both the left and right sides of their brains
  • It works with both small and large groups
  • It sharpens students’ listening skills
  • Students are not required to speak until they are ready to, therefore creating a “safe zone” that greatly lowers inhibitions and stress
  • Students will appreciate the change of pace and potential for humor.
  • Kinaesthetic learners (who respond well to physical activities) and visual learners (who learn best with visual cues) will get a lot out of TPR.

The Communicative approach.

Teaching through language. A strong concentration on listening. It emphasizes interaction as both the means and ultimate goal of the study.

The communicative approach is based on the idea that learning a language successfully comes through having to communicate real meaning. When learners are involved in real communication, their natural strategies for language acquisition will be used, and this will allow them to learn to use the language.

Example

Practicing question forms by asking learners to find out personal information about their colleagues is an example of the communicative approach, as it involves meaningful communication.

In the classroom

Classroom activities guided by the communicative approach are characterized by trying to produce meaningful and real communication, at all levels. As a result, there may be more emphasis on skills than systems, lessons are more learner-centered, and there may be some use of authentic materials.

Meaningful Learning

The concept or theory of meaningful learning is that learned information is completely understood and can now be used to make connections with other previously known knowledge, aiding in further understanding. Meaningful learning is often contrasted with rote learning, a method in which information is memorized sometimes without elements of understanding our relation to other objects or situations. Meaningful learning is to feel that all the pieces of a concept, idea, theory, formulae, or argument fit together.

ADVANTAGES OF MEANINGFUL LEARNING

Meaningful learning helps students achieve success in the classroom by:

  • Encouraging understanding, not memorization
  • Encouraging active learning techniques
  • Focusing on the outcome of the learning process
  • Relating new information to prior knowledge

DISADVANTAGES OF MEANINGFUL LEARNING

The challenges associated with meaningful learning include:

  • Takes longer to achieve
  • Should be tailored for different types of learners

Some students may face challenges with meaningful learning, as it requires building off previous knowledge. This is where dedicated teachers and tutors can help ensure students understand concepts so that meaningful learning can continue to happen.

Rote Learning

Rote learning is a more traditional form of teaching. It is based on repetition until the students remember the words and phrases. Rote learning is defined as the memorization of information based on repetition.

ADVANTAGES OF ROTE LEARNING

There are some benefits of Rote Learning, including:

  • Ability to quickly recall basic facts
  • Helps develop foundational knowledge

DISADVANTAGES OF ROTE LEARNING

The drawbacks of learning by memorization include:

  • Can be repetitive
  • Easy to lose focus
  • Doesn’t allow for a deeper understanding of a subject
  • Doesn’t encourage the use of social skills
  • No connection between new and previous knowledge
  • May result in a wrong impression or understanding a concept

While being able to quickly recall pieces of information is helpful, to understand information on a deeper level students must use a different method of learning.

It’s your move.

Students have different levels of interest and ability and learn in different ways. Auditory, kinesthetic, visual, etc. But if students “laugh and learn” the subject matter is more easily absorbed and retained.

There are many different ways of teaching and you will find the way that is most suitable and effective for yourself. One of the best ways to test if you are being effective is the engagement of the students.

When you are doing your teacher training you should be introduced to these different styles and hopefully given the chance to practice them. Just like anything, your teaching style and techniques will be perfected with practice.

Teaching On-Line / Schools that want teachers

Look at this post about schools that are looking for online teachers. On-Line Schools.

I also do placement of ESL teachers across Vietnam.

Any or all links on this site may be affiliate links, and if you purchase something through those links I will make a small commission on them.

There will be no extra cost to you and at times due to my affiliation, you could actually save money.

You can read our full affiliate disclosure here.