5 essentials every child needs when you're teaching English

Jeanne Perrett
Two parents sat with their two children, writing in a workbook togeher

The educational choices available to children are evolving rapidly with apps, online courses, digital games, recordings and videos becoming easily accessible. However, amidst this technological advancement, human evolution has not suddenly accelerated, and the primary aim for teachers remains unchanged - helping children make sense of the world and leaving their mark on it.

Here are five essential ways we can achieve that for every child, regardless of their circumstances, whether it's teaching English or fostering everyday learning and education.

5 essentials every child needs when you're teaching English
Play
Privacy and cookies

By watching, you agree app can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable by deleting your cookies.

1. Attention

Paying attention to what we're doing is something that we have to re-learn. Very young childrenpay great attention to the smallest of things. Washing their hands takes forever as they want tofocus on the soap, doing up shoelaces can become a half-hour activity, or an interesting pebble on theroad can make a quick trip to the shops a very long one.

So, what happens is that we then startteaching children to hurry up. ‘Hurry up, come on, quickly, now - put on your coat NOW!’ are part ofevery parent’s repertoire. And we have to do it because we know what the children don’t - that the bus won’t wait for us, that school starts at a certain time and that people will be kept waiting if we don’thurry up.

Therefore paying attention has to be re-learnt and we need to lead the way. We have to pay attention tothe children, what they are saying and doing, and then we have to resist the temptation to do toomany things at once. And, most importantly, we have to give our children enough time to letthings sink in.

2. Skills

We have so many ways of describing skills now; soft, hard, thinking, critical, communication - the listgoes on. In some ways, these descriptors are useful as they make us more aware of the particularskills of a child, but there is still often a gap between knowing how a child is skilled and how that canbe useful to the child.

Let’s take a classic example; one of the main qualities people often think of asconnected to nursing is a skill for caring, showing compassion and being a good communicator.Yes, that is important, but the main skill needed to be a nurse is dealing competently, practicallyand non-judgmentally with bodily fluids. So, yes, we absolutely need to make sure that we areeducating our children to become skillful in various ways but we also need to think about how thoseskills are transferable.

3. Knowledge

One of the most significant changes of the past 40 years is how we can access information. Gone are thedays of one version of an encyclopedia or whatever your teacher knew; now we have online data,crowdsourced reports, scores of different formats - everything is a click and a swipe away.

So how canwe help with this? First, we have to get children interested enough in a topic to want to find thingsout for themselves. Then we must guide them through what is true and what might not be. Andthen our main job is showing them that they can add to the tree of knowledge. It’s constantly growing,and they can lengthen the branches, help fruit grow, and even dig up the roots and plant the treeelsewhere.

4. Imagination

Thinking creatively, thinking ‘out of the box’ and seeing new possibilities can and must benurtured in our children. We can use our imagination in traditionally creative ways such as writing, artwork, music and drama, but perhaps even more importantly we can use it in ‘unseen’ ways. Wecan unlearn banal responses and consider what we really think; in other words we can ‘think forourselves’. Again this skill is needed more than ever when surrounded by seeminglywise thoughts in social media memes. The nature of memes is that they look definite, as if they aretrue. They might be and they might not. We can decide when we use our critical and creativethinking skills.

We can use imagination to find solutions to problems and we can use it to make our own everyday realitiesmore exciting and life-enhancing. Whatever we do, if we have a positive image of ourselves doingit, the task becomes more meaningful and rewarding. And in a practical sense in the classroom, wecan bring language learning to life. Imagining and play acting the situations where the language we arelearning might be called for; in a restaurant, at an airport or meeting new friends. It can be a great method to teach English to kids, keeping them engaged and actively involved.

5. Support

Support comes in many forms. First concrete support, such as providing a desk and materials for children todo their homework. This is something that teachers need to be aware of; do the children have thatat home? It’s not a question of finance - not everyone can afford a separate room and the space for adesk - but it is a question of realizing that a dedicated, quiet space is needed. For example a clearedkitchen table at certain times of the day. It’s worth bearing this in mind if parents say theirchildren never focus on homework. Look at the practicalities before any attitude issues.

The most important form of support we can give is ‘being there’ for our children. Knowing thatsomeone wants you to do well, is there for you through your mistakes and successes, andempathizes with both. Someone who ‘has your back’ when you need help and is glad for you whenyou do well; that gives our children a powerful sense of security. And we can flourish when we feelsecure.

By implementing these above points, we can equip children with the tools they need to understand the world, pursue their passions and make a positive impact on their lives and others.

More blogs from app

  • a woman stood in front of a noteboard, gesturing to it. The noteboard has different papers and graphs stuck to it.

    The importance of teachers professional development

    By Richard Cleeve

    There’s the saying, “There are two types of teachers with 20 years of teaching experience: the first are those with 20 years of experience and the second are those with one year’s experience repeated 20 times.”

    Some believe most teachers want to be the first kind of teacher – constantly evolving throughout their careers – rather than repeating the same classes. Additionally, taking professional development courses can help us reach these new heights.

    Doctors, engineers, lawyers and other professionals regularly have to seek training opportunities. This enables them to keep up to date with the latest technologies, innovations and changes in the wider world. It could be argued that teachers are no different.

    Benefits of professional development training

    There are several benefits to continued professional training for teachers. For instance, there’s always something new to learn as developments are happening regularly in the world of ELT. Whether it’s innovations in ed-tech, new research into how we learn languages or a new pedagogy, certain courses can help bring you up to speed with these!

    Undertaking further training will help you to deepen your knowledge and widen your expertise. So rather than simply repeating the same method of teaching a grammar point over again, you’ll learn new approaches. In turn, you’ll be better equipped to find the tools that work to help your students reach their learning goals.

    Another great thing about professional development is that it can lead to career progression and promotion. There are a number of courses that you can take to develop not only skills for teaching, but other roles in the ELT industry.
    For example, you can train to become a director of studies, specialize in business or academic English, or enter ELT publishing or management. There are many options to explore through further education!

    New trends in English language teaching

    To be the best teachers we can be, it's important to be aware of new trends in the field of ELT. Some of the latest ones include:

    Hybrid learning

    Gaining popularity in recent years, hybrid learning is an approach to teaching. Specifically, it involves some students attending class in person, while others join the class virtually from home. This means that teachers must be prepared to simultaneously teach both students in person and online.

    Flipped classroom

    A flipped classroom means students are introduced to content at home. Often teachers introduce this via videos and then practice working through the new knowledge in class. This is the opposite of the more traditional method where they are given new content at school, and complete assignments independently at home.

    Bite-sized learning

    One method of teaching that has become more common is bite-sized learning. For example, breaking down information into smaller chunks instead of having learners listen to long, uninterrupted sessions, and this helps students absorb information and keeps them engaged.

    If you’re not already familiar with these, there are lots of professional development courses that teach you how to use them in your classroom.

    Formal qualifications in ELT

    So what courses can you take? Here are some of the most common courses you can take for English language teaching.

    • CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) - Cambridge’s Level 5 qualification is an internationally recognized ELT course. While this certificate focuses on teaching adults, language academies accept it for both adults and young learners.
    • Trinity CertTESOL (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) - Like the CELTA, the Level 5 course is designed for people with little or no English teaching experience.
    • Trinity CertPT (Certificate for Practising Teachers) - Trinity’s Level 6 is designed for teachers who have already been teaching for a minimum of six months. It aims to support teachers' further development and help them improve their teaching practice.
    • DELTA (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) - Cambridge’s provides professional development for teachers with at least one year’s experience. This level 7 qualification is also designed for those who want to progress into more senior roles such as head of English and teacher training.
    • Trinity DipTESOL (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) - Trinity’s is designed for teachers who have reached a stage in their career where they’d like to progress to a more senior level. Like the DELTA, it’s an internationally respected level 7 qualification for experienced TEFL teachers.
    • Master’s degree - Master’s studies in English Language Teaching, TESOL, or applied linguistics, are great options to reach a more senior level in your career. Most people take them to become a director of studies or reach a management position.
    • Specialized courses - If there’s an area of teaching that you’d like to specialize in, plenty of short courses cover a range of topics. These include teaching online, teaching with technology, teaching business English and teaching very young children. Check out , or to see what they offer.

    If you’re unable to take a formal course, sharing ideas with colleagues is a great way to create professional development opportunities. You could exchange lesson plans and ask for feedback or input. There are plenty of podcasts, webinars and social media groups for teachers where you can find great tips and ideas from fellow teachers worldwide.

    Whichever route you decide, remember that learning is a lifelong journey – not only for your students but for yourself too! There are always new things to discover that will help you develop as a teacher.

  • People sat in chairs doing various things like working on a laptop; sat in one of those seats is a cartoon robot

    English for employability: What will jobs be like in the future

    By Nicola Pope

    What do driverless car engineers, telemedicine physicians and podcast producers have in common? About 10 years ago . They are representative of a new technology-driven marketplace, which is evolving faster than employers, governments and education institutions can keep up.

    As new jobs appear, others fall by the wayside. Today, it’s estimated that up to with currently available technology. Routine jobs like data entry specialists, proofreaders, and even market research analysts are especially at risk of becoming redundant within the next 5 to 10 years. Globally, that means between 400 and 800 million workers could be displaced by automation technology by 2030, according to McKinsey.

    Moreover, will need to work in areas that do not exist in the current market. The question is, what can we do to prepare learners for a future when we have no idea what jobs they’ll be doing? Mike Mayor and Tim Goodier discuss this uncertain future and explain why English for employability is such a hot topic right now.

    A rising level of English and employer expectations

    Mike Mayor, Director of the Global Scale of English at app, explains that while he believes employability has always been a factor in English language education, it has become more important and more of a focus for students looking to enter the workforce.

    “Expectations of employers have risen as proficiency in English language, in general, has risen around the world,” he says. “They’re now looking for more precise skills.”

    Tim Goodier, Head of Academic Development at Eurocentres, agrees. He explains that English language education is primarily about improving communication and soft skills – which is key for the jobs of 2030 and beyond.

    “There’s a convergence of skills training for the workplace and language skills training,” Tim says. “The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) has recognized and, in many ways, given a roadmap for looking into how to develop soft skills and skills for employability by fleshing out its existing scheme – especially to look at things like mediation skills.”

    How the Global Scale of English and CEFR have surfaced employability skills

    TheGlobal Scale of English (GSE) is recognizing this increasing prominence of English for employability. Mike explains that it’s doing this “by taking the common European framework and extending it out into language descriptors which are specific for the workplace.”

    In developing a set of learning objectives for professional learners, Mike and his team have given teachers more can-do statements. “They are able to create curricula and lessons around specific business skills,” he says.

    Tim comments that one of the most interesting things about the GSE is that it links can-do statements to key professions, which he explains “is another extension of what these can-do statements can be used for – and viewing competencies as unlocking opportunity.”

    Showing how these skills and competencies relate to the real world of work can be a strong motivating factor for learners.

    He says that teachers need to visualize what success will look like in communication “and then from there develop activities in the classroom that are authentic.” At the same time, he says that activities should be personalized by “using the learners’ own interests and adapting the course as much as possible to their future goals.”

    Preparing students for the future workplace

    Speaking on the role of publishing in English for employability, Mike says:

    “I would say as course book creators we actually incorporate a lot of these skills into our materials, but… I think we could do to push it a little further.”

    In Mike’s view, educators need to do more than teach the skills, they need to raise awareness of their context. In other words why these skills are important and how they will help them in authentic situations both in and out of the work environment.

    Beyond teaching the language itself, he says publishers should be helping teachers ask:

    • Are the students participating fairly in group discussions?
    • Are the students actively listening?
    • Are they interrupting politely?

    These skills “don’t come naturally, and so just to begin raising awareness would be an added value,” he says.

    Future skills: careers in 2030

    In the same way we didn’t know that driverless cars would become a reality 10 years ago, we cannot say with absolute certainty which professions will arise and which will disappear. However, using tools like the GSE teacher toolkit, we can help our students develop the language and soft skills they need to navigate an ever-shifting job market. The future is an exciting place, let’s help our learners prepare themselves!

    Watch the full interview with Mike and Tim below:

  • A businessman sat cross legged is meditating on a desk, around him are other business people sat at the same desk busy working

    Understanding and managing technostress

    By Amy Malloy

    What is technostress?

    Technostress affects people in different ways. I resonate with Chiapetta’s (2017) definition:

    “Technostress is a syndrome that occurs when the person, subjected to information overload and continuous contact with most digital devices, develops a state of stress.”

    This explanation isn’t limited to any particular symptoms. However, most of us can relate to being over-exposed to technological devices – especially in the past year. Consequently, I imagine many people have experienced some symptoms of technostress as a result.

    What are the symptoms of technostress?

    While the symptoms of technostress differ, there are a number of common experiences. Perhaps you obsessively check social media, or struggle to focus on everyday tasks. Or maybe you feel demotivated and low in mood. You might find yourself overly focused on getting the latest technology. Or you might be actively avoiding or feeling anxious about using technology.

    Why should we be concerned about technostress?

    People are adaptable, it’s part of our biology, but if change happens too quickly, we experience symptoms of stress. And, in our modern, continuously busy culture, it can be easy to assume something is wrong with us if we feel we can’t cope with technology. It can feel like we’re failing because we’re not focusing or achieving enough. We might also feel stupid for not understanding how a piece of software works.

    In response, we need to find ways to relieve that stress and return to a more restful state.

    Tips to prevent and manage technostress

    1. Switch off – This may be hard to do with the demands of life but sometimes, just turning your devices off and stepping away from technology is the best approach. Do something to pull you away from the information overload, like a walk in nature or reading a fictional book. Something that pulls you away from life’s goings-on.
    2. Limit your exposure – If you can’t switch off completely for whatever reason, then maybe rationing your exposure to devices is key. Time and limit your time on devices, taking regular breaks away. If you struggle to pull yourself away, there are apps and device functions that can restrict access for you.
    3. Only use with a purpose – Before you start using technology, ask yourself: “What am I using this for?”. Study? Research? Or is it just out of boredom? If you haven’t got a set aim or goal, then you are likely to mindlessly scroll and get pulled into the vast information overload of social media and the web. Try to avoid this by having a set aim/goal when using technology.