Teaching Strategies - 11.5 Strategies for Better Communication in Your Lesson

One of the most important tasks a teacher must master is communication. The lesson has to be presented in a language that is familiar to the learner. If the teacher fails to communicate in a way that the student can understand there will be little if any learning.

The teacher can be knowledgeable, well prepared and have a dynamite lesson prepared, but if the teacher fails to communicate in the students language; the lesson is lost.

Therefore, it is of utmost importance that the teacher keep in mind how to communicate with the learner when they prepare each lesson.

Here are 11.5 strategies to help you focus on communication.

Strategy #1 - Carefully study the words your students use and learn the meanings they give to these words. Then use their words as often as possible to make them comfortable with you.

Strategy #2 - Determine your students knowledge of the subject. If you know where your students are in their learning, you can meet them there and then help them further their knowledge. Don't assume what your students know. If you do you will create gaps in their knowledge.

Strategy #3 - Express yourself as much as possible in the language of your students, carefully correcting any errors they read into your words.

Strategy #4 - Use the simplest and the fewest words that will express your meaning. Unnecessary words add to your students' work, and increase the possibilities for misunderstanding.

Strategy #5 - Use short sentences, of the simplest construction. Long sentences are difficult to follow and are frequently confusing to students.

Strategy #6 - If your students fail to understand you, try another approach, if possible with greater simplicity. Always be prepared to present a new idea in more than one way, not everyone learns in the same way and you must be prepared.

Strategy #7 - Develop the meaning the words by using illustrations, natural objects and pictures. Take illustrations from your students' own experiences whenever possible and use those illustrations to make your point.

Strategy #8 - When it is necessary to teach a new word, present the idea before the word. This can be done best by simple illustrations closely related to your students' own experience. The more you can connect to something they already know the easier the new word will be to learn.

Strategy #9 - Try to increase your students' vocabulary, and at the same time improve their understanding. A true increase in a student's vocabulary means an increase in his knowledge and power.

Strategy #10 - Since the acquisition of language is one of the important goals in the process of education, do not to have your students sit and listen in silence, no matter how attentive they are. Encourage them to be skeptical and ask questions.

Strategy #11 - Don't rush the learning process. Each word or idea should be mastered before new ones are added. Reteach concepts till your students are masters of the knowledge.

Strategy #11.5 - Frequently test your students' understanding of the words that they use to make sure that they attach correct meaning and they see the true meaning as vividly as possible.

If you take the time to learn and put into use these 11.5 strategies, your teaching results will change dramatically.

Are You Considering Teaching Abroad?

Have you ever think of going overseas to start a career of teaching abroad? Has it always been a childhood dream for you to be an inspiring teacher? If your answer to both questions is positive, then you should seriously consider teaching abroad. This profession provides you with the perfect opportunity to fulfill your aspiring dream.
If you've already considered the advantages and disadvantages, it is very likely that you know what the requirements are. You may even be studying your teaching degree as you read this. However, you may also wish to know that it is recommended that you fall into one of the following categories of people.

The first one would be those that possess the flexibility to travel freely. This is very crucial if you wish to travel overseas for a teaching career. However, many overseas teaching jobs require a much bigger time commitment than expected. Thus, you must be mentally prepared to be posted overseas for a period of more than two years.

The second type of people is the graduates that possess a teaching degree or certification. Although it's not a requirement for every program, this will give you a huge advantage over other candidates if you are certified in teaching English as a language. Getting a teaching degree is not an difficult task to achieve as most colleges now offer programs to help you get the certification. In addition, there are also short-term programs available to assist you to obtain a certificate in the fastest time possible.

Thirdly, people who are focused are more likely to able to stay in an overseas posting. This is mainly because the career will require you to be abroad and away from your family members for a long period of time. Being alone in a foreign country may cause you to become homesick and lose your motivation at work. Hence, being able to concentrate on your teaching job can help to kill off some of the homesickness.

If you are applying for teaching positions, rest assured that there is a wide range of options available. If you're a certified teacher, the best place to begin is with a school search. Try to narrow the field to areas where you're interested in teaching, and then perform some detailed research for schools or organizations in that area. If you are able to find the schools' websites, you will be able to gather most information from there. In addition, you may wish to check the job bank databases as this will provide you with another source of current job openings.

If you go through a teacher's certification program, they will also offer a job placement service which help to connect you to the correct people and places. In other words, this helps to shorten your time to find that ideal teaching position and provide you more choices. As you can see, being certified is definitely a huge benefit as it can get your foot in the door before you complete the program.

Not to worry if you're not certified to teaching abroad. There are still employers who are looking out for teachers like you. One of the preferred ways is to check out the colleges which offer teacher-exchange programs. These programs usually provide teachers with the opportunity to be an assistant teacher overseas for a semester while a foreign teacher will also perform the same in your school.

These are all good ways to get your feet wet; however, if you plan on teaching abroad as a career, you should plan on certification eventually. This will set you up for that golden opportunity to teach overseas.

However you decide to go about it, be prepared for the fact that teaching abroad is going to be a challenging experience. It may even be a culture shock for you if you have never been out of your comfort zone before. Be sure to unpack your sense of adventure before you embark on this