How to start teaching kids English - #1

Summary

Suzi, a South African ESL teacher in Poland, shares three key tips for teaching English to children. First, sit on the floor to establish a comfortable connection. Second, show genuine interest in the child's activities and environment. Third, build confidence by highlighting the child's English knowledge. She uses drawing as an engaging method to interact and teach. Suzi invites feedback and additional tips for teaching children.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Suzi is a South African living in Poland with 8 years of experience teaching English as a Second Language.
• 👩‍🏫 She offers advice for those interested in teaching children English, especially for non-teachers.
• 🧍‍♀️ Tip 1: Sit on the floor to meet children at their level and make them feel comfortable.
• 🤔 Tip 2: Show genuine interest in the child's activities, environment, and possessions to build rapport.
• 🗣️ Tip 3: Boost the child's confidence by acknowledging their English skills and using interactive activities like drawing.
• 🎨 Drawing can be a fun and effective way to engage with children and teach them English vocabulary.
• 👶 Meeting children at their level and showing interest helps to establish a connection and foster learning.
• 👏 Congratulating children on their achievements in English can motivate them to continue learning.
• 👫 Suzi emphasizes the importance of making children feel comfortable and approachable in a learning environment.
• 📚 She invites others to share their experiences and tips for teaching children English.
• 🎉 Suzi celebrates the launch of her YouTube channel and wishes viewers a great year ahead.

Q & A

What is Suzi's profession?

Suzi is a teacher who has been teaching English as a Second Language for the past 8 years.

What is Suzi's nationality and where does she currently live?

Suzi is South African and she is currently living in Poland.

What is the main concern of Suzi's friend who is being asked to teach children English?

Suzi's friend is concerned because she has never taught children before and feels like she doesn't know how to interact with them.

What is the first tip Suzi gives for teaching children English?

The first tip Suzi gives is to sit on the floor to make oneself more approachable and to be on the same level as the child.

Why does Suzi suggest sitting on the floor when teaching children?

Sitting on the floor makes the teacher appear less intimidating and more approachable, which can help the child feel more comfortable.

What is the second tip Suzi provides for engaging with children?

The second tip is to show genuine interest in the child's activities, environment, and possessions.

How does Suzi suggest showing interest in a child's environment?

Suzi suggests asking about and reacting to things in the child's environment, such as their teddy bear, their handstands, or pictures on the wall.

What is the third tip Suzi offers for building confidence in teaching English to children?

The third tip is to acknowledge and congratulate the child on their English knowledge, even if it's just a few words.

How does Suzi use drawing as a method to teach English?

Suzi uses drawing as a way to interact with children and teach English by describing the drawing process in English and asking the child questions about the drawing.

What is the purpose of Suzi's YouTube video?

The purpose of Suzi's YouTube video is to share her tips and experiences for teaching English to children, particularly for those who are new to teaching.

What does Suzi encourage viewers to do if they have their own tips or experiences to share?

Suzi encourages viewers to share their own tips or experiences in the comments of her video.

What is the closing statement of Suzi's video?

Suzi thanks viewers for watching her first YouTube video and wishes them an amazing 2017.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Teaching English to Kids: Tips from a South African in Poland

Suzi, a South African English teacher based in Poland, shares three tips for teaching children English as a second language. Her advice is aimed at those who are not professional teachers but are considering teaching kids English. The first tip is to sit on the floor to make oneself less intimidating and more approachable to children. The second tip is to show genuine interest in the child's environment and activities, such as asking about their teddy bear or congratulating them on a handstand. The third tip focuses on building the child's confidence by acknowledging their existing English knowledge and using activities like drawing to engage them and reinforce their language skills. Suzi invites viewers to share their own tips and experiences in teaching children.

Keywords

💡Teaching English as a Second Language

Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) refers to the practice of teaching the English language to students with different native languages. In the video, Suzi has been doing this for 8 years, which establishes her credibility and experience. The script revolves around her expertise in TESL, offering tips to others who might be interested in teaching children English.

💡Tips

Tips are pieces of advice or guidance on how to do something effectively. Suzi provides three key tips for teaching children English, which are central to the video's message. These tips are practical strategies that can help beginners feel more confident when teaching kids.

💡Vulnerable

Vulnerable means being open to attack or harm, physically or emotionally. Suzi suggests sitting on the floor to make oneself more vulnerable and approachable to children. This creates a non-threatening environment and helps in building rapport with the child.

💡Approachable

Approachable describes someone who is easy to talk to or interact with. Suzi emphasizes the importance of being approachable when teaching children, as it helps in establishing a connection and making the child feel comfortable.

💡Interest

Interest here refers to showing curiosity or concern about someone or something. Suzi advises showing interest in the child's activities, such as asking about their teddy bear or congratulating them on doing a handstand. This engages the child and fosters a sense of connection.

💡Confidence Builder

A confidence builder is something that helps to increase self-assurance. Suzi mentions that acknowledging the child's understanding of English phrases is a confidence builder, which is crucial for language learning and the teacher-student relationship.

💡Language Learning

Language learning is the process of acquiring knowledge of a new language. The video's theme is centered around strategies for teaching English to children, which is a form of language learning. Suzi's tips are aimed at facilitating this process.

💡Drawing

Drawing is used as a method of interaction and teaching in the script. Suzi suggests using drawing to engage with children and teach English simultaneously. For example, she draws a face and asks the child where the eyes are, which is a way to teach vocabulary in context.

💡Interaction

Interaction refers to the act of engaging or taking part in an activity. Suzi uses drawing as a form of interaction with children, which is a key part of her teaching strategy. It helps in making the learning process fun and interactive.

💡Teddy

A teddy is a toy bear, often used as a comfort object by children. Suzi uses the teddy as an example of showing interest in the child's belongings to build rapport. It's a relatable item for children and can serve as a conversation starter.

💡Handstands

Handstands are a physical activity that Suzi uses as an example of showing interest in a child's actions. By congratulating the child on doing a handstand, she demonstrates engagement and encourages the child, which is part of building a positive learning environment.

Highlights

Suzi shares her experience teaching English as a Second Language for 8 years.

Provides tips for teaching children English, especially for those new to teaching.

Advises sitting on the floor to be on the same level as children for comfort.

Emphasizes the importance of being interested in the child and their environment.

Encourages showing genuine interest in children's activities and possessions.

Suggests building confidence by acknowledging children's English skills.

Uses drawing as a method to interact with children and teach English.

Involves children in the drawing process to engage them in English.

Encourages children by congratulating them on their understanding of English.

Shares personal anecdotes to make the tips relatable.

Invites viewers to share their own experiences and tips for teaching children.

Expresses gratitude for watching her first YouTube video.

Wishes viewers an amazing year ahead.

Encourages a community approach to sharing teaching tips.

Promotes a friendly and approachable teaching style.

Stresses the value of making learning English fun and interactive.

Ends the video with a warm and personal farewell.

Transcripts

Hi guys! My name is Suzi and I'm a South African living in Poland!

And I've been Teaching English as a Second Language for the past

8 years.

And I've had a few people

come up to me and ask me, uh, like how do you teach?

Or would you have any tips for other people

who are interested in teaching children English.

For example. I have this

wonderful friend who speaks

English perfectly, she speaks French perfectly.

She's not a teacher, she studied something totally different

but a few people have asked her if she

would maybe like to teach their kids.

And she kind of panicked and called me

and she asked, "What am I supposed to do?"

"I've never taught kids, I don't hang around with kids."

How do you teach someone who's

not your age, who you think of as some small little alien?

So I'm gonna give you three

tips

that could help you feel a little bit more

confident on your first meeting or

lesson with a small human being who would like

to learn English, or who's parents would like this

human being to learn English.

So my first step is

tada!

to sit on the floor

So meeting an adult, just imagine, you're meeting this person

who's like, so much taller than you and if you

look at them and you have to kind of be

in this position in order to see their face

thats kind of um, kind of scary and intimidating

and on top of this, this person is speaking to

you, using these words that you have

no idea what they mean. But when you sit on the floor

you kind of make yourself a little bit more

vulnerable, but you're also on the level of

this child, which makes them feel a

little more comfortable and it makes you

more approachable.

Next tip:

Be interested!

Being interested means reacting to what

they're saying or to things that

they're doing with interest

so for example, asking about a teddy

and asking if it's theirs and showing interest in their Teddy.

Showing interest in um, them making handstands

and congratulating them on that

showing interest in, for example

pictures on their wall and asking, you know

"Did you draw this? Is this yours? Wow this is really good!"

So just being interested in them and their

environment and showing that you want to

be there, with this kid, already kind of

opens up this wave of friendship.

Third thing is...

"You know English!"

Which I think is pretty important

as a confidence builder.

Because learning a language

isn't actually that difficult. I think a lot

of people blocking themselves and they

think that no this is impossible I can't

do it, I don't know, I don't understand what you're

saying so I'm gonna listen to you and I

think it's important to find certain things

that the child understands and knows and

congratulating them on it. Or I do this thing where I kind of

trick them into knowing the language.

I start with a drawing. Drawing in itself is a very

very cool way to interact with the

child and teach English at the same

time. So for example, I would say, OK so.

"I am drawing

a head

And now I'm drawing

two eyes,

a nose and a mouth."

"Where are his eyes? Where can you see his eyes?" *Blink Blink*

And the child usually points and I'm like

"Well done! Yes! That's his eyes!"

And then, kinda like, you know

"You see? You know English!"

So yeah, those were three of the tips that I think

could be important as a start.

If you have any tips on what made your

first lessons work or what helped you when

you started teaching kids, let me know

or if there's some other tips that

you would like, you're welcome to let me know too!

and maybe I can help out.

Hey guys. So that was my first ever

YouTube video and I just wanted to say thanks for watching!

And I wish you an amazing

2017!

Bye!