English language students staring back at you with blank faces when you mention previously 'taught' material doesn't give you the best feeling for the rest of your well-planned lesson. According to your class register, these students were definitely present in physical form last week. Apparently, their thoughts were elsewhere. Perhaps they were daydreaming about skydiving … Continue reading Teachers! Stop Yourselves and Your Students From Feeling Like This
Category: Second Language Learning Difficulties
To aid information storage in long-term memory and later retrieval, English language teachers (EFL ESL) need to use a combination of multi-sensory teaching methods to introduce and later rehearse and recycle material.
Unfortunately, long-term semantic memory is known to have the weakest retrieval system. Therefore, ESL EFL teachers have to make sure many neurological paths and connections are made and developed so English language students can store subject matter securely and retrieve information easily.
For English language teachers, it is important to know when planning lessons that the temporary storage space available in the short-term working memory system is limited.
If a student seems to be having difficulties with their English language studies, you may have to investigate the cause in order to provide a solution. Check whether your students had difficulties acquiring any of the language skills in their L1 and if they still have difficulties.
There are always a number of students in foreign language classes that can't seem to keep up with the pace of the other students. The following four theories may help teachers pinpoint the root of their ESL / EFL students' difficulties.
ESL EFL teachers or professionals need to be aware that English language students have qualities and learning differences that can enhance or hold back their language acquisition process. However, the language itself also has components that may inhibit learning.
Today, in classrooms, hundreds of struggling EFL ESL students of all ages and levels sit frustrated and suffering and feeling like failures. Teachers often wonder why they can’t keep up and view them as ‘slow learners’ or think “they are not motivated and just not trying hard enough”. Most teachers of English aren’t trained to instruct students who do not fit into the ‘norm’.