With the stiff competition in the job market these days, many Asians, particularly Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese, consider having good English skills an absolute necessity. As what most of my students would say, “I'm studying English because I want to have better job opportunities.” This is what drives them to either study abroad or enroll in an English school in their own country.
As a response to the growing demand for English, business entrepreneurs have eagerly set up institutions that cater to this need. This is how I came to work for an English school. I started teaching ESL part-time (English as a Second Language) in 2003. At first, I just wanted to earn more, so I thought of giving this job a try. Actually, my major isn't English but my command of this language (modest aside) is quite good. I want to give credit to my English teachers in high school and elementary for doing such a good job. I wonder if I can do the same thing for my students. Anyway, let's go back to my first few months of teaching ESL. I religiously followed the guidelines I was given during our training and I thought this was enough. After sometime, I realized that a lot of things were missing. That was when I started looking deeper at the real meaning of teaching ESL.
I came to appreciate how understanding cultural differences and foreign language structures can improve one's teaching strategies. Moreover, I learned the value of carrying out a good Needs Analysis (a technique to assess the needs of your student accurately). This forms the basis for lesson plans that are appropriate for the level of the student. In effect, goals are met and the students feel they've achieved something.
Last year, I was one of the chosen few who were given TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) training. This was a preparation for my next job description as a teacher-trainer. The knowledge I gained not only empowered me as a teacher but also gave me a new perspective. Teaching English is more than just opening books to focus on grammar or speaking. One has to do careful planning, use a variety of strategies and materials, and have an open mind.
Let's face it. Teaching ESL is not as easy as it sounds. But as with anything else, we can learn the art of doing this job well. Wouldn't it make you proud to hear your students speak English fluently? Wouldn't it be so fulfilling to serve as an instrument to the students' success and better life? Whenever I think about this, I smile. I must be doing something I love to have this light feeling in my heart.