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English is the universal language that we use to converse with everyone else. Non-native English speakers put immense value on learning it because they believe it’s necessary to be competent, particularly globally. They do so that they even seek help from other races who speak the language proficiently to learn.

Teaching English or any language is already a demanding job, but teaching it to people that didn’t speak it as their first language is a different animal. Depending on the demographic, non-native speakers have varying objectives as to why they want to learn English. As aforementioned, it’s about competence for professionals.

Teaching the universal language as a career is now a more viable option than ever because of globalization’s demand. Finding an online teaching job is becoming easier.  Being an educator, you’d want your students to learn it properly from you so they can speak and write it with confidence. This article discusses how you can adequately teach English to non-native speakers so you can help them succeed.

Work to get certified

Certification makes you more credible as an English as a second language (ESL) teacher. ESL teachers usually work with all levels of English learners, with most of them being non-native speakers. It’s your job to help these non-native speakers improve their English reading, comprehension, and speaking skills, so receiving proper and specific training helps in doing that well.

Having such a credential will prepare you for anything and everything. It’ll also enhance your chances of securing teaching jobs for private companies or community programs.

You need at least a college degree to be a certified ESL teacher, while a master’s degree is preferred for teaching adult learners. A well-known ESL certification is the Teaching English Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), which is recognized internationally.

As you train and build your teaching approach, make sure to use quality ESL curriculum resources to strengthen your lessons and support student success.

Use clear and simple instructions

Instructions are vital in teaching any subject but more so when it’s language. The words that you’re using should be comprehensible. Keep in mind that your students only know a few to zero English words.

Start by using simple words and shorter sentences. You can say: “Please, get your books,” or any material you need them to have. Depending on the setup, you have to accompany your words with gestures.

If you’re teaching English online, then you’ll have to move more. Use more gestures so your students can easily understand what you’re telling them to do. Other than your movements, you can also use visual aids, like a Powerpoint presentation or cue cards.

Using long sentences will confuse your students regardless of their age. Always have them see and hear your instructions so they can absorb and process them easier. Also, don’t progress to more complex words and sentences until you’re sure they’ve learned the basics well enough.

Have your students speak a lot

The next step after having your students listen is to use what they’ve learned. Always use oral communication during all your lectures. It’s the most effective way for you to assess their skills, aside from writing.

Establish a culture of oral participation in your class. Make sure that your class is a safe space for them to speak English without any judgment. Encourage them and constantly remind them that it’s okay to make mistakes.

You can start with group work if you have enough people in the class. If you’re teaching individually, do pair activities with your student to make them feel comfortable and empowered.

Put more context when discussing terminologies

Talking about figures of speech, subject-verb agreement, or verb tenses is a bit advanced for non-native speakers. But, it’s essential that your students understand them if they want to be good enough English speakers. The key is to put more context to these terms during discussions.

Don’t just tell them; show it to them as well for them to understand your lesson with more context. The best approach is to have exercises to know if they understood it or not.

Incorporate innovative ways that make learning fun, such as the use of subtitles in movies and YouTube videos.  This also helps give context in multiple scenarios.

Avoid long lectures

Dragging lessons will not make your students better. You have to know when you’ve been talking or showing them too much. Allow them to process and absorb an ample amount of information.

Shorter lectures, combined with plenty of interaction and visual aids, are better for non-native speakers. That way, you can easily see if they’re picking up your lesson. You must know or at least have an idea of their learning pace during lectures, so you can address anyone who’s having difficulties.

Final thoughts

Put in enough effort and patience to teach your non-native English speakers students to learn the language. It’s a challenge that will be gratifying and rewarding once you’ve overcome it. Let them learn through engaging and meaningful lectures, activities, and tests, and see them develop as your time with them progresses.

Author’s Bio:
Angelo Castelda is a freelance writer from Asia. Besides writing, he also spends his time traveling and learning about diverse cultures, which opened his heart more to learning and imparting knowledge about ESL.

For children that already know English, check our the 5 reasons to sign your kids up for online Spanish classes.

Anti-Bullying Day is a day when the world joins together to stand up against bullying in our schools, on the playground, and online on social media. It’s recognized at different times of the year depending on what country you live in. These are special days that bring awareness and focus to help stop bullying, as well as standing up for those who are currently being bullied.

Parents, teachers and kids of all ages can all work together to ensure no one is ever bullied. Kids can do their part by being a friend to those who are victims of bullying and including them in activities with their group of friends. Even the simple act of sitting with someone in the lunchroom can go a long way to help them feel like they are not alone.

The Origins of Anti-Bullying Day

The idea of Anti-Bullying Day began in Canada in 2007. It’s also called Pink Shirt Day and takes place on the last Wednesday of February.  It began when Canadian students David Shepherd and Travis Price came to the defense of a boy who was bullied simply because he wore a pink polo shirt to school. David and Travis purchased 50 pink T-shirts and handed them out at school for others to wear. The movement spread to other regions around the world. This is why there is also another day called International Day of Pink., which is held on the second Wednesday of April.

There are a few events worldwide when students and adults join to promote anti-bullying awareness.  To learn of events that may be specific to your country, Google “Anti-Bullying” along with your country name.  Some events that may come up are National Bullying Prevention Month, Anti-Bullying Week, or World Day of Bullying Prevention.

Bullying has been around since there have been schools, or when any group of friends throughout history have gathered together to play. It only takes one person who feels the need to ‘get their kicks’ out of picking on someone in the group. The invention of the internet has rapidly spread the problem. Bullies now have the ability reach their victims at home through social media. This is called cyberbullying. On the internet, the effects of cyberbullying can cause even more hurt and damage and it can happen more quickly.

Things You Can Do to Stop Bullying

No matter where bullying takes place, on the playground or online, it’s important for kids to also stand up against it.   If you know of someone who is being bullied, tell let your parents, a teacher or school counselor. There are also other things you can personally do to help. As mentioned, sometimes helping means just being a friend to someone who doesn’t have one.

On social media you can stand up for someone by speaking out against harmful comments about another person. It may be by making simple comment in defense of someone. If you see one of your friend connections taking part in bullying, you may want to talk to them about what they are doing. Ending your social media connection with a person who is bullying you or others is also be a very healthy thing to do.

If you being bullying, the first step is to tell an adult you trust. They can guide you in what you can do to help it stop. Sometimes bullying can happen within friendships. If you have a friend who are being cruel to you, this is called a toxic friendship and a toxic relationship. Distance yourself from them. They are not a true friend who cares about you.

Don’t Be a Bully Bystander

You’ve probably heard the term used for people who are watching something happen but are not part of the action. They are called bystanders. If you were walking down the street and an old lady drops her groceries, and you do nothing to help her, you may be called a bystander in a negative way.

The same can be said for bullying. Of course, you always have to make sure you are safe when you help someone, but whether you see injustice against another person in the school yard or on social media, you have to decide. Will you be a bystander who does nothing, or someone who will step in to help? The same can be said for cyberbullying on social media.

Making a Difference on Anti-Bullying Day

So, whether your school asks teachers and students to wear pink on your own Anti-Bullying Day or not, it’s important to remember that everyone can make a difference. Remember, a large group of people saying NO to bullying is made up of individuals. If everyone said they can’t make a difference just because they are only one person, many great causes around the world would lose their power. That’s often be referred to as “The Power of One”.

Do you see someone who needs a friend?

Do know of someone who is being bullied?

Maybe you are the one who being bullied.

Talk to someone about how you can stand up for yourself in a safe way, or do something else to prevent it from happening again. Don’t be afraid to block or hide someone from view on social media. You may even decide that a particular social media platform is not for you and delete your account altogether. Talk to your parents about this if you need help.

It’s also ok to have compassion for the bully. They are human too. Why do they do what they do? Which brings us to our final comments on the subject of bullying.

A Final Word for Bullies

Are you a person who is bullying someone else? You may wonder why it makes you feel better to be hurtful to others. Perhaps you are involved in other destructive behavior. Maybe you are being bullied or hurt by an adult. Teachers and school counselors are there for you too. Talk to them.

Read about cyberbullying in fan culture and who to help stop it.

It can be challenging to create the ideal workstation for your students. Even the most ergonomically designed settings have plenty of distractions. Today, technology is among the biggest offenders. In some cases, it’s technology that stalls students from beginning their work.

In other cases, it’s technology that diverts the students’ attention away from their work once after they’ve finally obtained focus. Video games, push notifications, you name it. These are all technological features that are distracting to educational modes. However, lowered student performance is not the only result that can stem from an intrusive work environment. 

Distractions can lead students to stress and anxiety, condition them into a mindset that deprioritizes education, and even influence them to lose interest in their studies. Still, our society is heavily reliant on technology, so ridding screens from educational settings isn’t the best solution. 

Perhaps learning the long-lost art of concentration can assist in remediation, as well as taking some time to understand how the role of sleep contributes to productivity. Mind wandering is so natural that we often don’t even realize we’re drifting focus. 

Does a child’s IQ have anything to do with their ability to stay attentive and focused?  Learn what an IQ test can teach parents and teachers about kids by measuring reasoning, memory and a brain’s processing speed.

A study by Microsoft Canada found that our average attention span is 1 second less than that of a goldfish! 8 seconds! Furthermore, The Journal of Neuroscience found that continued lack of sleep could destroy our brain cells. For example, when mice are deprived of sleep, neurons in their brains begin to die. 

Although distractions are impossible to completely vanish, simple steps can point your students in the direction of success. Take a look at the infographic below for a complete reference guide on how to help students focus better.

In educational institutes, a parents-teachers meeting (PTM) is essential to inform the parents about their child’s growth in school. Often, the arrangement does not take place with effective measures leaving miscommunication, partial communication, or no communication.

As well, in the current scenario, both parents are mostly working; hence, they do not make it up for the PTM sometimes.

If you are looking for tips and tricks for improving the parent-teacher school meeting, you have landed at the right spot. Here, we are listing the top tips that will enhance the overall PTM experience.

#1. Use school management system

While you want to strengthen parent-teacher communication in the meetings, you should use a school management system. The system offers a quick and easy communication facility where teachers can send direct notifications or updates to the parents. Apart from this, they can make students’ results and progress reports available online, so parents can view the details without visiting the school.

In fact, the use of such software is being increased day by day. The educational system insists on delivering a high-quality experience to the students and parents, which can be fulfilled by online learning effectively and efficiently.

#2. Offer personalized meeting experience

Each student is unique, so the teacher needs to inform all parents of different details. In this instance, it would be a great idea to deliver a personalized experience for all guardians. This will enable in maintaining the privacy of students’ improvement and allow parents to converse openly. Besides, personalized meeting conversations will enhance the school’s reputation and image among all the parents.

#3. Design shorter, frequent communication

Do not opt for one long communication or wait until the end of the term to reach out with an extended recap to communicate with parents. This will not only create complications in the communication but also create flaws in informing the details.

Just as schools have shifted to more frequent evaluations of students, school communications should also be short and frequent to keep parents in the loop on a continuous basis. A school management app is the best way for this type of communication, where parents and teachers can stay connected frequently.

#4. Allow flexible meeting schedule

This is one of the highly demanded options by the parents. As both parents are working (in most instances), they might not be able to make up at the designated time for the PTM. If your institute’s goal is to strengthen parent-teacher communication, flexibility in the meeting schedule should be there.

Furthermore, in today’s digital world, parent teacher communication can also take place online via school management software. The accessibility of communication with teachers from anywhere, working parents admire this type of facility from a school.

#5. Keep students’ report ready beforehand

 If a teacher has prepared the students’ reports beforehand, it will be a lot easier to communicate the details effectively. With the complete record and progress report on hand, teachers only need to focus on emphasizing having an effective conversation. Moreover, they can present students’ work quickly so that parents can get an overview of their child’s progress at the school.

#6. Provide actionable information

Providing information to keep parents up-to-date is recommended, but schools also need to make sure they share information that parents can act on. This can include opportunities for parents to encourage or prepare their child for classroom assignments or learn about forthcoming extracurricular activities and special events.

Apart from the above mentioned tips, here are some other consideration that helps in improving parent teacher communication;

• Encourage teachers to be proactive about communication with parents. If parents are not participating actively, send them reminders and ask them to join a meeting.

• Build a report with the parents and inform them about their child’s overall behavior or progress at school. If required, teachers should connect with specialists for the betterment of students.

• Arrange for the translator if there is a requirement for making the communication a flawless process.

• Assess family dynamics for students who have parents no longer living together and ensure proper communication for both households.

• Make sure a teacher is using appropriate verbal and nonverbal communication.

• Do not forget to mention the positives about each student to their parents.

• Take advantage of technology where possible and needed.

Effective communication between parents and teachers is crucial for the betterment of students. As teacher and parent relationships play a vital role in the development of a student, both of them need to communicate frequently and on a continuous basis. Once parents are aware of their child’s progress at school, they can take certain measures to notice visible improvements in the student’s progress.

In a nutshell, when you are trying to make parent-teacher communication an effective process, there are certain elements that play their role. For instance, if you opt for a tech-savvy approach, it will be a lot easier to share information with parents. Also, it will advance the manual tasks and create a positive impression. If a teacher keeps the above mentioned points in mind while conversing with parents, the PTM can be as effective as expected.

About the author:
Shobhit Srivastava is an avid writer. He holds spectacular skills in school automation, loyalty programs, marketing, and customer retention. Connect with him on Twitter!