Teaching Beginners - 7 Key Principles of VES Classes

On 15th April we had our first VES “How To Teach Beginners” Training Session. We covered -

Key Principles - big ideas to bear in mind when preparing and teaching for VES

Cool Tools - ideas for material to use for teaching beginners, even with no resources

Teaching Techniques - different ways you can teach.

Our Key Principles for VES classes are:

#1 Express welcome. Seek to build rapport, explicitly communicate you are pleased to see the students, smile.

#2 Teach at the level advertised. Stick with the lesson plan you’ve prepared or you’ve been asked to do. If students are way too strong, or way too weak, then move students to more suitable groups rather than change what you’ve prepared.

#3 Teach what is useful and useable. For example, how to say your phone number and date of birth rather than the names of farm animals or musical instruments. Be sensitive to the circumstances of the asylum seekers in terms of content.

#4 Find personal connection points with the students. “Ah - it’s your birthday soon!”

#5 45-60 minutes is a good session. If you have a 90 minute slot take 5 mins in the middle to breath, get refreshments etc.

#6 Teach one word in a hundred ways, rather than a hundred words in one way. i.e. 8-12 new pieces of vocabulary is enough for one session; and you must keep the lessons fresh by using several different techniques through the class.

#7 Be super encouraging. You cannot praise and encourage too much.