08 May 2014 / by Radmila Gurkova

How to teach beginners English as a foreign language- I want, I don't want

How to teach beginners English as a foreign language in the target language only is sometimes a headache for ESL teachers. As it turned out, teaching the function I WANT in English without translating is not that easy. Students tend to confuse its meaning with I LIKE because this structure appears in similar contexts. How to teach beginners I WANT without simply saying "Yo quiero…"? When we tried to find the best way, we found out that students often confuse its meaning with LIKE and getting them to understand WANT, was more than complicated. The question was, what context is undoubtedly related to WANT and not to like? How would we explain it with the means of English only and some visuals and examples?

A team of teachers suggested this fantastic, teacher friendly and simple activity that nails the approach. Enjoy!























Title: I want, I don't want
Objective:
(short)		 To encourage students to practice the basic expressions to want in both positive and negative contexts.
Intro: I am hungry. I WANT food.
Are you hungry? Do you WANT food?Positive - Yes, I WANT food.
Negative - No, I DON'T WANT food.I am thirsty. I WANT water.
Are you thirsty? Do you WANT water?Positive - Yes, I WANT water.
Negative - No, I DON'T WANT water.
Activity: Activity #1 - ChildrenIntroduce SS to a child. ''This is a child.''
Ask them, what does a child want? What doesn't a child want?Proceed to children.
What do children want? What don't children want?Activity # 2 - Teens

Introduce SS to a teen. ''This is a teen.''
Ask them, what does a teen want?

Proceed to teens.
What do teens want? What don't teens want?

Activity #3 - Adults

Introduce SS to an adult. ''This is an adult.''
Ask them, what does an adult want? What doesn't an adult want?

Proceed to adults.
What do adults want? What don't adults want?
Wrap up: What do children want? (sweets, toys)
What don't teens want? (homework, vegetables)
What do adults want? (money, holidays)

04

December 2015
Comfortable settings in an ESL classroom
by Toby Knight
How well can you remember your first classroom at school? I can vividly remember walking into the classroom to be greeted by Mrs Magdalia, who had a book in her hand. She asked me if I knew what the word on the page of the book on the desk was. The word was “look”, and I didn’t know it, but I didn’t feel disappointed or unha...
Read More...

01

December 2015
Learning Styles and the Different Approaches to Them
by James Ekins
We are all different; it is a part of the human condition. One obvious but often unspoken difference between us is the different learning styles that we can use. But how can these differences affect learning? Or teaching? In the early 90’s, Neil Fleming proposed one of the currently more prominent models relating to the ways that different p...
Read More...

25

September 2015
Use of videos to teach topic activities in an ESL class
by James Ekins
A great benefit of being able to use the internet in the classroom is the ability to draw on it for some excellent, previously inaccessible resources for learning. Perhaps most notably, the use of videos in a class can prove to be extremely useful. But, as with all things, there is a right and a wrong way to do it. So what should the standard...
Read More...

18

September 2015
Controversial Topics: How to Approach Them in the ESL Classroom
by James Ekins
Every one of us has at one time, in the classroom or outside of it, felt that sinking feeling – somebody in the group says a controversial topic, and that point is met by a wall of uncomfortable silence. Or worse, by a thunder of bristled opposition. Discussing hot-button issues can often be tricky, but it is important not to skirt away from ...
Read More...

11

September 2015
Returning after the summer break!
by Rob Wylie
September has come back around again and the summer holidays are well and truly finished, so that means for most of us it´s back to work and those nice lie-ins are a thing of the past. A bout of the holiday blues is more than likely to be affecting you so how can you get rid of those feelings and make sure you are ready for the new school yea...
Read More...

14

July 2015
TEFL Life Lessons
by Elena Riches
Throughout our lives we learn many lessons along the way and if you become a teacher, although you are teaching others, you are still a student - a student of life. Here are some TEFL life lessons that I learned on my road to becoming a TEFL teacher: ...
Read More...

14

July 2015
Motivate and Encourage Students. Learn how!
by Rob Wylie
Whether you teach a language, an instrument, a profession or a sport all teachers have many responsibilities. One of the most important things that a teacher must be able to do is ensure that they motivate and encourage students. With some groups or classes this can be easy but with others you may find...
Read More...

07

July 2015
TEFL Myths
by Elena Riches
As with a lot of professions, there are preconceived notions when it comes to TEFL (both good and bad) that aren't necessarily true. I have listed below a few TEFL myths and the reasoning behind why they are just that. FACT: Although it does help your cha...
Read More...

30

June 2015
TEFL teaching experience
by Elena Riches
If teaching English as a foreign language (commonly known as TEFL) is something that appeals to you, you may want to know what it's like before taking the plunge. Here, I am going to give you an insight into a real TEFL te...
Read More...

26

June 2015
ESL teaching and the Internet. The virtual classroom
by Vincent Chieppa
ESL teaching and the Internet - From Apple's iPod to Google's driver-less cars, technology is playing a massive role in the 21st century. This is not to say that it is the solution to 21st century education, but simply a tool to aid education and learning and, although it can be a great tool, any learning concerning technology should...
Read More...
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20