A level of English can be a challenge for both teachers and students. The difficulty is not so much with the syllabus itself as with the approach to the subject.
In other school curricula the focus, in the case of English, is to be able to read and write with a degree of comfort and familiarity. The ability to paraphrase or repeat the same concepts in different words is the basis for evaluation.
In the case of A level English, the ability to understand and comment on what is expressed in English is the basis for evaluation.
This requires students to appreciate the meaning, implied meaning, or intention behind the words they are reading or using.
Communicating this to students is not easy, but following these tested tips will make the process more effective and allow students to better understand both the language they are using and the way their usage will be evaluated.
#1
- Keep the communications with the students simple and brief. Over-explanation can be counterproductive as being expected to absorb too much can lead to confusion and miscomprehension.
#2
- Give the students time to become familiar with expressing themselves in English. Correcting every mistake from the very beginning will damage their confidence and willingness to learn.
#3
- Be prepared to repeat yourself when required. Some concepts may be more difficult to understand than others and may require repetitive instruction and explanation.
#4
- Make it clear that all conversations during the class must be in English only. This will cause more difficulty for some students than others, so patience will be needed.
#5
- When explaining grammar, do not simply use terms like “verb”, “adjective”, etc. Give examples so that the usage is easier to understand.
#6
- Do not mistake difficulty in expression for the difficulty in comprehension. Students are fluent in their own languages and mistakes they make may be due to difficulty with English, not with understanding.
#7
- Allow time for conversation in the class. This will create a level of comfort in the use of conversational English.
#8
- Do not limit yourself only to the syllabus. If students are eager to communicate on other topics, give them the freedom to do so – it will expand their vocabulary and comfort level.
#9
- Ensure that the students understand why how the evaluation will be done so they appreciate the reasons for being taught in a specific manner.
#10
- Talk to other English teachers. Everyone has different experiences with students and there is a great deal to learn from one another.