Kang GURU Teacher Workshop Booklet This new Teacher Workshop Booklet is given to particpants of every Kang Guru Teacher Workshop. It is full of information about Kang Guru Indonesia (KGI) and about teaching English. Below are some examples of what can be found in the booklet.

Frequently Asked Questions

These questions are often asked at workshops. Perhaps you could discuss them with other teachers (not just English language teachers) and share your ideas. The secret to successful lessons is planning and preparation. Some of us don't have a lot of time for this so we must think of ways to do it efficiently. Can you plan with other English teachers? Try to ‘put yourself in your students' shoes’. Think of your school days. How could your lessons have been better? What would have helped you to be more enthusiastic, active and productive in class?

How do I motivate students so they love to study English?

• Make your materials interesting for the students. Find out what they like and build on these ideas.
• Make sure the materials are an appropriate level for your students - not too easy but not too difficult either.
• Make sure you use a variety of activities.
• Plan meaningful activities where students see a successful result.
• Have lessons where the students compile quiz questions etc. Active students enjoy their lessons more and therefore learn more.
• Think of ways in which the students can have fun while learning.
• Use Kang Guru teaching materials!

How can I encourage my students to speak English?

• Set topics to discuss which interest them.
• Make sure they have the vocabulary and knowledge needed to talk about the topic/express their ideas.
• Start discussing the topic in Indonesian. If the students can't discuss it in Indonesian they probably can't do it in English.
• Drilling first as a class, then half a class, this row, that row, the boys, the girls, this group of 4, that group of 4, this pair, that pair before asking single students to speak.
• Give plenty of controlled practice before moving onto free practice.
• Give shy students the easier questions to answer.
• Tell your students that it's okay to make mistakes. (Maybe not in the chemistry laboratory but it's always okay in English.) Your reaction to mistakes in the classroom must be one of encouragement, and students must not laugh or put others down when they make a mistake. The important thing is to try, especially when learning a language. This is how we learn to speak. This will help shy students overcome their fear.

My students find listening difficult because they lack vocabulary or they think the speaking is too fast.

• Make vocabulary reviews and quizzes part of your regular classes.
• Introduce the topic, find out what students already know, revise old vocabulary and pre-teach new vocabulary BEFORE the listening activity.
• Give the students short segments to listen to, gradually increasing the length.
• Plan your lessons so that they listen to the same material a number of times. Remember that they're listening as a learning activity. It's not a test.
• Extend the listening activity with reading, writing and speaking activities to give them more opportunities to use the vocabulary.
• Consider using the tapescript for students to read along with.
• Students can underline the new vocabulary on the tapescript and they can look in a dictionary later.
• If teaching SMP/SMA level classes use appropriate KGRE teaching materials!

What can I do to make sure my students are working properly when I put them into groups?

• Think about how the groups are formed. Students could be asked to select their own groups sometimes, and you could select groups sometimes. (We don't always work best when we work with our friends.)
• Plan your lesson well, including the stages of the lesson and the group activities.
• Make sure students clearly understand what it is you want them to produce in their groups.
• Make sure they have had enough preparation for the task.
• Make sure the activities are meaningful (have a purpose). This helps the students focus. We all work better when we understand the reason for it.
• Always set time limits for tasks.
• Circulate around the room praising the focused workers and encouraging the slower groups.
• Consider planning different activities for different groups, or the same activity with different outcomes. Set easier tasks for weaker students. Make sure the strong students are challenged.

How do I make the class active?

• See the answers to questions 1 and 2 above.
• Remember that ‘variety is the spice of life’ — too much of the same thing becomes boring.
• Plan activities which involve all of the students and use more than one skill, for example some speaking, some reading and some writing.
• Make sure there is a reason to be active, e.g. to get the correct answer, produce something to show the class. You should be active too. (Don't sit at the desk at the front of the room!)