Hello dear students!
Today I want to give you some tips on how to get the most out of each English class.
My typical class lasts 60 minutes, and most students have two classes per week.
With that in mind, let me give you all some tips on what you, as a student, can do to make our classes more effective!
1) Do your homework! Blah blah blah, you've heard the same thing your whole life. Here's the deal: If I assign you homework, I want to be clear that I want you to do it. I expect you to do it. However, I also know that you're an adult with a family, a job, friends, a social life, and many other responsibilities. English homework falls towards the bottom of that list most days, and I sincerely hope you have the time to do it. However, I'm also realistic. So if you don't get your homework done, it isn't a problem. However, the best thing for you to do is plan to do it later, because it's still great practice. I won't assign something new or difficult as homework, so you really won't need my help with it. Instead, homework is supposed to be practice of a skill you've recently learned to help reinforce your understanding. Doing your homework together in class is a waste of your class time! I don't mind reviewing at all, and we will always take time to look at corrections for homework that you have completed. But if you haven't completed it, don't worry. It will be there tomorrow, or the next day, as a great practice exercise for you. Do it on your own and then we can check it together in your next class.
2) Send me your writing samples before class! We do not live in a perfect world, but if we did, all my students would send me their TOEFL essays and writing samples a day or two before our next class, so I could check the errors and design practice activities to help correct the commonly-made errors. However, our world isn't perfect and you might not finish your essay a day before our class. You might finish your essay thirty minutes before I arrive for our class, or you might not even write the essay! As stated above, I understand that sometimes getting your homework done is just not realistic. That's ok. But I need you to understand that if we correct your essay during your class, I can't prepare much in advance. That means that your class will be used doing something that I'll gladly do at home, and for free. Instead of looking at your errors in-depth, I'll be checking your essay and planning to address the recurring errors in the next class. If you are able to get your essay to me one day before (or sooner!), I can come in with a quick overview of your errors and we can get straight to work, which is a better use of your time and your money!
3) Be patient with yourself! I know exactly how hard it is to learn a second language-- I've done it, too! It's frustrating and slow and neverending. It makes your brain tired and it can make you feel stupid sometimes. I understand all of those problems perfectly. Your biggest critic in language-learning is you! I appreciate any effort my students give me, and I don't expect perfection from anyone. Give yourself the same benefit! Every class will not be great. You will not always leave with a perfectly clear understanding of a new concept. That's ok. That's normal. Some things will be easy and you'll learn quickly, and some things will be obstacles for you and you'll move through them very slowly. Be patient with yourself, take a moment to collect your thoughts and questions during class. Understand that adult learning involves a lot of repetition, a lot of review, and a good sense of humor. Some days will be great, and on those days you will feel like you're on fire. Some days will be difficult, and on those days I hope you remember what a big goal you are working toward, and how far you have come from day 1.
4) Cancel in advance when possible! I always try to be flexible with my students-- I know work schedules change and doctor's appointments pop up and sometimes you just have too much work to do. I totally understand-- some days I have to cancel things, too (as a foreigner in Chile, I have the honor of going to the Extranjeria and the PDI often, and those easily take up to 6 hours out of my day!) When my students need a schedule change, I try my best to accomodate them. Sometimes another student has cancelled, and I can use that time to give a class to a student that needs to reschedule her class. I know emergencies happen and things come up at the last minute-- sometimes you can't advise me until the same day, and that's ok. But if everyone tries to let me know the day before that they can't come to a class, it gives me more flexibility to offer to other students when they need to reschedule (and all of you might find yourself in the position of the student that cancels and the student that reschedules at some point!).
5) Don't expect constant correction. I will never correct every single error you make in class, for many reasons. Firstly, it's impossible for me to correct every single error you might make. Secondly, you would never get anything accomplished in class if we had constant and ongoing correction. On top of that, you'd feel terrible about yourself! A huge part of language learning is confidence, and I intend to build that in my students, not destroy it! Additionally, there are two types of errors my students make. The first kind is an error that they repeat multiple times because they genuinely don't know the correct way to use a word, phrase, or structure. This type of error is something I pay attention to and make notes of. The second kind of error is the type of error that occurs once, because the student is thinking and speaking in English in real time. This type of error even happens with native speakers, because sometimes it's difficult to make your brain work fast enough to structure the things you want to say properly. These errors don't worry me until they happen a second time. These errors are also often corrected by the student that made them. Error correction is an important part of learning, but it is never the sole focus of any class.
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