English Toolbox Tips

We wondered last time about the differences between what you were taught in your EFL preparatory course, and what you experienced with real students once you actually started teaching. Darren J. in Mykonos, Greece, says that the teachers in his TEFL course tended to be very "Asian-centric" in their ideas: "They were always warning us to be careful that our students didn't lose face, so they told us to be very careful with in-class correction and feedback. I was so intimidated by this that I gave very little correction once I became a teacher, until my students in Switzerland began complaining about it to my boss! It turns out that they considered a 'good' teacher to be one who gave lots of instant correction when they made mistakes!" Interesting, Darren: for reminding us that the Swiss are very different from the Japanese, you’ve won five free English Toolbox credits!

For the next contest, tell us about a problem student that you had trouble with and how you dealt with him/her. Did you have to resort to drastic measures, or were you able to work things out in a way that allowed the student to remain in the class? Our favorite response will win the sender five free English Toolbox credits, even if s/he does not currently subscribe. Send your contributions to info@englishtoolbox.com by 15 September.

Labels: EFL, teaching English, TEFL