Hello

If you're still in need of them, I may be able to give you some ideas
on how to help your absolute beginner get her linguistic feet wet.

As the only ESL taecher in a local Neighbourhood House I need to be
prepared teach learners ranging from near-fluent to the "real"
beginners you're seeking help with.

I've founds that absolute beginners are not that difficult to teach but they do
require a lot of patience. One obstacle is that they are invariably illiterate in
English so, unless you're willing and able to teach literacy, you're pretty-well
restricted to verbal activities.

You might get some ideas from

<http://esl.about.com/library/beginner/blabsolute_intro.htm>

And please feel free to drop me an e-mail at the above address anytime if
you'd like some more suggestions (or just moral support.)

Jack

> Hi

> I just found this board and hope someone can help me. I'm a UK
> secondary school teacher, and usually teach English children English
> language and literature, BUT a 15 year old Thai girl has just joined
> our school, and she has practically no English. I've been asked to
> take responsibility for helping her aquire enough English to manage
> in normal lessons and living in England generally. Has anyone got any
> ideas on activities that will work 1 to 1? Some years ago I taught
> EFL in Japan for a year (which is why I've been asked to take this
> on) but there I had classes of 30 plus and mostly used games, pair
> work, role plays etc - clearly these methods aren't really suitable
> in my current situation. Can any of you experts out there give me any
> tips? We currently have no other English as a second language
> students in school, so it will just be the two of us, although there
> may be an Estonian boy joining the school later, who would also join
> our lessons..

> Help! Please! :o)