Becoming a teacher of a foreign language can be a daunting task
. Finding yourself in front of a class of stony faced students who can't understand a word of English is not for the faint hearted.
So how does a teacher break the ice and get a rapport going with their students?
The good way for a teacher to get the ball rolling and begin communicating with their students is to show that they have a sense of fun and humour. The students can relate to this and will feel a connection with their teacher. This in turn will help them to relax and become interested.
So it is a good idea for the teacher to be upbeat and cheerful. A teacher who is in a good mood will create a good atmosphere in the classroom and it will rub off onto the students. The students will listen to their teacher and be responsive if they feel they can enjoy the lesson.
A teacher can do this by beginning the class with a fun game or song to arouse their student's.
The teacher could then show they are interested in the subject too by being enthusiastic about what they are saying. This will indicate to the students that the subject is worthy of their interest.
The teacher could try to continually gage how their students are responding and be aware of how much they are enjoying the class.
When the students begin to lose interest and get bored this is a signal to the teacher to inject more enthusiasm and fun activities into the lesson to reengage their student's interest.
The more the students are enjoying themselves the more the teacher will enjoy teaching.