One concept drilled into me during my TEFL class was the need to explain grammatical points and abstract definitions through concrete examples comprehensible to learners. In other words, instead of providing a word’s definition when a learner asks, it can be more illustrative to model the word in a context to which the learner can relate.
Today the teacher in my class accomplished this beautifully. We were working on questions starting with, “Have you ever?”
I wrote the first question on the board:
Have you ever taken a trip on an airplane?
One learner asked the meaning of “ever.” My teacher pulled down the maps at the front of the room. She asked me, “Have you ever been to Texas?” To which I answered, “Yes, I have been to Texas." She proceeded to ask me about multiple locations in the United States, pointing to the map and using the "Have you ever?" questions as I answered. Through modeling the correct usage with a visual learners understood, she successfully conveyed both the meaning and usage of the word "ever." I find it challenging to think of such illuminating examples on the spot, but it probably gets easier with more teaching experience.
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