Part VI – Modifying the Dogme approach to accommodate your students’ needs – Putting a name to the methodologies that TalktoCanada.com uses to teach ESL online

by Jillian Zavitz

The previous posts have described the Dogme approach and how TalktoCanada.com uses it with both their individual students and group lessons. This method is not used exclusively – as true Dogme approach is essentially material free.

What we do take from this approach is the focus that it has on the students leading the lesson. Not only does the Dogme approach require for both the student and the teacher to be on the same page – some students are unable to learn without material in front of them. They aren’t creative enough – they have “brain blocks” and just want to have a jump start with something that helps get the juices flowing.

TalktoCanada.com encourages their students to take advantage of the fact that they are learning with a native English speaker – and really put an emphasis on learning English through conversation, and this conversation being whatever the student brings to the table either with a jump start or on their own.

In my personal teaching experiences – I try to focus on the Dogme approach as much as possible – I ask my students to prepare things for the lessons – I go wherever they take the lesson – and help guide them through. But – sometimes a jump start can take you to places that you would otherwise not explore.

My jump start of preference are articles that deal with both random news, as well as serious topics that usually relate somehow to the student either geographically, or to their interests. Ideally, students read these articles ahead of time – and we can then go over the themes in class and discuss the ideas and opinions in the article and our own. This helps students learn about different topics that granted may be weird (“Oscar Meyer Wiener dog car crashes into house”) but it builds up useful everyday English vocabulary that can be used in a variety of situations.

Whatever your learning style – TalktoCanada.com will be sure to accommodate a style suitable to your needs. Working on the same page – and with the same goals in mind is always important in learning anything in life – not only for a language.