Your Toolbox
Teachers of ESL will have a textbook and probably a curriculum guide, but they will not have the luxury of following them lockstep. Given the range of motivation, ability, and prior education found in most ESL classes, most teachers will have to work on more than one track and will need materials and equipment that will enable them to do so.
MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
The Textbook
When choosing your textbook, it is essential to consider what your students do outside of your classroom. If they spend much time in the mainstream or in sheltered English content classes, they will need less vocabulary from you than would students who are studying other academic subjects in their native language. Those who have many opportunities to speak English outside your class will need less listening and speaking activities than those whose real-world contact with English is limited.
You will also need to consider how much your students are expected to learn. A surprising number of schools do not take this into consideration. If students are expected to enter the mainstream, even with support, after a single year, a textbook that covers a mere 1,000-word vocabulary will not be sufficient. The words First Year Course in the title do not necessarily mean that the book is appropriate for an entire year in your class. Some such books are indeed intended for a full year of study, but in a class that meets only two or three hours per week. Teachers whose classes meet 8 for three or four hours daily will find that such a book covers enough material only for a month or two.
Some books are long on structure but short on vocabulary, or vice versa. A textbook might cover such difficult structures as the past conditional yet contain vocabulary of only 1,000 or 2,000 words. This is not in and of itself a weakness, but such books should be supplemented.
Other Books
A supplemental reader will be especially valuable for those whose textbooks are vocabulary poor. It is also a good idea to have a library of books on various subjects for the students to check out. For students who are competent readers of another language, bilingual dictionaries are a must. For others, have unilingual English dictionaries of various levels of difficulty.
Realia: Pictures, Maps, Charts, Toys, and More
If you are teaching beginning speakers of English, have a large box full of props. Beginning students best learn vocabulary when they see or, better yet, handle an object as they learn its name. Toys work well, even with adults. The genuine article is the best when practical, but toys are usually cheaper and more compact. A large, well-furnished doll house is most useful. A large collection of pictures, maps, and charts is also a must.
Audio Tapes and CDs
Because listening is the first and arguably the most important language skill, have a variety of taped materials for your students. Many textbooks come with tapes or CDs. If possible, get one set for each student. If not, at least have some classroom sets available both to use in class and to check out. Taped books at various levels of difficulty are also useful.
Gadgets Galore
Technology has been a great boon to language teachers. At one time language laboratories were luxuries and video equipment was beyond the reach of schools. Now, language-teaching technology is a bargain. A $500 computer can now do what expensive language labs used to do, and much more. Some programs allow computers to do much of what could once be done only with a one-on-one tutor. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), both Palm devices and Pocket PCs, allow learners easy portable access to both the written and the spoken word. The lowly tape recorder is also a great boon to language learners. Portable tape and disc players now allow students to practice their language lessons as they jog, lift weights, wait for the bus, or clean their rooms. For in-class use, a few $35 tape recorders with several headphones each can serve as listening stations.
Some good English courses are available on videotape. Even if you do not use them with your entire class, you might choose to do so with students who get behind or need to review key concepts. Movies on videotape can also be valuable language learning tools. A video camera and a VCR can help students keep track of their own progress.
PAYING FOR YOUR TOOLS
Veteran teachers eventually manage to purchase, collect, and hoard most of the equipment and materials they need, but getting the right equipment can be difficult for those just starting out. Seek materials and equipment where you can. When businesses or classes upgrade their computers, they might be willing to give you their old ones. The older Pentium 2 and Mac Quadra may be adequate for your purposes. Libraries may have material that they can donate. Co-workers might be willing to donate toys that their children have outgrown for your realia collection, and students may have items that they are willing to either donate or lend.
Keep your eyes open for available funding. After months or even years of scraping by on a starvation budget, you may discover that lavish funds seem to appear out of thin air. Sometimes budgets for ESL classes increase phenomenally after visits from advocacy groups or state agencies. One year after such a visit, my classes were moved from a crowded attic above the bilingual office to a spacious, air-conditioned classroom complete with networked computers.
Although funding will vary, some will usually be available every year. Use your program’s money wisely and you will eventually have all that you need. Bear in mind, however, that every veteran teacher’s closet is a graveyard of failed innovations, so purchase wisely.
GETTING HELP FROM VOLUNTEERS
The best way to learn a language is by speaking it. If possible, English learners should have every opportunity to practice what they learn in class. Unless your classes are tiny, you should seek volunteers to engage your students in conversation. If the school has study halls or designated activity time, English-speaking students can be recruited to help. Some schools have future-teacher organizations that may contribute volunteers. If there is a university nearby, education students can be recruited. Clergymen usually know of people who are willing to volunteer time. Senior citizen groups, civic groups, and organizations for retired people may also be helpful.
GETTING ADVICE AND HELP FROM SCHOOL PERSONNEL
Ideally, you will have around you teachers and administrators with experience successfully teaching English learners. If your district lacks personnel with training and experience in the field, seek help where you can get it. Of course, you will have access to the usual support staff: principals, counselors, facilitators, and the like, but other staff members may be able to provide valuable advice as well. If any school in your district offers classes in your students’ language as a foreign language, then you might find some help in the foreign language department. If you do not speak the students’ language, a teacher of that language can help you understand differences and similarities with English. Teachers who have spent time in your students’ native country or have studied its history and literature can help you with cultural issues. Although you will not want to run your class exactly like a foreign language class, foreign language teachers can share some ideas and techniques that will work with your students.
Speech therapists can also offer good advice. Therapists know points of articulation and understand other factors involved in producing sounds. A therapist who speaks your students’ language or who has done quite a bit of work with native speakers of your students’ language can explain similarities and differences with English. Therapists are trained to teach developmental language, which includes vocabulary development and improvement in language usage. You will not, of course, want your English class to mirror speech therapy, but speech therapists can offer you some valuable insights and ideas. Your co-workers realize that your job is a big one, and most will be happy to help you out.