teaching adult beginners

[sabribaq]

Hello!
I have just started teaching adults and i would like to know how to teach adult beginners who are unmotivated. Do you have any ideas or games?
I am teaching the verb to be, countries and nationalities, numbers, and days of the week.
I also have to teach a person who needs to speak English as soon as possible because she travels a lot. I need a piece of advice because she gets frustrated when she can't answer my questions.

Thank you very much!
I love this page!!!
Sabrina

[Peter Easton]

You have to ask yourself Sabrina, why are they unmotivated when they have most probably shelled out a load of cash to sit the course?

Adults, especially Europeans (and I guess South Americans), can find games a bit childish so your job is to change their attitude so they participate in games and activities which they might usually consider to be dumb because, I’m guessing, they are ‘serious’ businesspeople right?

You have to try and get them competing against one another and you need to make your lesson as active as possible with lots of physical movement and humour in the classroom.

[nkem]

My suggestion is to recycle materials by using them in different ways. Also a lot of talking,roleplay activities. For example with Countries and Nationalities; use a lot of pictures and authentic materisals as possible. Find good and positive things about countries to start with and use guided conversation activities involving students in talks about what they love about their own countries.
About the 'person who needs to speak English as soon as possible'; listening and speaking activities are the way to start. Look for books with audio recodings.

Cheers

Nkem

[sabribaq]

Your answers have been very useful.
Thanks a lot!
Sabrina