Helping elementary esl students (Guest:Perry)

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#1574 Tue, 01 Jul 03 05:36 AM

What do ESL students generally have the most difficulty with in an elementary classroom? What are some effective strategies for helping them acheive academically and socially that any teachers out there have found helpful? Thanks!!!

Guest

maj

#1669 Thu, 03 Jul 03 07:39 AM

I would say monolingual students living in a non-English speaking country would find listenings the most difficult part at this level. One way to help them is by playing easy songs that everybody knows.

maj

Joined on Mon, Mar 31 2003

Senior Member (4,756)

Woodward

#1678 Thu, 03 Jul 03 04:29 PM

Hi Perry,
I find that elementary ESL students generally have problems with listening (as maj said) and depending on the country, the pronunciation. A lot of students have no problem reading when they start, but when it comes to speaking, that's another story. Usually they are afraid of making mistakes especially in front of others.
To help students acheive their best, they should know that when you are learning it is totally natural to make mistakes and that from these you mistakes you normally learn the most. I find that adding humour and fun to the class helps them a lot. It relaxs them and gives them a bit more confidence when it comes to speaking. They should remember that learning English takes time, there is no instant English available on the market. It's a long but fascinating process.
HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!!

Woodward

Joined on Tue, Jun 24 2003

A New Zealander in Chile

Senior Member (2,802)

<hint> Don't let schooling interfere with your education.</hint> www.woodward.cl

Learning English, Pronunciation

maj

#1679 Thu, 03 Jul 03 04:44 PM

beautifully explained! Do you think the process a child undergoes to learn its mother tongue is similar to the process the foreign learner experiences when learning a foreing language? Am I making myself understood?

maj

Woodward

#1680 Thu, 03 Jul 03 05:01 PM

It is similar though children have less inhibitions and are less afraid of asking questions.
Foreign language learners usually have a tendency to want to translate everything into their native language, especially at the beginning, which can often confuse them more.

Woodward

maj

#1681 Thu, 03 Jul 03 05:27 PM

You are probably right but let's not forget that a child doesn't speak properly until he/she is about two. He/she has been listening to his/her parents for about two years before he/she actually speaks.

maj