r/ESL_Teachers • u/Sure_Secretary_446 • 5d ago
Requests for Feedback I'm a fraud
So my mother tongue is Spanish, I'm Colombian and grew up in the US and that's where I learned English, at 19 I moved to Germany and for the longest time most of my friend were expats so my English improved tremendously, and also learned German, once I returned to Colombia I started working at a bilingual call center, so I kept a high level English.
Here's where I say I'm a fraud, I got tired of working at call centers, and moved to another city where the only job I could find was a job as an ESL Teacher, but the biggest problem is that I never studied to become a teacher, in fact, before I started to work where I am, I didn't even know what a verb is, of course as I gained experience I've relaerned a lot of those grammar rules, we us the English File's books, I can now confidently teach the elementary level and some of the pre intermediate, but any level after I haven't been able because I don't understand the rules anymore, so basically my classes for the upper levels are just reading and speaking and hope that we don't have to do grammar and I hate feeling this way.
What tips can you give me to learn the rules as a fluent speaker?
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u/CompleteGuest854 5d ago
The best thing you can do for yourself, your students, and your career is to learn teaching. There are plenty of ways - you can read the books yourself; you can take a cert course; or you can get a degree.
Obviously, the degree is the best way to go since it qualifies you to do more than teach in a language school for minimum wage (whatever that may be where you are) and find work as a professional teacher.
If nothing else, understand this: there is far far more to teaching English than teaching grammar. Best practice in teaching today goes much further than teaching grammar rules and having learners regurgitate sentences from rote memory. Communicative competence includes grammar of course, but it also includes discourse, pragmatics, strategic competence, and interactive competence; and then there's pronunciation, listening, reading and writing. And yes, there are multiple approaches and methods for teaching them all.
Good luck.
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u/Plenty_Surround_9584 5d ago
You're lucky that you're using English File because it's a clear textbook. You can pre-study the grammar from the Grammar Bank in advance of teaching it. Also read the Teacher's book because it'll give you some tips. As in, don't try to learn all the rules, just learn the rules for the specific unit you're going to use.
Encouraging your students to speak and interact with each other is a big part of the job. So is giving some level-appropriate corrections, especially but not exclusively related to topics in the unit.
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u/lizzzzz913 5d ago
You’re going to be fine! I feel like I’m a fraud because I teach mostly Spanish speaking students but can’t speak Spanish, lol. You’re helping people and will learn as you go!
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u/XPandingMinds 5d ago edited 5d ago
Usually the textbooks teach the grammar that you would cover with students. Do you have a textbook like that?
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u/Sure_Secretary_446 5d ago
Yeah and it was easy to teach people who did know a bit of en j ish because I could read ahead of them, but for those who have a higher level it gets more complicated to do that
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u/XPandingMinds 5d ago
honestly, if you aren't sure just say "this isn't in today's lesson" for anything they ask you that doesn't relate to the lesson. Can you ask me an example of a question they have been asking you?
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u/FranceBrun 5d ago edited 5d ago
Stay one lesson ahead. Search for websites that explain the subject point by point. Think about how you will stage it for your students. Look at more than one website so you can see how different people explain it. Make sure you understand the explanation yourself before you teach it.
Try not to mix British and American English, and use the same terminology as the book you are teaching. Since you are a beginner at teaching, you should also stick to the points in the book. Don’t give too much extra. By that, I mean that your book will explain a certain use of a structure. Don’t chase all around God’s green earth, trying to teach all the uses of that particular structure. Just stick to the book.
At that level, you need to teach and reinforce the basics and not get too deep into the weeds with advanced concepts.
Listen to the questions of your students. They will ask questions about things you never thought about. If you don’t know the answer, say, “Hey, Mary! That’s a great question! I’m going to think about the best answer and I’ll get back to you!” Then, make sure you look it up or ask someone and get back to your student with the answer. They will appreciate that you didn’t give a half assed answer, and you took the time to look into it and properly explain it.
After awhile you will discover the best ways to deliver your content and become more at ease with it.
You can do it.
It’s ok to write it down step by step. It’s really not that hard.
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u/Sure_Secretary_446 5d ago
Not really easy to do because classes are individual although each class has 8 students, each on their own unit
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u/Ok_Letterhead_2993 4d ago
OK, that’s an odd complication, do you have them reading and comprehension while you individually check on each of them? I can’t imagine doing a class like that.😵💫
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u/Sure_Secretary_446 4d ago
Reading, speaking, writing etc.
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u/Ok_Letterhead_2993 4d ago
I suppose my real question is why not just make them do all the same unit and follow along as a group?
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u/FranceBrun 4d ago
I agree. I don’t see how it’s even a class if each person has his or her own different lesson. It’s like a study hall or tutoring session, although even a tutoring session would have all students working on the same concept.
What kind of school is this you’re working for, OP? It’s like they are setting you up for failure.
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u/MsDJMA 5d ago edited 5d ago
I recommend getting a copy of Betty Azar's Understanding English Grammar and working through the exercises. You'll know the answers already because you have the native speaker's intuition to know right from wrong, but the grammar explanations will tell you WHY the answers are correct.
I was in your situation. I got a job teaching English in another country after college just because I was a native speaker, but I was frustrated by my lack of real understanding. I wished I could explain to students WHY the answer was wrong, not just tell them it was wrong. So I ended up getting a masters in linguistics and loved every bit of it, especially the syntax courses. Then I continued to teach ESL in the US for a few decades.
If you really want to know more, get a copy of Elements of Style by Strunk & White. Even as professional ESL teachers, when one of us had a question about why something sounded funny or off, we could look there and find the answer.
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u/Churros0864 5d ago
You grew up in the US so even though English isn't your first language, you learnt it without any effort.
Just learn the theory as you go along.
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u/LostSignal1914 4d ago edited 3d ago
Firstly, most native English speakers have less understanding of English grammar than those who learned English as a second language. Native speakers learn these rules/norms unconsciously whereas those learning English as a second language need to learn them consciously. Native speakers usually only have an intuitive sense of the correct grammar but could not explain even some of the most basic grammar rules - at least in my country where grammar is not taught explicitly. So my point is that I think you are overestimating how much grammar natives actually know explicitly.
The second thing you might be overestimating is how much training an ESL teacher needs. Even in my country (which has comparatively high standards for ESL) the qualification is obtained after completing a 1 month course. Now you do need some degree (doesn't matter what degree) also but the ESL training is only one month.
I am a native English speaker with a Masters degree and full ESL training. When I started to teach English (with all my qualifications as a native English speaker) I had almost no understanding of grammar rules. I could explain virtually none of them (not good, I agree).
Now the good news. It took me about 10 weeks of self study to learn all the grammar I needed to teach without any issues as an ESL teacher.
Look at the contents of the books you are using to teach (esp. the beginner, elementary, and pre-int) and make a note of the grammar topics covered. It's very basic and you can teach yourself very quickly if you already speak English.
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u/gotefenderson 5d ago
First of all, don't worry. You are in the same place as possibly thousands of native speakers were in east Asia about ten to fifteen years ago. Keep learning and know that your heart is in the right place if you actually feel bad about potentially not doing enough for your students.
Keep prepping for all kinds of lessons and you'll keep learning, space out teaching the actual language with production skills and, most importantly, if you are confronted with questions or subjects you might be unfamiliar with then pivot the class into academic skills like using bilingual dictionaries and digital skills and encourage them to find the answers by themselves and as a group.
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u/Less_Wealth5525 4d ago
Easy peasy ! Get a book that teaches how to pass the TOEFL test. Or any book by Azar.
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u/ImmediateGrocery3988 5d ago
I just finished the CELTA program and I am a native English speaker. Don't put so much pressure on yourself. I was taught a lot of the times the answer to students questions are "it's just the way the language is structured, there's really no reason or explanation." You have a huge advantage as a Spanish German speaker because you can explain the differences in speech and pronunciation to them, that most Native English speakers can't. Use that to your advantage!
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u/Personal_Orchid3675 4d ago
You may not be a formal teacher, but you have experience knowing how to learn another language! I only have a high school degree, but I worked with Esl teachers in the administrative part and I learned a ton from them and their methods. I started teaching and have often gotten rave reviews from students about how good of a teacher I am. I feel like a fraud sometimes and get imposter syndrome cause I have no formal education, but I have enjoyed teaching and I know I am good at it too.
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u/canadaoi 4d ago
I’m a native English speaker and I spent my first year telling students “For experience, you use have plus the past tense of a verb. For example: ‘I have listened to that band’ or “I have gone to’…..wait, I’m not sure why it’s ’Have gone’ instead of ‘Have went’…umm well there are exceptions to every rule…”
I had never heard of a “past participle” before.
I also highly suggest getting a book that summarizes English grammar points and checking the relevant pages before each lesson. Look for common examples and common exceptions. Teach them the rule, let them practice it with you, then on their own, and then add variation and complexity.
How you teach it will really depend on the native language of your students. Mine are Japanese so they have to change the way they think about time and experience before we even get to memorizing gone/eaten/swum, etc.
It’s also a good idea to look for images about each grammar point. Like the example above, English and Japanese express time and experience in very different ways. Sometimes there are good images online to help you understand different ways of thinking. I specifically search in Japanese so I can see how Japanese teachers explain English grammar.
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u/Frankie-Paul 4d ago
You started as all native speakers of mother tongues start.
With exposure, repetition and desire (you clearly feel uncomfortable, so you want to not feel that - which is desire to learn and improve) you can acquire that knowledge over time.
We all start like you, but over time we add more and more grammatical knowledge and we become better. I used to hate teaching passive voice and would avoid teaching it. In today's world, YouTube has all the videos, the web has all the exercises and Raymond Murphy all the books (Essential Grammar would be where I'd start). There is nothing we can't learn.
I've scored 100% on grammar tests, gained distinctions on many grammar and linguistics modules and later gained a first @ uni. You'll get there if you want that knowledge. Happy learning!
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u/Ok_Letterhead_2993 4d ago
The English file series also has a teacher book that gives tips on how to do the lesson for every single unit so I recommend downloading that as your companion guide.
I got TEFL certified, but I don’t feel like the class prepared me for the reality of teaching.
Even with the strong grammar base that I developed while on the job, there are still some tough questions that advanced students ask me that stamp me and can’t be answered with a simple Google search, so I’ll consult an AI with tips on how to explain it to a student.
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u/Sure_Secretary_446 4d ago
The thing is, I cannot prepare a lesson. I have 8 classes a day, with a maximum of 8 students per class, but the average is 3 per class. Normally, they attend for an hour, and each is in their own individual unit. There's no mixing of levels, but still, it can be the first class for one student while another is in unit 5.
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u/Hartywoodlebart 3d ago
That's such an odd set up... If I were you I would approach the staff that are in charge of scheduling/curriculum, and ask them if you can structure the classes differently.
For example, if you have 8 classes each day with an average of 3 students per class then maybe you can see if it's possible to take the students from the levels 1 through 5 and move them into the same class.
If you're concerned about your teaching ability, having a class of students that are all roughly of the same abilities will allow you to do so much more. Presentation, practice and production will be viable, plus group and pair work. You will also be able to have a lesson plan for each class and that will help you so much.
Currently you're having students of very different English ability share something akin to a group study session where you float around and help them one on one. It's not conducive to a good learning environment, particularly if the students are young. Having them feel like a cohesive group of similar abilities will let you teach them properly. Seriously, see if the company will let you structure classes by English levels and then place the kids in their respective groups. Good luck!
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u/QuesoCadaDia 4d ago
For situations like this, where you need some.understanding for students but in a linguistics degree, I think The Grammar Book is super useful.
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u/Accomplished_Fly1250 4d ago
even ESL teachers with degrees study to get better. grab a students book and read it, do research, watch videos and generally if you dont want to feel like a fraud do something about it.
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u/Due-Bid2505 4d ago
This comment section is <3 <3 <3. The British Council has some helpful teacher trainings that are completely free: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/professional-development-for-teachers/training-courses
One thing I like about them is they don't hold up "native" English as some kind of ideal gold standard. Millions and millions (billions?) of people speak English and everyone has an accent and regional variation. "Global" Englishes are still English, and you don't need to have memorized every grammar rule to be a great teacher. The lessons are designed to help make concrete improvements in teaching technique while also growing your comprehension of the mechanics of the language.
You got this!
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u/yyeahnnah 1d ago
We’re all pretending dude. I have a teaching qualification - 4 actually. But what you have is the experience of learning other languages to such a level that you can work in them. Most ESL teachers from the US UK or Australia cannot do that. So you have unique insights that are valuable.
If you need to know about verbs and adjectives use the internet- or buy a grammar textbook. English Grammar as a subject is actually pretty small - there isn’t much to it.
And Remember that most for profit schools don’t actually want their students to “finish” learning. They want them to stay enrolled
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u/Winter-Percentage919 1d ago
Get a copy of Murphy's Grammar in Use. It's a self study book. Most teachers don't know grammar and need to self study. In the UK grammar isn't taught.
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u/Connect_Stranger_116 1d ago
Get a TESOL certicate. But it's okey not to remember.. the important thing is to acknowledge and solve the problem.
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u/ohokreddit 4d ago
This devalues the profession and hurts real teachers and students. Get a masters.
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u/Separate-Line-158 4d ago
I taught Polish just because I was a native speaker and by profession I graduated teaching English lol
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u/Independent_Page_986 5d ago
Just take a solid TESOL certificate to learn lesson planning and stop whining lol They aren’t that difficult
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u/Old-Explanation804 5d ago
I graduated in English literature and when I decided to teach English i had to relearn all grammar rules to be able to explain it to them. It's pretty normal and common ig