How to Teach ESL Online
I teach ESL online. I have the pleasure of talking with students from China, Colombia, the Philippines, Thailand, and many other countries. This article provides guidance as to how to use technology to teach effectively online.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Computer
- Internet Connection
- Microphone
- Headphones or speakers
- Skype
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1
Never let the technology get in the way of teaching. Fancy technology or the latest technology does not teach students. The teacher does the teaching. The technology is only a tool.
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2
Keep it simple. Most students want to practice conversation. Skype or any instant messenger program that has voice capabilities is all you need.
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3
Keep in mind that many countries or many students will not have the latest and greatest computers. Develop alternative methods to teach a lesson. For example, I was testing a virtual meeting program where students could see what was on my computer. This worked well for many students in different countries. However, it didn't work for my Thailand students. Instead of finding an elegant solution to use this technology, I simply made a PDF of the presentation, emailed it to my students, and told them when to flip to the next page. Remember, the goal is to teach not to show off fancy technology.
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4
Some countries have governments that restrict and censor information. For example, the Chinese government restricts many websites that many "free" countries take for granted. Wikipedia is one example. There are ways to bypass these restrictions. However, make sure you do not do anything that will get your students in trouble.
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5
Email may be old technology but it works and just about everyone knows how to use it.
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6
Don't know what technology to use? Ask your students. I've developed lessons using avatars, created blogs, wikis, and websites. What do my students want? The time to talk with an American. As long as I have Skype, I'm in business. The other technologies are nice, but for my students, they are just frosting on the cake.
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Comments
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Hello! Would love to teach english as a second language. Can you contact me and let me know how I can do this? Thank You in Advance! Michelle
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I got your chat message, I can easily show you how to create a fanpage on-line. In fact making a brief youtube video on how to do it
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Gwyneth, I would like to talk with you about teaching english online. I would like to know what you do?
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how did you find your students? How do they pay you?
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netguevarra
Sep 28, 2008
i want to become an online english teacher can you tell me what to do im an undergraduate in dentistry but i love to teach english. can you help me.
