Oh, the excitement.
As a kid, I distinctly remember hating school. I didn’t like going, I didn’t like homework and I didn’t like most of my teachers. Why didn’t I like it? Mostly because of the presentation. This is what I am going to need to present in my online English class.
I do not agree with the current teaching methods and that is a whole other conversation but this is what I found to be very interesting. The messages and interactions I am getting on TikTok and Instagram are very interesting. These people here are eager to learn. Maybe learning English and learning from a foreigner is something unique but it should not be.
Plenty of ESL classes.
So I am going out on a limb and guessing that everyone is looking for something different. I am guessing that the delivery of the information is something that stands out to them. Most classes will be stuck on the technical aspects of the English language. What I will do is teach them to speak in sentences and explain the words as we go.
This is all I wished someone had thought me when I learned the Indonesian language. I wished I knew basic sentences and introductions so I could feel confident in less-than-ideal situations. This will also help build confidence. I am hoping to deliver something different, something that is live, interactive, and not at all a school setup.
Must be the unique selling point of it all.
I will not have hard evidence until later, but things seem to be pointing in that direction. We tend to have lots of fun during our TikTok Live and this is what it comes down to. Finding my audience and finding my style is something I never thought would come out of my mouth.
At times I feel like a DJ or a radio talk show host. I seem to have struck a chord somewhere along the line and I need to deliver to the audience each day. The unique selling point will be that a foreigner is teaching a class for local young people who are eager to learn English so they can find better jobs and improve their job hunt both in Indonesia and abroad.
Many young people are hoping to find jobs abroad and in the tourism sector. Many have messaged me about working abroad and on cruise ships. Therefore, I must put out content and learning material to match their needs.
Making learning fun and interactive.
This is where the Zoom class and the delivery of the content will be the test to see how the response is. Lots of things to figure out but content and delivery will be key.
Having fun while learning is the key. We need to have fun. It’s psychological. We remember the fun stuff and not the bad stuff. So having a good association with learning is going to be my number one goal.
This is where I come full circle to my first statement of “hating school.”
I want these students to learn and have fun at the same time. If I can pull this off we will all learn something new. I will get further education about Indonesian culture. Plus the students will not only gain a better knowledge of the Indonesian language but gain confidence in the process.
Zsolt Zsemba 