Debra Said:

I am teaching ESL students a survey course in American Literature?

We Answered:

You could have them read The Pearl by Steinbeck. It's short as well as classic. If you want short stories, the ones by Poe would be good.

Tyler Said:

When teaching ESL students English, what are some of the ways to connect to them and teach them the language?

We Answered:

The biggest thing you can do in teaching English is to treat your students as your equals and peers. So many ESL instructors make the mistake of treating their students like children or idiots.

Talk to them as you would anyone else and feed them words and grammar as they need it. If they feel like you actually want to know what they think they will be more likely to talk to you.

Those goofy make-believe scenarios are mostly worthless and do little more than annoy the students.

Alfredo Said:

how you view your ESL students if you are teaching ESL classes?

We Answered:

I have my TESOL endorsement ... My kiddos (middle school) are polite, vulnerable, and wanting to know all they can. Many are self conscious of their abilities--and are afraid to take risks. I view them as capable students. However, many students don't want to do more to be English-proficient than sit in class. Some will not apply themselves. Others, however, do whatever they can to immerse themselves in the language. When teaching ESOL, it's important to remember that they should not be identified by their language, but by their culture.

Marcus Said:

I'm teaching ESL students about physical appearance. What's a good song I could use for a gap fill?

We Answered:

First of all, to the person above me: ESL means "English as a Second Language".

Secondly, I think "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" works, if that's what you're looking for.

Dale Said:

teaching esl students?

We Answered:

I think the age....if the students that you teach, have already gone through the critical period, then it is challenging for them to learn the language as you would like them too, another difficult situation when teaching English as a second language is that even when you try not to use their first language, they really expect you to use it...so you have to adapt and find strategies in which they can use their first language as a reference in learning that second language...even when you avoid using it yourself.