'm teaching my postgraduate in China.

They are non-English majors, so not especially interested from learning the language from the get-go.

This being said, I've managed to keep them interested so far, which I think is due to the fact that I've refrain from teaching the same kind of thing too often (avoiding repetition/boredom).

It's a Listening and Speaking class and I'm pretty much free from teaching anything I want.

I don't have extensive education in teaching (TEFL certificate) but I enjoy my job and I consider myself efficient at what I do.

My philosophy:

Get them to do as much as listening and speaking as possible (practice makes perfect).

In other words, I don't teach a huge quantity of new words and expressions, I rather focus on practicing their listening and their speaking.

I have no text book so I'm on my own to plan my lessons.

I follow my judgment but I'm open to other input from other teachers.

I am a teacher of English as a seond language and I have been doing it for three years. I still sometimes need new ideas about teaching. One idea I have for you because your class is is focused on listening and speaking and this will also help to improve comprehension. I have done this many times and it usually takes my students by surprise, but they settle into it very quickly and they realise what the exercise is about.
1. Tell the students that you are a student from a foreign country (who is the same age as them) What five questions would they like to ask you? Write their five questions up on the board.
2. Now seperate the students into pairs.
3. Student one needs to be the student from another country does not matter what country they are from.
4. Student two then needs to ask student one the questions that are on the board.
5. Student one will make up their answers or answer truthfully what they know about the country they claim to be from.
6. Student two needs to from the answer that student one gives them formulate another question.eg: question 1 Student 2: How many days holidays do you have in a year?
Student 1: In France we have 28 days.
Student 2: What do you do for your holidays?
Student 1: Go to Spain.
Student 2: Who do you go to Spain with?
Students keep asking and answering until he first initial question is answered.
Then they move into Question two that is on the board.
You need student two, to write down the question and answers.
I never give a time frame for this exercise and I find that for students at an advanced level as per your students this exercise can last an hour. If you like you can give a timeframe just alter it to suit yor needs.
Once the students have completed the exercise I then get student two to report the information back to the class.
I myself personaly enjoy this exercise sometimes it an be a bit a stressfull for the students so before you introduce the exercise I usuly sample the the execise with another student. I am usually student one and I tell them that I am a student from Mars. I hope this helps you out. Please I am also sourcing new ideas and games for teaching I have some great debate topics and materials that I can email you (I love debates) if you can organise them the students have such a fun time with them. Both the above give the students an opportunity to use the English language freely my email davidbort@y7mail.com (please let share what we know)



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