"You speak English; what more do you need to know?" : what more you need to know in order to teach English in China if you don't have a background in English, education, or TESOL

Abstract

Introduction. So, you've decided to go to China to teach English as a second language. Or, you are in China now beginning the adventure of a lifetime. Congratulations!By now, you probably have encountered the attitude that says, "You speak English; what more do you need to know?" Just the fact that you are a native English speaker makes you an expert in your subject matter. And since your students will have been studying English with non-native English speakers for 9-12 years already, their biggest need/lack will have been (or will be perceived to have been) exposure to native speakers. Every word you speak is an educational event! What more might you need to know?This manual is designed to help you when all of the other things you might possibly need to know become painfully apparent.What exactly is ESL? What is a good teacher... a good class… a successful lesson? How do you teach American English Conversation to a class of 50, using a British English grammar text that is 10 years out of date? How do you do ANYTHING without a computer/copy machine/overhead projector? How do you plan a lesson when you've never stood up in front of a class before? How do you even know where to start?Chapter 1 will cover the history of English and English education in China. This should give you a good overview of the topic and help you to understand your place as a foreign teacher of English in China.Chapter 2 will cover a number of topics specifically dealing with the theoretical underpinnings of Teaching ESL. It will discuss methods, concepts, issues, and some of the current debates in the field of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL).Chapter 3 will discuss several factors that may affect your students' learning. While this section cannot hope to cover all possible influences (that is beyond the scope of this thesis), a number of the major issues are addressed.Chapter 4 begins to move out of the realm of "theory" and into the nuts and bolts of actually teaching English in China. What can you expect (and what might be expected of you) if you are assigned to teach Extensive or Intensive Reading, Writing, Grammar, Vocabulary, or Oral English?Chapter 5 offers some suggestions on organizing and managing your class time and accomplishing the myriad of daily tasks involved in teaching.Chapter 6 suggests ways you might create tests that will enable you to assess your students' needs prior to planning lessons.Chapter 7 is the longest single chapter in the manual, covering lesson planning from the semester down to the individual class level. A sample of a lesson plan is presented, as well as an explanation of how it was created. All handouts and notes required to use it in an actual class are included.