Teaching Large Esl Classes
REVIEW OF LITERATURE on the subject
TEACHING LARGE ESL CLASSES
by
Neal D. Williams
A CUR 524 assignment submitted to the faculty of the
Fischler Center for the Advancement of Education of Nova Southeastern University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of science
January 6, 1999
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this review of literature is to search the scholarly literature for information on the subject of teaching ESL [English for speakers of other languages] in large classes, especially in a foreign context. This subject is of immense practical value for the present writer because it is his intention to begin teaching at a Korean university in September 1999. It is a fact that many university classes in Korea have thirty students or more, and, indeed, one of the first questions that interviewers usually ask prospective teachers is how they would teach such a large class. In addition to the difficulty of teaching the large class, there is also the problem of the varying levels of English proficiency that are present in many classes. It is well known that there are four basic skills that must be taught in language learning: speaking, listening, writing, and reading. Of these skills, one stands out as particularly troublesome for the teacher of large classes. Of course that is the skill of speaking the target language. "Speaking" includes both pronunciation and conversational ability. Competent teaching of these skills by one English-speaking teacher in a large class with varying levels of proficiency requires a great deal of creativity and resourcefulness. The goal of this review is to find articles and research reportsboth primary and secondarywhich will offer practical guidelines in helping the teacher who is faced with this problem. Makarova, Veronika. (1996). Teaching English pronunciation to large groups of students: some suggestions. Research report. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.
TEACHING LARGE ESL CLASSES
by
Neal D. Williams
A CUR 524 assignment submitted to the faculty of the
Fischler Center for the Advancement of Education of Nova Southeastern University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of science
January 6, 1999
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this review of literature is to search the scholarly literature for information on the subject of teaching ESL [English for speakers of other languages] in large classes, especially in a foreign context. This subject is of immense practical value for the present writer because it is his intention to begin teaching at a Korean university in September 1999. It is a fact that many university classes in Korea have thirty students or more, and, indeed, one of the first questions that interviewers usually ask prospective teachers is how they would teach such a large class. In addition to the difficulty of teaching the large class, there is also the problem of the varying levels of English proficiency that are present in many classes. It is well known that there are four basic skills that must be taught in language learning: speaking, listening, writing, and reading. Of these skills, one stands out as particularly troublesome for the teacher of large classes. Of course that is the skill of speaking the target language. "Speaking" includes both pronunciation and conversational ability. Competent teaching of these skills by one English-speaking teacher in a large class with varying levels of proficiency requires a great deal of creativity and resourcefulness. The goal of this review is to find articles and research reportsboth primary and secondarywhich will offer practical guidelines in helping the teacher who is faced with this problem. Makarova, Veronika. (1996). Teaching English pronunciation to large groups of students: some suggestions. Research report. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.
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