Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Highlights
• Part 2 of 3: Effective Techniques
• Part 3 of 3: Playful Learning
• Tips

Teaching English as a second language to beginners is not an easy task. You will have to deal with different complexities, regardless of previous experience. As with other subjects, each student has a different learning ability. At the same time, the nature of the problems depends on the native language of each student. Through effort and knowledge, you will be able to acquire the skills needed to teach English as a second language to beginners.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Highlights

1. 1 Alphabet and numbers. The first thing to start learning with is the alphabet and numbers. Strong knowledge of the alphabet and numbers will be an excellent basis for further language learning.
   • Invite students to learn the alphabet down to a specific letter. For example, you can start at "a" and stop at "m". Students should memorize letters at a pace that is comfortable for them to work with. Demand diligence from them, but do not be overly demanding.
   • Invite students to work with numbers. As with letters, you don't need to overwhelm your students. Try creating a spreadsheet where students practice writing all letters and numbers.
   • Use flashcards with words that begin with different letters of the alphabet to reinforce the story.
   • If the student uses the Latin alphabet in his native language, it will be easier for him to remember the English letters.
2. 2 Pronunciation and complex sounds. Learning pronunciation plays an important role in teaching English as a second language. Focus on sounds that are especially difficult for novice learners:
   • Combination letter "TH". The combination of letters "TH" (as in the words "theater" or "thing") is simply absent in many other languages, including Russian. For this reason, many students find it difficult to pronounce the appropriate sound (especially for representatives of the Romance or Slavic language groups).
   • Sound "R". For a number of reasons, the “R” sound is also difficult to learn, including for Russian-speaking students. Differing pronunciations in regional dialects complicate the task even more.
   • Sound "L". Another difficulty for beginners is the "L" sound.This does not apply to those whose native language is Russian, but is typical, for example, for students from East Asia. Be sure to work on the “L” sound.
   • Sound "H". This sound is also difficult for students: for example, the "X" in Russian sounds completely different, and Spanish speakers are completely used to not pronouncing it. In English, you should also take into account that it can appear in letter combinations, such as "gh" in "laugh" or "sh" in "fish".
3. 3 Nouns. After learning the alphabet and numbers, move on to nouns. Such a task should not be difficult for your students. Each object around them is a new lexical unit for memorization.
   • Start with simple items in your study.
   • Then study the name of the objects that are found in the city. Examples include words such as car, house, tree, road, and many others.
   • Continue to explore the subjects that the students deal with in their daily life - the names of food, electronics, and the like.
4. 4 Adjectives. They explain or describe nouns and are therefore important for communication. It is helpful to explain them immediately after nouns, since adjectives are only used with them.
   • Adjectives change meanings or describe other words. Examples include wild, silly, troubled, agreable.
5. 5 Verbs. Learning verbs is a huge step in allowing students to complete sentences (in writing or orally).
   • Verbs describe actions. Consider with students, for example, verbs such as to speak, to talk, and to pronounce.
   • Pay special attention to irregular verbs. The verb to go will be a great example when studying such a complex phenomenon as English irregular verbs. In the past tense, the verb to go has the form went, and the past participle looks like gone.
6. 6 Adverbs. Adverbs explain verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs and add more detail to a sentence. Students can use them to tell how or to what extent they did something. They can also describe adjectives using adverbs to give more details.
   • Adverbs describe or change the meaning of verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Examples of adverbs: very, wearily, happily, and easily.
   • If a word ends in -ly, it is most likely an adverb.
7. 7 Times and articles. After learning about nouns, verbs, and adjectives, the next item on the agenda is tenses and articles. If students do not know how to use tenses and articles correctly, then they simply will not be able to make sentences.
   • Times allow us to explain exactly when an event occurs. Explain to students the past, present, and future tense.
   • Articles carry additional information about a noun. In English, the articles a, an and the are used.
   • Make sure that students study the tenses and articles thoroughly, as without them it is impossible to form sentences and express correctly.
8. 8 Common expressions. As you teach, encourage students to practice their speech and use common expressions. This is very important because students will not be able to understand the meaning of many of these phrases based on the literal meaning of the words used.
   • Repeat phrases and make sentences with them until students begin to use them accurately in their speech.
   • Start with common expressions like never mind, no doubt, or make believe.
   • Provide students with a list of common expressions to remember and work through.
9. 9 Basic sentence constructions. If students already know the alphabet, verbs and other parts of speech, then it's time to teach them how to make sentences. This information will help them write and read correctly. Explain to the students the five main ways of writing sentences that are found in English:
   • Subject-verb sentences. In such sentences, the verb follows the subject. For example: "The dog runs".
   • Subject-verb-object type sentences. In such sentences, the subject comes first, followed by the verb and object. For example: "John eats pizza".
   • Subject-verb-adjective sentences. In such sentences, the subject comes first, followed by the verb and the adjective. For example: "The puppy is cute".
   • Subject-verb-adverb sentences. Such sentences consist of a subject, a verb, and an adverb. For example: "The lion is there".
   • Subject-verb-noun sentences. Such sentences consist of a subject and a verb, and end with a noun. For example: "Emmanuel is a philosopher."

Part 2 of 3: Effective Techniques

1. 1 Encourage students to speak only English in class. A great way to make learning easier is to invite students to speak only English during the lesson. They will be forced to actively use all their knowledge of the language, as well as acquire new knowledge. This environment creates a conducive environment for effective learning.
   • Use this approach after learning the main points (alphabet and numbers, main questions and greetings).
   • If students make mistakes, correct them on the fly.
   • Always inspire students to be productive.
   • The best practice is to use the “follow me” and “answer questions” approach. For example, you might make a statement or ask a question, and then students are asked to give their opinion or answer a question in English.
   • Don't be too demanding. Do not try to shame students who are struggling and use their mother tongue. Try to help them.
2. 2 Support spoken phrases with written prompts. Always use verbal and written phrases when explaining the next exercise or homework. Thanks to this, students will be able to perceive words by ear and see them in writing. This will make it easier for them to associate the written form of the word with the pronunciation.
   • Prepare assignments and distribute them to students in hard copy. If the training takes place online, then send the tasks by e-mail, and then explain the task orally via video link.
3. 3 Continuously monitor the progress of each student. Monitor your progress regardless of the type of lesson or assignments performed. It is necessary to know where the students show success and what they have difficulties with.
   • If teaching is in the classroom, walk up to the students and talk to them to help cope with difficulties.
   • When teaching online, use messages and emails to stay up-to-date.
   • Tell class members that you will always be happy to help during class and classroom activities.
4. 4 Use a variety of teaching methods. Beginners learn English more effectively if they use different learning methods. Diversity is very important, because each student needs an individual approach:
   • develop oral speech;
   • hone your writing skills;
   • do reading exercises;
   • work on listening comprehension;
   • give equal attention to all aspects.
5. 5 Divide lessons into time segments. If you are working with beginners or very young learners, then divide the lessons into several 10-minute sections. This will keep your students focused, and you won't overwhelm them with new information.
   • You don't have to stick to exactly 10 minutes. You can expand the segments a little if this has a positive effect on learning.
   • After each mini-lesson, move on to a completely different topic. This makes it much easier for students to maintain concentration and not be distracted.
   • Change your lesson plan and exercise types daily. Try to use as many different activities as possible so that students work hard and not relax.

Part 3 of 3: Playful Learning

1. 1 Reinforce each topic in a playful way. Games can help you learn English by adding an element of fun and allowing you to think less clichéd.
   • Use competitive scoring games to develop a competitive spirit.
   • Use team games to encourage students to work as a team.
   • Use games to develop memory and the ability to make assumptions. For example, you can show students clue cards so that they can guess the correct answers on their own.
2. 2 Use visuals. In the process of language learning, it is important to use visual aids to strengthen lexical associations. Thanks to this approach, your students will be able to better remember the relationship between concepts and new words that are learned in the classroom. Use materials like this:
   • images and photographs;
   • postcards;
   • video recordings;
   • maps and diagrams;
   • comics. This method is especially good because it combines visual and textual information.
3. 3 Use mobile applications in English in your work. A great way to teach English is to use English speaking smartphone apps. Such applications allow you to consolidate the topics studied, improve language skills, and memorize new words and phrases.
   • Applications are available for mobile devices with different operating systems.
   • There is a large selection of free apps like Duolingo.
   • Some programs allow students to work in a group from different devices.
4. 4 Use social media. Social media is also extremely useful for newbies. They allow you to learn colloquial expressions and common words. Among other things, students can see examples of the use of words and improve the acquired knowledge.
   • Enter the heading "idiom of the day". Choose common idioms and colloquial expressions and explain to students the meaning of such phrases.
   • Encourage students to subscribe to Twitter updates from popular personalities and translate their posts.
   • Create a group on a social network and invite students to share the news, explain and translate each news into English.

Tips

• Sign up for refresher courses. They will help you expand your arsenal of methods and exercises for working with students. Similar courses are available all over the world.
• Prepare comprehensively for each new lesson.
• Always prepare materials in advance and arrange them in the right order according to the plan. Be sure to have additional materials on hand. In some cases, students can get up to speed on a topic faster than you think. Some exercises may seem so boring to them that even ten minutes will turn into eternity.