Check out tefl tesol about Cost TEFL Teaching and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad.
You could also be interested in:
This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned:
The difference between teaching one on one and groups?I don?t want to get stuck with one person for multiple hours.? This is an argument of why some teachers dislike teaching one-on-one. On the other hand, groups prevent the teacher from going in depth in a particular topic if it doesn?t relate to the majority of the students. There are pros and cons to both types of teaching. Everyone has their own preferences where some students will like just one-on-one while others like to only teach in groups or there are those that like both. Of course there are those that don?t like either and that?s why they?re not teaching.
One-on-one teaching has many great points that group settings would not allow. First, the instructor and the student can really get to know each other since they will be spending much time together learning and teaching. The teacher can find out what the student wants to learn and plan lessons that help achieve his or her goals. Also, the teacher can identify his or her student weaknesses and errors a lot more quickly since there will not be any other students to detract the teacher?s attention. After identification, the teacher can come up with ways to remediate the errors which often are habitual and takes time to correct.
While there are benefits to teaching one-on-one, there are also some problems. When the student and teacher first meet, the atmosphere can be intimidating and it will take some time to develop trust. A little of this will attribute to the teacher?s social skill and willingness to break the ice. It also seems mindboggling at first to find activities and talk for two hours since normally silence between two people just creates awkwardness. However, it is appropriate in this teaching environment. Finally, many activities that would normally take place in a group setting cannot be applied to one-on-one situations such as group exercises and pair work unless the teacher becomes the partner. This can create an uncomfortable feeling for the student because the English level of the teacher is not on par with the student. He or she may be afraid to speak out and experiment which is a key component in learning.
Teaching in a group setting is very traditional and there are any examples to follow. Most people who have gone through an education system have been exposed to teaching in a group environment. From observation, an individual can recall ideas and activities that seemed useful from their experience and understands the basic structure of a classroom. The student also would know what to expect in a group setting so there will not be anything too foreign to them.
Teaching groups is not always the same. Every class is different as every student from another. Their abilities to command the language is also different and it can be difficult to find the right balance for all of the students. Getting everyone motivated and interested is another issue. Alternating topics to fit into everyone?s niche is necessary to get all the students involved at one point unlike one-on-one which is a lot more focused and compromising is not needed.
One-on-one sessions allow for a more customized plan that tries to accommodate the individual as best as possible. Groups on the other hand give stability with a familiar atmosphere and a steady learning pace. Whichever style is better is up to the teacher?s preference.
