Teaching ESL

I’ve learned that the story of how I became an ESL teacher is very common. It seems that many missionaries in the field find themselves invited to teach English to locals despite a lack of training. That was certainly true for me. Prior to the fall of 2021 I had no experience teaching, much less teaching English.

I was surprised to discover that I enjoyed teaching. I thought that I was outside my comfort zone and poorly-equipped for the job. Actually, I was outside my comfort zone and I was poorly-equipped for the job! I had wondered how I would make friends in Angola considering that my Portuguese was not really at a conversational level. The ESL classes became the bridge I needed; I made friends and while they practised their English on me, I practised my Portuguese on them!

I came back to Canada so passionate about ESL that I enlisted in the CELTA program run by Cambridge for English language teachers. Having finished that training earlier this year, I learned that some of the methods I used back in 2021-2022 weren’t the best. I think most novice teachers assume that it’s their job to lecture the class and ensure that when the students aren’t talking, you’re talking. But CELTA informed that a much better learning style is for the teacher to simply introduce the material and then let the students start attempting it for themselves. CELTA is also very forgiving to students, encouraging them to keep trying and doesn’t expect them to master every nuance of the language.

I wouldn’t have learned that I had a gifting for teaching if I trusted in what I thought I knew about my limitations. Fortunately, God knew better and He put me into situations where I’ve learned more about my abilities. I am so excited to return to see my old students in Angola and share my new teaching gifts with them!

Michael Hoskin