I love English and have enjoyed this subject since I began studying it, whether through movies, songs, or games. I decided to pursue this subject at university, and I still do so today. There is always something new to discover. I attend various training courses and webinars to improve my skills and my teaching methods.
The most enjoyable experience for me is teaching teenagers. I have been teaching English at a National College for seven years; this school is well-known in our area. Not all my classes have the same proficiency level in English; most of them are at the intermediate level. In these classes, I encounter both advanced and beginner students. The intensive English classes consist of students with similar English proficiency, but even there, not all of them are motivated to evolve. Some believe they know enough and, over time, do not progress.
Most students enjoy English, as it is one of the most spoken languages in the world. I take pride in teaching a subject that is so important for their future. I have discovered ways to make my lessons interactive and enjoyable, but I know that I must continuously look for new ideas. Students change, and the same lesson can yield different outcomes with different classes.
The most crucial aspect of teaching is the teacher’s mood. If you are calm, motivated, and in a good frame of mind, your students will sense this and try to mirror it. As a teacher, you are also an actor; it is important to leave your worries behind, whether at home or in the lobby. It is challenging, I understand, and I feel it too, but our lessons and students depend on it. Students need to see that you genuinely love your subject and teach it with passion. Sharing your knowledge and approach to learning a foreign language is essential.
Since I work with teenagers, I must understand their interests and incorporate them into my lessons. Boys enjoy playing games, using computers, and practising different sports, while girls are often interested in fashion, makeup, diets, and similar topics. Love and relationships are important to all of them, and these major themes should be included in our lessons. Music is also appealing; teenagers listen to various genres and can discover new words and structures through it.
We can engage students in learning English by using their favorite artists or influencers. They can practise ‘shadowing’ as a method for learning new vocabulary or phrases. Dialogues are another engaging approach; we can ask students to use new vocabulary in various dialogues or practise new structures in different situations. Students enjoy role-playing, so we can provide a model and ask them to create their dialogues. It is important for them to see how new words function within sentences; they need both models and the opportunity to create their own. Encouraging them to speak and use the target language is essential, as they will forget it otherwise. We should create contexts where they can use new words or phrases, such as pretending to be at a restaurant, airport, or cinema. I also ask questions in a step-by-step manner, starting with yes/no questions and progressing to more open and detailed ones. Practising these types of questions in conversations is valuable.
Communication is fundamental in language learning and is our primary aim in both teaching and real life. We can engage students through dialogues, role plays, debates, and interactive games. Do your best and never stop learning!