My Administration students

Teaching a technical course to people who do not speak English fluently is definitely a challenge.

However, if you keep it simple they are able to understand and do what is being asked. Also, keep in mind their level, if they should know advanced topics then you can have high expectations, if they do not, like in this case, then put your feet on the ground and ask them to do what you know they are capable of doing.

I have been analyzing this group and I found the following weaknesses and strengths:

Weaknesses: This group is very similar to the accounting group. Most students do not ask questions, however when practice comes they start calling me to ask how the exercise goes, which is good at some point.  They are not much participative on their own. The group is big, which is never something good for the learning process and it is very tiring for the teacher, but it is possible to handle. 

Strengths: Students pay attention to explanations. They all check the practice when is being corrected. They tend to work in groups or pairs, and seems to work well. Collaborative work is useful since those who know more help the ones who are having difficulties.

My Accounting students

I teach a group of 21 students a course of Technical English for Accountants. It's been a challenge, but I believe that my background as a business administrator has helped me a lot! This is a big class, and we meet on Mondays from 6 to 9:30 pm.  It's tired, however the week is just starting, so people are still active.

Here are some of the weaknesses and strenghts I've found:

Weaknesses: Students do not ask questions during the explanation or during the practice. Only a few of them do.  Not many wants to participate, therefore the teacher must call them by their names in order to promote participation.

Strengths:  Some students have a good English level, pay attention and participate. Most students do their homework correctly. Another strength is that everyone is there because the have to comply with a requisite, so there is a good quorum, and they quietly pay attention to what the teacher is explaining.

My Basic English Students

I teach basin English to 5 students on Saturdays afternoon. It's a very tough schedule. People are tired, they want to go home, and some of them live very far away. That's one more reason to make the classes enjoyable and interesting. We use a textbook with lots of grammar practice, but I add some extra activities so we can work on something different.

Some of the weaknesses I found are that the students very have different levels. One of them has a very low level, and unfortunately she arrives late and she missed one class. Not all of them participate, so the teacher has to encourage participation from the other students.  The schedule is not helpful, at this time people want to be resting. 

However, they have strenghts also, such as the students who understand easily are very helpful to the other ones. They get along making the class environment pleasant. They pay attention the entire class without having to ask for it. They show understanding and do the exercises successfully.