The English teachers voice

Why do the majority of students study English, and what are they trying to achieve? The number one reason is to learn how to communicate in English, especially through speaking. In order to become better at speaking in English, it seems logical that our students need to practice at every possible opportunity, especially through well thought out classroom activities. In theory, this all sounds so easy, so logical, however, as all English teachers know, there are numerous reasons why students may not be able to speak as much as we would like them to during our lessons. These include: Lack of confidence and low self-esteem Natural shyness An inability to speak in public, or with others in either English or their native language . Tiredness The style of teaching or the particular activity is boring. A lack of interest in the subject Fear of ridicule or bullying To prevent any of these reasons from lessening the efficient results of students learning, there are a ...

Imagine that a school is a car, and that the teachers are the engine, what would happen if each and every day, we drive and drive and drive giving little to no thought about its upkeep or maintenance? Obviously, it will eventually breakdown requiring major repairs to get it running efficiently again, but unlike a car, finding suitable resolutions for the problems could be a long, drawn-out and expensive process that could ultimately culminate in a situation that could damage a schools professional reputation. In today’s world, being a teacher is a never-ending challenge. Besides the daily responsibility of the planning, preparing, teaching and marking, teachers have to deal with students who have behavioral problems , family issues , learning disabilities , and more. As a school Headmaster/administrator , keeping your teachers motivated is one of your most important roles if your school is to be successful.   1. Be an active presence in the school. An administrator who sp...

To sound, or not to sound like a native speaker , that is the million-dollar question! Whilst there are many different kinds of English accents in the world, historically, the two most common are the British and the American.   But, is it really as simple as that when you realize the reality that within both the United States and the United Kingdom, there are many different regional accents, each with their own distinct pronunciation, A native of New York sounds as distinctly different to a native of New Orleans as a Londoner does from someone from Birmingham. An  accen t is a way of pronouncing common words from a particular region or country. American pronunciation and British pronunciation are completely different. The consonant sounds are generally the same (except for the T sound and the r-colored vowel sounds ), but the vowel sounds are completely different. The British accent has more vowel sounds, and most vowel letters are pronounced completely different...