How to Teach Beginners English: 13 Fundamentals You Need to Use

Summary

In this video, Chris Westergard from the Language House introduces a series on teaching beginners English, highlighting his 'Five Points' methodology. He emphasizes the unique challenges of teaching at this level and shares 13 fundamental principles for effective instruction. These include setting clear language goals, being charismatic, assuming students know nothing, minimizing teacher talk, using visuals, eliciting responses, speaking slowly, focusing on language usage, teaching language chunks, correcting errors, teaching contractions from day one, and emphasizing the importance of drilling and practice. The video aims to equip teachers with strategies to make beginner-level classes productive and engaging.

Takeaways

• 📝 Develop a clear language goal for the lesson, focusing on 3-5 questions that beginners can ask and answer.
• 🌟 Charisma is essential for engaging beginners and reducing anxiety, requiring a friendly demeanor and a playful attitude.
• 🚫 Assume beginners know nothing and elicit every word and phrase to avoid confusion and ensure comprehension.
• 🔒 Limit teacher talk time (TTT) and use only the necessary words and phrases that will be used in the final conversation.
• 🎨 Utilize visuals extensively, including props, drawings, and miming, to teach without relying on complex language explanations.
• 🔍 Elicit everything from the students to ensure they are following along and understanding the lesson.
• 🔉 Speak slowly and naturally to accommodate the slower processing speed of beginners.
• 📉 Teach less to avoid overwhelming beginners; focus on the essential language needed for their end-of-lesson goal.
• 🏪 Teach language chunks to provide beginners with useful phrases that can be easily combined and practiced.
• 🔄 Correct beginners frequently to establish a strong language foundation and encourage correct usage from the start.
• 👌 Start teaching contractions from day one to mimic natural English and improve the sound of beginners' speech.
• 🔨 Drill and practice language points extensively to ensure beginners can correctly use new language in various contexts.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Chris Westergard's video series?

The main focus of Chris Westergard's video series is teaching true beginners using an effective methodology he created called 'The Five Points'.

Why did Chris Westergard develop 'The Five Points' methodology?

Chris Westergard developed 'The Five Points' methodology after teaching hundreds of hours at the beginner level and observing what worked and what didn’t work in numerous teachers' classes.

What is the first video in the series about?

The first video in the series is about the 13 fundamentals that an English teacher needs to successfully teach at the beginner level.

How important is charisma when teaching beginners, according to Chris Westergard?

According to Chris Westergard, charisma is very important when teaching beginners. Teachers need to show big smiles, friendly gestures, and maintain a playful attitude to alleviate students' anxiety and apprehension.

Why does Chris suggest assuming beginners know nothing?

Chris suggests assuming beginners know nothing because it helps prevent confusion and anxiety. Teachers should pre-teach and elicit every word and phrase that appears in the lesson.

What is the significance of keeping Teacher Talk Time (TTT) low in beginner classes?

Keeping TTT low is significant in beginner classes because beginners do not understand much English. Excessive teacher talk can quickly overwhelm and confuse them, so teachers should only speak when necessary using simple, essential language.

Why is it important to use visuals, props, and miming in beginner classes?

It is important to use visuals, props, and miming in beginner classes because these methods help convey meaning without relying on language, which beginners may not understand.

What does Chris mean by 'chunking' in language teaching?

By 'chunking', Chris means teaching useful phrases or sentence structures that have a lot of utility, allowing students to practice a wide range of language within a simple framework.

What is Chris Westergard’s stance on error correction for beginners?

Chris Westergard believes in correcting beginners' errors frequently to ensure they use correct structures from the start. This builds a solid foundation and boosts their confidence in speaking correctly.

Why does Chris advocate for teaching contractions from day one?

Chris advocates for teaching contractions from day one because contractions are used in natural English, and teaching them early helps beginners sound more natural and fluent.

What is the importance of drilling and studying in teaching beginners?

Drilling and studying are crucial in teaching beginners because they need extensive practice to internalize vocabulary, grammar structures, and language use. Repeated practice helps solidify their understanding and ability to use the language effectively.

What are some techniques Chris Westergard plans to cover in video number two of the series?

In video number two, Chris Westergard plans to cover the specific lesson structure and detailed techniques of his 'Five Points' methodology, focusing on how to build up students' language skills systematically.