Teaching Students to Love the English Language

For ESL students who have grown up with little exposure to the English language, English can be either a fun subject to learn or a source of frustration and nightmares.

Teaching ESL to kids requires a teacher who knows how to have fun with the language, teach in a lively manner, speak in simple English while using gestures and body language, and incorporate songs and games into the classes. When teaching kids ESL, perhaps the most important ESL resources for teachers are games and songs. These make the children forget that they are actually learning such a difficult subject and simply enjoy themselves for awhile – all while using the English language.

With older students, it is good to bring in well-known literary works, including poems, novels, plays, etc. This can help expose students to the beauty of the English language and its application in the arts. There is a reason that English has become such a widely used language, and it is therefore incumbent upon teachers to convince students of the wonders of expression made possible by the English language.

If a teacher can instill in his or her students a genuine appreciation for a language and a joy of learning it, the students will inevitably take the learning process into their own hands and begin learning quickly on their own. In these cases, the teacher simply needs to guide the students towards useful materials and offer them hints and suggestions.

For example, by giving them ESL grammar exercises that not only reinforce points learned previously but also introduce new, more challenging grammar aspects, teachers can point students in the right direction and provide them with materials that are useful, instructive, and interesting. Teachers who manage to achieve such lofty goals will not only positively influence their students’ learning process, but also find that the process of teaching is much more enjoyable and productive.

There is a reason that highly skilled, inspiring ESL teachers are in such high demand. Motivating students is a particularly hard thing to do – especially in a foreign language – and teachers who are able to do so rank among the people in society who make the most positive impact.