EnglishClub TEFL Forums (archived)

Hi everyone,

I am currently stationed in Afghanistan and I am embarking on a project to teach Afghan soldiers we work with English. I have no prior experience teaching ESL but I am proficient enough in Pashto to converse and teach them subjects in their native language. I would be very grateful on any advice on any of these questions regarding teaching ESL:

- What is the best order of English lessons to maximize comprehension? Like teaching future tense before past tense or vice versa.
- How much English should I use when teaching? I could teach mostly in pashto, but I was wondering if that would hamper their English learning experience.
- I have them for about five months, but due to the nature of our work, I won't be able to hold classes everyday. So I probably only have 2-3 months of actual teaching time. How much could I expect them to learn in that amount of time?

Those are all the pressing questions I have at the moment, but I'll be sure to add more if I have any more problems along the way. Thanks again.

Just saw your post. Hope its not too late to give you some info. Here is a typical syllabus for beginners. Good luck!!!

Grammar and Parts of Speech
Greetings - Introductions: Basic small talk including 'How are you'
Numbers 1 - 100: Pronunciation, counting skills, telephone numbers
Alphabet - Spelling Skills
Demonstrative pronouns: Recognizing the connection between 'this, here' as opposed to 'that, there'.
Present of the verb 'to be': Conjugation of the verb, question and negative forms for all subjects.
Basic descriptive adjectives: Ability to describe objects simply
Basic prepositions use: in, at, to, on, etc.
There is, There are: Difference between singular and plural, question and negative form
Some, any, much, many: When to use some and any in the positive, negative and question forms. Questions using much and many
Question Words: The use of 'wh-' question words as well as 'how much' and 'how many'
Adverbs of Frequency: The use of adverbs of frequency such as: always, often, sometimes, never
Subject Pronouns: I, You, He, She, It, We, You, They
Possessive Adjectives: My, Your, His, Her, (Its), Our, Your, Their
Basic adjectives
Articles: Basic rules for definite and indefinite articles, a, an, the
Present Simple: The use of the present simple for describing everyday routines.
​Building Vocabulary
Greetings
Provide name and personal information (phone number and address)
How to tell the time
Time expressions: Using 'in the morning', 'in the afternoon', 'in the evening', 'at night', and 'at' with time.
Talking about daily habits and routines