FOR TEACHERS

Each lesson, and the course as a whole, provides a blend of form-based practice and meaning-based interaction. Similarly, the teacher has the dual role of interested person and interested teacher.

The course material is all tried and tested and ready for the teacher to work with. The material provides relevant language focus: the effectiveness and enjoyableness of learning relies on the teachers' responsiveness and classroom skills in making lesson-wide and moment-to-moment decisions as they shift this focus between meaning and form to suit individual learners and to what is being taught.

50 minutes with SpeakYourMind

"Each lesson involves dialogue that puts 'words' in contexts and is divided into two, well-defined, parts; Revision and New Language. The teacher steers this dialogue, following the course material, usually in a question-answer format. The teacher asks questions but students are also invited to ask questions to other students or even to the teacher. Unlike methods where this format is a mechanical drilling procedure, the aim is to generate personal engagement, something that actually happens quite naturally. The teacher manages the lesson to make sure that everyone gets their fair share and tries to keep the pace of the lesson high. You help students when they need it and you correct their mistakes. Of course, people are not all the same you need to pick up on what's the best mood or style to approach them.

New language is covered in each lesson but learners aren't expected to learn it completely there-and-then just because they've 'done it'. Review and re-cycling have a major place; the first third or so of each lesson goes back to revise what was new in the previous couple of lessons and the course material is designed to regularly re-present language and structures that otherwise might get forgotten.

Listening, speaking, confidence-building, vocabulary and grammar are not parcelled up into separate areas of the lesson: the teacher can shift the emphasis to suit the learners' priorities or preference.

Alongside the Revision and New Language portions of the lesson, teachers also plan a short activity which can range from grammar-based or pronunciation exercises to reading and writing, role-play, or discussion (not at elementary level).

What appeals a lot is that the method treats people as thinking, responsible adults who are in the classroom because they have common aims, so things work by consensus and co-operation rather than 'rules'. The course does have a very defined framework and there are clear guidelines for classroom procedures: let's face it, it is a method, yet it doesn't get in the way so lessons are still very personal.

For me the bottom line for a teaching course is "Does it work?" and "Do students like it?". In my experience with SpeakYourMind the answer would certainly be 'yes'."

James (teacher)

taken from international jobs forum Dave's ESL Cafè march 2007

SpeakYourMind appeals to practical-minded teachers who get their rewards from person-to-person interaction and from seeing the results their students achieve. Schools in the network have their own staffing requirements but if you have teaching experience, suitable qualifications and enthusiasm, we will be happy to receive your CV and to forward it to the school in the area you are interested in. As new schools join the network, teaching and even management positions will open up, so keep an eye on this site if you feel you have a future in TEFL.

Looking for work? Click here to find out about which schools using SpeakYourMind are currently seeking teachers.

ALSO - Visit the SyM Blog!
http://speakyourmindenglish.blogspot.com/