Smith’s School of English Soap Box

While every student that comes through the door at Smith’s yearns to speak English smoothly they all start off at different points in their English mastery. Some have studied at other language schools, others have majored in English and some have simply forgotten most of what they learnt back in junior high school. For the higher level students creativity is the name of the game, putting them in different real-life situations that pushes them to utilize their English and at the same time challenge them with new vocabulary. However for the lower level students they need something more concrete which is what the routines help provide. They aim at getting students to say a short story (between 5 and 10 sentences) on a certain topic and then having them ask and answer questions related to the story. This is the basis of conversation - someone tells a story and then others comments on it or asks a question to confirm/enhance the story. Within each routine there are numerous grammar points that need to be explained and discussed which can lead to a clearer understanding of basic English grammar. Once students feel comfortable with the original story then it’s time to branch out and start adjusting them to fit their own lives. It takes time but constant repetition is something that can’t be overlooked for the lower level students.
Adrian