Archive for the ‘Starting lessons’ Category

I’ve done a fair bit of kindy (as we call kindergartens in the trade) English teaching  over the years, and I’m doing it full time at the moment for the first time in quite a while, so will be writing about that and giving lots of links for at least the next month or two. I’m going to start with a list of my stuff on the topic, if only to remind myself of what I’ve forgotten, and will move onto other great resources I am finding in future posts- assuming anyone at all is interested!

In no particular order:

In Modern English Teacher magazine (and mentioned in the TEFL Bible!)

Should my English teaching school be a preschool school (or should my preschool be an English school)?

On ESL Teachers’ Board

Setting up activities in preschool English classes

On Teach ESL to Kids.com

Making personal questions for young learners fun

On ESL Galaxy.com

An all singing all dancing preschool English lesson (included in a recent book by OUP Canada for a TEFL course provider)

On UsingEnglish.com

Why and how to use songs with young children

Christmas vocabulary you can mime

Combining Xmas with a young learner syllabus

On TEFL.net

15 criteria of a good preschool English class

The 15 stages of teaching numbers

15 variations on TPR for little kids

15 problems and solutions for large preschool classes

15 uses for guessing games in any preschool English class

15 flashcard activities for any preschool English class

15 fun sit down activities for preschool English classes

15 variations for large preschool English classes

15 techniques for calming down a preschool English class

15 criteria for a good kindergarten English song

The first 15 stages of using worksheets in kindergarten English classes

The 15 stages of using preschool English songs

15 criteria for choosing or making preschool English worksheets

15 punishments for preschool English classes (and the interesting debate it started)

15 fun ways of using preschool storybooks

15 ways of starting a preschool English lesson

15 ways to finish a preschool English lesson

15 reasons for misbehaviour in preschool English classes (and what to do about them)

Using the picture book From Head to Toe in EFL classes

Can-do statements in preschool English classes (an original idea, I think, and some very interesting comments by real published authors!)

Questions to ask before a new preschool English class

Feel like I should actually write something on my own blog between all these guest pieces, but am still trying to put stuff back where it was after my mother in law rearranged the flat. Instead, here is the usual list of links to things I’ve published elsewhere:

On Usingenglish.com

The advantages and disadvantages of eliciting (and how to use the former and avoid the latter)

Why did my foolproof activity just fail with that class? (The latest in my infrequent Why oh why? series)

Useful classroom language for teachers doing listenings (A new series, based on workshops for non-native teachers I have been giving, but also useful for teachers new to low levels or kids who need to simplify)

Useful classroom language when using the board

Useful classroom language for starting lessons

And on TEFL.net

15 more reported speech games

15 things to include in a TEFL workshop

15 things to teach about sentence stress and rhythm

I’ve also had reviews in all the recent MET magazine editions, should your dentist happen to have a copy handy.

I’ve been very busy deep in the dark chaotic depths of the TEFLtastic Worksheets pages, and have also found time for a few of the usual articles. If useful stuff that makes your life easier is not your thing, will be back to the usual trivia here on the main page soon…

Articles

15 ways to start an adult lesson

15 ways to finish a preschool English lesson

15 more ways to boost your teaching confidence (as promised- not often I actually write something I planned to…)

Worksheets and lesson plans

A much expanded Market Leader worksheets and lesson plans page

Business Past Continuous and Personality Accusations game (THE classic Past Continuous game- not my original idea, but don’t know any other online or Business English versions)

Business English Needs Analysis ranking task

Crime Vocabulary storytelling game

Complaints roleplays

Pingu Will for predictions video worksheet 1 (3 more available on the Video Worksheets page, but can’t be bothered giving each link)

Passives guess the country game

Active/ Passive True/ False quiz

Trends and conditionals discussion and grammar presentation

Rules and regulations pictionary (mainly passive forms)

Second conditional chain writing (consequences) game

Passives disasters storytelling

Second conditional supernatural error correction and discussion

Supernatural modals of possibility discussion

Special occasions reported speech cultural differences guessing game and discussion