Many of my fellow ESL teachers are afraid to show movies in their classroom.
“Why?” I ask.
“We weren’t hired to show movies,” they always say. “We are supposed to teach.”
They are right, of course. A television is no substitute for a teacher. Yet, my students with the best pronunciations and vocabulary tell me that they owe [...]
Archive for the ‘Teaching Techniques’ Category
Why Showing Movies in Your ESL Classroom is a Good Idea
Posted by Robert Vance on December 29th, 2008
Introducing Enjoy English – A Weekly Publication for the ESL Classroom
Posted by Robert Vance on November 13th, 2008
Click here to download the first issue of Enjoy English
Robert Vance here. TeachAbroadChina.com is only 8 months old and already we are drawing hundreds of visitors from around the globe every day. In an effort to better serve our ESL teachers in China and worldwide, the China Teaching Web is very proud to present Enjoy [...]
Posted in Teaching Techniques 
Tags: ESL Ideas, ESL Plans, ESL-Lessons, ESOL, teach in China, Teaching Ideas, TEFL, TESOL 
No Comments »5 Ways to Save Your Voice in ESL Class
Posted by Robert Vance on October 20th, 2008
I used to think that a good ESL teacher should barely have a voice after a full day of teaching. I used to believe that a good ESL teacher would have the direct attention of the English class at all times. I thought that it was my job to perform and entertain the students with [...]
Using Skits in the ESL Classroom
Posted by Robert Vance on September 22nd, 2008
The best ESL class that I ever taught in China involved a series of skits that I did for students which ranged in age from six to sixteen. I used the ESL skits to teach a lesson about good manners and the students as well as the teachers loved every minute of it. Here is what I did:
Skit #1 [...]
What To Do When Teaching English in China Stops Being Fun
Posted by Robert Vance on August 14th, 2008
It often happens after one year. For some ESL teachers in China, it may even occur after six months. No matter how excited you are about teaching, it is inevitable. Eventually, you are going to feel ‘burned out’ and tired of having to expend so much energy preparing for classes and delivering lessons. When you reach this [...]
Teaching ESL in China to Adults
Posted by Robert Vance on July 14th, 2008
After teaching English to children for years, teaching adults in China was a welcome change of pace. No more snotty nosed kids whispering to each other about me in a language that I could not understand. No more having to send kids to sit in the corner or having to waste half the class getting [...]
How to Make Your ESL Class in China Fun
Posted by Robert Vance on June 23rd, 2008
When you signed up to be a teacher in China, you most likely were not signing up to be an entertainer. If you had wanted to be a clown, you could have signed up to work in a circus. No, you just wanted to be an ESL teacher plain and simple, bringing the gift of [...]
Your First Days as an ESL Teacher at a New English School
Posted by Robert Vance on June 1st, 2008
Your first days as an ESL teacher in China are important for a few reasons. First, they give you a chance to introduce yourself to the teachers and students. You may not remember even 1% of the names that you hear but you can be sure that your students and colleagues will remember your name. Second, your first days [...]
How to Teach Pronunciation in ESL Class
Posted by Robert Vance on May 12th, 2008
I have many students who have obtained an amazing vocabulary and whose grammar is the envy of other students. It is just too bad that no one can understand what they are saying. As an ESL teacher, your first priority is to help your students develop their pronunciation skills. Without proper pronunciation, other aspects of English such [...]
Tips for a Successful ESL Social Talk Class
Posted by Robert Vance on April 24th, 2008
Most foreign teachers in China have to participate in some form of an ESL social talking class at least once a week. Some schools may refer to this class as an ‘English Corner’,’English Salon’, ‘Free Topic Discussion Time’, or ‘conversation class.’ In my experience, this class can be exhilirating, exhausting, and downright frustrating at times. As [...]
