[dcos]

[post removed at the request of author]

[FionaVB]

Oh you poor thing. I imagine the school's resources would be very limited too - maybe no flashcards, perhaps books not printed in colour? Is there a photocopier? What about posters or pictures on the walls? I really enjoy teaching my "baby" classes of 4-5 year-olds, although there are only a few who are as raw as your students.

From hello, I would go to goodbye (or byebye); then I'm [name], I'm a boy/girl. Take 1 or 2 kids out of the room, saying bye-bye as you go, then after a few seconds (take the opportunity to count to 5) come back in saying Hello and How are you.

I would make my own flashcards of colours, so that those words can be introduced, with kids running to point to the right flashcard, or showing you something they own of the right colour. Then colour dictation, if they have crayons. Get a simple colouring picture so that they can colour the boy red and the girl green, for example.

These are just my very simple ideas from the normal first few sessions of my baby classes. I just felt so sorry for you in this situation with no one having replied yet!

Still, I think this is a fairly standard way to start introducing vocab - colours, and the most familiar nouns first, eg family members, animals, body parts, clothing. Games instructions are obviously beyond them, and maybe beyond you too if you have no teaching assistant and limited Chinese. But if you can at least say "Where is..." in the local dialect, with blue/red/whatever in English then the kids should be able to run and point to something for you.

Good luck!

[aurays]

Hi dcos,

It sounds like you are going through a tough situation, but don't give up!

I agree with FionaVB, take it in small steps and introduce some words with mime. I would suggest that you print out or draw yourself a representation of each word. Stick it to the class walls so that the students can go visually over and over the action in their heads and they learn how to write it.

Best of luck

[kidsesl]

This keyword game is super easy for kids with very limited English.

Materials: Eraser, one between 2-4 students
Ages: 5 plus


How to play


Select one word or grammar point from the unit that you are currently studying or want to review. Place all the flashcards and words on the board, and then pick one word and circle it. This will become your Keyword.




If you don’t have any flashcards you can simply write or draw the images on the board. If you need a picture you can get some great royalty free clipart from this site here.


Explain or demonstrate to the children that they need to repeat the subject names after you, but when you say the keyword they must grab the eraser on their desk and hold it up into the air. The child who grabs the eraser when you say the keyword is the winner.


Divide the children into groups of 2-4 and get them to place one eraser in the center of the desk. Sometimes they fight over whose eraser they will use, so a quick game of rock paper scissors can solve that. Make the kids place their hands on their heads so that they don’t hover them above the eraser or try to cheat.


For this example, I’m going to use school subjects and the keyword will be math. Call out different subjects and make the children repeat after you like this



When you say the keyword the children must grab the eraser and the child who grabs it first is the winner.


You can find some pictures and videos on how to play the game here

Kids ESL: All about teaching English to kids!: Keyword Game