ESL Teaching Tips

Let them talk

Gaining better communication skills is the top priority for most ESL students. Pay careful attention to the most common errors your students make during an exercise. Once they have finished doing the exercise, correct them.  If a teacher corrects every mistake the students make, they will become hesitant to speak because they are afraid of being corrected. Frequent correction will also disturb the natural flow of conversation. By correcting their mistakes after they have finished their exercise, you can give them more confidence.

Create the right setting

Setting the right mood is extremely essential because it helps students to concentrate. Many teachers recommend playing music in the class to improve the spirits of students.

Get your students more physically involved in the lesson.

Get your students physically involved in the lesson. Give them short breaks every now and then and ask them to get up and walk about.  These short breaks will help rise their energy levels and improve learning.

Put special focus on developing communication skills.

Foreign students learn English because they want to be able to communicate in English. Each exercise should have a communicative aspect connected to it. For example, while teaching tenses, get students ask each other questions about their experiences. Ask them to use the specific tenses.

Keep a folder of great lessons

If you find a great lesson, make an extra photocopy for future use and keep it aside in a special folder.