ITTT 020

Unit 20
Troubleshooting

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Unit 20 Troubleshooting
Common problem
situations
In this unit we will look at some of the most common
problem situations that teachers can encounter in the
classroom and also suggest ways of dealing with them.

First lessons

In each new teaching position a teacher will be faced

with meeting a number of new classes for the first
time. These classes are vital for the teacher to
establish rapport with the students and set the tone for
the rest of the course. Such classes can fall into two
categories:

n New group – in this kind of group the students don't

know each other and some work will be needed to
establish rapport between the class members.
Students may be unfamiliar with EFL methodology.

n Existing group – in an existing group the students are

already likely to know and be comfortable with each
other and familiar with EFL teaching.

When faced with a first lesson the experienced teacher will not resort to the course book but will try to use activities that
will achieve the following:

n Establish rapport between the students (in the case of a new group) and also between the teacher and the class.
n Find out about the students. This will allow the teacher to be able to plan future lessons to cater to the students’
interests.
n Find out about the students' needs/aspirations with English. This enables the teacher to tailor the course to meet the
needs of the class.
n Find out the English level of each individual class member. Areas of difficulty with the language can be built into the
course syllabus.

There are a number of activities that the teacher can use for these purposes:

n Questionnaire/survey – the teacher can let the students interview each other using a pre-set questionnaire and then
feed back to the class. This will allow the students to get to know about each other. If the teacher monitors the activity
closely, he/she will also learn a lot about the students' level of ability in the English language.
n A similar type of activity is 'Tell us about' which is a board game in Keep Talking (a very useful communicative activities
book by Friederike Klippell). Students roll a dice and move their counter to the corresponding square and tell the class
about the topic on that square.

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Unit 20 Troubleshooting

n Pass the ball game. The teacher tosses a soft ball to one of the students and asks him/her any question. That student
answers the question and tosses the ball to another student and asks that student a question etc. As with the other
activities it is a good idea for the teacher to take part too, that way the students find out information about the teacher
too, helping to establish rapport.

n Needs analysis. This was discussed in the previous unit with relation to individual students and business English.

Warmers
Imagine you are a language student. It's early on a grey, cold Monday morning as you arrive at class. Your teacher then
says “Good morning. Let's do the future continuous tense”. It's hardly going to inspire and motivate you, is it? That's
what warmers are for. They are usually short, fun, communicative activities designed to get students motivated and
using English.

Typical warmer ideas include:

n Hangman. Can be used as a revision tool for vocabulary already learned or perhaps problem vocabulary.
n Pictionary. Usage as above.
n Tongue twisters. Good for pronunciation of problem sounds. For example “red lorry, yellow lorry” is useful in Asia
where the 'r' and 'l' sound present problems.
n Memory games. For example one student starts with “Yesterday, I went swimming”, the next student would say
“Yesterday, I went swimming and played football” and so on.

There are many other such activities that can be used. It's important to make them fun but short. You will find that they
really help in getting students warmed up and in the mood for English. They are especially useful if they can be linked in
to the Study phase of the lesson.

Different levels
One of the biggest problems that teachers face is a group where the students are at varying levels. If the school has a
competent entrance level testing procedure, the chances of this happening will be reduced but not prevented totally.
Some students learn more quickly than others and in classes that started at the same level, gaps can start to appear.
There are a number of ways that the teacher can deal with this:

n Use different materials. Where the difference in ability is wide, the teacher may wish to split the students into two
groups (one with the stronger students and the other with the weaker class members). The teacher can give different
materials to each group, appropriate to their level. If the materials are based around the same themes, then the class
can be brought back together at other stages. Obviously the teacher needs to be able to be a bit of a 'juggler' with
dividing time and attention to both groups equally.

n Same material, different tasks. Here the teacher will give the students the same materials but give the stronger
students longer, more complicated tasks appropriate to their level.

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Unit 20 Troubleshooting

n Don't do anything. Many teachers prefer to let each student find his/her own level within the class. Such an approach
means that the students will be studying and learning the same material and, as a result, the gap in level shouldn't
increase. The danger, of course, is that the weaker students might feel frustrated or the stronger ones bored.

n Pair stronger students with weaker ones. Many teachers prefer the strategy of allowing stronger students to assist
weaker students. They can help explain and clarify things. Care must be taken to not let the stronger students
dominate them and do all of the work, while the weaker students are little more than onlookers.

Experienced teachers will adopt a mix of the above techniques to enable classes to progress more smoothly.

Large classes
Large classes can present the teacher with a number of problems from trying to involve all pupils equally to classroom
control. Despite such problems the teacher can employ a number of techniques to create successful classes.

n Use worksheets. Rather than going through activities with the whole class, hand out worksheets. This way each
student will have participated and gained some benefit.
n Pair/group work. Experienced teachers will use a lot of this to maximize student involvement. Clear instructions are
vital with large groups.
n Clarity. Large groups usually mean large classrooms. Try to ensure that your voice and board work is visible/audible to
the whole class.
n Choral repetition. Again this will help get all pupils involved.
n Appoint group leaders. Use them to make classroom management easier. Group leaders can be used to hand out
copies, collect work, keep control of the group etc.
n Dynamics. Large classes are often more dynamic and dramatic. A large number of students equals a greater variety
of ideas. Experienced teachers can use this to their advantage and organize humorous, involving classes.

Few teachers would choose large classes over smaller ones, as it makes a difficult job even more challenging. However,
most teachers, at some time in their careers, will find themselves dealing with groups of 30 to 100 students. Using some
of the above suggestions can make a potentially difficult situation a great deal easier and more enjoyable.

Use of native language

As discussed in the previous unit, the use of the students' native tongue can be problematic in monolingual classes. This
is usually not 'malicious' but more a case of wanting to communicate something that they feel unable to express in
English or wanting to explain something to help another student. However much the teacher may understand and
sympathize with this, his/her job is to have the students practising and improving their English language skills. There are
a number of things that the teacher can do in such a situation:

n Make sure the activities you use are at an appropriate level and that the students have the necessary language to
cope.
n Make sure your explanations are clear to all class members. They then shouldn't need to clarify or explain to each
other in their native language.

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Unit 20 Troubleshooting

n Encourage the use of English where appropriate. This doesn't mean a total ban on their language but for them to only
use it when absolutely necessary, and never in a speaking activity!
n Only respond to English. If students try speaking to you in their own language, make sure you don't respond. Students
should get used to trying to express their thoughts and ideas in English, even if it isn't grammatically perfect. If you
show them that you understand their language, they will try and use it more and more in situations where they could
have found a way to express themselves in English.
n Constantly remind the students. Over a period of time the teacher can use encouragement/cajoling/reminding to get
the students used to using English in the classroom.

Reluctant students
At some time or another most teachers will come across students who don't seem to want to talk or participate in class.
For some it may be cultural, for others intimidation or confidence issues. In the productive skills unit we looked at various
ways of encouraging students to speak. Following are some other useful ideas:

n Use plenty of pair work. This will allow the students to practice in a safe environment, with the support of a fellow
student, before having to contribute in open class discussion/feedback.
n Use controlled practice. Ensure the students are able to produce language in a controlled way before expecting them
to be able to produce it fluently.
n Use role-play. Some students find it more comfortable to communicate when they are acting as somebody else than
when they are being themselves. Role-plays are very helpful in this respect.
n Use a tape recorder. Ask the students to record what they would like to say outside the lesson. This allows the students
to express themselves in a less threatening atmosphere. The teacher can listen to the recording and point out errors.

Difficulties with listening texts

This seems to be a problem that is common to students of nearly every nationality. As a result many teachers then avoid
using cassettes. This is not acceptable and the teacher should work with the students to help improve their listening
skills. Refer back to receptive skills unit for further tips on dealing with this problem. First of all though, make sure it is a
problem with listening skills and not just the poor quality of the tape, or the volume being too low, etc.

Another common problem the teacher is often faced with is what to do when one or two students have finished tasks, yet
others may be only part way through. Do we go at the speed of the quickest? The slowest? Most teachers take the
'common sense' view that we should carry out the lesson at the pace of the majority of the class.

If we keep a selection of extra activities/materials, we can then make sure the quicker students have something to do
and don't become bored. Another solution is to plan other activities for the same materials and if some students finish
early, they can do extra work on it. Word searches are convenient and often popular materials to keep handy for quick
finishers.

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Unit 20 Troubleshooting

Low-resourced classrooms

Not all schools will have the resources many teachers may need in the classroom so a little creativity is often required.

Much household 'waste', such as plastic bottles, cartons, magazines, newspapers and the like, can be repurposed to
create a whole range of visual equipment and classroom props. The internet is also a valuable source of classroom
materials. If you have an internet connection, a printer and some paper, there never need be a low resourced classroom.

There are now numerous websites that offer free online resources for teaching, adults, young learners, large classes,
mixed abilities and the complete gamut of classroom types throughout the world.

Here we offer some possibilities for you to look at. Please bear in mind that we give no endorsement and receive no
favour for any of the suggested sites.

Learning materials: Adults

n BBC Learning English [Link]/learningenglish

n Breaking News English [Link]

Speaking and listening

n English Club [Link]/esl-worksheets/conversation

n elllo [Link]

Writing and reading

n PURDUE University [Link]

n iSL collective [Link]/english-esl-worksheets/search/reading+comprehension

Lesson plans

n Using English [Link]

n ESL Galaxy [Link]

Grammar and vocabulary

n New ESL Blues [Link]

n Murphy Free! [Link]/english-grammar-in-use-supplementary-exercises-with-answers

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Unit 20 Troubleshooting

Students unable to do activities

This is a very common problem, particularly for newer teachers. You believe you have given clear instructions as to how to
go about an activity and when you ask the students to start; they either do nothing and look confused or go about the
activity in completely the wrong way.

The main problem here lies in the fact that you have given instructions and therefore broken the maxim for activities:

Demonstrate, Not Explain!

In order for the students to gain a full understanding of both the purpose and procedure of an activity you should go
through a number of easy steps. These steps apply whether you are asking them to do a Study activity worksheet or a
major Activate activity.

For a Study activity:

Do not give out the study worksheet initially, as you want the students to be looking at you rather than the worksheet.

1. Show the structure of the question form on the board (Typically use the first question on the worksheet).
2. Elicit a correct answer from the students for the first question and board that too.
3. Ask the students the next question to see if they get it right. Avoid asking them “Do you understand?” as the answer will
usually be “yes” regardless of their understanding. Ask them concept questions instead.
4. Give out the worksheet and let them get on with it (preferably in pairs so they can interact).

You can remember this process as DEGO i.e. Demonstrate è Elicit è Give Out

For an Activate activity:

Again, do not give out the activate material initially.

1. Show the structure of the material on the board (and using the actual thing).
2. Elicit the expected activity language and board that too.
3. Ask a student to help you demonstrate the process of the activity (including target language). Avoid asking them “Do
you understand?”
4. Give out the activity sheets and let them get on with it.

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Unit 20 Troubleshooting

I don’t know the answer

No teacher has the knowledge to be able to answer absolutely every question that may be asked by students. There will
inevitably be occasions when a student asks a question to which they will simply not know the answer. This is not a sign of
being a poor teacher; it’s simply a sign of being human!

All teachers naturally want to give their students the information they need, but there are some who will guess at the
answer if they’re not sure, presenting their response as fact. This can be a big mistake. If you’re wrong, you will be giving
your students incorrect information, which is extremely counterproductive. The reason for this approach is fairly clear –
they simply want to avoid losing face in front of their students, and avoid any indication that they are not familiar with their
subject.

In reality, students tend not to think in this way, though. A more productive approach if you’re unsure of the answer to a
question you’re asked during a lesson is to say the following:

“I don't know, but I'll find out for you.”

You would need to make a note of the question, then do the necessary research after the class. The most important part
of this approach is to make sure that you come back to the question during the next lesson. If a student shows enough
interest in your lesson to ask an interesting question, then the least you can do is provide them with an answer, even if it’s
at a later date. This will also encourage them to ask questions again.

Dealing with difficult questions in this way is likely to increase interest in your classes generally and builds respect in both
directions.

That concludes unit 20.

This is the final unit, and you should now have completed all the study sections of the course.

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Unit 20 Troubleshooting

Summative task
Assuming you score 75% or more overall on the tests,
you will need to move on to the final stage of the
course: the summative task. Once you've submitted
the unit 20 test, you should see a 'summative task' tab
in the red bar at the top of your control panel which
should have replaced the ‘Tests’ tab that was there
before.

You can choose from one of the topics listed on the

next two pages.

Your summative task title should encourage you to

answer a question based on the topic you choose. For
example, taking the topic “Learning Grammar” you
might use as a title “Why learning grammar is
impor tant” or “How different students learn
grammar”.

Alternatively, you might want to choose your own topic,

having gained approval from us via email. The topic
should have an EFL, working abroad or living abroad
theme. Similarly, the title should encourage you to
answer a question.

The summative task is essentially an essay and should be written from a general perspective, or you and your teaching
perceptions/experience. With the possible exception of items 88 to 90, it should not be about the way you felt during your
course or your course experience.

The summative task should be between 500 and 1000 words. It should be clear and concise, relevant to the topic and
professional in nature. This is a requirement of the course and must be of a satisfactory standard. The summative task
should be original and must be your own work; content taken from elsewhere will not be accepted. If you use sources they
should be referenced.

If you have signed up for multiple courses with ITTT that have a summative task requirement, please note that you are
only permitted to use any title once.

To reduce the chance of a problem when submitting the summative task, you are advised to work on the contents offline;
i.e. work in something like a Word document, then when you've finished copy and paste the contents into the online form.
That way, if the submission is unsuccessful, you have a copy to work from.

Our staff will assess your submitted summative task and contact you within two working days.

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Unit 20 Troubleshooting

n n
Summative task topic options

Choose one of the following topics:

1. Learning Grammar 40. The value of observed teaching practice

2. Learning teaching skills 41. Lesson planning
3. Classroom management 42. Volunteer teaching
4. Phonetics/phonology 43. Establishing rapport
5. Course materials 44. Discipline in the classroom
6. Course structure 45. The use of video in teacher training
7. Online TEFL courses vs onsite TEFL courses 46. Managing equipment and teaching aids
8. Why complete a TEFL course 47. Motivation in the classroom
9. The tests of TEFL 48. Teaching slang and idioms
10. Problems for learners in a country of your choice 49. How teachers can increase their confidence in the
11. Common linguistic problems classroom
12. Teacher self analysis 50. Creating materials
13. Teacher career development 51. Correction techniques
14. Options for teachers 52. Evaluation and testing
15. 1st language vs 2nd language acquisition 53. Teaching modal auxiliary verbs
16. Learning modes: Young learners vs adults 54. Teaching multiple tenses
17. Troubleshooting TEFL 55. Teaching receptive skills (reading and listening)
18. English as a global language 56. Teaching productive skills (speaking and writing)
19. British English vs American English 57. Games in the classroom
20. Problems facing students of different nationalities 58. Songs in the classroom
21. Difference between formal and non formal language 59. Teaching beginner students
22. Peculiarities of the English language 60. Teaching monolingual vs multi-lingual groups
23. Learning difficulties 61. New technology in the classroom
24. Syllabus design 62. Teaching ESL vs EFL
25. Child development 63. CALL (Computer Aided Language Learning)
26. Multiple intelligence 64. Comparative teaching methodologies
27. Cultural sensitivity in the classroom 65. Published teaching resources
28. Learning techniques 66. ESA
29. Dictionary training 67. ESP (English for Specific Purposes)
30. TEFL for non native English speaking teachers 68. Teaching styles
31. Teaching grammar 69. Role of the teacher
32. Teaching vocabulary 70. Motivating students
33. Teaching skills in the classroom 71. Integrated skills
34. Teaching EFL in a Kindergarten 72. Linguistic learning
35. Teaching one to one 73. Large classes
36. Teaching groups 74. Classes of mixed ability
37. Pronunciation problems in a country of your choice 75. Business English
38. Teaching classes containing a wide variety of ages 76. Building confidence in students
39. The difference between teaching one to one and 77. Seating arrangements in the classroom
groups 78. Things I wish I'd known before starting the course
79. Course experience
80. Group dynamics
81. Course review and analysis
82. Foreign language experience
83. Student profile
84. Materials project
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Unit 20 Troubleshooting

n n

85. TEFL Trainers 118. How to get your confidence back if you lose your
86. Teaching skills in the classroom temper in front of your students?
87. Coursebook review 119. How to control yourself in front of students with
88. Personal teaching experience challenging behavior?
89. The best thing I've learned from this course 120. Teaching children with varying learning abilities
90. Decide on your own EFL, working abroad or living 121. How to develop the speaking abilities of
abroad title and check by emailing us. kindergarten level students
91. How can reading influence language acquisition? 122. What outdoor activities can help when teaching
92. How to teach reading English?
93. Readers are leaders: how to instill a love for reading 123. Should all classroom activities be directed by the
in children? teacher?
94. The importance of stories for English learning in 124. Best ideas for circle time
early childhood 125. How to pay attention to all students if your
95. What stories can be used for teaching English to classroom is big?
teenagers/adults/children? 126. How to organize activities for students with shorter
96. Classroom activities using storytelling attention spans
97. How to build a successful teaching career 127. How to teach English to children online
98. How can English influence a student's future 128. How English teaching should be adjusted to online
career? learning
99. What is important for early career teachers? 129. Online resources to support your teaching
100. Should teachers punish students for bad behavior? 130. Is teaching ESL/EFL online convenient?
101. How punishment influences students' motivation 131. What teaching techniques can be used when
102. Is it appropriate to punish younger children in an teaching online?
ESL classroom? 132. How to teach English to adults online
103. What are possible alternatives to punishment? 133. What activities can be used when teaching online?
104. If you see another teacher punishing students, what 134. Is online education a source of globalization?
should you do? 135. How can you use your TEFL experience in online
105. Punishment through the lens of culture teaching?
106. How can parents help an ESL teacher? 136. Is it necessary to get a TEFL certificate if you want to
107. Parents role in Education teach online?
108. How can parents help students to learn English? 137. How can online education influence ESL?
109. Should a parent learn English too? 138. What materials can be used for teaching English
110. Is it normal to praise students? online?
111. Ways to encourage ESL students 139. How to decrease teacher speaking time
112. Peer learning: is it useful in an ESL classroom? 140. Best speaking activities for mixed-ability
113. How to set up a friendly relationship if students don't classrooms
get along with each other? 141. How to teach a bilingual classroom
114. Should students make friends in the classroom to 142. What personal qualities are important for English
learn English better? teachers?
115. How to overcome stressful situations in the 143. What is the difference between teaching English to
classroom high-school students and university students?
116. How to help students to overcome stress when they 144. Teaching at a university in China
learn English 145. Five activities with flashcards
117. What are possible stressful situations for ESL 146. How can you use flashcards when teaching
students in the classroom? teenagers and adults?
147. Teaching English sentence structure
148. Is teaching slang and idioms important for ESL
students?
149. Is drilling an effective teaching method?

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Unit 20 Troubleshooting

Task sheet
Check your knowledge before attempting the unit test.

Please note that this task sheet is solely for checking

that you have understood the course unit content. You
do not need to submit this task sheet – just use it to
check you have understood the major points.

Task 1 – You are about to take your first lesson with a group of monolingual students in their own country. Write a lesson
plan for the class, including introduction, warmers, an activity/exercise/test that will indicate students’ different
levels, and finishing with a game or other activity that involves all the class. Use the same lesson plan format as
all previous lesson plans.

Task 2 – Summarize what you have personally gained from this course, and how you plan to put into action what you have
learned.

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