ideas or suggestions?

[alexis]

I have four classes tomorrow teaching oral english to 4 groups of 30 or more 6-7 year olds. I have been given no books or any information about what these kids know. I just finished a TEFL course so I do have some ideas on how to structure a lesson. This is my first time teaching English in China, and I am a little intimidated. If anybody has any advise or suggestions they would like to share, I would greatly appreciate it.

[Nate M]

If they are 6-7 years old, I would just assume they know nothing. Even if they had had lessons before, I doubt it's done them much good. Start from the beginning. Be strong. They'll be biting ankles, so just make sure they stay away from your achilles tendon. You don't want to let them take a chunk out of that thing.

[con's fly is open]

I teach 4 different classes of this age, but none that big!

It comes down to the big x: games, songs, laughs, crowd control and something actually taught. Remember that the purpose of the first class isn't to teach them- it's to make them like you. Make sure they have fun, teach them a song, and a couple of other things to show the parents what you can do, and get them used to your voice and accent.
Start with the alphabet song. Kids like to sing, and it will give you an idea about how much they know.
Then hit them with Apple, Banana, Cat and Dog- A, B, C and D covered. Have Egg and Fan on deck, just incase they know more than you expected. You'll need colour pictures with the words at the bottom. A through F is 6, so if the school didn't provide some, GET DRAWING!
Extra material? Count to five. They know it? Go to ten. Letters, numbers, through in a couple of songs, you're set.
Just make it high energy, act a little silly at moments to make them laugh, get them to stand up together and individually- hey, "stand up!" and "sit down!" accompanied by raising and lowering your arms is a good lesson, too.

There you go: too much material. Since you don't know what level of English they have, give yourself some options in your plan, and don't be afraid to skip stuff.
The first class will be the toughest; the next three will go great, since you'll adjust your lesson as you go.

If you have TESOL training, you'll do great. I'd wish you good luck, but you won't need it.

[slim]

If this is going to be a regular thing then I'd suggest that you make sure that they all have English names.

What works for me, for elementary school level students, is having their names on a long list beside the board. I award stars to teams that win games or students that remember new words (etc.). In my experience this has had students fighting for my attention.

With any new words play 'missing word', ask the students to bury their heads in their arm and remove a word from the board. On your command say, 'Okay, look!' and just see those arms reach for the sky! If you have no Chinese assistant the first time will be very confusing for them, but they'll get it after a couple of dry runs.

For reviewing play things like 'run & write' or 'run & draw' and you'll be surprised at how many words have stuck - it'll also tell you what words they're having problems with. This can be very exciting and the students just love getting those stars - you'll see them before and after each lesson gathering around the chart to see who has the most.

[ilunga]

I like that 'remove a word' idea Slim.
I teach this gae group as well (and younger). I'm finding grade 1 are a complete nightmare at the moment. Kids fighting with each other in class, not a week goes by when one doesn't start bawling their eyes out for some unknown reason.
What do I usually do?
I've got some simple books. Opposites is my favourite. I teach them emotions by drawing faces on the bored - happy, sad, tired, laugh, cry etc Then choose a student to come up and draw the emotion. That kills a lot of time as well.
Songs...Wheels on the bus, heads shoulders...
Simon Says never fails.
Parts of the body, clothing, weather...
Buy some coloured pencils and let them draw. There's never enough to go around so they draw first in pencil then come to me for a specific colour "Can I have a blue pencil please?"
'Why?' "For the sky" 'Ok there you go'

[Roger]

You wrote that post too early for me to reply, but now that you have learnt your first lesson together with your kindergarten kids, you will know that:
You can't "teach" as in a classroom!
You have to adapt to their intellectual level!
There must be ACTION going on!
Kids have a very short ATTENTION SPAN!
They don't want to MEMORISE!

So?
Teach them the same things you would teach your own child: how to walk, how to turn left/right, how to raise your hand (left, right), leg (left, right), etc.
Then exercises, always followed by kids repeating after you.
Then you introduce pronouns: "I am walking, you are walking, he is walking, she is walking..."

Incorporate basic grammar right from the start - proper use of tenses, S-V agreement, etc.

Next you teach them to DRAW, including how to draw ballooney letters that they can colour; each letter has a "mammi" version and a "baby" version. Each letter "as in ...": Apple, boy, cycle (not colour!), etc.
I assure you, kindergarten is the best thing that can happen to you!
And, perhaps, to your ..