What to teach?

Question

Hello I 'm new in this forum. I teach(in fact try to teach!) English to the students of ages (11-13) as foreign language. Our education program that is curriculum is not very useful and I want to improve it. I want to learn which subjects to teach? If anybody can help me I will be very happy...

Tam · Accepted Answer

I know it sounds simplistic but getting hold of a grammar book and just allocating grammar topics to each module tends to be the most structured way to teach. This way the students will know how to follow the course and the teachers know what they need to teach.

The best book I can recommend is English Grammar in Use by Murphy as it covers all grammar, progessing in a logical way.

Of course don't forget fun activities to keep them all interested!!

Good Luck!

Hoca · Answer

Thanks for your reply in fact I'd like to know if there is a rule that say "these grammar subjects are for that age of students or classes and those are for one age (or class) above" or would it be ok if I teach any grammar subject at any class?

Shmooliette · Answer

Hi there

Have you got access to any other text books designed for kids? I taught children this age last year, and it seems the books are always inadequate, and more particularly they don't give you enough things to do. IF you do, you could take their progression of grammar study and apply it to your own course. Cambridge English for Schools 1 and 2 is a bit heavy going, but its planned out well.

I think it is fine to teach any grammar points to any age, I taught past perfect and third conditional to 12 year olds, it just depends how good they are. all I would suggest is review review review, kids pick it up quickly, even difficult stuff, but they forget by the next lesson.

An excellant book I used is Singing Grammar, which, you guessed it, has a different song for each grammar point, plus activities and stuff. If your students would like this, i recommend it. It all depends where you are teaching though, 13 year old kids in Indonesia are very young compared to 13 year olds from London!

With my classes I also had a theme for each section, something they liked such as Aliens or mobile phones ( !) and built on that, finishing with a project where they make or do something. Im not sure if you have the resources or anything, just an idea! This supposedly fools them into thinking they are not learning anything boring like grammar

If you have any suggestions for me about what you do with them, please tell me as I am always looking!

I wish you luck, any more questions just drop a line

Juliette

Hoca · Answer

Thanks a lot Shmooliette. I also use different grammar subjects from different resources and try to make lessons more interesting and fun. But it isn't easy if you have classes with 40 students. Anyway this is another problem but I wonder if you have such a situation: We have a curriculum in our schools and we have to make lessons according to that program. Do you have such kind of restrictions in education or are you free to teach anything ?

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