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When teaching the first lesson with your class it is important to establish a rapport with your students. Sometimes a group of students may already know each other, but when they do not it is equally important to make sure that they establish one with their new classmates. This can be achieved with various games and activities. For this reason, experienced teachers avoid working directly from the course book during their first lesson. Take the time to learn about your individual students, their existing English experience, expectations and aspirations.
When you class contains students of varying levels, it is helpful to pair weaker students with stronger ones. A group of weak students will always under perform compared to a group of strong students, whereas a mixed group can help compensate where necessary. Even when mixing groups, handing out different materials will allow the weaker students to stay afloat while receiving assistance from their more capable counterparts. Additionally, handing out the same piece of work but asking different students to complete different tasks can help build confidence in weaker students as the experienced students complete more complicated sections.
Large classes can be hard to cater to, but teachers have may tools at their disposal to ensure everyone gets the attention they need. As mentioned previously, group work goes a long way, and worksheets ensure participation. It is important to make sure your board work is clear and visible to all students in a large class, and vocal repetition allows everyone to participate simultaneously.
It is natural for a student to try and use their native language to express something that have difficulty communicating in English, but teachers must focus on ensuring English is used at every opportunity. This is more of a problem with monolingual classes. If a teacher finds students frequently explaining concepts in their language, they may need to simplify the vocabulary and ensure they are being as clear as possible. The lesson may also be too complicated for some students, and the content may need to be adjusted to compensate. English use should be encouraged at every opportunity, but it is entirely normal for students to occasionally try and use their mother tongue.
Pair/group work is effective when dealing with reluctant students, and role play allows them to be someone else if they don't feel confident. Some students experience difficulty with listening pieces. In this case, teachers should not avoid them entirely, but instead work on building those listening skills while ensuring students who can proceed at an appropriate pace have other work to complete while others catch up.
