What are some strategies when the teacher does not speak the students’ native language?

Some good ways to facilitate communication is through using body language (act it out), pictures or visual aids and by using simple, straightforward English spoken in a natural voice but at a slower rate.

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I am an English native speaker, but I also teach Vietnamese language for adult foreigners (which is my second language, though I am a non-native Vietnamese speaker). Through a lot of experimentation I found that for me, what works best, is focusing on the techniques/methodology/learning resources & breakthrough moments that took my Vietnamese to the next level as opposed to a traditional ESL structure. As a result of this I have observed my students becoming more motivated to keep studying and often they are able to modify my learning methods based on their preferred style of learning to find an efficient strategy for themselves. Having said that, I think children or young learners will benefit from more predictably-structured learning.

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