Helen Sandiford and Jeanne McCarten, both experienced English teachers and co-authors of Viewpoint, discuss four common challenges of teaching higher-level learners.
1. How can I help my students to use more than a basic vocabulary?
After the first 2000 common English words, it becomes much harder for your students to keep progressing and expanding their vocabulary. At the same time, vocabulary is crucial if your students are planning to use English in a professional setting – students with wider vocabularies come across as more educated and professional.
2. How can I get my students to stop making the same “fossilized” errors?
When students repeat the same mistakes over and over, these mistakes become ingrained in their English. This is not an easy issue to tackle, but it can be solved with enough persistence and good teaching methods.
3. How do I ensure students understand the difference between written and spoken English?
Students sometimes have problems with expressions that sound natural in spoken language but can be inappropriate for written English. It is important to distinguish between written and spoken language in your teaching – students are put at a disadvantage in written examinations if they use language which is too informal.
4. How can I improve my own language skills?
Many teachers who teach higher-level learners can be self-conscious about their own knowledge of English. This is why it is important to remember that even native English speakers are still in the process of learning, and that we should let our students see how their teachers are still learning new things about the English language.
Find out more about how to tackle these problems and which materials to use for teaching higher-level learners by watching to the webinar recording below!