I Love TEFL Videos - Language House TEFL

We had this fun thing that we used to do (and still do at TLH TEFL www.thelanguagehouse.net) which involved playing a poker style game in class. I always thought that fun punishments were a lot more motivating than giving out hacky rewards in the classroom. I'll probably have a separate page eventually about my thoughts on motivation, token economy and different reward systems later on. Here are some cute and funny videos that we made of the losing team(s). Basically if the team lost they had to go outside and yell "I LOVE TEFL" a certain number of times. What made it the best though was that we did this during the first day of the course.

I've always thought that in teaching it's good to set the tone of your pace and style to your students right from the get go. Don't be afraid to push them a bit if you can. I loved that we do this during the first day and it usually creates a WTF moment for the students. I think overall everyone has a really good time and it sets the tone for the rest of the course.

Love TEFL? Who Doesn't

Also if you want to be a good ESL/EFL teacher, you are going to have to learn to be able to make a fool out of yourself at times and get rid of all your natural fears of public speaking and embarrassment. What better training for this than to scream some random sentence in a crowded public setting while amused and terrified Czechs look on.
(If you can think of something better write me)

Take care,
Chris
http://www.thelanguagehouse.net

Comments

Teaching English to Beginners with Chris Westergaard - Demo Video (A1) Seasons

I've got a new demonstration video with a group of A1 (beginner) students. This was obviously shot in Prague where I'm located. The focus of the lesson is 'Seasons' and the various different activities you can do during different seasons. Just an FYI to readers, this was a brand new class. I had never met them before and it was their first time in the classroom together. In these situations, you are really starting from scratch with your training and techniques. You'll see this in the video that things start off a bit slow and there are some bumpy sections. I had to constantly control for L1 and use a lot of behavioural techniques to get them to do what I wanted. Check out the video below. I've included a bunch of tips regarding beginner methodology in the video. I really do love this level because it requires absolutely pure teaching techniques. Take a look! Let me know your thoughts!

ESL Lesson Plan - Passive Voice - Crime Scene

Here's a lesson for solid intermediates and up with a language focus on the passive voice and crime lexis. At the end of the lesson, students take the roles of police officers and have to give a press briefing to the media about a crime scene that they witnessed. Ideally, you will need an empty room to set up a crime scene for the activation and a language school that is ok with you trashing things around a bit. There are other ways to get around this, if this is not possible. * I create tailored lesson plans for anyone who wants them. If you want me to create you a lesson from scratch, contact me, and I'll do one for you. Please follow my blog on the right to show your support. Introduction: just a couple of min. Do any of the following. 1. Show a clip from a movie that shows a police officer giving a press briefing to the media 2. Come in and immediately address the class as if they are police officers 3. Have a picture of a police chalk outline and ask students wh...

ESL Lesson Plan - Theme Parks - Intermediate - Lexis

Here's a fun original lesson that you can use with intermediates and above dealing with theme/amusement parks. Depending on the level you can simplify the lexis or make it more difficult. Introduction (2-3 minutes) (Use any of the below suggestions) a. Post some pictures of rides or amusement parks on the wall. b. Come in dressed as Mickey Mouse or have a picture of him (elicit Disney Land). c. Role play being on a roller coaster and have students guess where you are. d. Show a video of a roller coaster from 1st person perspective . The key is to try to elicit the word/idea 'amusement park'. Your students might not know what that word is in English, but they will all understand the concept. Lead in (about 5-10 minutes) Have these questions up pre written on the board or as a handout. With a 45 minute class you probably won't need 5 questions. 1. Do you like amusement parks? When was the last time you went to one? 2. Is there an a...

TEFL Prague and Abroad

Search This Blog