English in the middle

When you teach English, it makes sense to keep your own language skills up to speed, like Min-Jun.

But teachers of other languages often use English too.

I met Alice when she came to New Zealand on an internship and took one-to-one classes with me to polish her English.

A few years later, Alice is back in Germany and a busy mum to two little boys.

And although it wasn’t part of her plan, she now teaches German to migrants and refugees.

Many of Alice’s students are beginners in German but speak a bit or a lot of English.

Which means it’s sometimes faster to use English to explain confusing vocabulary or a tricky German grammar point. And in the early stages, it’s often easier to use English to talk about admin rules, reasons for absence and schedule changes.

Alice felt her rusty English could use some regular practice. She also wanted to discuss issues that come up in the classroom.

Weekly online mentoring sessions are an opportunity to do both.

Our sessions are steered by Alice and based on her questions about students and teaching. We chew over challenges: how to support older learners, how to give more effective feedback, how to increase student talking time, etc.

For Alice, mentoring means she can develop her German teaching skills while brushing up her English.

Need support to set up and stick to your DIY language project? I can help.

© Christina Wielgolawski