GUIDING STUDENTS TOWARDS SUCCESS!

for Nuria Jimenez, LiffeyGroup educator

Firma "invitada " recomendada por Julio Morales

‘English is essential nowadays’, ‘You need to speak English fluently if you want to continue working for us’, ‘If you spoke English better you could find a job more easily’...

These are probably some of the comments that make our students start learning English. Most of them feel the urge to become fluent in this language because it will mean a better future for them.

And it is not an easy task, many of them haven’t studied English since secondary school or University and what they studied at that time, was basically grammar and vocabulary and had nothing to do with speaking.

That’s why in Liffey our classes are not conventional, I mean, of course we teach grammar and vocabulary, but we tend to make lessons as interactive as possible by means of media, recent news, videos, etc. The idea is that from the moment they step into the class they ‘flip the switch’ and make the most of each moment in class, not only by communicating with the teacher in English but also with their peers.

First impressions

This year, I am mainly preparing students for Trinity ISE II exam and I am really enjoying the experience because the majority of the students are really passionate and they are eager to learn.

Their first day here is a mix of feelings: they are not used to speaking English or it’s been a while since they last used the language and the truth is most of the times they understand more than they can produce.

The first two or three weeks are really important, because they need to ‘refresh’ what they studied some time ago. After all, having a good foundation is essential in order to make progress in a language and ‘basic mistakes’ can impede the learning process.

Getting into it

As time goes on, they realise that little by little they get used to speaking English, lose their fear of speaking in public and they acquire new expressions and make use of them without even noticing.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the connection among them and with me becomes intense, as we see each other every day, we really get to know each other very well. We talk about our personal experiences and this leads to them having to express themselves more and making learning much more exciting.

We’re nearly there

The final weeks before the exam students are all a bunch of nerves which is pretty normal as they have a lot at stake. Due to this, we revise all contents which have been learnt throughout the course, we give them the chance to sit ‘mock exams’ with us and we help them prepare their portfolios and topics for the oral exam.

All of this, together with studying at home, can help them a great deal in the final stretch.

And finally: the day of the exam. That day, we are there with them and we just want them to do their best and achieve their goals.

Let’s be frank, learning a foreign language is not easy and it takes time, but as I always tell my students, with practice and a little bit of dedication they can improve and they can achieve their goals. Here are a few tips that may help:

- Speak in English everytime you have the chance.

- Expose to English language whenever possible: watch films, music videos, tv series and programmes in V.O.

- Listen to radio stations and music in English.

- Make a list of common mistakes and go over them before an exam or before composing a piece of writing.

- Read books, articles, blogs and magazines of topics of your interest on a daily basis.

- And most importantly: be positive towards the learning process and don’t get discouraged if it takes longer than expected.