The Challenges of Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Teaching English as a foreign language or English as a second language (ESL) classes brings about many challenges. Whether teaching K-12 or adult learners, ESL classes require instructors to connect to every learner while teaching the necessary skills and strategies for each person to learn a second language.

The challenges of teaching ESL students are also excitements and means of creating quality teaching:

CHALLENGE 1: DIFFERING LEVELS

The constant assessing, leveling, grouping, and working within the academic skill levels of every learner are arduous and challenging tasks.

Instructing within an ESL classroom requires formative assessments to be administered, which allow teachers to find out each student's level of knowledge. When examining the results, we discover that students range in levels of understanding. Many different lessons need to be prepared because some students may have no knowledge of the English language, some may understand the basics of letter sounds and may have recognition, while others are beginning the writing phase of the English language.

While teaching ESL classes within a K-8 setting and at an Adult Evening College, we tried our best to place students according to their ability levels to teach similar skills. And we also grouped heterogeneously to have peers with higher abilities practice, tutor, and assist. Homogeneous and heterogeneous grouping must be continuous, so as not to have stagnated learning for any individual. Each student must have learning build from his/her skills while being challenged, which is a challenging lesson plan undertaking.

CHALLENGE 2: INADEQUATE NUMBER OF RESOURCES

Large numbers of students require a large number of resources. Ensuring that there are enough textbooks, computers, listening devices, hands-on tools, and the plethora of other necessary teaching and learning instruments is a very challenging assignment. Within public school districts, supplies are ordered at the end of the year for next year's projections. However, knowing how many students will enter those classroom doors the following year, and projecting the skill level they will enter with, is a guessing game.

Teaching at the adult level has similar challenges. Adults do buy their own textbooks and can obtain some supplies. However, we equip the writing lab, try to book the use of the computer room, and supply enough technological devices. There

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