Thursday, February 25, 2010

Keeping up with Work, Kids, and ESL Lessons

I have ESL students who remarkably toggle career, family life and English lessons every single day except on weekends. Most of them are in their mid 20's and early 30's whose kids are still hyper toddlers.

Being a mother myself, I recognize the internal struggle that my students must be having in balancing these three aspects of their lives. Working through the rat race of their jobs, they are on a steep climb for career advancement which is one of the reasons why they are taking English language lessons to begin with. Mothers also work to keep the family financially sound or sometimes for the fulfillment of having a career. Among all the various reasons given, these impressive women are in constant quest to find balance in their lives.

Here are a few simple tips for working moms on how to improve their ESL skills in the midst of a chaotic routine on a work week:

1. Think English.
It starts with initiative and effort. Remember how we usually wake up, linger a little longer on the bed while planning our day. Naturally, we think using our native language. The trick is to map out your daily activities in English.

“I am going to work at 8am.”
“I need to shop for dog food and also buy some fruits at the corner store.”

It doesn’t have to be complex sentences, just simple ones to get you into the habit and it can be an enjoyable language exercise, too.

2. “Sweetheart, I’m home.
Learning a language needs continuous practice, not using it constantly will make it fade out. Involve your husband by surprising him when he comes home with phrases like “welcome home, honey. What do you want for dinner?” whether he gives you a weird look or smile, I’m sure he’s secretly pleased by the sweet gesture.
And it’s never too early to practice English with your kids whether they’re still infants or toddlers. They have an amazing retention for languages and constantly speaking will help them develop interest, and expose them to the sound which will be advantageous to them in the future.

3. Where’s your mp3 player?
It’s easy to download podcasts from ESLpod and listen to it on your way to work or going home whether you’re stuck in traffic or just walking around the block. This can also be your background noise as you do your morning chores or while preparing a nice dinner.

4. Listen to English songs
Learning new songs is so effective for children, I don’t see why it work for you, too. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone. Not only are you enjoying some rhythm but also picking up some new words and phrases.

5. Keep a journal of double-liners.
A pen and a notebook is all you need. You can begin this journal by writing two sentences a day describing anything from your emotions to an incident you witnessed , a gossip you heard or anything at all that interests you.

Studying ESL doesn’t have to be so time consuming if we learn how to integrate it to our common day activities. Working moms are excellent multitaskers after all.

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About Me

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I'm a reader,a mother, a spirited watercolor painter, a coffee lover and a passionate learner of life, love and Web 2.0. For questions regarding ESL lessons, you can send an email to: english.notes311@gmail.com.