Teaching English

Teaching English as a second language is a great way to gain another perspective on language learning. In Spain, there is a huge demand for native English speakers to teach not only in schools but private lessons as well. I have spent the semester volunteering my time at a local elementary school teaching 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders and the experience has been really rewarding. The kids are so enthusiastic about meeting and learning from someone from another country. On the first day I spent the whole first hour answering their questions about what my life was like in the US. They were pretty surprised that I actually like the same things they did as they asked me things like "Do you like basketball?"

My usual lesson plan consists of teaching the students some new vocabulary each week and then playing some sort of game with them. A few examples of daily lesson plans that have proved to be effective for me include:

• Simon Say is a really easy game to play because the vocabulary is easy to teach. Students can simply point to parts of their body to ask for new vocabulary. While this game seems pretty juvenile, even the 5th graders loved it because they get very competitive.
• The fly swatter game is the stand out favorite of all my classes. I went to a local Chino (a inexpensive bazaar typically run by Asians, thus in Spain they are called "Chinos") near my house and purchased two fly swatters. Then you simply write vocabulary words on the board in English. Two players come up to the board and I say a word and Spanish and the first student to slap the English word with the fly swatter wins.
• Another game that is fun to play requires a small soft ball or some sort that is easy to toss around the room without breaking anything. Next I select a topic (clothing, food, animals, school supplies, etc) and the person must say a word that fits the topic and then throw the ball to another student. If you drop the ball, repeat a word, or can't think of a new word, then you must sit down.
• Near Easter I took some time with my older students to talk about what Semana Santa is like in Sevilla and how that differs from the Easter holiday in the United States. I found it really fun to explain to them holidays like Thanksgiving and the 4th of July as well since most of them had never heard of these holidays.

For a list of more ideas in planning lesson plans for teaching ESL, I have found a very helpful website for ideas. http://www.eslkidstuff.com/Classroomgamesframe.htm

My experience teaching English has been one of the highlights of my experience in Spain. It's exciting to see such young kids have such and enthusiasm for learning a new language. I would recommend to anyone studying abroad in Spain to try volunteering at a local school once a week. My vocabulary has greatly expanded because as I teach the students new English vocabulary, I must learn the Spanish equivalents. In addition, I have learned so much from my students about the culture in Sevilla. For example, my teachers and students gave me a list of the best beaches in Andalucia, and a list of good tapas restaurants to take my family, and a complete explanation of how to best experience Semana Santa and Feria de Abril.