About the Language

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A second step to being a successful ESL teacher is to become aware of the language and how it is used. Even though you have probably spoken English for years (maybe even all of your life) and have been taught the language formally in school, you may not be aware of many of its aspects that give non-native speakers a hard time. Very often the things that give your students the hardest time are things that come most naturally to a native speaker. There is not time nor space in this manual to teach everything about the language. But there are a few things that can become important issues in an ESL class.

What is correct English?

What are some major problems that ESL learners have with vocabulary?

What are some major problems that ESL learners have with grammar?

What are some important things to know about pronunciation?

Some facts about how second languages are learned