My Teaching is Not One-Size-Fits-All: How I Help My ESL Students Finally Speak with Confidence

Teaching ESL is not just about helping students learn more words and use them in sentences. For me, it is about listening first, then adjusting.

Every student who comes to my class has a different story, a different fear, and a different way of learning. The strategy that works for a 9-year-old boy will never work for a busy wife or a B2-level engineer. This is what I learned from five of my regular students.

1. For Khoi, 9 years old: I teach through his eyes first.

Khoi can read and pronounce English very well, but he could hardly understand spoken English when we started. If I only spoke, he was lost.

My strategy: Visual-First + Full-Sentence Speaking.

I type everything I say on the board so he can see what he hears. When I teach vocabulary, I don't stop at the definition. For example, when we learned "breakfast" and the picture showed eggs, bread, and milk, I typed:

"What is this food called?"

"Do you eat bread for breakfast?"

He has to answer in a full sentence, not just one word.

The change: During our first class, he never smiled. He kept moving and could not stay in his chair. Now, after a few months, he looks me in the eyes, stays in his place, smiles, and answers confidently. He finally trusts that he can understand me.

2. For Linh, the adult professional: I let her speak first, correct second.

Linh knows advanced vocabulary, but she struggles with grammar and final sounds like /s/, /l/, and /x/.

My strategy: Delayed Correction + Self-Correction.

While she is speaking, I never interrupt. I quietly type her grammar and pronunciation errors on my notepad. When she finishes her idea, I show her the notes and let her correct herself first. If she can't, I give the correction politely and we continue.

Why? Because if I correct her while she is thinking, she will lose confidence and stop speaking. This way, she feels heard, then she learns.

3. For Thuy, the beginner adult: I listen actively to show I respect her effort.

Thuy's vocabulary is still limited, her grammar needs a lot of work, and pronunciation was difficult at first. But she is determined.

My strategy: Active Listening + Clarification.

I let her finish her whole story, even if the sentence is not perfect. Then I say, "Let me make sure I understood you correctly..." and I repeat what she said with the correct grammar. I need her to see that I was really listening, not just waiting to correct.

Thuy still has a long way to go, but she now knows what to do: listen to English podcasts every day, come to class on time, and speak more even if it's not perfect. Confidence comes from speaking, not from being perfect.

4. For Candy, the full-time wife: From no English to ordering food in Taiwan.

Mandy is my most inspiring student. She didn't finish high school, her final sound omission was very strong, and during our first meeting, she was too shy to speak. I had to translate every single sentence from English to Vietnamese.

My strategy: What I call Vocabulary-Driven Communicative Approach.

I required her to listen to an English podcast, write down words she doesn't know, and send them to me. I categorize the words, give the meaning, the Vietnamese translation, and one sample sentence.

In class, we don't just memorize. For each word, I ask her a real-life question that forces her to USE the word in an answer. One batch of words at a time, then 5 activities - speaking, writing, and fill-in-the-blanks.

The change: She started in March 2025. Now, she doesn't need translation anymore. Her grammar is not perfect yet, but she can pronounce the /s/, /l/, /x/ endings. When she traveled to Taiwan and Korea, she proudly told me she ordered food, bought milk tea, and asked for extra seaweed - all in English.

She talked to her tour guide without a translator. I am so proud of her.

5. For Lee, the Chinese engineer (B2-C1): My student for 6 years.

Lee uses AI and loves to challenge my grammar and word choice. His English is already strong, so he is very confident.

My strategy: Topic-Based Communicative Teaching + Perfect Preparation.

I never come to class unprepared. I create his materials myself. Before class, I check every vocabulary, collocation, and sentence structure three times. Because if he asks an unexpected question - and he always does - I need to answer correctly and explain WHY I am correct.

We started in my very first ESL company. When I left, he looked for me and said he wanted to continue, even with a higher fee. That trust only happens if you prove you are prepared. We've been learning together for 6 years now.

These five students taught me that YouTube videos about ESL methods are not enough. What really makes a student gain confidence and eventually speak is not a method. It is active listening, sincerity, empathy, and dedication. Without these, no learning goal will happen.

Before every class, I still study the material and prepare extra words, questions, and sentence patterns in case we finish early or in case my student needs more time to talk. Because in my class, speaking time is their time.

What about you? What kind of ESL teacher are you? How do you make your ESL students gain confidence?

📌 Loved this? Share this on Pinterest to inspire other teachers!

Why Do Vietnamese Parents LOVE Group Classes?

If you teach ESL online to Vietnamese students, you know this: 1-on-1 is NOT always the most popular choice.

For most parents, the sweet spot is a group of 4-7 kids on one Zoom call. At first I didn't get it, but after months of teaching for a Vietnamese ESL company, it makes perfect sense.

1. It's more affordable. Parents get a foreign teacher at a fraction of the 1-on-1 price (British Council, 2023).

2. Vietnamese kids are super sociable. They actually learn BETTER with friends. They learn better when they see peers, which is the core of social learning theory (Vygotsky, 1978).They're less nervous than being alone with a teacher, and when they see a classmate get the answer right, they think, "I want to try too!"

3. A little competition is healthy. When one kid circles the answer on the screen, the rest suddenly wake up. This healthy competition increases online learning motivation among Vietnamese primary students (Tran & Nguyen, 2022).

4. It's real communication. English stops being just "answer the teacher" and becomes "talk to your friends" (Tran & Nguyen, 2022).They learn to listen, wait for their turn, and react to each other.

But here's the real challenge: You have 5 kids paying the same fee, but you have 5 totally different learners in one Zoom room. Managing mixed-ability groups is one of the hardest parts of online teaching (Harmer, 2015). Your job is to make EVERY child feel seen.

After tens of group classes, here are the 6 kids you WILL meet (based on my experience):

1. The Over-Enthusiastic Star

You know her. She wants to answer EVERYTHING. Someone else is called? She already unmuted, circled the answer, and typed the letters or words on the board. And she's usually right. She's amazing, but she can accidentally shut down the whole class.

How do I handle her:

I don't scold her energy, I redirect it. I say, "I LOVE your energy Lisa! Amazing! Now let's give Ben a chance, okay?"

My secret weapon? I give her a job. I make her my "Helper Teacher." I say, "Can you check if Max's answer is correct?" Now she's busy, she feels important, and she isn't stealing turns.

And from Day 1, I set the rule: "One voice at a time. Use Raise Hand. Everyone gets 2 turns, then we pass."

2. The Quiet Achiever

He's silent. He rarely talks. But suddenly you see the correct answer is already circled on the screen. He knew it all along.

The danger? an adult who looks after him may think he's not learning because he's quiet.

How do I handle him:

I make his silent work LOUD. I say, "Wow! Who circled that so fast? It was perfect! Who did that?"

Not everyone has to speak to participate. I let him use the chatbox, emojis, or annotation. That's participation too.

And for speaking, I give him a low-pressure turn. I don't say "Answer this question." I say, "You circled it so well, can you read that word for us?"

3. The Attention-Seeker (with Weak Grammar)

He LOVES to talk, but the grammar isn't there yet. He'll scribble on the board or make noises just to be noticed. He wants attention badly. I know that scolding him, will completely shut him down.

How do I handle him:

I ignore the scribbling, but I pounce on the good behavior. "I love that you want to talk! Let's make that sentence even better together."

Pro tip: Lock the whiteboard. Disable annotation for everyone, then only enable it on his turn. He gets control without the chaos.

And I give him a frame. He wants to talk but doesn't have the tools. I give him: "I am _ing." I let him succeed. Then fix it gently by just repeating it correctly.

4. The Quiet & Competent Learner

She's not weak, she's just shy. When you call her, boom - perfect pronunciation, perfect sentence. She knows it all.

The problem is, she'll become invisible if you only call the loud kids.

How do I handle her:

I don't cold-call. I pre-call. I say, "Kate, in 30 seconds I'm going to ask you to read this. Get ready." That removes 90% of her anxiety.

And when she does speak, I praise the quality. "Wow, did everyone hear how CLEAR that was? That was perfect pronunciation. Can everyone say it like her?" Now she's the model.

5. The Advanced Learner

He's way ahead of his age. He finishes in 10 seconds and then he's bored. And when a kid is bored, he becomes disruptive. You know what I mean.

How do I handle him:

I give him a +1 challenge. When everyone else is writing "He is eating." I ask him, "Great! Now WHY is he eating? Can you add 'because'?"

I make him a tutor. "You're so fast! Can you type a harder question for everyone in the chat?" He loves it, and it helps the group.

I use a timer. "We have 20 seconds to think. No answering yet. Pens down." This forces him to practice patience.

6. The Impatient Knower

He knows the answer, and he cannot WAIT for others to get it. He sighs. He answers for other kids. He has high skill, low patience.

How do I handle him:

I actually teach waiting as a skill. I say, "Great teachers know how to wait. Let's count 1-2-3 in our heads to give everyone time to think."

I give him a waiting job: "While we wait, can you write two MORE sentences in the chat for bonus points?"

And when he DOES wait, I praise THAT specifically: "Thank you for waiting so patiently for Bin. That was very kind."

My Golden Rules for Group Classes

After all these months, I live by 4 rules:

1. Name every child every 3 minutes. If a child doesn't hear their name, they think you forgot them.

2. One rule to rule them all: One voice at a time (Harmer, 2015). Master the Mute All button, Raise Hand, and annotation control Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2021).

3. Balance your praise. Don't just say "Good job!" Say "Good SPEED" for the fast one, "Good ACCURACY" for the quiet one, and "Good EFFORT" for the struggler.

4. Report differently to parents. For the active kid, tell the parent about his "confidence." For the quiet kid, tell the parent about her "accuracy and amazing listening skills." Both are strengths.

In a Vietnamese group class, you're not just teaching English.

You're teaching kids how to learn together (Vygotsky, 1978).

References

1. British Council. (2023). The future of English: Global perspectives. British Council. https://www.britishcouncil.org/future-of-english

2. Cambridge University Press & Assessment. (2021). Teaching young learners online: Classroom management guide. Cambridge English. https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/teaching-english/online-teaching/

2. Harmer, J. (2015). The practice of English language teaching (5th ed.). Pearson Education.

3. Tran, T. T., & Nguyen, T. M. (2022). Online English learning motivation among Vietnamese primary students during group classes. Vietnam Journal of Education, 6(2), 45–52. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/vje-2022

4. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes (M. Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner, & E. Souberman, Eds.). Harvard University Press.

📌 Loved this? Share this on Pinterest to inspire other teachers!

Bataan Beyond the Beach: Standing on Top of Mt. Samat National Shrine

If you think Bataan is just about beaches and seafood, you are missing its most powerful story. Our recent trip to Bataan brought us to a place that gave me goosebumps — Mt. Samat National Shrine or Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor) in Pilar, Bataan. This is not just a tourist spot. This is where history lives.

What is Mt. Samat National Shrine and Why is it So Important?

Mt. Samat itself is 555 meters above sea level and is actually an extinct volcano. On top of it stands the iconic Memorial Cross that you can see from miles away — even from Manila Bay on a clear day.

The shrine was built to honor the gallantry of around 75,000 Filipino and American soldiers who fought together against the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.

Here's the history you need to know:

In early 1942, Bataan was the last stronghold of the Allied Forces in the Philippines. After months of fierce fighting, the soldiers, hungry, sick, and out of ammunition, finally surrendered on April 9, 1942. That surrender led to the tragic Bataan Death March. That is why April 9 is now a national holiday — Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor.

The construction of the shrine started when President Ferdinand Marcos laid its cornerstone on April 14, 1966, and it was completed and inaugurated in 1970 for the 25th anniversary of the end of World War II. The complex covers 73,665 hectares.

The shrine has two main parts:

1. The Colonnade: A marble-clad structure with an altar, a museum, and 19 sculptural slabs. The facade is called "Nabiag Na Bato" — carved by National Artist Napoleon Abueva, the Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture. It depicts important battles and historical events from Lapu-Lapu to World War II.

2. The Memorial Cross: This is the star. It is 95 meters tall (312 feet), making it the second tallest cross in the world. Each arm is 30 meters long. At its base, you will see the bloodstones — stones from Corregidor that symbolize the bloodshed.

Our Experience: Taking the Elevator to the Top

This was the highlight of our Bataan trip.

You can actually go INSIDE the cross. There is an elevator inside that will take you up to the viewing gallery located at the arms of the cross. I was a bit nervous at first, but the ride was quick.

When we reached the top, wow — it was absolutely amazing. From the circular windows of the gallery, you get a full 360-degree panoramic view. You can see the endless greens surrounding the shrine — the lush forests of Bataan, the zigzag road we climbed to get there, the plains of Central Luzon, and even Manila Bay and Corregidor Island in the distance. The wind is strong, the view is peaceful, but you can feel the weight of history.

On the way back down, we visited the small museum at the colonnade. There, I saw it — the old machine gun and other weapons used a long time ago. It was a heavy Browning machine gun used by Filipino and American troops, displayed together with rifles, helmets, old photos, and paintings of our heroes. Seeing the real weapons made the stories in our history books feel so real. These brave soldiers used these exact guns to defend our freedom.

Tips If You Want to Visit:

Location: Mt. Samat, Brgy. Diwa, Pilar, Bataan. About 2.5-3 hours from Manila.

Entrance Fee: Php 50 per person.

Best Time: Go in the morning when the sky is clear for the best panoramic view.

Wear comfortable shoes: There is a short uphill walk from the parking to the cross.

Reminder: The shrine is a sacred place. Keep quiet and be respectful.

Mt. Samat is not just a giant cross on a mountain. It is a reminder that our freedom today was paid for by the courage of those who fought before us.

If you go to Bataan, don't just go for the beach. Go to Mt. Samat, ride that elevator to the top, look out of those circular windows, and remember.

It was an experience I will never forget.

How to Pronounce TH Sounds /θ/ and /ð/ for Chinese Adult Learners

The first time I had an adult Chinese ESL learner, this is what I noticed. Whenever we have words with /θ/ and /ð/ production gets quite difficult for that student. Modeling and repretition don't work. THE TH SOUNDS: /θ/ and /ð/ - Why Chinese Adults Can't Say Them and How to Fix Them in 15 Minutes

For Chinese Adult Learners B1-B2

This I always tell my adult Chinese students "Say TH". And they still say "sink" for "think" and "zis" for "this". It's not their fault. Mandarin, Cantonese, Hakka — none of them have this sound. Their tongues have never had to do this movement before. It's a new gym exercise for their mouth.

1. WHY IT'S SO HARD FOR CHINESE ADULTS

In Chinese, their tongues always stay INSIDE their mouths. For TH, they must break a huge rule: Put their tongues OUTSIDE their teeth.

/s/ and /z/ : Tongue is behind teeth. Air goes over.

/θ/ and /ð/ : Tongue is BETWEEN teeth. Air goes over tongue tip.

Their brain think: "If I put my tongue out, I look silly." So it automatically pulls it back and gives you /s/ or /d/ instead. Adult problem: Children don't feel embarrassed. Adults do. So Chinese adults need a logical reason + a physical feeling to accept the movement.

2. THE TWO TH SOUNDS - They Are Different

Many teachers teach them as one. They are not.

Sound - /θ/ voiceless

Type - Air only, no voice

Feeling - Like a quiet angry cat: "tssss"

Example - think, three, thank you, health, birthday

Sound - /ð/ voiced

Type - Air + voice vibrates

Feeling - Like a bee: "zzzz" with tongue out

Example - this, that, the, them, brother

Chinese adult trick:

/θ/ = s but with tongue out

/ð/ = z but with tongue out

If you can say /s/ and /z/, you can say TH.

3. HOW TO PRODUCE IT - The 3-Step Method for Adults

Do this in front of a mirror. Chinese learners MUST see their tongue.

Step 1: The Tongue Out (1 minute)

Gently bite your tongue tip with your top teeth. Just 3-4mm sticks out. Don't be shy. You should look a bit silly. If you don't look silly, your tongue is not out enough.

Step 2: The Air Test (for /θ/)

Keep tongue there. Blow air out. You should feel cold air on your bottom lip.

Say: th-th-th... No voice.

Now words: think, thank, three, thirty, Thursday, birthday, healthy

Step 3: The Voice Test (for /ð/)

Same tongue position. Now turn ON your voice box. Put your hand on your throat — it should vibrate.

Say: thhhis, thhhis...

Now words: this, that, these, those, the, they, brother, mother, father

Adult checkpoint: If you say "sink", your tongue was INSIDE. If you say "think" with a lisp, your tongue was OUT. A lisp is GOOD. It means you are doing it right. You can make the lisp smaller later.

4. COMMON CHINESE ADULT ERRORS

Chinese learners often replace /θ/ with /s/ because Mandarin lacks interdental fricatives (Swan & Smith, 2001). According to Deterding (2006), final consonant deletion is one of the most common problems for Chinese speakers.

5. PRACTICE

A. Minimal Pairs Drill (Most important for adults - logic)

Read in pairs. The difference is money vs meaning.

think vs sink — I think this plan will sink.

three vs tree — I have three trees in my garden.

thank vs sank — I thank you, the boat sank.

they vs day — _They will come on that day._

those vs dose — Take those, the dose is two pills.

B. High-Frequency Work Sentences Practice these 5 sentences for 1 week.

/θ/ voiceless: Thanks, I think we have three things to think about before Thursday.

/θ/ voiceless: I think my birthday is on Thursday this month.

/ð/ voiced: This is the project that they said is the most important.

/ð/ voiced: My brother and I think this and that should be done together.

Mixed: I think that those three clients will thank us.

C. The Mirror Homework (2 mins / day for adults)

Every morning, brush teeth, then in mirror:

Stick tongue out, say th-th-th-th 10 times (voiceless)

Stick tongue out, say th-th-th-th 10 times (voiced, throat vibrates)

Say: "This, that, these, those" 5x fast.

No need to practice for 1 hour. 2 minutes daily builds muscle memory. Adults fail because they practice 1 hour once a month, not 2 mins daily.

6. TEACHER TIP: How to Correct Adults Without Embarrassing Them

Don't say in front of class: "Wrong! Say TH!"

Adults hate losing face.

Do this:

Silent signal: Agree on a signal — you touch your chin. Means "tongue out please". No words needed.

Fix at the end: Let them finish their 90-second IELTS talk. Then say: "Great fluency. One small fix to sound more native: 2 words — think and this — try tongue out. Show me."

Every Chinese adult, including my best student who now works at Google, had this problem for 6 months. It's normal because Chinese doesn't have it.

References

Avery, P., & Ehrlich, S. (1992). Teaching American English pronunciation. Oxford University Press. Deterding, D. (2006). The pronunciation of English by Chinese learners. Journal of the International Phonetic Association, 36(2), 243–248.

Gilakjani, A. P. (2012). A study of factors affecting EFL learners' English pronunciation learning and the strategies for instruction. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2(3), 119–128.

Swan, M., & Smith, B. (Eds.). (2001). Learner English: A teacher's guide to interference and other problems (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Zhang, F., & Yin, P. (2009). A study of pronunciation problems of English learners in China. Asian Social Science, 5(6), 141–146.

Why "Free Talk" Is Not Free: A Guide for Parents on Choosing the Right Class for Beginner Learners

For Vietnamese and Chinese Parents of ESL Learners - Why Free Talk Is Not for Beginners

As parents, you want the best for your child. You want them to speak English fluently, confidently, and naturally. So when you enroll them in an English center, it is understandable that you ask for "Free Talk" class. It sounds like the fastest way to learn — just talk!

However, as an ESL teacher with years of experience teaching Vietnamese and Chinese learners, I have learned that giving Free Talk to a true beginner does not help them; it can even make them lose confidence. This article will explain what Free Talk really is, who it is for, and why beginners need a different path first.

What is Free Talk?

Free Talk is not just chatting. In ESL teaching, Free Talk is an unstructured, learner-led conversation class. The teacher does not use a textbook. The teacher prepares open-ended topics — for example, "What do you think about social media?" or "Describe a memorable trip" — to keep the conversation going.

The goal is fluency, not accuracy. The teacher asks follow-up questions, and the learner is expected to answer in full sentences, explain reasons, give examples, and ask questions back.

According to Richards and Rodgers (2014), communicative language teaching works best when learners have enough linguistic resources to negotiate meaning. Thornbury (2005) also explains that for speaking to be meaningful, learners must have automatized vocabulary and grammar to focus on what to say, not how to say it.

In short, Free Talk assumes the learner already has the words. Its purpose is to practice using them.

Whom is Free Talk For?

Free Talk is suitable for learners who are at least Intermediate Level B1-B2 CEFR. These learners:

1. Can understand spoken questions the first time they hear them.
2. Can answer in complete sentences without needing the teacher to write the sentence for them.
3. Have enough vocabulary to explain an idea even if they forget a word.
4. Can handle pronunciation well enough to be understood.

If a learner cannot do these yet, Free Talk becomes a silent class where only the teacher talks.

Why Beginners Are Not Ready: Here are my Two Real Classroom Experiences

Experience 1: The Mixed-Ability Teen Group

I was given a group class of two students who were both 14 years old. The female student could understand basic English and could express herself in English. The male student could barely understand spoken English and hardly express himself in full sentences.

Every time I asked a question, I had to type it on the board for him to read. Then he would respond "Yes/No". This is a very common situation. The male student was a beginner. He was not lazy; he simply did not have the listening and vocabulary foundation.

My preparation of relatable topics could not work because Free Talk requires instant comprehension. Typing every question on the board turned a speaking class into a reading class. The result was that the female student, who was ready for Free Talk, became bored waiting, and the male student became anxious because he could only say "Yes/No".

Krashen's (1982) Input Hypothesis explains this clearly: learners need comprehensible input [i + 1], not input that is too far above their level [i + 3 or i + 4]. When input is incomprehensible, learning does not happen.

Experience 2: The 9-Year-Old Beginner

The second experience was with a 9-year old kid who could only understand the question "What's your name and how old are you?". Even when I typed the words on the board, she couldn't respond because she couldn't understand.

How can "free talk" materialize in this class if this is my kind of student? For this child, even reading support did not help. She was at Starter level.

Brown (2007) notes that beginner language development must follow a sequence: from word recognition, to phrase building, to sentence formation, then to discourse. Expecting a child who only knows two questions to have a 25-minute conversation is like expecting a child who only knows "1+1" to solve algebra. It is not possible.

The child was responsive with gestures and smiles, but communication was not in English. These experiences show that when we force Free Talk too early, the class becomes frustrating for both teacher and learner.

Experience 3: The 15-Year-Old Storyteller (Ready for Free Talk)

This learner usually finds the topics in his book uninteresting. So, instead of forcing himself to discuss a topic he doesn't like, he initiates a conversation about topics he knows well — like his experiences at school, his trips, and his interests.

When he talks, he has a lot of grammar slips, but his vocabulary is always correct. He talks a lot and asks questions to keep the conversation going. He leads the discussion and I just respond to his questions. I can also butt in and ask questions, which he willingly responds to. Usually, we run out of time because he has a lot to share.

Is he okay for Free Talk? YES, he is perfect for Free Talk.

Even though he has grammar mistakes, he meets all the requirements for Free Talk. He can understand questions the first time, he can answer in complete sentences, he has enough vocabulary to explain his ideas, and he can keep the conversation going by asking questions back. He shows fluency and confidence.

In Free Talk, the goal is fluency, not accuracy. According to Thornbury (2005), fluency means the ability to keep going despite making some mistakes. This learner is a great example. His grammar slips can be corrected later, but his ability to lead a discussion, share stories, and stay engaged shows he is at B1-B2 level and is ready for unstructured conversation. He does not become anxious or silent — he enjoys talking. This is exactly what Free Talk is for.

The Right Path: What Beginners Need First

For Vietnamese and Chinese learners, especially, pronunciation and vocabulary foundation is critical. Research shows that Asian learners often face challenges with final consonant sounds like /s/ and /z/ [e.g., rice, fries, lettuce] due to mother tongue interference [Zhang & Yin, 2009].

Instead of Free Talk, beginners need:

1. Structured Lessons: Lessons with pictures, vocabulary drills, and sentence patterns. For example: "I like ___." "I don't like ___ because ___."

2. Pronunciation Training: Learning sounds first, then words, then sentences. This builds intelligibility.

3. Guided Speaking: The teacher writes the sentence, the student reads and then practices changing one word. This is scaffolding, described by Vygotsky (1978) as essential for learning within the Zone of Proximal Development.

When this foundation is strong, Free Talk becomes powerful. The learner will finally have something to "free" — they have words to use freely.

Significance for Communication Skills

Free Talk is the goal, not the starting point. If we start with Free Talk, we skip the building blocks. If we build the foundation first, communication skills develop naturally:

Confidence: A child who can say 50 correct sentences confidently is more motivated than a child who cannot answer one free question.

Accuracy + Fluency: Structure gives accuracy; Free Talk later gives fluency. Both are needed for IELTS, TOEFL, and real-life communication.

Long-term Success: Learners who master the basics first progress faster to advanced levels [Lightbown & Spada, 2013].

Dear parents, we understand your desire for your child to speak immediately. We want the same. Please trust the process: let them learn the words, the sounds, and the sentences first. Then, Free Talk will be truly free, enjoyable, and effective for them.

---

References:
1. Brown, H. D. (2007). Principles of language learning and teaching [5th ed.]. Pearson Education.
2. Krashen, S. D. (1982). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Pergamon Press.
3. Lightbown, P. M., & Spada, N. (2013). How languages are learned [4th ed.]. Oxford University Press.
4. Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and methods in language teaching [3rd ed.]. Cambridge University Press.
5. Thornbury, S. (2005). How to teach speaking. Pearson Longman.
6. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society. Harvard University Press.
7. Zhang, F., & Yin, P. (2009). A study of pronunciation problems of English learners in China. Asian Social Science, 5, 141-146.

Final L Sound: Why Vietnamese Students Say "Schoon" Instead of "School" and How to Fix It

I will never forget my very first Vietnamese student. She was reading beautifully, and then she said: "My school is small but beautiful, I never fail." Except what I heard was: "My schoon is smoon but beautifun, I never fain." I was confused. She was confused. I said, "Can you say /l/?" She said "/n/". We both laughed, but that was my first encounter with the famous final /l/ problem — and if you teach Vietnamese learners, I know you've heard it too.

beautiful /ˈbjuː.t̬ə.fəl/ → beautifun

school /skuːl/ → schoon

small /smɑːl/ → sman

fail /feɪl/ → fain

At first I thought she just wasn't listening. I kept saying "No, it's LLLL, not NNNN!" Then I learned the truth.

The final /l/ sound in English is one of the hardest sounds for Vietnamese students. It doesn't go away by itself, even after years of learning. It's not because students are lazy. It's because this sound does not exist in Vietnamese.

Why does it happen? 3 simple reasons:

1. Vietnamese words never end with /l/.

In Vietnamese, a word can only end with a few sounds like /m, n, ng, p, t, k/. For example: lam, lan, long, tap, tat, tac. There is NO word in Vietnamese that ends with /l/. So when a Vietnamese student sees an English word like "school", their brain automatically thinks: "This ending is impossible, I need to change it." So they either delete it - "schoo" - or replace it with something that IS allowed at the end, like /n/ - "schoon".

This is a very common pattern. Research shows that Vietnamese learners delete or change final consonants in more than 40% of cases.

2. /l/ and /n/ feel the same in the mouth.

Try it yourself. Say /n/ and /l/.

For both sounds, your tongue tip touches the exact same place - right behind your upper front teeth. The only difference is where the air goes:

For /n/, air goes out through your NOSE. Your nose vibrates.

For /l/, air goes out around the SIDES of your tongue. Your nose does NOT vibrate.

Because the tongue position is the same, students get confused and use the nose sound /n/ instead of the side sound /l/. In Northern Vietnam, many people also mix up /l/ and /n/ at the beginning of words in Vietnamese - like saying "lo" for "no". This makes the confusion even stronger in English.

3. The English final /l/ is actually a different /l/.

English has two kinds of /l/:

The clear /l/ at the beginning: light, like, love. This one exists in Vietnamese, so it's easy.

The dark /l/ at the end: ball, feel, small. For this sound, you have to pull the back of your tongue up. It sounds heavier and deeper.

Vietnamese does not have this dark /l/ at all. So when students try to say "ball", they don't know what to do with their tongue.

The 30-Second Trick That Fixed Everything

I stopped saying "No, say /l/!" and tried this instead. It changed everything.

The following class time I let my student do "The Nose Pinch Test"

I instructed her to pinch her nose with her fingers.

Say "smoon" with an /n/. The sound STOPS. You can't say it.

Now say "small" with an /l/. The sound KEEPS GOING.

I told my student, "If it stops, it's /n/. If it keeps humming, it's /l/." She pinched her nose, said "schoo... llll", and her eyes went wide. "Oh! I feel it!" In 30 seconds, she got it. For the first time. Achievement for me. :)

How to help your students - 5 easy classroom tips:

1. Let them HEAR the difference first.

Don't ask them to speak right away. First, check if they can hear it.

Say: "Did I say bow or ball? fee or feel?"

Use simple pairs: bow-ball, toe-toll, fee-feel, saw-small. If they can't hear it, they can't say it.

2. The Nose Trick - 30 seconds, very effective.

This is the fastest way to show the difference between /n/ and /l/. Tell the student to pinch their nose with their fingers. Ask them to say a long /n/: "nnnnn". The sound will STOP. They can't say it. Now ask them to say a long /l/: "lllll". The sound will CONTINUE.

Explain: "/n/ is through the nose. /l/ is NOT through the nose. If you can say it while holding your nose, it's /l/."

Students love this because they can feel it immediately.

And yes, we all look silly pinching our noses in class. But we laugh, and they remember it. They finish the class and may share their family members the nose trick. Because finally, it's not about "you're wrong" — it's about "here's where the air goes."

3. Teach it in 3 small steps.

Don't teach "ball" directly. Build it up:

Step 1: Say "uh" - /ə/

Step 2: Keep saying "uh" and slowly touch the tip of your tongue behind your teeth. "uh-l"

Step 3: Add the first sound: "uh-l -> ball", "uh-l -> call", "uh-l -> small"

Tell them: "For final /l/, your tongue tip goes UP and STAYS there."

4. Stop them from adding an extra vowel.

Many students say "table" as "tay-buh-luh" - two extra beats. They do this to avoid ending with /l/.

Teach them to make it ONE beat. Clap your hands: one clap = one syllable. Practice linking to make it easier: "small apple", "call us", "school is". When /l/ connects to the next vowel, it's much easier to say.

5. Use short, real sentences.

Students can say the sound correctly in a wordlist, but they forget it in real conversation. Practice with useful classroom sentences, not just words:

"Please call me."

"It's a small school."

"We all feel well."

"That will be all."

Ask them to record themselves on their phone and listen back. They will hear "schoon" themselves.

Final reminder for ESL teachers:

Don't just say "No, it's /l/, not /n/". The students already know they are wrong, but they don't know HOW to fix it. Show them where the air goes and where the tongue goes. With 5 minutes of practice every day for two weeks, most students can get a clear final /l/.

Have you had a "schoon" moment in your class too? Tell me your funniest final /l/ story in the comments — I would love to hear it.

References:

1. Avery, P., & Ehrlich, S. (1992). Teaching American English pronunciation. Oxford University Press.

2. Bui, M. C., & Nguyen, T. Q. (2022). The correlation between high school students’ phonological awareness and their pronunciation of English inflectional morphemes. European Journal of English Language Teaching, 7(4), 38-56.

3. Ha, C. T. (2005). Common pronunciation errors of Vietnamese learners of English. VNU Journal of Science, Foreign Languages.

4. Hwa-Froelich, D., Hodson, B., & Edwards, H. (2002). Characteristics of Vietnamese phonology. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 11(3), 264-273.

5. Nguyen, N. (2007). Interlanguage phonology and the pronunciation of English final consonant clusters by native speakers of Vietnamese (Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University).

6. Tang, G. (2007). Cross-linguistic analysis of Vietnamese and English with implications for Vietnamese language acquisition and maintenance in the United States. Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement, 2(1), 1-33.

Why Vietnamese ESL Learners Can't Pronounce Letter X: /ks/ Sound

For many Vietnamese learners of English, the letter "x" is one of the most confusing letters. This is not because it is a new sound, but because one letter has many different sounds, and it often creates a final consonant cluster — a structure that does not exist in Vietnamese.

1. "X" is not one sound, but two sounds

In most English words, "x" is pronounced as /ks/ — a combination of /k/ + /s/. For example: box /bɒks/, six /sɪks/, tax /tæks/.

Research on Vietnamese learners shows that English consonant clusters are one of the most difficult areas because of differences in phonological features between the two languages.

Vietnamese syllables typically end with only one single consonant. There are no final clusters like /ks/, /nd/, or /st/ in Vietnamese. Because of this, learners have a tendency to simplify complex clusters by deleting one or more consonants.

So my Vietnamese students often say /sɪk/ or /sɪs/ for six, /tak/ for tax, /fik/ for fix, /ˈpɒlətɪk/ for politics — the final cluster is omitted.

2. "X" changes its sound based on position and stress.

/ks/ : box, taxi, exercise

/gz/ : exam, exact, example — when the second syllable is stressed, the sound becomes voiced

/z/ : Xerox, xylophone, xenophobia — at the beginning of a word

/kʃ/ : anxious, luxury

Learners who have not studied phonetics often lack knowledge of voiced vs. voiceless sounds and stress rules, so they apply one rule to all words.

3. Final sounds are often omitted in Vietnamese English.

Studies of Vietnamese students found that the most common pronunciation error is omitting final consonants, because speakers do not have to pronounce ending sounds when they speak Vietnamese. The pair /s/ and /z/ are also frequently confused, and sounds like /ʒ, dʒ, tʃ/ that do not exist in Vietnamese are difficult, especially in final position.

The letter "x" combines both problems: it contains /s/ or /z/ AND it is a final cluster.

Teaching Suggestion

Teach "x" in 3 steps:

1. Practice /s/ and /z/ separately: bus vs. buzz

2. Practice joining /k/ + /s/ slowly: k-ssss - ks. This ia what I do in class. I have to type /k/ then /s/ and model the pronunciation.

3. Minimal pairs: sick vs. six, back vs. box, e-sam vs. exam

References:

1. Tran, T. K. L., & Nguyen, A. T. (2022). English consonant clusters: A case study of Vietnamese learners. Can Tho University Journal of Science, 14(3), 32-39.

2. Nguyen, T. T. H. (2024). English consonant clusters in the pronunciation of Vietnamese learners: a study on two students at Ha Long University. VJOL.

3. Bui, M. C. et al. (2021). Pronunciation errors of final consonants — Sound omission is the most common mistake (43%). IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education, 11(4).

4. Osborne, D. (2022). Word-Final /s/-/z/ Omission in Vietnamese English. Consonant clusters and word-final fricatives are potential areas for negative L1 transfer. Languages (MDPI).

Why Vietnamese Learners Drop Final S and How to Help Them

Why Vietnamese Learners Drop the Final /S/ — And How ESL Teachers Can Help

If you have taught Vietnamese students, you have heard this:

"I have two book."
"He go to school every day."
"I like three cat."

They know the grammar. So why does the final /s/ keep disappearing? It's not carelessness. It's linguistics.

1. Why Is Final /S/ So Hard for Vietnamese Learners?

a) Vietnamese has no final /s/ and no final clusters

In English, we can end a word with almost any sound: bus, books, dogs. In Vietnamese, only six sounds are allowed at the end: /p, t, k, m, n, ŋ/ — and they are unreleased, spoken very softly. There is no /s/ at the end and no clusters like /-ks/ in "books" (Osburne, 1996; Nguyen, 2007).

b) Vietnamese does not use endings for grammar

Vietnamese is an isolating language. It does not add -s for plural or third-person singular. To say "two books," Vietnamese says "hai quyen sach" (hai means two, sach means book, quyen is a classifier) — the number, "hai" already shows plural, so no extra ending is needed (Tang, 2007).

c) What you cannot hear, you cannot say

Vietnamese final sounds are quiet. Learners transfer this habit to English, so they delete the final sound or say it too weakly to hear. This is called L1 phonological transfer (Lado, 1957).

2. Why Adults Struggle More Than Children: My Classroom Observation

In my own classes, I noticed something very clear.

With Vietnamese adult learners, final /s/ omission is very strong. I have to remind them in almost every discussion: "Don't forget the final /s/." If you don't say it, your listener can get confused. For example:

• decades → they say "decade" (I asked to remind my student "Is it one decade or many?")
• startups → they say "startup" (I asked once more "One startup or many startups?")
• seems → they say "seem" (It seems vs. they seem — "who is the subject?" I asked)

Why is this harder for adults? This is likely fossilization. Fossilization is when a language error becomes a permanent habit because it has been repeated for many years without correction (Selinker, 1972). Many adult Vietnamese learners learned English for years with final consonant deletion, and their brain has already accepted "decade" as correct for both singular and plural. Adults also have stronger L1 interference and focus more on meaning than on small sounds.

With younger learners, especially children, it is much easier. I remind them the first or second time, and in the next sessions, they already say the final /s/ correctly. "Two books!" "Three cats!"

Why?

1. Neuroplasticity and the Critical Period: Children's brains are more flexible for pronunciation. The Critical Period Hypothesis says that before puberty, learners can acquire new sounds more easily because their brain is still highly adaptable (Lenneberg, 1967; Johnson & Newport, 1989). Now, everything discussed in my MA ED ELT classes at the Philippine Normal University are making sense to me.

2. Tabula Rasa and Less Fossilization: Children are like a tabula rasa (blank slate) for English pronunciation. They have not yet formed bad habits. They have no years of saying "two book" to unlearn. Adults do. So when we correct a child, we are building a new habit. When we correct an adult, we are breaking an old one and building a new one at the same time — which is twice as hard. Apparently, the idea of unlearning and relearning by Alvin Toffler applies in this situation.

What this means for us ESL teachers: With children, correct early and consistently. With adults, be patient and make the final /s/ meaningful. Don't just say "Say the /s/." Say "If you say decade, I think one. If you say decades, I think many. Which one do you mean?" When adults see that the sound changes the meaning, they are more motivated to keep it.

3. Why Does Pronunciation of Final /s/ Matter? Impact on Communication and Exams

In English, final /s/ is not just accent — it is grammar. It signals:

• Plural: book vs. books
• Third-person singular: he go vs. he goes
• Possession: the student vs. the student's

When the sound is missing, listeners get confused. It carries a high functional load (Jenkins, 2000).

Impact on KET, PET, and IELTS Speaking

For KET (A2) and PET (B1), Cambridge assesses "control of phonological features." Consistent final consonant deletion often limits students to Band 3 out of 5 for pronunciation.

For IELTS Speaking, the public band descriptors state that at Band 5, "frequent mispronunciations cause some difficulty for the listener" (British Council et al., 2023). A consistent final /s/ omission is one reason many Vietnamese candidates get stuck at 5.5 or 6.0 for Pronunciation. It also lowers Grammar because "he go" is counted as a grammar error. Therefore, Vietnamese students who take KET, PET and IELTS examinations cannot achieve their desired score if final sound omission is observed in their speech.

Does Final /s/ Omission Affect Listening and Writing?

Yes. Listening: If you don't produce a sound, you often don't perceive it either (Flege, 1995). In IELTS Listening, when the audio says "books," many learners only hear "book" and write the wrong answer.

Yes. Writing: Students write what they hear in their head. So "three cats" becomes "three cat" in essays, lowering their grammar score (Sato, 1984).

4. What Can ESL Teachers Do? 5 Practical Strategies

1. Make the final /s/ visible

Use minimal pairs: book vs. books, cat vs. cats. Write the -s in RED. Use the finger trick — one finger for "one cat," two fingers for "two cats." Awareness-raising is more effective than drilling (Avery & Ehrlich, 1992).

2. Teach the three sounds of -s

Teach the voicing rule (Celce-Murcia et al., 2010):

• /s/ after voiceless: books, cats, cups
• /z/ after voiced: bags, dogs, pens
• /ɪz/ after hissing: buses, watches

3. Use linking, not isolated words

Instead of "books" alone, drill "books_are" as "book-sare." When /s/ links to the next vowel, Vietnamese learners keep it because it feels natural.

4. Train their ears before their mouths

Say: "I have a cat. I have cats." Ask: Did you hear one or two? Use dictation. If they can't hear it, they can't say it.

5. Correct with kindness

Don't stop them for every missing /s/. Use delayed correction or gentle recasting: Student: "I have two book." Teacher: "Oh, you have two books? What color are they?" (Derwing & Munro, 2005).

Final thought: Final /s/ is small, but for our Vietnamese learners, it is big. It is the difference between being understood and misunderstood. When we help them master it, we are not just teaching pronunciation. We are helping them be heard.

---

References

Avery, P., & Ehrlich, S. (1992). Teaching American English pronunciation. Oxford University Press.

British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, & Cambridge English Language Assessment. (2023). IELTS speaking band descriptors (public version). https://ielts.org

Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D. M., & Goodwin, J. M. (2010). Teaching pronunciation: A course book and reference guide (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Derwing, T. M., & Munro, M. J. (2005). Second language accent and pronunciation teaching: A research-based approach. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 379–397. https://doi.org/10.2307/3588486

Flege, J. E. (1995). Second language speech learning: Theory, findings, and problems. In W. Strange (Ed.), Speech perception and linguistic experience (pp. 233–277). York Press.

Jenkins, J. (2000). The phonology of English as an international language. Oxford University Press.

Johnson, J. S., & Newport, E. L. (1989). Critical period effects in second language learning: The influence of maturational state on the acquisition of English as a second language. Cognitive Psychology, 21(1), 60–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0285(89)90003-0

Lado, R. (1957). Linguistics across cultures. University of Michigan Press.

Lenneberg, E. H. (1967). Biological foundations of language. Wiley.

Nguyen, T. T. A. (2007). Difficulties for Vietnamese when pronouncing English: Final consonants [Unpublished master's thesis]. Dalarna University.

Osburne, A. G. (1996). Final cluster reduction in English L2 speech: A case study of a Vietnamese speaker. Applied Linguistics, 17(2), 164–181. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/17.2.164

Sato, C. J. (1984). Phonological processes in second language development. Language Learning, 34(1), 43–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1984.tb00996.x

Selinker, L. (1972). Interlanguage. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 10(1-4), 209–232. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral.1972.10.1-4.209

Tang, G. (2007). Cross-linguistic analysis of Vietnamese and English. Journal of Southeast Asian Linguistics, 1, 33–56.

ESL Is Not Just About Teaching English: It's about knowing a student's value, purpose, and being someone they can trust

In my 10 years in the ESL industry, I have discussed different lessons with students from different parts of the world. I have taught grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, but during those lesson discussions, I learned something more important: each of them is carrying an issue, a problem, a story that they cannot tell anyone else.

I am not just teaching a language. I am learning people.

For their protection, I am using fictitious names here. And these are just five of my many students — five souls who really captured my attention and my heart.

1. Mark - The Man Who Needed a Buffer

Mark enrolled because he needed to be fluent at work. He deals with clients from Western countries and he must speak English well. So I developed learning materials for him following a Topic-Based Communicative Approach with a Vocabulary Focus.

But as our encounters became more frequent, he started sharing his day-to-day experiences. Later on, he started confiding in me. He told me he finally found someone to share his ideas with. Talking with me lessened his burden because he could tell me the things he could not tell his boss, his wife, or his colleagues. He said he didn't have to worry because I don't know the people he's talking about. Good point. :) For Mark, I was not just a teacher. I was a booster and a buffer — someone who absorbs the pressure so he can breathe and keep going.

2. Andrew - The Boy Who Needed to Find His Value

Andrew enrolled to enhance his vocabulary and improve his spoken English. He is Vietnamese but based in California, studying in a school there. At first, he said he just needed daily conversation to get used to speaking English.

But as we went on, I observed that he needed more than daily talking. So I shifted to a Functional English approach — teaching vocabulary for specific settings, doing drills in conversation, and making him express himself in real situations.

During class, I learned his problem was more than English. He was emotionally and psychologically burdened. He was in a new country, trying to belong. So I revised the drills. I made them not just about language, but about expressing himself better — knowing his strengths and weaknesses and realizing his value as a person.

For Andrew, I played the role of a teacher and a guidance counselor. He didn't just need to learn how to speak. He needed to know that his voice mattered.

3. Mira - The Woman Who Thought She Was Late

Mira booked classes to improve her fluency. She can already speak English and express herself well. She only gets lost sometimes because of grammar slips and pronunciation.

As we talked, Mira was quite open about her feelings. I learned about her perception of success and her insecurities. She fears failure because people her age are already successful and she thinks she is not.

Every time we discuss something in class, her insecurity shows. I can't help but give her unsolicited advice — not about grammar, but about life. I tell her she doesn't have to compare herself to others, that comparison will not do her any good. Her situation is not the same as theirs. Maybe her time to succeed has just not come yet.

I want her to understand that success comes at the right time. For Mira, I want to be the person who reminds her that she is not late. She is right on time for her own life.

4. Luigi - The Child Carrying His Mother's Dream

Luigi wanted to achieve a band 7.5 to 8.0 in the IELTS Speaking test. He knows a lot of academic expressions, but he cannot use them correctly in sentences.

During practice, he doesn't follow corrections or answer structure. I always reminded him, but he didn't mind. When his mom contacted me, I realized it was his mom who aspired for him to get that score. As he said, his mom's ambition brought him to my class.

When he took his first IELTS test and failed, he spent the entire class talking about it — sharing his feelings, identifying the faults of the examiners and the test itself.

His experience made me realize how difficult it is for a child to learn and do things for the realization of his parent's dream. This situation left me speechless and clueless at first. I didn't know how to make Luigi focus so his mom's ambition could be fulfilled.

Then I understood. Luigi doesn't need more pressure. He needs someone to understand his purpose — not his mother's purpose, but his own. He needs someone he can trust who will listen before teaching. And I want to be that someone.

5. Shaira - The Woman Who Needed a Friend She Could Trust

Shaira's ambition to attain fluency is great. She wants to go to America to be with her son and husband and work there. She did not finish high school, but her desire to be fluent is at the highest level. I developed materials for her following a Lexical-Situational or Vocabulary-Driven Communicative Approach.

As we discussed things every meeting, I learned about her aversion to people around her. She doesn't trust people because she has been scammed more than three times. She has a mother, a sister, and two friends, but she cannot confide her emotions to any of them. She only hangs out with her daughter.

So I played the role of a confidant, a friend, and a counselor to her.

For Shaira, English is not just a ticket to America. It is a way to prove to herself that she can still trust, still learn, still dream.

More than learning a language, these students need someone who knows their value, someone who understands their purpose, and someone they can trust.

In 10 years, I have learned that an ESL teacher is never just an ESL teacher.

Sometimes we are a buffer for a tired husband and employee.

Sometimes we are a counselor for a lonely boy in a foreign country.

Sometimes we are a mirror that shows a woman she is not a failure.

Sometimes we are a safe space for a child pressured by a dream that is not his own.

Sometimes we are the one friend a woman can trust after the world has scammed her.

I don't just teach English. I try to help each student heal, grow, and believe in themselves.

And if they learn English along the way, that is beautiful.

But if they learn that they are valuable, that they have a purpose,

and that there is someone who genuinely cares —

that is everything.

An ESL Teacher's Daily Toolkit: 10+ Apps I Use Every Day for Online Teaching

Ever wondered what an ESL teacher's phone and laptop looks like? Here's my daily toolkit. People think teaching English is just books and whiteboards. But imagine using these apps EVERY. SINGLE. DAY: Zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet, Voov, WhatsApp, WeChat. Yes, all of them. Because my students are everywhere, and I need to be where they are.

1. For Teaching and Connection - My Virtual Classrooms Zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet, and Voov. They are not just for calls. They taught me to be more engaging and expressive. I have to teach with my voice, my face, my energy — because I can't tap a student on the shoulder. I learned how to manage a room, check understanding with only eyes, and make shy kids speak up online.

2. For Real Learning After Class WhatsApp and WeChat are where learning continues after class. Quick voice notes, homework checks, a "Good job tonight!" message to a parent or an adult student. They taught me instant communication and cultural adaptability. I learned that a quick, caring message can motivate a student more than a whole lesson.

3. For Organization & Professionalism Google Drive is my memory, hundreds of class videos kept safe so students can re-watch. Google Sheets is my brain — my Class Record and Daily Attendance. No more paper. Parents ask about progress? I have data in 10 seconds. This taught me organization, accountability, and digital literacy. I'm not just a teacher anymore, I'm a data manager and content curator.

4. For Creativity YouTube for authentic videos. How else can I show a B1 student what a real Times Square looks like? And Google Gemini for custom images when I need a picture of "a cat eating noodles with chopsticks" for a vocabulary game. I won't find that on Google Images. This taught me to be a content creator and a lifelong learner.

Using 10+ apps a day is tiring, but honestly, it made me a better teacher. I'm more flexible, more creative, more organized, and more connected to my students than ever before.

To all my fellow ESL teachers — what's the one app you can't live without? Let me know in the comments!

Analysis of the Significance and Effects of working in collaborative partnerships with young children and their families

This essay presents the writer’s analysis of the significance and effects of working in collaborative partnerships with young children and their families. Further, a set of principles that will ensure collaborative partnerships which will facilitate building resilience and support positive outcomes for young children and their families will be raised.

Early childhood centres in New Zealand provide a diversity of service and support to the families depending upon the varying “philosophies of EC education services” (Duncan, Bowden, and Smith 2006). The centres’ philosophies may vary; however, the centres’ implementation of “child's rights in early childhood” (Convention on the Rights of the Child 2005, p.4) is observed. This is an act that can “effectively prevent personal, social and educational difficulties” that may occur in “middle childhood and adolescence” (CRC 2005, p.4).

EC education is the most practical means of making children learn the "non-cognitive abilities such as motivation, trustworthiness, self-discipline, perseverance and dependability" (Heckman & Krueger 2005; Schweinhart, Montie, Xiang, Barnett, Belfield, Nores 2005 as cited in Jacobson and Notman 2018). These soft skills are crucial in confronting life challenges when they grow old and “are essential for success” (Heckman & Krueger 2005; Schweinhart et al. 2005 as cited in Jacobson and Notman 2018).

Quality early childhood education (Duncan, 2006; Jacobson and Notman 2018; CRC 2005 p.4) has been proven to be effective in preparing a child for adulthood/life. Research labeled as Perry Pre-school study (Scheinhart et al. 2005 as cited in Jacobson and Notman 2018) confirmed that “those who had quality ECE had higher lifetime earnings, were more likely to hold a job, had committed fewer crimes, and were more likely to have graduated from high school than those who did not” (Scheinhart et al. 2005 as cited in Jacobson and Notman 2018). This study was conducted in Michigan from 1962 to 1967. One hundred twenty-three “African-American children from high poverty families” ((Scheinhart et al. 2005 as cited in Jacobson and Notman 2018) were chosen as research subjects. They were divided into two groups, one group categorized as the recipient of a quality ECE program and the other without preschool experience. Forty years after, an interview with the subjects who still lived was administered and such was the result, a verification that ECE is of vital importance during the developmental stage of every child (Duncan 2006). For the attainment of quality ECE parents’ participation is a must. In a study conducted by Wiley, Thompson and Kerslake Hendricks 1996 as cited in Duncan, Bowden and Smith 2006) parents “identified the benefits from being involved in their child’s EC service as support, friendship, and company”. They said that they understand the activities, the teachers, and their children better as they got involved in EC programmes, thus leading to quality childhood education.

Collaboration is synonymous with teamwork or partnership (collinsdictionary.com) wherein people involved work together for the achievement of a certain goal or target. One example of this is the collaboration among medical experts and specialists in the Ministry of Health as they designed strategies and safety plans for the protection of the individual and his/her whānau (health.govt.nz/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines). In the Ministry of Health’s website, a page featuring the vaccines available and booster doses as well as the side effects and reactions as one gets vaccinated. Apparently, this collaboration saved the people from misinformation and Coronavirus disease.

In early childhood education, school authorities are advised “to provide programmes that complement the parents’ role and are developed as far as possible in partnership with parents, including through active cooperation between parents, professionals” for the complete development of the child’s personality and potentials (CRC, art 29.1 (b)). “Working with families” (Sanders and Munford 2010) fosters the advancement of life chances especially for the children in poverty. Nowadays, “family involvement is seen as a means to an end; partnerships with families” (Stonehouse, 2011). According to Duncan (2006) the context of relationship between the teachers and the parents/families changed in response to the “families’ changing needs and the recognition that the family is the cornerstone of the child's education, care and over-all well-being”, thus the modification of the terminologies, from “working with parents to partnership with parents” and now “collaboration with parents” (p.14).Further, “reconceptualisation” of the part played by EC centres to families transpired (Duncan 2006). Collaboration with parents generated EC centres the image of an institution that accord services for “wider health, resilience and robustness of children and families and whanau, within a wider community of relationships” (Duncan 2006).

“The family provides the initial resources for making sense of the world” (Drewery, and Claiborne 2010/2012). The family and its members are the foundation of the child’s language, behavior, and dispositions. This idea relates to Smith’s (2013) as he writes “children’s lives are profoundly influenced by their family/whānau experiences”. From birth to adulthood people undergo “transitions”, (Smith 2013) and during each transition, there are others who become part of it. However, nobody among those ‘others’ “provides the most stable and enduring feature” of one’s life (Smith 2013) except the family.

Provision of constant interaction regarding academics or school activities, household chores that teach children specific intrapersonal skills like self-control, assertiveness and resilience, purposeful directions through games during family or leisure time, guidance as the child does his/her homework, reads, or tells a story constitute to the children’s learning of “diligence, independence and commitment” (Amatea, Smith-Adcock, and Villares 2006) and to the formation of the child’s schema that is significant to his success in academics (Clark, 1983; Dornbush et al., 1987 as cited in Amatea et al 2006).

References:

Collaboration. Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/collaboration

Convention on thr Rights of the Child (September 2005). Committee on the Rights of the Child Fortieth Session Geneva, 12-30 September 2005. Retrieved from https://www.refworld.org/docid/460bc5a62.html

Drewery, W., & Claiborne, L.B. (2010/2012). Human Development: Family, place, culture.

Duncan, J. (2006). Collaboration between New Zealand Early Childhood Centers and Community Resources. Children's Issue Centre,University of Otago.

Duncan, J., Bowden, C. & Smith, A.B. (2006). A Gossip or a Good Yack? Reconceptualizing Parent Support in New Zealand Early Childhood Centre Based Programmes. International Journal of Early Years Education. Vol.14 No.1, March 2006, pp.1-13. Retrieved from https://web.s.ebscohost.com.vlib.interchange.at/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=7&sid=97e8b572-ee5b-4225-baec-f2ee9563a68a%40redis.

Duncan, J., Te One, S., Dewe, R., Punga-Jurgens, J.T., Shaw, L., Eaton, S., Thomas, M., and the Whanganui Central Baptist Kindergartens and Early Learning Centres' teaching and parent facilitator teams (2012). Active Adult Participation in Early Childhood Education: Enhancing Child Learning and Community Wellness: A Summary. Teaching and Learning Research Initiative. Retrieved from http://www.tlri.org.nz/sites/default/files/projects/9279_summaryreport.pdf

Jacobson, S. & Notman, R. (2018). Leadership in Early Childhood Education: Implications for Parental Involvement and Student Success from mNew Zealand. ISEA Volume 46, Number 1 2018. Retrieved from https://web.p.ebscohost.com.vlib.interchange.at/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=f6107c48-f3b6-474c-a71d-0ce4dd073af3%40redis

Keat, J., Strickland, M., & Marinak, B. (2009). Child Voice: How Immigrant Children Enlightened Their Teachers with a Camera. Early Childhood Educ J (2009) 37:13-21. DOI 10.1007/s10643-009-0324-1

Robinson, K.H. & Jone-Diaz, C. (2013). Diveristy and Difference in Childhood: Issues for Theory and Practice. The Changing Nature of Families in the Twenty-First Century.

Sanders, J., & Munford, R. (2010). The Impact of Intra-Familial Factors on Support Work. Working with Families.

Simpson, D., Loughran, S., Lumsden, E., Mazzocco, P., Clark,m R.M., & Winterbottom, C. (2017). 'Seen but not Heard'. Practitioners Work with Poverty and the Organising Out of Disadvantaged Children's Voices and Participation in the Early Years. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 2017 Vol. 25, No.2, 177-188. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1350293x.2017.1288014

Stonehouse, A. (2011). Moving from Family Participation to Partnerships: Not Always Easy, Always Worth the Effort. Engaging Parents Exchange March/April 2011. Reprinted with permission from Exchange Magazine.

Te One, S. (2011). Defining Rights: Children's Rights in Theory and i Parctice. The Word.

Walsh, F. (2008). Using Theory to Support a Family Resilience Framework in Practice. Social Work Now April 2008.