ESL Placement

Back to Appendix

An important factor in being a successful adult education ESL teacher is student assessment and placement. It is critical that adult students be properly placed otherwise they will quickly lose interest and drop out. I the material you present in any level ESL class is too easy, students will become bored. If it is too hard, they will not return for the second class.

First impressions are important in establishing a positive relationship with your students. Adult students come to the ESL classroom with many fears. They feel they are too old to learn or in some cases their last experience with school was a negative one, e.g. they may have left school as teenage dropouts. Consequently, it is very important that the teacher establish a friendly, enthusiastic rapport free of any academic pretense. Even though their fear level is very high, it can be broken down by a friendly smile and pleasant small talk.

Oral Assessment

This oral assessment instrument goes along with Section One's instructions on ESL placement (Oral Assessment)

Literacy Assessment

This oral assessment instrument goes along with Section One's instructions on ESL placement (Literacy Assessment)