It is necessary to give the right lessons at the right moment to the right students. Like all other aspects in life, teaching is feeling your students and knowing what lessons you will give them. Generally, a syllabus and special topics are provided by the school, but then the teacher must be wiser to know what his/her students need.
ESL lessons must check the student’s capacity to remember basic grammar rules, hence, a review is always necessary. Often, foreign students know the basic English grammar rules. In fact, they get high scores in objective tests like using the parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.). What most students are weak at, is using the right words and make a good sentence.
Knowing English words and grammar rules are important, but knowing how to use them in sentences will make them better in conversation. One aim of ESL is to communicate properly and understand each other, like give, receive and make dialogues. That is freedom of expression.
I tell my students to practice unceasingly. And while they learn, they have to use and apply them in daily conversation. Here they learn how to appreciate and use the language.
Check this out:
A. Words and their opposites
ingenious stupid
nourish starve
commence finish
hazy clear
slender thick
expand make smaller
misfortune good luck
harsh smooth
migrate stay home
pedestrian driver
B. Examples of newspaper headlines
Send Food to Relieve Famine in Africa
City Council in Unanimous Vote to Lower Taxes
Henry Ford Honored as Pioneer in Auto Industry
Millions Migrate to Warmth of the Southwest
Producer to Revive Musical Comedy Hit of the 1950’s
“Be Wary of Get Rich Quick Schemes,” Warns Banker
Referees Fail to Control Unruly Game
Dieter Praised for Slender Figure
Training Film Shows How to Avoid Being Reckless Driver
C. More Transitions
For contrast:
Although
However
Nevertheless
Otherwise
Regardless
But
Despite
On the contrary
Yet
Still
To indicate examples or intensification
For example
Indeed
Specifically
To illustrate
After all
For instance
In fact
Truly
Of course
To indicate cause and effect
As a result
Because
Then
Accordingly
Consequently
Therefore
Thus
Since
D. On Dates
Today is September 3, 2010.
Or
3 September 2010
4th of July 2010
In using figures to write dates
American usage = 9.3.2010
British usage = 3.9.2010
Do not spell out dates or other serial numbers. Write them in figures as may be appropriate.
Exception: Whey they occur in dialogue, most dates dates and numbers are spelled out
“I arrived home on December fifth.”
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