5 Things to Avoid During Your ESL Class
Have you ever wondered why some people don’t seem to make any improvement in their English level? Even though they have been studying for years?
If you asked them, they would probably complain about the teacher, first, then the system (methodology), the schedule, their hearing capabilities, the time, and of course, the language itself. Very few people, not to say, no people at all, would admit that they are responsible to a great extent for their lack of progress when taking on an ESL course.
Why is this so? There are always certain acquired behaviors that prevent you from grabbing all the contents in an ESL program. These are repeated maybe unintentionally, but they do create a specific kind of atmosphere during the class, that would not only bother your teacher and classmates, but also distract you completely from your main goal: learning.
That special kind of atmosphere refers basically to the set of interrumptions and distractors that you can add systematically to your class, and which your classmates (if any) can also add on their parts. The result is usually a class with ups and downs, very few moments of deep concentration, a lot of frustration, and a few exercises to be done more or less successfully.
If asked about the factors taking part in this “sabotage” to your learning, many teachers would be able to pinpoint clearly what these factors are, and they would also agree that these can not only make your learning slower, but they could also prevent it completely. Here is a list of the things that you need to avoid if you want to make the best use of your ESL class.
What to avoid:
- Late arrivals: If your class starts at 8:00, don’t show up at 8:20 or you’ll lose up to 30% of your lesson (60’ class). If you arrive this late every class and you took up a 60 hour-course, how much real benefit are you wasting? You do the math.
- Interruptions: Cell phones can be your worst enemy here. Constant ringing, bleeping, and vibrating distract you considerably. It’s even worse if you answer, because your mind will travel to the issue that originated the call, and stay there, for sure. This is like going out of the room, walking for one block and coming back. How much concentration do you have left when you rejoin the class?
- Ignoring corrections: If the teacher corrects you, apply that correction immediately. There’s no point in saying “OK” and continue with the sentence. “OK” will not replace the term when you need to say something similar again. If the teacher makes you repeat, you repeat. Repeating helps you remember.
- Eluding note-taking: Paper was invented for some reason. There’s a whole mental process behind writing what you need to remember. Your ideas become clearer, more organized, and you have a good memory-helper afterwards.
- Leaving exercises incomplete: Saying: “OK, got it” is not the right way to exercise what you are learning. This is like trying to master a joystick: you need to practice, practice, and practice until the structure and your mind are fully synchronized.
Make sure the next time you attend your ESL class you start applying these tips. Maybe not all of them at the beginning, but do make the effort. You will notice the difference immediately.
As for your phone calls, you usually turn the cell off when in a meeting, why not pretend the class is an important meeting too? Not only your teacher and classmates will be grateful, so will your nervous system, as you will be more in control of your personal life. And your English will probably give you a nice surprise sooner than you think.
Related posts:
- ESL Students Have Fun with Proverbs Every day we hear different proverbs used in our discussions. ...
- ESL Class - How to Expand your Vocabulary with Opposites When you learn new vocabulary, it is sometimes difficult to...
- Tips for ESL Students - Destroy Your Fear of the Possessive Apostrophe Apostrophes are not intended to be the nightmare of ESL...
- How to Increase Your Exposure to the English Language You have already proven that you are good at languages;...
- Is Your ESL Class a Game? Many ESL students, especially adults, complain about their ESL teachers...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
No comments yet.
Leave a comment
Search
Categories
Archives
