I meet clients and assess their ability to communicate in an informal conversation. I then run a battery of tests to collect raw data on what those clients need. Once I analyze the test results, I design a program specifically for those clients. The clients and I meet for a 90-minute training session once or twice a week. Within that session, we work on tasks and exercises that improve vocabulary and syntax in a comfortable atmosphere. Most clients return to their offices refreshed after their sessions. Video tapes of the sessions help clients see and hear the way they appear to others, and to see their improvement as time goes on. In my experience, speed, volume and rhythm problems resolve themselves quickly with the help of video tape. Transcription of audiotaped and spoken material improves the clients’ ability to hear and understand what’s going on around them. The better clients hear and understand, the better they’ll speak because all four language skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking) are connected. If you improve one skill, you’ll automatically improve another. Homework exercises are brief, to accommodate clients busy schedules. Most work is done in class and during the normal course of the business day as clients put what they’ve learned into practice. Each class builds on the progress of last one, so there is constant forward motion. Clients’ colleagues often notice a significant improvement in the trainee’s ability to communicate after ten to twelve weeks of coaching. If you want to compare my methods with those of other ESL teachers, ask us both to do an analysis and evaluation of a client’s needs. You should be able to see the difference immediately. The WOW* FactorThe worst thing about being an adult studying a new language is feeling like a child again: helpless, knowing what you want to say but not having the words to say it, being embarrassed to try new words because making mistakes makes you look and feel foolish. Our coaches understand. That’s why we pay special attention to the WOW* factor. We believe people overcome their inhibitions best when they’re fascinated by what they’re learning. We’ve also learned that the more interested people are in what they’re doing, the more fluently they speak. |
in a Second Language |
|
