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As an English language teacher, you only want the best for your students. Even if you have started with students whose English skills are of different levels, you would want them to more or less end up with the same level of improvement. This is why you pour out all possible teaching strategies just to make the students learn the language faster. This is true especially if the time allotted for that English course is limited. Sadly, no matter how hard you try, there are students who simply cannot follow. They always end up performing behind others. Even if you have already discussed a lot of lessons, they show no signs of learning the English language at all.
As a parent, it is also a huge concern. You know for a fact that English is important in this modern age of globalization. When you are informed that your children lag behind their classmates in terms of English proficiency, it can be a bit bothering. Here are some of the tips that may be effective in helping the student learn better:
• Extend an after-class session for students who need more practice. During this special session, look at possible lessons that could help them learn English better. Make sure that it is a lot easier than what is being learned in class. When you see that they have started coping up in terms of the level of difficulty, you can then introduce more difficult terms. Don’t forget to start with basic words and attach photos. This will make them learn English better. Repeat the pronunciation of the words and let them do the same. By then, it will be easier for them to practice.
• Provide homework all the time. The students must have something to do at home to practice. You can also ask them to download an app that will let them practice more English exercises. It is also important to let the parents know about this so they can provided assistance when the students are at home.
• Ask the students to write a daily journal. This will target their writing skills and at the same time, practice sentence construction. Check the daily journal on a weekly basis so you can see if there is an improvement. Ask the parents to assist, but don’t let them write the journal on behalf of the students. Make sure that this is a non-graded activity so the students won’t be forced to cheat. It must look natural.
• If there are foreign students in the class who are native speakers of English, let them help the students. In this way, they becomes more comfortable in speaking the language. Sometimes, they want to speak English, but they are shy especially in a formal classroom setting. However, in an informal setting, they become more comfortable.
• Take a look at other aspects behind the language learning delay. The children might be suffering from some sort of learning disabilities. In this case, help from an expert might be necessary. There could also be some areas in the brain dedicated for language learning that do not work well. Of course, the parents have to be very active in providing what their children needs.
Learning an entirely new language can be very difficult. Therefore, both the parents and the teachers have to provide assistance in the best way possible.