Jessie Said:

ESL GAMES - What are some fun ESL Games for teaching Reading?

We Answered:

This site has some good ideas: http://www.teachenglishinasia.net/efl-es…

Dwayne Said:

If I major in English and TESOL Education in New York, would I teach only ESL Classes?

We Answered:

I was told that 80% of people¿s first jobs have nothing to do with their major. If you want to teach in a primary or secondary school, you'll need a license. YOu'll have to take the PRAXIS and get licenses in the subjects you want to teach.

Shelly Said:

What are the challenges of teaching writing?

We Answered:

I am not an ESL teacher, but my first thought between Reading and Writing is that writing is more difficult to evaluate, to correct or grade, it is seemingly always an on-going process of revision. Reading (comprehension, word recognition, etc) is a little more definite in assessment I think. Both are connected to each other and both rewarding. You can always have your reading students to write and writing students to read. I have taught both and I do not have a favorite, but you are wise to consider this. Yes, probably writing is a little more involved than you might think ( reasons to write, styles of writing etc.) Best wishes.

Janice Said:

Should I become a reading teacher or ESL teacher?

We Answered:

Like you mentioned, job availability is generally much less for ESL teachers than reading teachers. You figure every student needs to be taught reading at some point; not every student is an English language learner.

The pay is the same.

You'd have less students to worry about as an ESL teacher though...if that's something that you are concerned about. As for which is more work? Reading specialist, definitely.

Good luck and great career choices!

Holly Said:

What are the best methods of teaching listening and reading comprehension skills for ESL students?

We Answered:

For listening comprehension, taped conversations seem to work the best. These are often part of a textbook, but leveled conversations can be purchased separately.

I wish I had a good answer about reading comprehension. I struggle with that question every day.

You might want to check these sources.

English Reading Comprehension Skills for ESL EFL Learners
http://esl.about.com/od/englishreadingsk…

For more great ESL, TOEFL® test, TOEIC® test, and teaching resources, just go to
www.esl-pro.com

Lynn Said:

Hey, ESL people - Question about READING MATERIAL?

We Answered:

There are lots of graded readers out there. OUP has a good collection and they offer information on how to use them effectively. This allows you to teach the classics and other important literary works while still working at their English level.

Veronica Said:

Has anybody ever volunteered to teach ESL or reading to adults?

We Answered:

Yup, I've volunteered teaching English in Peru and Mexico.

You don't need any experience or qualifications, but this means as a teacher you will be next to useless. You'll very rarely get the support or training you need for planning, managing and leading classes and the turnover of volunteer teachers in programs means that the students will get very little out of it as well. The only real benefit that will come out of the situation is that you'll learn to deal with problems when you get chucked in the deep end.

If you really want to make a difference teaching English, I suggest you invest in training so that you are providing a skilled service to projects. I also suggest that you volunteer for an extended period of time (more than a couple of weeks) in order to build relationships with the community (which I'm guessing is what you want anyway) and give your students a consistent run with the same teacher.

If you are interested in getting trained, I can highly recommend the place where I got my training in Chiapas, Mexico; The Dunham Institute (details on the source list). They also work directly with the local community in volunteer projects. Good luck on your search!