Communication Technology and Teaching Online

1. Introduction

Early examples of technology used to teach languages include the computer laboratories of the
1960s and 1970s in North America and Europe. These laboratories contained basic computer
equipment that provided language learners with the opportunity to hear recordings of the
language they wanted to learn. In these computer classrooms, learners would listen and repeat
their target language, again and again, in the hope that ‘drilling’ and copying would lead to
competency. Needless to say, today’s technologies and methods have moved on, with individual
learners now having access to more cost-effective communication technologies and equipment,
through which they can interact with actual speakers of their target language, at times and in
ways that suit their individual needs. 

The importance of Information and Communication Technologies in language learning cannot be

overstated, and what’s more, this importance continues to grow! Annamaria Pinter (2017)
in Teaching Young Language Learners mentions how the internet itself is now offering
sophisticated opportunities for independent learning, and how young children in many contexts
are becoming socialized into using communication technologies at an early age. Indeed, ideas
about independent learning and communication technologies are central to the practice of
teaching one-to-one online, and it is hoped that this will become more apparent as you work
through the materials in this unit.

2. Teachers and Technology

Language education and technology are becoming more and more closely linked. It may
therefore be difficult for the prospective, or existing, online TESOL teachers to know where
they ‘fit in’ to this bigger and ever modernizing picture of language education. In order to
make things clearer, we can refer to the simple breakdown of online education offered by
David Nunan (2011) in Teaching English to Young Learners, where technology functions as a:

1. Carrier of content and an instructional tool

2. Learning management tool                                                                                      

3. Communication tool 
Using technology as a ‘communication tool’ is where the link between you as an online
TESOL teacher and your students will be made, in real-time. Typically, communication tools
will enable you to do the following:

 To see students and be seen by them

 To hear and be heard 
 To share and receive materials (e.g. lessons and homework, audio or exercise files,
etc.)
 To interact, respond and explain using in-built functions (e.g. drawing tools, giving
digital rewards, using text boxes, etc.)
 To record lessons and collect data for learning and assessment

It is important to note here that, ‘communication’ does not just simply mean ‘talking’ to
students; instead, communication includes how you as a teacher use appropriate methods
of communication to engage learners and deliver meaning. Consider how teachers can use
body language in the Total Physical Response (TPR) method, or how they can use realia (real
items) in their classroom to make things more exciting, especially for young learners.
Consider how with adult beginners, teachers can use the chat box to supplement listening
exercises (by typing out text), or drawing tools to highlight and bring attention to words
and phrases that the student is having difficulty saying. All of these relate to effective
communication, and the list goes on.

Acadsoc Online
1. Acadsoc Online

At Acadsoc, teachers communicate with their students in ‘synchronous’ classes, meaning

classes are held in real-time. Each class is 25-minutes long, and taught using one of the
following platforms: 

1. A-Classroom (Acadsoc’s own platform)

2. ClassIn 
3. QQ
4. Skype
These four communication tools and teaching platforms are the most commonly used by
Acadsoc Online. A-Classroom  and ClassIn are proper teaching platforms; Skype a popular
telecommunication software, and  QQ a popular Chinese messenger app. 

1.1. A-Classroom
A-Classroom is Acadsoc’s own teaching platform software developed for use by its teachers and
students. A-Classroom is interactive, providing audio-visual interaction, multimedia teaching,
whiteboard examples, brush painting, chat translation and other functions used to create an
effective learning environment for students.

There are three system views in A-Classroom:

1. Student view

2. Tutor view (your view)

3. Customer Service view

A-Classroom is for use by

Acadsoc teachers only, and is therefore only available for download on the Acadsoc Tutor
System website. 

 A-Classroom Manual provides a basic overview of the platform and instructions on how to

use it.

1.2. System Requirements

In order to use A-Classroom (and other platforms) effectively, your computer must meet the
following minimum system requirements:
You will notice that there are two internet speeds: Your Download speed is how fast you
download data sent to you and your Upload speed is how fast you send data to others.
Download speeds are typically higher than upload speeds and Acadsoc recommends at
least 2 mps (megabytes per second) to avoid connection problems while teaching. Online
teachers should also note that speed requirements are higher for dedicated teaching
platforms like ClassIn and A-Classroom, which require download/upload speeds of at least
5mps/2mps in order to work smoothly.

Take a few moments to check and compare your current system configuration against the
minimum system requirements.  For internet speeds, Acadsoc tutors can select 'Speed Test' in
the Tutors' System.

2. ClassIn

ClassIn is a freely downloadable software that offers a comprehensive set of teaching tools
on a purpose-built teaching platform. It can be used on a range of devices (computer, tablet
or phone) and is compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and WeChat – China’s most
famous social media app. Take some time to visit EEO ClassIn’s official YouTube channel to
learn more about how it works and how it is used for teaching.  EEO Official 

Watch an 'Acadsoc Tutor's Short Demos' video (Young Learners | Beginners and
Elementary).
3. QQ

QQ by Tencent is a popular Chinese messenger software freely downloadable in Chinese

and English (International) versions. Because of its popularity and functions, such as screen
share, it is commonly used as a tool for teaching in China.

Tip: Take time to watch some videos on YouTube of online teachers using QQ to teach English
to Chinese learners. 

4. Skype
Skype is an Internet-based communication tool that is used in language teaching because
of it being well-known, mostly free to use and simple.

The features that you will need to familiarize yourself most with for teaching English
through Skype are:

 Call and messaging functions so that you can communicate with your students by
speaking, by text and by video (in video calls).
 File sending function so that you can share learning resources with your student, e.g.
worksheets or PowerPoint Presentations (lookout for the paperclip icon in the
dialogue box which can be opened when on a call or during normal messaging).
 Screen share function so that you can share websites, videos and other materials that
cannot be sent as easily as self-contained documents (press the + sign in the bottom
center of the screen and choose the share option).

6. Comparing Platforms

A good way for online TESOL teachers to compare the programs they used to teach with is
to compare functionality. The table below gives an overview of the functional similarities
and differences between the teaching platforms already introduced in this unit. 
7. Workstation Set-up

Prospective online teachers need to be aware that they are not only responsible for the
quality of the equipment they work with, but also for the environment they present to their
student. Students do not want to see their teachers working in a cluttered room, and young
students in particular are easily distracted by things such as movement, mess or noise in the
background.

Importantly, research shows that learner motivation is affected by ‘attitudes towards the
learning environment’ (e.g. Dornyei 2005; 2009), which includes the teacher and the space
they teach in. It is necessary therefore to understand how the presentation of yourself and
where you are working can affect the students you teach, including their perception of you
and even of the materials you are teaching! Of course, Acadsoc understands that not
everyone has the space or facilities to set up the perfect virtual classroom; however, at a
minimum teachers are asked to present a bright and tidy learning space with themselves
positioned well against a clear backdrop.
The things you should ask yourself when setting up your workstation include:

 Is your workstation in a quiet, non-public space?

 Is your background appropriate, and clear of clutter?
 How is the lighting, does your workstation appear bright enough?
 Have you checked your mic, speaker and camera quality, and are they acceptable?
 Is your camera positioned appropriately with you centered, not too close or far?
 Are you well presented, with a positive and professional appearance (and a smile)?

Understanding Online Learning

1. Introduction

The use of the Internet and new digital technologies is revolutionizing the way we
understand language learning and education. Online communication tools, like those
outlined in section 1, are no longer considered simple ‘communication accessories’, but are
now recognized as being crucial in allowing the interaction between language learners and
language teachers over great distances in ‘the online classroom’.

In this section, traditional face-to-face classes (like those taken at schools in China) and
online classes (like those taken at Acadsoc) will be compared and teacher roles in these
kinds of classes discussed. Common barriers to online learning, including technical issues
and ideas about how to avoid them, will also be introduced.

2. Comparing Face-to-Face and Online Classes

Online classrooms are fundamentally different to those taken in class at school; for example,
in terms of how language is presented, how physical space is arranged and how students
and teachers interact. The following table gives a general breakdown of the differences in
terms of knowledge requirements, methods of communication, materials and the learning
process.
3. Teacher Roles

As a TESOL teacher, it is important to understand the concept of ‘teacher roles’. This is

because the role a teacher takes on directly affects the interaction they have with their
student, and it is through this interaction that languages are learned.

Harmer (2015) in his book The Practice of English Language Teaching gives a detailed list of
teacher roles. These definitions are useful when thinking about what kind of teacher you are,
or should be, when teaching English online. Here are some examples:

The Controller 
This kind of teacher makes announcements, puts students into groups, drills words and
lectures about language points. Controllers stop and start activities when they want to,
correct immediately and give direct feedback.
The Assessor
Gives grades and allows students to pass or fail. This kind of teacher watches carefully and
observes student performance and does not interfere with activities too much. Assessors
give useful guidance and feedback based on their assessments.

The Tutor
The tutor likes to work with students one-to-one or in small groups to offer help and
answer questions. Tutors like to be a resource for information and like to give advice to their
students.

The Facilitator
Facilitators help students along in class, giving them hints, suggestions and personal
encouragement. Facilitators ask questions that make their students think, they also help
games and activities by ‘joining in’.

3.1. Controller or Facilitator?

Teacher behaviors can all be placed on a scale somewhere between controller-like and
facilitator-like. Now that you know more about the different teacher roles, read through the
following comments and see if you agree.

Controller Teacher (T) Behaviors

 T tells student what they should read and how to read it

 T corrects errors immediately (direct feedback)
 T spends time explaining grammar and vocabulary rules
 T uses summary tests to assess students
 T manages time well by deciding when activities start and finish 
 T only occasionally participates in tasks as an ‘equal member’ because they are the
authority in class
 T sticks closely to the materials
 T gives encouragement and praises their student
 T asks students to repeat words and copy sentences

Facilitator Teacher (T) Behaviors

 T adapts materials to their student’s needs as much as possible

 T explains vocabulary and grammar when asked or when it is the focus of a lesson or
a clear mistake
 T notices student’s problems and changes their teaching style and materials
accordingly
 T lets students finish tasks by themselves
  T corrects S by repeating what they say in the correct way (indirect feedback)
 T relates class material to student’s life and interests
 T gives encouragement and praises their student
 T asks students to repeat words and make sentences

3.2. What teacher roles are best?

There is no simple answer to this, because as already mentioned, how you behave as a
teacher should depend on what you are teaching, where you are teaching and who you are
teaching. As an online teacher at Acadsoc, you will be teaching one-on-one lessons, mostly
to young learners, in an online learning environment using the communication tools you
studied in Section 1. With this in mind, compare the following two graphs:

Comparing these two graphs gives us an idea about how we think a teacher’s role varies
between traditional classrooms in China and one-to-one classes online, like those given by
Acadsoc. The graphs are not meant to be perfect representations, but they do give a
general idea about how a teacher’s role differs depending on who, where and what they are
teaching. And as you can see, instead of controlling a class, an Acadsoc teacher takes on a
more facilitator- and tutor-like role. In this sense, Acadsoc teachers and students are more
equal; so, teachers act less authoritative and look to give more individualized instruction
and positive feedback.

4. Barriers to Online Learning

There will always be barriers to learning that teachers need to reduce and manage. Teaching
English online is no different, and comes with its own specific challenges that we need to be
aware of. In order to understand these challenges better, we can talk about them in terms
of:
 Barriers to Communication (verbal and nonverbal)

 Unexpected Situations in Class

 Technical Issues

4.1. Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

Communication is both verbal and nonverbal. Verbal communication includes things like:
tone of voice, speed or clarity of speech and using pauses to sound more natural. Nonverbal
communication includes things such as: facial expressions (to show feeling and emotion),
head movements (to show that you agree or disagree), tone of voice (to emphasize
importance of a word or idea), eye contact (to show concentration), hand gestures (to
represent an object or action), physical appearance (to show respect and professionalism)
and posture (to show you are paying attention).

4.2. Barriers to Communication

As just mentioned, nonverbal communication can be used to communicate a lot! The issue
is, however, that when teaching online some forms of nonverbal communication can be lost.
For example, we cannot use our whole body as effectively, so we need to rely more on using
our hands only. We also need to make use of drawing tools instead of physically pointing to
or touching a word or item we want the student to focus on.

Another common barrier to online communication has to do with ‘turn-taking’, which refers
to how teachers and students take turns to speak. Sometimes teachers and students may
talk over each other because they are not sure who has finished speaking, and this can be
made worse by lag time due to a poor internet connection or when students and teachers
cannot see each other’s face on camera. In order to avoid ‘turn-taking problems’, we should
speak clearly, give instructions as we teach, and make use of the drawing tools to bring
attention to target language items or topics.

4.3. Unexpected Situations in Class

Situational factors are the things that happen outside of the teacher’s control, they may be
unexpected and they may happen by chance. Some of these can be managed before your
lesson, whilst others need to be managed ‘on the spot’.

Examples of some unexpected situations in class could include:

 Noise in the background

 Students eating or playing
  Students not concentrating or showing no interest
 Other children present, interrupting class or sitting in
 Parents interrupting or attempting to co-teach
 Technical issues

As a general rule, online teachers are expected to work through most situational issues they
encounter when teaching, trying their best to focus on the student. If, however, you feel
unable to teach, you will always be able to communicate your issues later on with your tutor
manager who can advise you on what to do. You will learn more about how Acadsoc Tutor
Management can support and advise you in your teaching later on in your initial training.

5. Avoiding Technical Issues

When teaching online, technical issues can become the most common barrier to learning if
you are not ready for them. Of course, some problems are uncontrollable and not the fault
of the teacher; however, it is good practice to do all that you can to prepare for such
problems before they happen.

Connection Issues – DO’s

 Do invest in high-speed, wire internet connection (avoid shared wifi)

 If connection is slow during lesson and there is a delay between speaking, allow
some time between responses
 (but be careful not to speak over your student)
  If you find the connection so slow that it is affecting communication, you can try
closing video. If this doesn’t work, restart the session or ask to reschedule class

Software Issues – DO’s

 Do make sure that you install and use up-to-date versions of all the communication
tools you need
 Do make sure that you maintain all of your Acadsoc accounts and passwords safely
 Do make sure that the materials you have ready match the class you are going to
teach
 Do make sure the device you teach on is clear of viruses and malware

Hardware Issues - DO’s

 Do invest in a quality camera and sound cancelling headset

 Do check your equipment before the start of every lesson (camera, headset, mic)
  Do make sure that you have backup devices with software ready installed, e.g. on a
0personal computer and tablet (it is not recommended that teachers use their
mobile phone device to deliver lessons)

Individualized Learning
1. Learners as Individuals

Understanding and treating learners as individuals is an important skill that all teachers who
give one-to-one classes need to have. This is because the more a teacher is able to
‘personalize’ their lesson, the better it will be for their student, in terms of them learning,
enjoying your class and wanting to book time with you again.

For new or less experience teachers, being able to view and treat each student as an
individual, with different needs and characteristics, maybe challenging at first, especially
because of the limited time in class. However, there are some ideas and concepts
about Learners as Individuals  that we can discuss to help us gain deeper insights into what
is meant by ‘individuality’. Of course, it would be beyond the scope of this section to cover
all aspects of individuality, so instead, the most practical and relevant have been chosen for
you, these are:

 Age
 Personality and Learner Type
 Language Level

2. Personality and Learner Type

Personality affects how we learn and our attitude in class. Generally speaking, personalities
can be described on a continuum between extrovert to introvert, where we can imagine
extroverts as being more global ‘top-down’ thinkers and introverts being more analytical
‘bottom-up’ thinkers. Top-down thinkers, prefer to practice ‘by doing’ and being involved,
often with higher energy levels. More introvert, or analytical personalities, may be less
energetic, and benefit from a more structured approach to learning. We shouldn’t forget,
though, that performance in class will also depend on how someone feels at that time –
their mood and emotions. Understanding and identifying different learner types can help
teachers adjust their approach and energy levels in class.

 
This extrovert-introvert dichotomy comes from a system called the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator (MBTI). In this system, personality is classified according to eight personality traits
arranged in four continuums or preference scales:

2.1. The VAK Model

The VAK model assumes that there are 3 types of learning style
– Visual,  Auditory  and  Kinaesthetic. In this model, there is a belief that learners have a
preferred learning style or a mixed blend of the three styles:

1.       Visual learners

2.       Auditory learners

3.       Kinaesthetic learners

If a teacher understands how their student learns by paying attention to how they react to
different teaching strategies, they can tailor teaching to fit the learning habits of the
student. Here are some ideas:
2.2. A Final Word on Learner Types
Another important difference between people is in their dominant intelligence type.
Different types of intelligence exist, not just classical logical thinking, but also intelligence
related to bodily movement, vision, art and sound. Being aware of different intelligence
types can help teachers meet the expectations of the learners they teach regularly by
matching materials and techniques to suit their preferred way of learning. 

People with experience teaching English, especially to younger learners, will have already
noticed how learners react differently to music, songs, video, colors, movement and toys, all
because they appeal to different senses. Adults, on the other hand, are less sensitive and are
more able to concentrate, apply logic, and cooperate with the teacher to meet the lesson
objectives.

2.3. Reflection Exercise

Motivation is widely researched in relation to Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theory as
it is recognized as being an important factor effecting language learning at the level of the
individual. In the area of psycholinguistics, motivation is commonly divided into two
categories: 

1. Intrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic motivation is seen as being 'internal' to the individual who is learning their target
language. This kind of motivation is personal and often related to personal goals and self-
image. For example, someone who is learning English because they personally find it
enjoyable and rewarding would be considered as being intrinsically motivated.

2. Extrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic motivation is 'external' to the individual. It is affected by social and practical
influences such as schooling and employment. 

Using what you learned in Unit 1, and any other experiences you have of teaching Chinese
learners, what do you think could be some of the external factors influencing them, and how
do you think motivation could differ between children, teens and adults?

3. Age

Age is obviously an incredibly important factor because of its implications in the cognitive
(mental) and affective (social and emotional) development of the learner. In English
language teaching, learners are usually categorized into three main
groups: Adults,  Teens  and Young Learners (3-12 years)  (e.g. Harmer, 2012; Bland, 2015).
As you can imagine, the group that contains most variation are Young Learners, mainly
because people change so much between the ages of 3 and 12. Because children change so
quickly, and at different rates with different personalities, it’s difficult (and not very helpful)
to try and define clear age boundaries within this category. A more useful approach would
be the one offered by Pinter (2017), who divides Young Learners into Younger
Children  and  Older Children. This approach provides a good starting point for comparison
between children who are learning English. The next page looks at this in detail.

3.1. Comparing Younger and Older Children

You will find that the majority of students you teach at Acadsoc will be ‘Young Learners’, so
it is beneficial for you to further explore this group of learners. You can do this by carefully
reading through the comments in the table below and labelling each comment as either
relating to ‘Younger Children’ or ‘Older Children’.

Table adapted from Pinter, A. (2017)

4. Language Level

Understanding different language levels is an important area of knowledge for anyone teaching
English as a second or foreign language. Understanding different levels of language proficiency
helps teachers communicate more effectively with their students because they are able to adjust
what words and grammar they use and how fast they speak. Generally speaking, the better you
are able to understand a student’s language level and find a communication strategy that ‘fits
them’, the less you will have to rely on translation tools and chat boxes.
Look at the graph above. Notice how teaching instructions vary depending on each
language level, becoming progressively more complicated from Pre-A1 to B1. Notice how
language like ‘after me’, ‘first’ and ‘repeat’ are generally too difficult for complete beginners,
to whom you would need to say something like: ‘This one. I read. You read’. Note also that
CEFR levels Pre-A1 to A2 represent the English proficiency range most common amongst
Chinese learners at Acadsoc.

4.1. Acadsoc Levels and the CEFR

There are 16 Acadsoc levels on which students and materials are measured. These 16 levels
have been mapped to the CEFR and other widely-used language proficiency standards such
as IELTS and TOELF. As a teacher at Acadsoc, it is important to understand how these
different levels relate so that you have a better understanding of the level you are teaching
at.

A clear difference between the Acadsoc level system and CEFR is the number of levels. The
CEFR system has 3 tiers (A - basic user, B - independent user and C- proficient user) that
make up 6 levels (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2), while the Acadsoc system has 16 levels. The reason
for having more levels is that it allows materials to be developed in a way that is highly
graded, so learners have enough time to progress slowly between them.
Notice how there is only one level at C2 - Acadsoc Level 16. This is because learners at this
level have already achieved mastery.

2. Acadsoc Levels and Proficiency Exams

Many teachers at Acadsoc will have the opportunity to teach English for Academic Purposes
(EAP), typically for international exams such as IELTS and TOELF. Many of the learners taking
these kinds of courses will be at B1 to B2 level, or Acadsoc Levels 7-12.
5. Adapting Materials

The next step in making your lessons more ‘learner centered’ comes by adapting materials.
When working for a company like Acadsoc, most of the material you teach will have already
been pre-selected by course consultants and agreed upon by the students themselves. The
online teacher’s responsibility in this setting is to take adaptation to the next level by
adapting materials on a study-by-student, class-by-class basis. Two approaches to teaching
can be used to achieve this:

1. Personalization
Personalization relates to how relevant the material is to the student and their life. If you can
make the material you are teaching seem more relevant, then your student will see it as
being more valuable and interesting, leading to better motivation to learn.

2. Control
Control refers to how ‘open’ or ‘closed’ you allow an activity to be. Control is useful because
it is an approach that enables teachers to make an activity seem either more difficult (open)
or easy (closed) depending on the level of their student. Being able to move difficulty levels
up and down in the same lesson helps to ensure that both lower- and higher-level learners
can experience success.

. Adapting Materials

5.1. Adapting Materials for a Young Learner

Personalization Questions 
Does your mom have brown hair?

What color is your dad's hair?

What are these? ‘They are glasses.’

Does your dad have/wear glasses?

Control Techniques
Closed (easier)

T reads sentences and asks student to repeat

T points and students reads

Open-ended (harder)

T asks: What color is his hair? ‘His hair is….’

T asks: Is she wearing a coat? ‘No, she is wearing a…’

5.2. Adapting Material for an Adult

Personalization Questions 
Do you like National Holiday? Why?

Do you do overtime?

What did you do last week?

Is your hometown big or small?

Control Techniques
Closed (easier)
T reads one role, student reads one role
T asks student to repeat all of the words in bold 
T asks:  How many people? What are their names? Where did Troy go? 

Open-ended (harder)
What are they talking about?
Did Steve stay in Shenzhen, why?
5.3. A Final Word on Adapting Materials
Teachers should feel confident enough to expand on materials when they feel it is
necessary, for example:

 If the material for class seems too difficult for the learner
 If the material for class seems too easy for the learner
 If the material for class seems a little short, or if the teacher finishes early
 If the material seems uninteresting or unrelated to the learner
 If the teacher wants to add some variety to the lesson
 If the student asks specific questions

Remember! Adapting materials is  not  always required, but, it  is  a technique teachers should
at least be aware of. It is usually the case that when teaching young learners, teachers should
stick to the material closely and follow the teaching notes provided by Acadsoc. This makes
the lessons simpler and easy to follow.

6. Giving Feedback and Making Corrections

Some learners like being corrected, some don't. Some want to get feedback straight away,
whilst others may want their teacher to summarize it at the end of the lesson. Giving
feedback and correcting learner errors is not a random process, and TESOL teachers need to
make sure that their approach matches both the needs and expectations of the person
who they are teaching.

In the following sections you will learn more about how these two techniques are
conceptualized in TESOL.

Remember! It is sometimes the case that teachers receive notes on the student they will be
teaching before the start of class. This note will inform the teacher on the student's
preferences, e.g. 'does not like to be corrected', etc.

6.1. Positive or Negative feedback?

Feedback is the information that learners get from their teacher about their performance.
Traditionally, people think of feedback as being ‘correction’, where the teacher says
something like: ‘No, that’s not right.’ or ‘You should say….’ This kind of feedback is known as
negative feedback because it is obvious that the student has made a mistake. The opposite
approach to this is giving positive feedback; for example:

Teacher:  What did you eat?

Student:  I ate noodle.

Teacher:  Oh, you ate noodles.

Student:  Yes, I ate noodles.

In this exchange, feedback is recognized as being more positive because the teacher does
not explicitly tell the student that they made a mistake, instead they make it clear that they
did actually understand what the student was saying, it just contained a grammatical error.

6.2. Direct Feedback (for accuracy)

Another useful way of thinking about giving feedback and making corrections is in terms
of direct or indirect.

Direct feedback is instant and explicit. Teachers usually give direct feedback when they see
or hear that their student has made a ‘big’ mistake that is stopping them from being
understood. Direct feedback is a kind of negative feedback, but this does not mean that it
should be avoided, just used properly. Many Chinese learners will expect to be corrected by
their teachers and see it as their job! But teachers still need to know how and when to do
this most effectively. When deciding this, try to think about who you are teaching and what
they are learning. For instance, if you are teaching a young learner general spoken English,
you may want them to speak as much as possible, and therefore choose only to correct big
mistakes or the mistakes they keep repeating. On the other hand, if you are teaching an
accent or pronunciation lesson, you will probably be giving more direct feedback about
individual sounds and pronunciation problems.

Remember! Direct feedback is important in lessons where accuracy is important, e.g. grammar
lessons, accent lessons, spelling activities, grammar activities, etc. It is also important when
correcting repeated mistakes and mistakes that prevent good communication. But be aware
that too much negative feedback can affect motivation if a student feels they are making too
many mistakes.

6.3. Indirect Feedback (for fluency)

You can think of indirect feedback as being less explicit and more positive than direct
feedback. You can also think of indirect feedback as being more natural, because it copies
more closely the interaction young learners have with adults when learning their first
language. For example:

Teacher:  What can you see?

Student: At the picture there are a boy.

Teacher: In the picture there is a… what?

Student: Oh. In the picture there is a boy.

Teacher: Yes, good. In the picture, there’s a boy.

This kind of correction is sometimes called ‘recasting’ because the teacher recasts
(remodels) what the student says, but in the correct way. This kind of feedback helps
preserve fluency because there is no break in dialogue, and you can think of it as being less
negative and more positive because the teacher is making it clear that they understand
what the student is saying. But be aware that this feedback strategy may not be enough
sometimes, as some students need to be told clearly what mistakes they keep making so
that they can recognize and improve on them.

Online Teaching Methods

1. Acadsoc Online

A teaching method, or methodology, is a system for language teaching that is based on a

particular theory about language and language learning. You may have already heard about
some traditional teaching methods; for example: grammar translation, audiolingualism, etc.,
but in reality, these can feel too fixed and outdated. Scott Thornbury (2017), a famous
TESOL writer, states that there has been a shift in attitude away from fixed, predictable
methods towards ‘customizing teaching approaches’ to suit the local needs of learners. This
statement makes a lot of sense when we think about the huge number of students now
individually learning English online, and how different this kind of learning is compared to
traditional face-to-face, group and classroom learning.

Acadsoc online classes are 25-minutes long and in order to make the most of this time you
will need to know what approach to take before, during and after your lessons. The
materials you teach at Acadsoc will have already been designed, written and chosen for you.
It will be your job as an Acadsoc tutor to deliver these in the most effective and enjoyable
way you can, so that both you are your students have fun and keep learning! In order to do
this for every lesson you teach, there are some stages you need to be aware of.

1. Before Lesson
Be logged into the Tutor's System at least 30 minutes before class. Use this time to make
sure you have the right class materials ready and that your devices and internet are working
properly.

2. Start of Lesson
Kindly greet your student giving them your name ("I'm Teacher...") and confirm if they can
see and hear you. Also confirm that you and the student are viewing the same material and
then mention the lesson title.

3. During Lesson
Follow the content of the lesson and use the teacher's tips on the bottom of the slides you
are teaching from. Pay attention to the time allowed per slide (if shown)and remember to
adapt the material to your student's needs.

Internet connection status and time remaining will be show in A-Classroom and ClassIn.

4. End of Lesson
Avoid rushing the end of a lesson by paying attention to what the slide you are on and how
much time is remaining.

End lessons with a wrap up that includes a quick review of the main language points and a
friendly "Good bye".

5. After the Lesson

Leave a useful comment after class to document performance. Make comments
brief, positive and useful by mentioning one or two main problems the learner had in class.
2. Scaffolding Techniques

Knowing what scaffolding techniques are and how to use them in your lessons is really
important in TESOL, especially when teaching 1-to-1. You can think of scaffolding as the
support you give your learners as they practice and produce English themselves, similar to how
adults help infants speak as they develop. Scaffolding is a natural and common-sense approach
to teaching that most teachers do without even realizing. It’s a very useful concept, and the better
you understand it, the more individualized and adaptive your lessons will become.

2.1. Reflection Exercise

Helping students develop their speaking skills will be a major part of your role as an Acadsoc
Online Teacher. With this in mind, take a look at the following lesson slides and think about
what 'scaffolding techniques' are being used.

3. Observing Lessons

An important part of any teacher training includes observing real teachers at work.
Observing other teachers and paying attention to the methods they use and how they
manage their class will help you a lot when it comes to delivering your own lessons. Here is
a table of key questions to help, divided into three main
categories: Teacher Behavior; Teaching Skills and Lesson Management. Take a moment to
look over the questions and then watch the video clip(s).

Trial Lessons
The following guidelines have been taken from the Acadsoc 'New Tutor Self-Training Pack'. All new
TESOL candidates should be aware of these before giving a trial class. Teacher management will help
arrange trial classes and record performance scores.

For existing teachers: Acadsoc Teacher Management will provide evidence of your TM scores to the
TESOL program after you have completed this unit.

Pre-class requirements:

1. Ensure that your background is clear, bright and noise-free.

2. Your appearance is decent, neat and presentable.
3. Technology is working.
4. Camera check; Mic check; Speaker check; Internet speed check
5. Contact/call the student 1 minute before the class to make sure the class can start on time!

In-class requirements:

1. Focus on the lesson. Please refrain from doing anything else.

2. Do not ask students to talk about themselves during the warm up phase.
3. Do not make only reading from material the priority of any regular lesson. 
4. Give the student at least five new words, and/or 3-5 sentences.
5. Give corrections using the chat box as well as spoken corrections.
6. Run a speed test if there is a connection problem during the lesson and send the result to the CS
Team immediately after the lesson.

Before the lesson ends, try to:

1. Give feedback based on the student’s performance during the lesson.

2. Give specific advice addressing the student’s area of improvement.
 3. Ask the student whether he/she has any questions about the lesson.

After-class requirements:

1. Write the class remarks for the student describing performance and advice.