The aim of teaching English as a second language to non-native speakers is to make them globally competitive and increase their chances of finding work in developed countries or even for a multinational company that operates in their area of residence. For people who are looking to migrate to English-speaking countries, acquiring English as a second language is an important knowledge that will enable them to survive their new environment.
Language is an important part of communication. Learning a language entails learning about its rules of grammar, writing and speech. Those who are learning English as a second language can range in age from children who have English as one of the subjects in their curriculum to adults who have to learn to increase their prospects of getting a or being promoted in their job. Below are several methods that can be used by teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL):
- Test all students to determine what level of knowledge they fall under and group them appropriately
- Prepare a course outline which will determine the number of hours of instruction that each level will get. During this time, include a lesson plan of activities and information that you plan to teach these students of each level.
- Adapt a holistic approach in teaching English by making sure that you concentrate on all aspects of the language in terms of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Exercises related to these tasks should be tailored to the level of knowledge that the student possesses.
- Choose a good textbook that has good content and is written by academics that teach English in established universities and are preferably native English speakers themselves. Make sure that the book has chapters on three important sections: language, grammar and pronunciation. This will be the anchor under which you will base your lesson plan of classroom activities.
