Thursday 18 February 2016

Ramona Maharaj from the City of Hamilton - What is an ESL Teacher?

Ramona Maharaj from the City of Hamilton is an ESL teacher who has worked all over the world helping students learn English. She now lives and works in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. she was inspired to become a teacher as a young child because of her intense love of reading. She often helped other children her age learn how to read, and to improve their reading skills. This passion for books also sparked her desire to teach aboard. After reading about exotic places and the local way of life, Ramona Maharaj from the City of Hamilton wanted to help the people that live there. She spent her school career learning as much as she could about how to become a teacher and getting experience to be the best teacher she could. She chose to attend George Brown College in Toronto to earn her teaching degree, specializing in ESL. After getting her degree, she accomplished her dream of traveling the world to help children and adults learn how to read, write and speak English. It takes additional work to become an ESL teacher but it can be one of the most fulfilling types of teaching.
Ramona Maharaj City of Hamilton

ESL stands for English as a Second Language. Teachers in this field help students whose first language isn’t English in writing, reading and conversing effectively. They approach teaching from a real-life perspective, sometimes focusing on job-related and conversational communication skills. They can work both in English speaking countries, for students trying to assimilate, and in non-English speaking countries to help students learn a new language that isn’t typically used in everyday life.

Being an ESL teacher can be difficult for some new teachers as they not only have to teach students new material, they have to deal with language barriers and other issues that come along with the student not being able to fully understand the instruction. This can be especially difficult for a teacher that does not speak the student’s native language, which is known to happen. Often times there are not enough ESL teachers available for each student that speak the same language, especially if the student speaks an uncommon language to the place they are in. A French speaking student in South Florida for example.

But successful teachers are able to find innovative ways to connect with students, and provide them with a safe environment where they feel comfortable learning. It requires teachers to give ESL students more time to process questions, ask questions in different ways so the student can understand, use non-verbal ways for students to learn and demonstrate their knowledge, allow and respect students that are silent or hesitate to speak in the new language, and take time to address students on an individual basis.

ESL teachers have a challenging job. But they are some of the most in demand teachers, whether at home or abroad. Ramona Maharaj City of Hamilton loves being an ESL teacher and helping students learn English.
Sources: http://www.eslteacheredu.org/what-is-an-esl-teacher/