Teflnet TEFL Forums

Dear TEFL users,
I'm new to the world of TEFL, so please be kind!
I'm an English mother of young twins, living in the north of Sweden. A few of my local villagers have expressed some interest in me teaching them conversational English. They are all adults (around 50-60 years old) and would have learnt English during their school years. They understand more English than they take credit for, but need more confidence to be able to speak it in their community.
So - where to start?! I have discovered some very helpful, downloadable worksheets on this site. I'm guessing they would be a good start for my classes.
I'm seeking advice on how to teach the classes. There will likely be up to 10 adults in each class. Would I encourage them to talk in pairs? If so, can I give each pair enough attention?
Should I enrol on the 150 hour online TEFL course first?
Any advice you can give me is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Donna

Hi Donna,

I suggest you try worksheets of different levels and see which level is best for your students. You can then pick a course book at that level to use with them. Using a course book will make lessons much easier for the teacher.

Try to avoid the error of many new teachers: don't over correct the students. Allow them to talk, note down their mistakes and correct them after the exercise is finished. Give students a chance to correct their own errors first.

I'm sure you'll be fine and you can always come back here with more questions.

Lucy

Hi Lucy,
Thanks for your swift response. Do you think it would be worth taking the online course please? I have been offered a pretty good deal on the Master course and I wonder if it will help me with more preparation for the classes?
Many thanks for your help.
Best
Donna

I think you can approach this class without doing a course. You could read a good book on teaching and learn a lot. If you decide to make a career out of it, that'd be different.

Thanks. Is there any particular teaching book that you'd recommend please?
Best
Donna

Try to get hold of a Jeremy Harmer book. Also, try to get a reading list for any TEFL course.

Best,
Lucy

Jeremy Harmer is a great suggestion. You will enjoy his thoughts and recommendations.

I think the book Learning Teaching by Jim Scrivener is a very accessible overview of current EFL thinking with lots of practical examples. I found it to be a bit more readable than Jeremy Harmer's book.

Jeremy Harmer and Jim Scrivener are essential reading if you will continue on to Celta so well worth it.
Another popular author is Scott Thornbury, who makes a lot of theory understandable in a classroom context.