VOLUNTEERS can be a tremendous asset in the ESL classroom. They can help teachers give extra attention to all of the students while the class is engaged in practice activities. And they can give extra help to small groups or individuals in the class. Kate Singleton, an English teacher in Virginia, US, offers some ideas for using volunteers in ESL class.
Teachers can use a volunteer as a classroom monitor. As teachers circulate through class to monitor student progress during language activities, the volunteer does the same. He or she can check for accurate pronunciation, reading comprehension, accurate grammar and general comprehension of the activity.
A volunteer can be a co-presenter in ESL classes. He or she can assist teachers in the presentation of new activities. For example, a volunteer can take a role in an English dialogue with teachers. If teachers are presenting a conversation to class, the volunteer can take the other part so that it creates more authentic language environment for the students. The volunteer can also model the activity with teachers. If teachers want the students to do pair work, the volunteer can demonstrate how it should be done. It's best if teachers let the volunteer know exactly what they are looking for in advance.
A volunteer can play the role of a pull-out group leader. A pull-out group is a group of similar ability students who work separately from the whole class for part of the class session. The groups can address special needs that the students have in common, like reading, writing or pronunciation problems. They can also provide more challenging work for higher level students and give students an opportunity to focus on skills like English conversation with a lot of feedback that teachers cannot always provide in a large group. Teachers can provide the volunteer with materials and detailed instructions for working with the group and a place to work. Level targeted English materials are helpful to use for reading pull-out groups, because while teachers work with one level of the text, the volunteer can work with another. Less planning is required, and students feel like they are all doing the same thing, not missing out on something another group is doing.
Here are some golden rules for using volunteers. First, clear communication is key. Teachers need to give clear instructions and adequate materials to their volunteers. From the onset, ask the volunteer what they want to get out of volunteering with the class and explain what the students need from a volunteer. Second, feedback, feedback, feedback! Volunteers need feedback on how he or she is doing. Many of them feel nervous about teaching. Also, teachers need feedback on how volunteer-led class activities go to find out student progress and to make sure the volunteer feels comfortable doing what he or she has been asked.
