Have you ever wondered why some students get much higher grades than others who seem to be on about the same level? I definitely have. One of my theories is that some students understand the instructions better than others do. It's plausible that some students simply don't understand the instructions, so they can't do the assignment correctly.
An easy way to avoid having students get grades they don't necessarily deserve is to make sure that they understand the instructions without giving them in the student's native language. Teach them the phrases and vocabulary they will need to function successfully in the classroom at the very beginning of classes.
Teaching them to ask questions in the correct form is important, even at the beginner level. Here's a link to a page that will help you do just that. http://www.eslgold.com/speaking/classroom_questions.html At the bottom of the page is a link to more conversation practice material.
If your students want or need to learn basic classroom vocabulary, here's a link that can help them. http://free-english-study.com/vocabulary/academic-vocabulary-list-1.html Of course, you could always make flashcards and have them play games with them. One idea I had was to have students choose a card that is face down, so they can't think of a question ahead of time, and ask a question within a given time frame. Here's a link to some pre-made flashcards. http://esl-kids.com/flashcards/classroom.html If you want to make a bingo game for the students to play using the classroom vocabulary here's the place to go. http://www.mes-english.com/flashcards/classroom.php There is also a place on the site to get worksheets that match the flashcards.
I hope it's a fun time for teachers and students alike and no one gets bored or frustrated at the beginning of a school term. Good luck!
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