CONTENTS
3-4 MUST READ: Teachers 14 ENCOURAGEMENT:
Top Ten: Top 10 Ways How to Encourage
to Motivate Your Student Participation
Students
15 ENCOURAGEMENT:
5 MUST READ: 9 Simple The Toughest Class You
Tips for Keeping Your Will Ever Teach: 9 Tips
Students Motivated for Engaging Middle
(Part One) School Students
6 MUST READ: 9 Simple 16 ENCOURAGEMENT:
Tips for Keeping Your Teens and Tweens: 4
Students Motivated Most Effective Ways
(Part Two) to Reach Younger
Learners
7 MUST READ: Speak
Up! Sure-fire Ways to 17 ENCOURAGEMENT:
Help Teens and Adults From I Dont Want to
Overcome Shyness Talk about It to I Cant
Wait to Talk about It!
Turning Your Students
8 MUST READ: Making on to Discussion
the Shift: Moving from
a Teacher Centered
Classroom to a Student 18 ENCOURAGEMENT:
Centered Classroom 8 Simple Tips to
Encourage Student
Participation During
9 CONFIDENCE: 7 Group Discussions
Things Your Quiet ESL
Students Are Not Telling
You 19-20 MOTIVATION: How To
Motivate ESL Students:
The 10 Best Ways
10 CONFIDENCE: 7 Sure- to Increase Teenage
fire Ways to Boost Student Motivation
Student Confidence
21 MOTIVATION: Whats
11 CONFIDENCE: 4 Your Passion? 7
Simple Steps for Individual Projects
Building Confidence in to Tap into Learner
Your Students Motivation
12 ENCOURAGEMENT: 22 MOTIVATION: Getting
8 Simple Ways to Them Excited: 6
Encourage Your Methods to Ignite
Students Enthusiasm in Your
Students
13 ENCOURAGEMENT:
Why Cant We All Just 23-24 LEARNING STYLES:
Interact? 4 Practical 20+ Simple Tips for
Tips for Encouraging a Meeting Your Students
Quiet Class to Speak Learning Styles
25 LEARNING STYLES:
See it, Hear it, Do
it: ESL Activities to
Teach to the 7 Different
Learning Styles
26 LEARNING STYLES:
What Are Language
Learning Styles and
How Can You Make
Sure Your Students
Have Them?
27 SPEAKING:Let Them
Talk: 5 Student
Advantages to a Noisy
Classroom
28 SPEAKING: 7
Techniques that Will
Increase Student
Talking Time
Exponentially!
29 SPEAKING: 7 Sure-
fire Tips To Get Your
Students Speaking So
Easily
30-31 SPEAKING: 15 Tricks
to Get Your Adult
Learners Talking
32 SPEAKING: 10 Keys
To Promoting Class
Discussion
33 SPEAKING: How to Get
Everyone Speaking in a
Multilevel Class
34 WRITING: How to Make
Students Excited about
Writing
35 GRAMMAR: How to
Make Your Grammar
Lessons a Little More
Interesting
36-37 READING: 10 Simple
Ways to Make Reading
Class Fun
Teachers Top Ten: Top 10 Ways
to Motivate Your Students
Even the best students have days
when they are not motivated for class-
room learning. With a little nudge from
you, you can turn those dreary days
into successful classes in their ESL
careers. Here are 10 ways you can
motivate your students today.
10 TEACHER-TESTED
WAYS TO INCREASE
YOUR STUDENTS
MOTIVATION QUICKLY
AND EASILY
1 Children fulfill the expectations
that the adults around them com-
municate. This does not mean that
every student will score 100% on ev-
ery test we write. It does mean that if
you communicate to a child that he or
she is failure, he or she will fail. If you
communicate to that same child that
he or she will succeed, you will often
find that that is the outcome. With ev-
ery opportunity, encourage your stu-
dents that they are making progress
in their language learning. Point out
to them the areas in which you see
progress and improvement. For areas
in which a student struggles, try to
portray a picture of what success will
look like. Encouraging your students
to visualize their success will aid them
in accomplishing those goals you set
before them.
2 Making sure you are teaching
to all the learning styles in your class-
rooms is another way to motivate your
students. It is unrealistic to expect an
auditory learner to be successful and
motivated if her sole instruction comes
from reading a textbook. Likewise, a
kinesthetic learner will be frustrated
listening to his teacher lecture class
after class. Make sure, as you plan
your lessons, that you are teaching
to all the learning styles in your class-
room. If you do, you will engage stu-
dents who might otherwise struggle to
pay attention in class.
3 When a student disengages
from class, it is a good opportunity
for you the teacher to notice what
methods you are using in class. Al-
though some practices may be fine
for most students, timed tests, inde-
pendent learning time, self checking
methods, for example, there will be
students who not only do not con-
nect with these methods but who suf-
fer negatively when you use them in
your classroom. If a student begins to
disengage, be aware of the methods
you are using and look for patterns.
Though it is difficult to meet every
need of a classroom full of language
learners, you can take pains to avoid
certain methods when it is possible to
help certain students perform better in
class. This will also help you be inten-
tional about using a variety of meth-
ods with your class further engaging
all of them.
4
Sometimes motivating your stu-
dents is as easy as changing the ma-
terial you are using. For most teach-
ers, the school chooses a curriculum
that they expect each teacher to fol-
low in his or her classes. Even when
this is the case, it does not mean that
you cannot bring additional resourc-
es to class. Sometimes students are
turned off by the style or approach of
certain curriculum authors. Bringing
a different perspective into the class
will reengage your students who are
turned off by your current materials.
In addition, it will challenge those who
are already seeing success from the
assigned curriculum.
5
Varying your environment can
also be just the thing a reluctant stu-
dent needs to find fresh motivation.
Field trips are always a great way to
learn in a practical setting, but even
if that is not possible, take your class
outside for todays lesson. Your stu-
dents may also benefit from a class
meeting in the library or in another
classroom. You can still meet your
daily class goals even if you take your
class beyond the classroom walls.
Try setting your students to research
at the library, observe another class,
or listen to native speakers in a pub-
lic area. There is always language to
be learned, so meet your listening,
speaking, and reading goals outside
the confinement of students tables.
6 Providing students with ac-
countability is an important element of
being a teacher. Without the idea of a
deadline and a grade, many students
would never have the self-motivation
that is required to successfully learn a
language. Be clear with your students
when you tell them your expectations.
Make sure they know the deadline for
a projects completion and what stan-
dards you will use to assess that proj-
ect. You may also consider contract-
ing grades with your students who
are at more advanced levels. When
you contract grades, your students
sign a contract which outlines the re-
quirements to receive an a and a b.
Do not give options for lower grades.
The student selects which grade he or
she will receive in the class and then
must complete those requirements
satisfactorily. From the start of class,
your students know what they need to
accomplish, and they know that their
success is completely dependent
upon themselves. This will get them
to be self motivated learners and help
them engage themselves in the learn-
ing process.
7
Have you ever seen a child, or
perhaps you have one, who is angelic
when in public and a terror at home?
Some young people have similar be-
havior patterns when it comes to the
classroom. For you they misbehave
repeatedly, but a substitute teacher
would never know it. You can break
them out of this pattern by bringing
outside influences into your class-
room. Invite a guest speaker or trade
3
 classes for a period with a fellow
teacher. The change in style and au-
thority, even for a short period, may
be enough to spark some motivation
in your students who have become
accustomed to your teaching style
and expectations.
after school if you have to. Commu-
nicate with a childs parents if pos-
sible and when necessary. Discipline
should be a last resort motivator and
only used sporadically.
EVERYONE STRUGGLES TO BE MOTI-
VATED AT SOME POINT. WHEN YOU

8 Competition is a great way to

SEE YOUR STUDENTS IN THAT PLACE,
TRY SOME OF THESE FUN WAYS TO
ENGAGE AND ENLIVEN YOUR CLASS.
motivate students. We do not suggest
posting grades publicly or otherwise
IF ALL ELSE FAILS, IT MAY BE TIME
embarrassing your students, but there
FOR SOME CONSEQUENCES.
Variety is enjoyable for students and
are many ways to foster a friendly
teachers alike. Avoid getting stuck in
spirit of competition in your class.
a rut and your students will probably
Games are fun for reviewing and they
find themselves motivated without
motivate and engage students. You
you even trying to make it happen.
can also group your class into teams
and set them to a challenge. Who can
collect the most authentic examples
of the grammatical structure you are
currently studying? Which team can
write the most entertaining skit with
this weeks vocabulary words? What-
ever you are studying, there is some
way to add some competition to the
mix.

9 One never fail motivational

method you can use with your stu-
dents is giving rewards. Tell your stu-
dents that if everyone in class earns
an 80% or higher on a test you will
have a pizza party. Tell them that with
successful completion of the class
novel you wills spend a day to watch
the movie together. Even something
as little as a sticker on a teenagers
paper can be enough to spark some
giggles and winks but with it some
fresh motivation. Design your rewards
to your students personalities, and
tell them what your plans are. Stu-
dents look forward to even the simple
pleasures that you can dole out on an
ordinary day.

10 Finally, though not as en-

joyable as other techniques to moti-
vate, consequences of certain actions
can also be a motivator to students.
Make your expectations clear, and
communicate to your student what
the consequences will be to certain
behavior or work ethic. No one likes
to be punished, but when positive re-
inforcement and lively change ups do
not work, sometimes there has to be
negative consequences to your stu-
dents actions. Keep your students

4
9 Simple Tips for Keeping Your
Students Motivated (Part One)
ANYONE WHO HAS SPENT TIME IN
AN ESL CLASSROOM KNOWS TEACH-
ERS WORK HARD TO MAKE SURE
THEIR STUDENTS ARE LEARNING
AND PROGRESSING IN THEIR LAN-
GUAGE STUDIES.
We design curriculum, present infor-
mation in creative and engaging ways
and try to focus on practical and useful
language tasks. Unfortunately, all that
can mean little if the students in our
class are unmotivated. Thats why its
important to get students engaged and
invested in their own language studies.
The good news is that getting students
motivated is easier than you might
think. These simple ideas for your
classroom can mean the difference
between a student who doesnt care
and one who really wants to make a
difference in his or her own education.
IT IS A WAY MORE
PLEASANT AND
INSPIRING TO TEACH
A MOTIVATED GROUP
OF PEOPLE
1 LET THEM KNOW
WHERE YOURE GOING
Most of my ESL teaching happened
at the collegiate level, so writing a syl-
labus at the start of the semester was
something I had to do anyway. But even
if it isnt required for your teaching envi-
ronment, a syllabus is still worth doing.
For one, it keeps you organized and on
track. When you plan out the semester,
marking period or year in one sitting,
you automatically have a timeline in
place. If you are teaching ESL at the
younger grades, a syllabus may not
be the best choice for communicating
with your students, but you can still let
them know where you are going. In
fact, you can give them the same infor-
mation on a calendar. If you like, post
a monthly calendar in your classroom
with goals and objectives. For younger
and older students alike, posting daily
goals on the board before class begins
will help them know what you expect
of them each day. When your students
know your expectations, they are more
likely to engage in activities as well as
feel a sense of accomplishment once
those objectives are met, and this will
increase their motivation to do well in
school.
2 GIVE THEM
WHAT THEY NEED
Letting your students know your goals
and expectations is great, but that
knowledge wont help them if they dont
have what they need to succeed in the
classroom. Making sure you have the
right tools, resources and environment
for your students is essential. You can-
not expect a student to do an indepen-
dent listening activity if you do not have
any listening material available in the
classroom. Likewise, how well will your
students be able to research if they do
not have books or the internet as infor-
mation sources? Sometimes, meeting
students needs takes no more than a
class trip to the library or inviting na-
tive speakers to come be conversation
partners. Before your next class, think
about what you want your students to
accomplish. Then think about what you
would need to accomplish that goal.
Then add in the challenge of working
in a second language and make a list
of everything your students will need
to be successful. If you have these
resources in your classroom, your stu-
dents will avoid frustration and will, as
a result, stay more motivated in their
language learning.
3
GIVE DIRECTION
Even when your students have
the road map and the car, if they dont
know how to drive they wont get any-
where. Its similar for your ESL stu-
dents. Once you have communicated
your plan and made the right resources
available, you need to show them the
way. When we learn our first language,
our infant mind processes and even-
tually produces language with little to
no conscious effort. But that wont be
the case with your ESL students. Un-
less you are teaching very young chil-
dren (under five years old), language
learning is more complicated. Your
students will have to think about what
they are doing and saying and how
they are using language. Thats what
language teaching is all about show-
ing your students how language works
and encouraging them to use what
they know. But giving direction doesnt
stop there. Your students wont know
how to use the tools you have made
available in your classroom unless you
show them. Instead of assigning gen-
eral assignments (e.g. do exercises
on prepositions of location), the best
teachers show their students exactly
where to find these exercises. Dont
get me wrong: almost every teacher
gives specific assignments, but show-
ing your students useful websites, ef-
fective study methods and the best
ways to practice language will make a
difference. In addition, giving them lists
of books, specific magazines, televi-
sion shows or movies that they can un-
derstand and learn from will help your
students focus. Your students will feel
more confident in what they are doing
and that it will help them in their lan-
guage learning efforts when they know
they are doing things right. As a result,
they will be more motivated to continue
those activities and add others that you
suggest.
4 THINK ABOUT YOUR STYLE
The most motivated students
are ones who feel they are valued and
whose teachers make classroom ac-
tivities work for them. This ties into a
concept that most teachers have heard
several times over: learning styles.
Not all learners have the same suc-
cess with every activity you will plan
for class. Not every student learns the
same way. Thats why targeting as
many different learning styles as possi-
ble in your classroom will give you the
most motivated students. This means
thinking about students who learn
through what they see, what they hear,
and what they do. It also means includ-
ing activities for students who learn
best through analysis, music, by them-
selves and with others. When your stu-
dents know that you are making efforts
to meet their personal learning needs,
and they will once you start including
several types of classroom activities,
they will match your effort with effort of
their own and will become better over-
all students and language learners.
5
9 Simple Tips for Keeping Your
Students Motivated (Part Two)
MOTIVATING CAN BE
EASY IF YOU TAKE
THE FOLLOWING INTO
ACCOUNT
1 ACKNOWLEDGE JOBS WELL
DONE
Whether you are teaching second grad-
ers or secondary school, telling your
students that they are doing a good job
means a lot. Perhaps getting positive
feedback from our teachers meant more
when we were children than it does as
adults, but that doesnt mean that we
no longer need to hear praise from our
teachers. When we know that our efforts
are appreciated and that those efforts
have helped us reach our goals, we are
more motivated to make additional ef-
forts in the future. Teachers can praise
their students in many effective ways.
Perhaps the most simple is saying,
Good job when our students do some-
thing right. Praise given one on one or
in front of the class will have a positive
effect on your students. But dont stop
there. Take time to make comments on
homework, tests and projects that you
receive from your students. Not only will
that build confidence in your students, it
will give them something they can see
and hold that shows how much they
have accomplished. And they will want
to get that positive feedback on future
assignments as well.
2 MAKE IT PERSONAL
Personalized attention and as-
signment modifications can do a lot
when it comes to motivating your stu-
dents. Whether you teach a class of five
students or have fifty in the course of
a week, one or more of your students
will struggle. By taking time to help stu-
dents one on one, you let them know
that you care about them and are walk-
ing with them through their struggles.
When possible, spend some one on
one time with each student during
class. You may choose to do this while
the rest of your class is doing indepen-
dent work or group work. When you talk
to each of your students, find out what
is difficult for them, and ask if there is
6
anything you can do to help. Giving stu-
dents the individualized attention they
need might also mean spending time
outside of class with your students. Of-
fer office hours or afterschool help to
those students who need it. It will show
them that you care. Also, be willing to
modify assignments to help your stu-
dents succeed. You may need to make
homework easier, shorter or flexible.
For example, letting someone read to
your student rather than making him
read himself might be a way to help a
student with dyslexia. Get creative with
your modifications, and encourage your
students to share their thoughts with
you as well. You dont necessarily have
to okay all of their modification plans,
but by working together you should be
able to come up with a solution accept-
able to you both.
3 MAKE A TEAM EFFORT
As frustrating or invigorating as
it might be, the other students in your
classroom also play a role in motivating
each of your students. If only a few stu-
dents are pursuing fluency and being
courageous in their speech, students
who only care about grades may make
them feel out of place. When you can
get these groups to work well together,
it will help your students motivate one
another. It is the teachers job to try and
make the most effective groupings and
assignment teams as possible. Some-
times this might mean grouping stu-
dents with similar goals and attitudes
as well as skill levels. Other times, it
will mean mixing things up a bit. In any
case, being involved in group activities
and encouraging your students to help
each other learn will be essential. This
also means you should include activi-
ties in class or out of it where students
will need their partner for successful
completion of the assignment. Dont
shy away from giving grades to group
work. This may be just the motivation
some of your students need to really fo-
cus on the task at hand.
4 USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM
Learning a language can be
stressful, and in lifes difficult moments
some of our greatest support comes
from our friends. This is particularly true
when a student is studying overseas.
You should encourage your students to
build friendships with their classmates.
You can do this by including team build-
ing activities and get to know you ac-
tivities right from the start. When your
students have a support network right
there in the classroom, they will feel
stronger and more capable of attack-
ing the hurdles that lay before them.
If you have a student or students who
are struggling with relationship building,
try matching them with someone you
think would be good during class ac-
tivities. Stress to your entire class how
important friendships are in the class-
room, and make sure you plan times for
your students to simply have fun with
one another. Sometimes this might tie
into an English lesson (e.g. performing
a skit or playing word games). Other
times, though, its okay to put the cur-
riculum on the back burner and just let
your students enjoy being together.
5 MAKE THINGS PRACTICAL
If you have gotten this far in your
classroom motivation, you are doing
great. Your students have what they
need, they are engaged in learning
and they are supporting one another.
What else could a teacher want? The
final key to motivating your students is
to take a moment and look at the long
term goals of their English education.
What is it that your students want to do
with English? Will they be attending an
American university? Will they use Eng-
lish in the workplace? Take time to talk
with your students about their goals,
and then show them how the language
that they know (and that they will learn)
has practical application to their futures.
No one wants to do busywork just for
the sake of doing it. When you make
your instruction practical and show your
students how their success will help
them long term, they will see the bigger
picture and take their studies serious-
ly. When they see their present efforts
paying off in the future, they will work
hard in their English education.
Sure-fire Ways to Help Teens
and Adults Overcome Shyness
Maria sits in the ESL classroom
and understands most of what
her teacher and classmates say.
In fact, she knows most of the an-
swers to her teachers questions.
But she never raises her hand. Just
the thought of speaking out loud in
front the class fills her with anxiety
and fear.
Maria sounds just like some of the teen
and adult students you may have had
over the years, if you are an experi-
enced teacher. But even the most sea-
soned teachers may have a hard time
drawing out shy students and getting
them to do what they signed up to do:
SPEAK English.
Whether its just first day jitters, occa-
sional shyness, or more of a chronic
problem, here are some ways in which
you can help your shy students over-
come their fear of speaking in class:
HELP YOUR STUDENTS
OVERCOME THE FEAR
OF SPEAKING
1
STRUCTURED SPEAKING
TASKS WITH DIRECTIONS
Some students are not exactly shy by
nature but simply have no idea what to
say or where to start. While their class-
mates use trial and error, they prefer to
stay quiet and not risk embarrassment.
One great way to help them overcome
this fear of embarrassment is to pro-
vide speaking tasks with a structure
and defined guidelines. When assign-
ing role plays, for example:
1. Dont leave the roles wide open:
Student A is checking in at a hotel.
Student B is the hotel desk clerk.
Some students may not know how
to begin or what exactly is expect-
ed of them.
2. Do provide clear guidelines: Stu-
dent A is checking in at a hotel.
You have reserved a double room
for 7 nights and you specifically
requested a room with an ocean
view. Student B is the hotel desk
clerk. You cant find a reservation
under Student As name. You give
your guest another room, but one
that has no external view
The more specific your instructions
are, the easier it will be for shy stu-
dents to participate, as they will have
the structure they need to feel more
confident.
2
USE THEIR INTERESTS
TO DRAW THEM OUT
It happens again and again. You have
a shy teen in class, but as soon as
you mention their favorite book series,
like the Harry Potter or Twilight books
or movies, or popular TV shows, pop
stars, anything that teens are really
into these days, their eyes light up.
You see they want to participate in the
discussion, and its hard at first, but
then they open up. Why? Because
its a topic they are passionate about.
The same happens with adults. Adult
learners are often self-conscious and
insecure about their speaking skills
or pronunciation. But as soon as you
ask them to talk about something they
are passionate or feel confident about,
theres no holding them back.
Some topics that usually spark more
enthusiasm in students are:
Trips, exotic destinations, travel expe-
riences, etc.
Hobbies
Music
Books
Sports
Special skills or abilities (flying planes,
painting, sculpting, playing a musical
instrument, etc.)
3 BE SILLY AND HAVE FUN!
If the entire class is doing some-
thing silly, shy students have no rea-
son to be self-conscious. Some great
ways to introduce silliness into the
ESL classroom (and practice English
speaking skills at the same time) is
with tongue twisters. These work great
with adults, too! Pick a tongue twister
based on a consonant or vowel sound
you want to practice. Then you say it
as fast as you can. Students will see
that youre being silly and dont care
what they think. Students will follow
suit, even shy ones.
4
NEVER, EVER, ACKNOWL-
EDGE THEIR SHYNESS
You know theyre shy. They know it.
Their classmates certainly notice it. But
never, under any circumstances ac-
knowledge their shyness, or that they
are different in any way. Every student
in your class is there for a reason, and
this reason is to learn English. Period.
If you set shy students apart in some
way, youll be doing them a disservice.
They wont accomplish their language
learning goals. Create a friendly, open
environment, one in which a shy stu-
dent feels that its ok to make mistakes,
that its all right if you dont have the
perfect pronunciation. The important
thing is to simply speak.
SO, IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO ONE
THING. SELF-CONFIDENCE.
Which is something shy students often
lack. Allow them to talk about things
they know a great deal about and dont
put them on the spot by making them
talk about something they know noth-
ing about. Give them speaking tasks
with guidelines they can follow. But
above all, give them an environment
where they can express themselves
freely, with no pressure.
7
Teacher Centered Classroom -->
Student Centered Classroom
IN THE PAST, CLASSROOMS WERE
OFTEN ALL ABOUT THE TEACHER. THIS
SAGE ON THE STAGE WAS THERE TO
OFFER WHAT HE OR SHE KNEW, AND
IT WAS UP TO THE STUDENT TO MAKE
THE MOST OF IT.
These days, though, we know that stu-
dent centered classrooms make a better
and more effective learning environment
for students. Sometimes knowing just
how to change the focus from the teach-
er to the student is, well, hard. Its easy to
stand up front and talk for an hour but not
as easy to create an environment where
your students take the center stage.
Whether you are just moving to a student
centered classroom or are a pro at step-
ping back and letting your students take
the stage, here are some tips for making
the shift and staying there.
ISNT IT TIME
TO MOVE FROM
A TEACHER CENTERED
CLASSROOM TO A
STUDENT CENTERED
CLASSROOM?
1 KNOWLEDGE
In a teacher centered classroom,
the goal is for the teacher to transfer
his or her knowledge to the student. As
a teacher, I have something important
that my students should know, and I am
going to give them that information. And
although it is true that the teacher pos-
sesses more knowledge on his subject
than his or her students, this outlook on
learning is more about the teacher than
the student. Student centered class-
rooms focus on the students desire and
ability to acquire knowledge. I want to
know something, and my teacher is here
to help me figure or find it out. Ask your
students what they want to know when
possible, and let them play a part in de-
termining what you learn in class.
2 FOCUS
It may seem obvious, but a teacher
centered classroom is focused on the
teacher. He or she stands at the front
of the room, and all eyes are on him. A
student centered classroom focuses on
the student. Teachers move around the
classroom and check in with students
8
progress and productivity. Students do
more of the talking, and class is de-
signed to meet their needs rather than
the material the teacher hopes to cover.
Make a point of avoiding traditional lec-
tures. Make sure your students do more
talking than you do each day, and let
your students know that you are there as
a resource for them.
3 STRUCTURE
Classrooms need some type of
structure, but a teacher centered class-
room puts more value on the plan than
it does on the participants. There is an
agenda or curriculum, and the mate-
rial must be covered. Student centered
classrooms, on the other hand, are more
fluid and flexible. Sometimes the best
lesson for the day is the unplanned les-
son but the one that meets the needs
of the students. Be flexible in what you
cover in class. Take advantage of bunny
trails and teachable moments. They may
be the best lessons you cover all year!
4 OBJECTIVES
Those who look will see the sub-
tle difference between the objectives of
the teacher centered and the student
centered classrooms. The former focus
on teaching objectives. We must cover
the material set out in the plans and do
it in such a way to meet the teaching
objectives. The latter classroom, how-
ever, focuses on the learning outcomes
of the students. What will it take for the
members of the class to learn particular
points? That is what determines what is
covered in class and how it is covered.
Think about what you want your students
to learn (or what they have said they
want to learn) and then design a path to
get them to that knowledge.
5 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
In the teacher centered classroom,
the teachers goal is to provide answers
to his or her students. Again, it is a mat-
ter of the teacher having knowledge that
he or she wants to impart to his students.
The student centered classroom, how-
ever, focuses more on students asking
questions. When students ask questions,
they engage with the material and have a
personal investment in the answers that
are coming. Students and their interests
influence what material their classes
contain. Encourage your students to ask
questions. Pay attention to the questions
they ask. Make sure you are meeting the
needs of your students and not just the
requirements of your curriculum.
6 GUIDANCE
Follow the leader might be an accu-
rate description of the teacher centered
classroom. I have material I am going to
cover, and I want you to track with me.
When a classroom is student centered,
however, the teacher is more of a guide
than a leader. The teacher points out
important points on the students educa-
tional journey. They help students move
in the right direction as they explore and
motivate their own learning. Give your
students a chance to discover knowl-
edge or figure things out on their own. It
may take longer to get to the final goal,
but your students will gain more along
the journey.
7 ACTIVITY
In the teacher centered classroom,
students are passive. They are there to
take in what the teacher presents. They
are a sponge. In the student centered
classroom, on the other hand, students
are actively engaged in class. They influ-
ence so much of what happens in class,
and they are actively participating. They
are not a sponge taking in knowledge but
an archaeologist digging for treasures of
knowledge. Encourage your students
inquisitiveness and curiosity. Show them
you value their questions and their input,
and make sure they know that you are
there as a resource for them.
SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE
TEACHER CENTERED CLASSROOM AND
THE STUDENT CENTERED CLASSROOM
ARE SUBTLE. OTHERS ARE BLARINGLY
AT ODDS.
Some teachers may have a difficult time
walking the narrow line between the two
if they have pressure from administra-
tion but still want to meet the needs of
their students. Ultimately, only you can
decide what the best way to run your
classroom is, but the more we can focus
on students and their needs the better
language learners they will become.
7 Things Your Quiet ESL Students
Are Not Telling You
ISNT IT GREAT WHEN WE HAVE ESL
STUDENTS WHO ARE VERY VOCAL
teams. But they shouldnt have to do coursebook. But they might not tell
everything on their own, either. you that. They are not interested in
some fictional characters conversa-

ABOUT THEIR NEEDS?
They arrive to their first day of class,
tell you all about their English-learning
background and describe what they
hope to accomplish. When they dont
understand, they tell you. If youre go-
3
PLEASE DONT PUT ME
ON THE SPOT.
Some students love being in the spot-
light, the center of attention. Others
would prefer to blend into the wallpa-
tions with his boss or family. Though
we should use a coursebook in class,
sometimes its best to adjust it and
adapt it to better suit our students in-
terests.

ing too fast, they ask you to slow down.
If only all ESL students were like that...
By contrast, we are sometimes met
with a quiet room full of blank stares.
How do you know whats going on in
their heads if they dont say anything?
If you have students who are too quiet,
per. If you believe a student in particu-
lar is having a hard time with an ex-
ercise or task, or if they cant answer
a question, dont insist in front of the
entire class. Check back with the stu-
dent at the end of class to make sure
he/she understood.
7
I DONT UNDERSTAND
YOUR HANDWRITING.
Students take forever to copy from
the board and whisper amongst them-
selves while they do so. You dont
know that what they are whispering is,
What does question number 2 say?

4
chances are there is something they
are not telling you, which youll need PLEASE, BE PATIENT WITH Some students struggle with your
ME. IM TRYING MY BEST. handwriting, but they wont tell you
to find out fast! that. Instead of guessing, its far easier
to just ask, Is my writing clear? Let me
IMPORTANT THINGS Youve probably seen this happen. A
know if you can read it all. Try switch-
YOUR STUDENTS ARE student says he/she does not under-
ing from cursive to print handwriting.
NOT TELLING YOU: stand something, and you explain.
The student still does not understand, For longer exercises, you might want

1
IM HEARING TOO MANY
NEW WORDS.
Do you give your students long lists
of vocabulary words or do you intro-
duce new vocab in digestible sets of
five to six words? When you give them
instructions, do you use words they
may not understand? Students who
so you re-phrase and try again. The to consider giving them copies it cer-
student still does not understand. Un- tainly saves time.
der no circumstances must we lose
our patience. You try by all means pos-
LETS BEAR IN MIND THAT CUL-
sible to help the student grasp what-
TURAL DIFFERENCES MAY COME
ever it is he or she is having trouble
INTO PLAY. IN SOME CULTURES STU-
grasping, and if they still dont, you set
DENTS ARE TAUGHT TO RESPECT
a moment to talk about it, perhaps af-
THEIR TEACHER, AND THEY DONT
ter class.
WANT TO OFFEND. IN OTHERS, IT IS
NOT ACCUSTOMED FOR STUDENTS

are too shy or dont want to be disre-
spectful may not tell you they did not
understand half of what you said or the
story you read. Make sure you intro-
duce new vocabulary as appropriate,
i.e. before reading a story or giving
instructions for a new task. Check for
comprehension of the new words, and
only then proceed with the task.
5
I NEED SOME TIME TO
THINK BEFORE I ANSWER.
Some people dont like long silences
or pauses, and ESL teachers are no
different. But sometimes students
dont answer questions as quickly as
wed like them to. The question dan-
gles in the air, and if the student takes
TO MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH THEIR
INSTRUCTOR.
Students are also different throughout
the world. Some are naturally talk-
ative, while others are timid and shy.
Whatever the reason for your students
keeping quiet, just make sure its not
due to the ones mentioned above!

2
ITS TOO HARD FOR ME TO
DO THIS ON MY OWN. CAN
I WORK WITH A CLASSMATE?
Some students are overwhelmed by
an exercise or task, and would feel
too long, we either answer it ourselves
or ask another student to do it. Some
students need time to think. Give them
a few extra seconds, and then per-
haps a clue or a nudge to steer them
in the right direction.

6
much more comfortable working with
I DONT CARE ABOUT MR.
another student. Dont underestimate
the value of pair work or team work. SMITH FROM THE BOOK.
Lots of students enjoy it and thrive THIS IS BORING!
in this type of task. Of course, not all
tasks should be completed in pairs or Nine out of ten times when students
are bored, they are bored with the

9
7 Sure-fire Ways to Boost
Student Confidence
QUESTION: ARE YOUR ESL LEARN-
ERS CONFIDENT IN THEIR ENGLISH-
SPEAKING SKILLS?
How can you tell? Confident learners
participate more, speak more, dont
necessarily make fewer mistakes, but
feel confident they can communicate ef-
fectively in English they can say what
they want to say. Confidence is not ex-
actly linked to accuracy: its all about
attitude, which helps students get their
point across, no matter how many times
they stumble or make mistakes.
WHY IS STUDENT CONFIDENCE SO
IMPORTANT?
Its important for students to feel confi-
dent because if they dont, they simply
dont learn as fast or gain the fluency
they need. Students who lack confi-
dence often complain or say things like,
I cant do it... I dont know how to say dent confidence? If you use a context
that... Im going to be in an English-
speaking country, and I cant speak.
If you feel your students confidence
needs a good boost, here are some
ways to turbo charge it.
TRY THESE 7 SURE-
FIRE WAYS TO BOOST
STUDENT CONFIDENCE
1
DONT CORRECT THEM AS
MUCH IN FREE-SPEAKING
ACTIVITIES
Its important to correct students mis-
takes, but what happens if you correct
every other word a student says? When
students make too many mistakes, and
you make it abundantly clear that thats
what theyre doing, their confidence
starts to suffer. Make the necessary
corrections when youre doing targeted
practice, but dont interrupt or correct
as much during performance activities
when its better for students to just let
go of their inhibitions and try to speak.
2
OFFER PRAISE
The other problem with correc-
tions is that sometimes all we do is tell
them what they did wrong and forget
to tell them what they did great. After a
role play activity, praise your students
10
for what they did very well, first: Good
job! You remembered to use all of the
vocabulary and expressions we learned
today! And then refer to what they need
to work on: But you were talking about
what you did last weekend, and you for-
got some of the verbs in past. Why dont
you review those for next class?
Even though you are telling them what
they did wrong, they get a more positive
message by hearing what they did right
first.
3 TEACH IN CONTEXT
We should always try to teach
in context because it gives students a
background to lean on its much hard-
er to learn isolated words or grammar
without the right context to remember
them by. But how does it help boost stu-
the class by saying, Congratulations!
students are already familiar with say Now youre ready to check into any ho-
shopping you will allow them to work
with a situation they are able to handle.
Youll just be using a different language
to talk about it.
4 GIVE THEM CHANCES
TO SUCCEED
In an ESL class, students are at a dis-
advantage they dont understand,
they cant speak like you do. Which is
why its important to sometimes take
the focus away from their weakness
(their poor language skills) and place it
on their strengths. I do this all the time
with Business English students. Say we
need to talk about marketing. I tell them,
Im an English teacher. I know nothing
about marketing, so youll have to ex-
plain it to me. This is an incredible con-
fidence boost. They know something
you dont, and chances are theyll do a
great job explaining it to you.
Teenagers or young learners can talk
about places youve never been or
things youve never done. Those who
have special talents or skills can teach
their classmates.
5
USE VISUALS
Visuals like flashcards, post-
ers or graphic organizers also provide
something students can lean on so that
theyre not left hanging in mid air. If a
student needs to tell a story to the class,
theyll feel a lot more confident if they
have pictures they can follow along. If
a students needs to present a business
topic, theyll feel more confident if they
have a graphic to lean on.
6
MAKE ALL LEARNING
GOAL-ORIENTED
I cant emphasize enough the impor-
tance of goal-oriented learning. If you
set clear goals with your class, at the
start of the school year and even at the
start of each class, theyll have a bet-
ter sense of what theyve accomplished.
Say you start the class by telling stu-
dents that today they will learn how to
check in and check out of a hotel. Finish
tel! Theyll be amazed at how much
theyve learned.
7
INSTILL HABITS AND USE
REPETITION FROM DAY 1
Getting your students to feel confident
they can speak English right from the
start is not as difficult as you may think.
Teach them essential phrases they will
have to use again and again (May I go
the bathroom?.. Could you please re-
peat that/speak more slowly?.. Have
a nice weekend!). If they constantly
repeat these phrases they will soon
enough become like second nature
they wont have to hesitate at all. Create
habits by having them ask or say similar
things every day/week (How was your
weekend?- Fine, and yours?) and keep
adding to the mix to give them a wider
range of expressions.
CONFIDENT STUDENTS ARE HAPPY
STUDENTS.
Confident students feel they can ac-
complish what they set out to do in their
ESL class and beyond, when they have
to use their language skills in the real
world. What more could you want for
them?
4 Simple Steps for Building
Confidence in Your Students
PART OF LEARNING A LANGUAGE IS
MAKING MISTAKES.
Every ESL teacher knows this and
sees their students making mistakes
in their classroom every day. We dont
like it, but we know it is reality. But for
our students, making mistakes can
feel like something far greater, send-
ing the student a message that he
would never want to hear. Students
can get discouraged or frustrated
when they make mistakes, and this
can affect how they feel about them-
selves and their language learning
abilities. Students who lack confi-
dence are less likely to use the lan-
guage that they do know, and their
language learning could potentially be
snuffed. Thats why part of our role as
teachers is to encourage our students
and help develop their confidence.
Confidence counteracts the stress
and discouragement that comes from
making mistakes. How does a teach-
er build confidence in her students?
Here are four suggestions.
SEVERAL TIPS TO
HELP STUDENTS
BECOME MORE
CONFIDENT
1
REPETITION OF LESSONS
When I was in graduate school, I
took a class on language syllabus de-
sign. We talked about various types
of syllabi and classroom structures.
One thing I remember vividly from that
class was our discussion on cyclical
syllabi. I had never heard the term be-
fore, and once I understood it I real-
ized I had never had that type of class
before. In a cyclical classroom struc-
ture, the same topics are visited mul-
tiple times, either throughout the year
or over the course of several years.
For example, beginning students may
do a unit on food. When those stu-
dents reach the intermediate level,
they may do another unit on food,
and again when they are in advanced
classes. Though the student is com-
pleting three units on food, each time
the material gets more in depth and
more difficult. The advantage to this
type of structure is that students have
a foundation on the subject each time
it comes up again in class. When stu-
dents have a foundation, they can ab-
sorb new information more easily and
feel confident at their ability to perform
at a higher level than if they had never
studied the material at all.
2
REPETITION
OF ACTIVITIES
In addition to repeating the subject
matter in class, repeating class activi-
ties will help build confidence in your
students. This does not mean giving
your students the same worksheets
for homework on multiple days. Re-
peating activities in class, particularly
group discussions, will give your stu-
dents a chance to learn each time the
work with a different partner and then
apply that knowledge in the next con-
versation. For example, after reading
a short story, have students work in
pairs to discuss how they feel about
the main character and another pos-
sible ending the author could have
written. After about five minutes, have
students change partners and discuss
the same questions. Your students
will be able to apply the knowledge
they gained in the first conversation in
the second. When your students have
been successful with the questions in
their first discussion and can use what
they have learned, they will feel more
confident about speaking and sharing
their ideas.
3
SUMMARIZING
AT THE END OF CLASS
Anyone who has talked to a teenager
after his day at school is sure to know
the answer to, What did you do to-
day? Nothing. With some students,
its just a reluctance to talk about their
days. But for other students, it is hard
to realize and then remember what
they learned in class. Taking a few
minutes at the end of class to sum-
marize what you taught (and what
they learned) can make the difference
in these reluctant students. The few
minutes you take to write down what
your students have accomplished and
the material they have learned will
boost their confidence. They will be
able to agree with you that they did
learn something in class today, and
they will be ready to learn new mate-
rial in the days to come.
4
GOAL SETTING
Okay, Ill admit it. Sometimes
I add items to my to do list just so I
can cross them off. For me, like many
others, having a sense of accomplish-
ment makes me feel good about what
I have done and gives me the push
to keep going. Your students will react
similarly when they reach the goals
they have set. Taking time in class
to help your students establish both
short term and long term goals has
many benefits. Not only do they know
where they are heading in their lan-
guage learning. They also see when
they have reached those goals, and
that makes them believe they can
reach the next goals they have set.
Taking a few minutes to review goals
with your students periodically will
help them see just how much they
have accomplished and push them to
keep working hard.
ITS HARD TO BE MOTIVATED WHEN
YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CANT GET ANY-
THING RIGHT AND YOU ARENT
MAKING ANY PROGRESS.
By giving your students the tools for
success in your classroom and show-
ing them that they have accomplished
things in their language learning, you
will give them the confidence they
need to be productive and successful
students in your classroom and in life.
11
8 Simple Ways to Encourage
Your Students
THEY SAY THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE
TO GET IT RIGHT. THEY MAY PUT SO
MUCH PRESSURE ON THEMSELVES
THAT THEY BECOME PARALYZED
IN THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM. THEY
MAY BE SO FRUSTRATED THEY MAY
BE ON THE VERGE OF QUITTING ALL
TOGETHER.
What is going on with your students?
They need encouragement. It is natural
for any and all ESL students to struggle
in their English studies at one point or
another, and the struggle often has noth-
ing whatsoever to do with test scores.
When a person is trying to learn a for-
eign language, and particularly if they
are studying overseas, immersion in
English can get overwhelming. If left un-
checked, this feeling of frustration can
have damaging effects on your students
psyches as well as their academic per-
formance, but frustration doesnt have to
be the victor. When your students are hit-
ting that discouragement roadblock, you
can help clear the way. With simple acts
of encouragement you will find that your
students go from yuck to yay in no time
at all! Here are some ways you can en-
courage your students today.
HOW TO ENCOURAGE
YOUR STUDENTS:
1 GIVE POSITIVE FEEDBACK
Praising your students is one of the
most effective and easiest ways to lift
their spirits and keep them working hard.
Teachers who excel at praising their stu-
dents do it publically as well as privately,
both verbally and in writing. They send
notes home to parents and have special
events during school to recognize the
achievements of their students.
2
SET REALISTIC EXPECTA-
TIONS AND CELEBRATE
WHEN THEY ARE MET
Your students dont have to be optimists
to set unrealistic goals and expectations
for themselves. No one can become flu-
ent after only one semester studying
English. And when those same students
fail to meet those out of the water goals,
they get discouraged. Sometimes the
best thing for your students is for you to
be a voice of reason. Help them under-
stand what realistic progress looks like,
and work with them to set goals that are
12
challenging but still reachable. When
students meet these goals, take time to
celebrate their achievements.
3
LET YOUR OWN EXCITEMENT
COME THROUGH
Excitement is contagious, and showing
your students that you are happy to be
with them and guide them on their Eng-
lish journey will make a difference in how
they view your class. Be energetic. Be
creative. Have fun, and let your students
see those positive feelings on a daily ba-
sis. When they see how excited you are
to be teaching English to them, they will
be more excited to learn it from you!
4 VARY YOUR TEACHING
METHODS
Little in the classroom is worse than do-
ing the same thing day after day. When
you vary what you do in class, you will
find that your students are more en-
gaged and more excited to participate. In
particular, when you vary your activities
to meet your students different learning
styles, they will not only have fun but will
find your teaching more effective. Try to
include visual activities and oral activi-
ties. Use music and hands on activities
on a regular basis. Give your students a
chance to use their hands and get physi-
cal with what you are teaching. Give
them time to work with others as well as
individually. You will find that when you
meet your students learning styles, they
will be more encouraged about what they
are learning.
5 FACILITATE
DONT DOMINATE
For some of us teachers, it is easy to
dominate the classroom and the con-
versation with our students. Anyone who
teachers has to work well with people
and be comfortable with public speak-
ing, but sometimes we go too far. If you
are talking more than your students are
in class, you should probably think about
stepping back and letting them do more
of the communicating. When students
play a more active role in class and in
their education, they learn faster, better
and with a better attitude. The simple act
of letting them talk more will boost the
spirits of frustrated students.
6
MAKE TOPICS PRACTICAL
Theory is all find and dandy, but
when it has no basis in reality some may
ask what the point is. Whenever you can,
make your English lessons practical.
Use real life English materials and give
your students realistic scenarios. Make
a point of creating opportunities for them
to use the English they are learning with
native speakers. You can include con-
versation partners in class or send your
students out on creative fieldtrips around
your campus. When your students see
that what they are learning is practi-
cal and useful, they will be motivated to
learn more.
7
SHOW STUDENTS
THEIR OWN SUCCESSES
Even if you make goal setting a part of
your classroom activities and review
them periodically, some students may
still need you to point out their success-
es. When you see students making im-
provements or hear of the accomplish-
ments they have made, make a point of
noticing. More than that, tell them what
you see, what they have achieved and
that they should be proud. Making posi-
tive observations is more than just prais-
ing your students. It is pointing out when
they achieve things they dont even see
as progress.
8
GET OUT OF THE BOOK
Text books are great, and getting
out of them every once in a while is even
greater. Keep your students encour-
aged to use the English they are learn-
ing by giving them credit for things they
do outside the classroom. Build it into
your grading scale or give extra credit for
real life language usage. Ask students
to share when they strike up a conver-
sation with a stranger, successfully give
directions to a cab driver, read and fill
out applications written in English as well
as any of a number of other activities. If
you like, make these type of real life lan-
guage use assignments for class, and
your students are sure to get a lift when
they accomplish them.
THE BEST TEACHERS DO MORE THAN
TEACH. They encourage their students
and act as cheerleaders for them along
the language learning highway. Every ESL
student needs a pick me up every once in
a while, and when you make it a habit to
encourage your students, they will have
just what they need from you just when
they need it.
4 Practical Tips for Encouraging
a Quiet Class to Speak
HAVE YOU EVER ASKED A QUES-
TION OF YOUR ESL CLASS ONLY TO
BE REWARDED WITH UNWAVERING
STARES AND THE SOUND OF CRICK-
ETS IN THE BACKGROUND? I KNOW
I HAVE, AND FOR TEACHERS IT CAN
BE VERY FRUSTRATING WHEN STU-
DENTS JUST DONT RESPOND.
Of course there are times when no
one knows the answer to a question
you or I pose, but other times stu-
dents understand the question, know
the answer, can produce the answer
and still stay silent. What is a teacher
to do when her class just isnt in the
mood to speak? Here are some tips
you can use today to get your quiet
class speaking up.
HOW TO ENCOURAGE
A QUIET CLASS TO
SPEAK
1 LAY DOWN THE RULES
Sometimes students have differ-
ent expectations for class participa-
tion than you do. In some cultures it
is inappropriate for students to speak
up in class, even in language classes.
To combat this cultural clash, take a
few moments to explain the rules for
speaking in class to your students.
Give your students a short paragraph
that explains your expectations for
their participation. Your paragraph
should state that in English speak-
ing countries and English classes,
students should speak during class.
Answering the teachers questions is
good, and its also good to interrupt
with questions they have during les-
sons. Make sure your students know
that talking in class shows they are
interested and paying attention and it
is not a sign of disrespect. Once you
give your class the paragraph with the
rules, put your students in groups to
read the paragraph, talk about any dif-
ficult words and share their own expe-
riences and expectations about talk-
ing in class. Come together as a class
and talk about any surprises students
may have found in their group discus-
sion.
2 BE PERSONAL
When you have reluctant speak-
ers in your class, throwing a question
out to the group as a whole may get
you nothing more than blank stares.
No one may feel the need or the con-
fidence to speak up. But by looking
at or addressing specific students
or groups of students when you ask
your questions, they are more likely to
give you an answer. This isnt to say
you should put your class members
on the spot. Pressuring individuals to
answer when they are not ready will
only increase their stress and make
them even more quiet. When you ask
questions, though, make eye contact
and wait for a student to speak be-
fore moving on to another person and
making eye contact with them. Taking
just one minute to stop talking and
wait for an answer can make a big dif-
ference in how often and how willingly
your students respond to questions!
3
KEEP IT SPECIFIC
Do you understand? How
many times have I caught myself us-
ing this question in class? And even
though my intention in asking is to
make sure my class is tracking with
me, this type of general comprehen-
sion check often does less than noth-
ing toward helping students. This is
true for two big reasons. First, if your
students do not understand what you
are saying, it may be just as wrong
to assume they understand your
question checking their comprehen-
sion. Secondly, students who do not
understand are not always willing to
admit their confusion in front of the
entire class. Shyness or shame can
keep their mouths closed even when
speaking up would be a help to them.
Combat this reluctance by being more
intentional in your comprehension
checks. Rather than asking general
comprehension questions, help your
class by asking specific questions
about the material you have covered.
With specific questions come specific
answers, and these answers will give
you a better read on how much your
students really understand.
4
CREATE FEEDBACK
Positive reinforcement is one of
the most effective means for encour-
aging your students to speak in class.
When students offer answers to your
questions, show them that you value
and appreciate their participation.
Praise your students when they speak
and let them know that the best stu-
dents participate in class. If you can,
make class participation part of their
grades, and make sure they know it
counts. Give your students periodic
updates on how their participation
meets your expectations, and always
be positive in your attempts to get
your students to speak in class.
IF YOU FIND YOURSELF IN FRONT OF
A QUIET ESL CLASS, JUST REMEM-
BER THIS. YOU JOB IS TO TEACH
THEM LANGUAGE, BUT IT IS ALSO TO
TEACH THEM CULTURE, AND THAT
INCLUDES SPEAKING UP IN CLASS.
Make a point of teaching your stu-
dents how to participate in English
class successfully. Be patient with
your quiet students, but dont settle
for a quiet class for long. If you en-
courage your students, give specific
opportunities for them to respond and
let them know its more than okay to
talk, you will see these same students
start to open up and speak up in class
more each day.
13
 How to Encourage
Student Participation
ENCOURAGING STUDENT PARTICI-
PATION CAN BE DIFFICULT.
gaged and provide them with plenty of ter and that additional points could be
practice. considered extra credit. If a student
has a little card to collect these stick-

Students who generally perform well
will be more willing to volunteer and
more confident when completing exer-
cises whereas students who struggle
in the classroom will be more reluc-
tant to do these things. As a teacher
there are many ways you can encour-
age all your students to participate in
activities.
HOW TO ENCOURAGE
STUDENT
PARTICIPATION
3
MOTIVATION MATTERS!
In group activities making
groups or teams and having races
often gets students motivated. Com-
petition will drive students to not only
be the best performing group but
also work hard to not let down their
teammates. These activities should
still be conducted in an encouraging
and friendly environment so as to not
cause your students lots of stress. It is
important to have students take turns
when working in groups so that all
ers or stamps, it will serve as a visual
reminder throughout the term of how
well they are doing in reaching the
target number and will make calcu-
lating a students overall participation
much easier for you as well. Towards
the end of the term it is a good idea to
have a lesson where students place
their cards on their desks so that you
can give students who have not ac-
tively participated much throughout
the semester special opportunities
to raise their score somewhat as op-
posed to giving very active students

1 CLASSROOM
ENVIRONMENT
students are required to participate.
While working as a group to answer
a question is great, there should be a
too many extra credit points.

Ensuring that you maintain a con-
structive classroom environment will
help immensely. It is important that
students not feel like they will be
laughed at or given negative feed-
back. Try to provide students with
positive criticism as opposed to rein-
forcing the fact that they have made a
mistake or performed poorly. Making
mistakes is simply part of the learning
process and students that make mis-
takes will give you a good idea of what
you need to focus on because there
are probably other students in your
class that have the same questions or
misunderstandings.
2 ACTIVITIES FOR ALL
TYPES OF LEARNERS
Planning exercises that appeal to dif-
ferent types of learners is an essen-
tial part of getting all your students
to participate. Perhaps some stu-
dents who perform well on tests are
quite shy while students who perform
poorly on tests are natural performers
and enjoy role play activities. Giving
a range of activities that target visual,
auditory, and kinesthetic learners will
increase student participation. The
more variety there is in your lessons,
the more your students will gain from
them. Having a combination of work-
sheets, role-plays, games, listening
exercises, etc. will keep students en-
set order that determines which stu- STUDENTS NEED TO PRACTICE
dent presents the answer to the class SPEAKING ENGLISH TO IMPROVE
at any given point in the activity. By SO IT IS IN THEIR BEST INTEREST
having students form groups in a vari- TO PARTICIPATE FULLY DURING
ety of ways, you can ensure that stu- THEIR LESSONS. YOU CAN PLAN
dents are placed in different groups LESSONS ACCORDINGLY AND START
throughout the course and thus no INCENTIVE PROGRAMS IN ORDER
serious rivalry can take root between TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO TRY
groups of students. Sometimes sim- THEIR BEST AND SPEAK MORE
ply the satisfaction of winning is not OFTEN IN CLASS.
enough to motive students and then
just as you would for motivating stu-
dents at the individual level, prizes or
points may help.
4 INDIVIDUAL
LEVEL INCENTIVES
At the individual level incentives such
as points or, if acceptable on occa-
sion, some sort of prize may lead stu-
dents to participate more fully in ac-
tivities. Participation should always be
kept in mind when grading students
however besides reminding students
that they are graded on participation,
it can be challenging for both you and
them to keep a record of it. A points
system where students acquire stick-
ers or stamps throughout the semes-
ter by volunteering to answer ques-
tions or doing exceptional work in
class would be a good idea. Simply
tell students that they need maybe ten
points to get one hundred percent for
their participation grade in a semes-

14
The Toughest Class: 9 Tips for
Engaging Middle School Students
TEACHING LITTLE KIDS CAN BE FUN.
THEY HAVE ENERGY AND A FASCINA-
TION WITH THE WORLD THAT ONLY
ing simple directions to simply discuss,
but you will find that middle schoolers
have opinions and they appreciate a
chance to share them.
7 CELEBRATE SUCCESS
Everyone wants to feel as though
he is successful at his work, and mid-
COMES FROM THE INNOCENCE OF dle school students are no exception.

CHILDHOOD. ADULT STUDENTS, ON
THE OTHER HAND, HAVE A HIGHER
COGNITIVE ABILITY AND CAN UNDER-
STAND COMPLEX CONCEPTS EVEN
IF THEIR ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS
ARE AT A BEGINNING LEVEL.
3
BE CREATIVE
Even though kids in the middle
school age range are trying to mature
out of their childhoods, being a kid is
still a large portion of who they are,
Celebrating the small victories and
accomplishments of your students
will help them feel motivated and will
inspire them to deepen their linguistic
educations.

Nonetheless, what does a teacher
do when her students are too young
to think like adults but are trying their
hardest to escape childhood? This is
the question that faces every middle
and encouraging creative expression
through artistic elements will add an
element of fun to your classroom they
are sure to appreciate.
8
ENCOURAGE CURIOSITY
Middle school students are like
children in that they are learning how
the world works. Encourage your stu-

school teacher. The awkward age that
ranges from around 11 until 15 is a
challenge for even the best of teach-
ers, but there is hope. Here are some
teacher-tested tips for the middle
school teachers out there that will help
you work with your students strengths
and minimize their struggles.
HOW TO ENGAGE
MIDDLE SCHOOL
STUDENTS
4
BE CONCRETE
Preteens experience a lot of brain
development, but in middle school most
students think in very concrete terms.
They often cannot understand intan-
gible concepts, so the more concrete
examples you give during your instruc-
tion, the more effective your teaching
will be. If you are trying to teach some-
thing abstract, try to explain it in as
concrete terms as you can to help your
students understand, and give lots of
dents to satisfy their curiosity about
language as they learn. Allowing your
students to ask any questions, and not
berating them for it, will help your stu-
dents get excited about learning. Then
use this excitement to show them that
they can be successful language learn-
ers.
9 GIVE AND TAKE RESPECT
The more you give your students
respect, the more likely they are to re-

1 GET PHYSICAL
Kids at that difficult middle school
chances for students to put theoretical
knowledge to practical use.
turn the gesture. Avoid talking down to
middle school students, listen when
you ask their opinions and talk to them

age are often brimming with energy,
even in inappropriate moments. To har-
ness that energy in a constructive way,
try using physical games that include a
language element. The physical exer-
tion will tame the middle schoolers en-
ergy enough so they can sit and listen
and the language tie in will ensure you
dont feel like you are wasting valuable
classroom time. Try games like Simon
5
USE OBJECT LESSONS
Object lessons can be an effec-
tive way to make an abstract lesson
more concrete. Think of ways you can
teach a concept through an object les-
son, and check online for successful
object lessons other teachers have
used.
like they deserve respect, and you will
find your students are more responsive
and engaged in class.
EXPERIENCED TEACHERS KNOW
THAT IT TAKES A SPECIAL PERSON
TO WORK WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL
STUDENTS.
By planning lessons to meet the needs

6
Says, which require your students to BE FLEXIBLE of your middle school students and
listen for directions before they move. being flexible with your time and ac-
Not every traditional or even suc- tivities, you will be proud of what great

2 ENCOURAGE TALKING
Talking can be a high priority for
cessful lesson plan will work well with
middle school students. Be flexible and
willing to change up even the lessons
students your middle schoolers have
become.

kids in the middle school age group,
especially for girls. Though second
language students may not be as chat-
tery as native speakers, kids will still
benefit from a chance to talk in class.
Make sure your lesson plans always
include questions for discussion. You
may need to give specific questions for
your students to cover rather than giv-
that have worked for you in the past.
Because your middle school students
have different needs than children
or adult students, you should always
be willing to tailor your plans to meet
those needs.

15
4 Most Effective Ways to Reach
Younger Learners
YOUNGER LEARNERS CAN BE BOTH
FUN AND FRUSTRATING DEPENDING
ON THE TIME OF DAY, THE CYCLES OF
THE MOON, AND THE DISTRACTIONS
THAT ALMOST EVERY NEW DAY CAN
BRING.
Students have a lot on their plate these
days from pressures at school to ex-
tracurricular activities to hormones and
social awkwardness. Follow these tips
and you will find yourself in the hip and
cool category with your teen and tween
learners.
TRY THESE 4 MOST
EFFECTIVE WAYS TO
REACH YOUNGER
LEARNERS
1
USE TECHNOLOGY
Its inevitable. No matter what
country you are teaching in, teens
primary distraction is technology and
social networking. From Facebook to
Angry Birds to texting to online gaming,
we teachers are up against a lot of out-
side factors. The best way to get your
younger learners to turn off cell phones
and tune in to your lessons is to provide
what they want. Dont fight it. Students
crave new and distinctive ways to study
and practice language. If it can incorpo-
rate some cool graphics, provide some
involved simulations and allows for in-
dependently-paced activities, your stu-
dents will be mesmerized. There are so
many websites out there dedicated to
enhancing English proficiency, you re-
ally have your choice of online games,
quizzes, and collaborative activities!
You can utilize these by presenting them
in front of the class and incorporating
them into a classroom activity. Depend-
ing on where you are, many students
have computers at home and believe
me, if they are introduced to something
on the internet that sparks their inter-
est, they will play with it at home. If you
are lucky enough to have a computer
lab at your disposal, by all means use
it! There are suitable collaborative ac-
tivities that are specifically designed to
engage teens and tweens that might in-
volve things like solving puzzles, com-
peting, and trial and error. The graphics
and topics are often what pulls them in,
16
and the challenge of completing levels
can keep them hooked. The best part is
often the programs focus on develop-
ing two to three skills at a time. Be an
innovator for your students, and they
will not only be much more receptive,
their language skills will increase. You
can find free sites focused on vocabu-
lary, listening activities, critical thinking,
pronunciation, just to name a few.
2
HUMOR WORKS WONDERS
Like I said earlier, teens and
tweens tend to be under a lot of pres-
sure and they are going through a lot.
You want your classroom to be a place
where they dont feel those same pres-
sures. It is important to have firm guide-
lines and meaningful expectations with
younger learners, but it is also really
important to have a good rapport with
them. One way to do this is to make
learning fun, entertaining, and even
at times, goofy and silly. Asian stu-
dents can be notoriously serious and
focused, but that doesnt mean that
they dont have a funny bone. If you
can incorporate activities that stress
fun and competition without too much
forced language practice, you will have
found one key to success. Also, if there
are particularly dry topics that youll be
covering, find ways to have fun with it.
Instead of going through dry drill for
an upcoming test, create a Jeopardy
game complete with teams and score-
cards. You could even dress up if your
students know who Alex Trebeck is.
If you can be natural with teens and
tweens, and show them your sense of
humor and sarcasm, you will gain their
trust. You may even get them to loosen
up and stop being so cool all the time!
3
RELATE TOPICS TO THEM
One mistake a lot of teachers
make is forgetting about student rel-
evance. Language learning is flexible
in that you can incorporate almost any
topical lesson that you want. Focus on
what the teens and tweens are inter-
ested in and engaged by. You can gain
a lot of interest if you are discussing
things that are relevant to your learn-
ers. If you are overseas you can let
them educate you. Find out who the
popular singers are and do some trans-
lations with their songs. If you have a
class that is obsessed with the World
Cup, incorporate it into your lessons.
Have them make presentations on top-
ics that interest them like their hobbies,
favorite musicians or movies, and give
them a venue to share their knowledge.
Teens love showing off what they know,
and they will give you ideas on how to
do this if you just listen to them. Be cul-
turally aware and dont just bring your
culture to them, let them share what is
important to them.
4 ALTER YOUR ACTIVITIES
Teens and tweens definitely need
a lot of variety in lessons, and differing
their practice will help increase their
language retention rate. Lessons that
are focused on hands-on and interac-
tive activities without being overbear-
ing or intimidating work best for this
age group. Its important to give them
the opportunity to put into practice what
they are learning and to incorporate dif-
ferent types of activities in one lesson.
Varying what the students are doing on
any given day can lead to more fluid
lesson. Integrate games, presenta-
tions, question rounds, and any other
form of interactive activity on a daily
basis. Getting them out of their chairs,
allowing an acceptable amount of noise
(within reason) and providing structure
within a fun atmosphere all work won-
ders for younger learners!
TEACHING YOUNGER LEARNERS LIKE
TEENS AND TWEENS DOESNT HAVE
TO BE STRESSFUL OR FRUSTRATING.
You can make a big difference in the
amount students will learn and retain if
you apply these strategies. Dont forget
to come to your younger learners with
an open mind, patience, and a support-
ive attitude!
Turning Your Students
on to Discussion
You have a class of talkers: they sit in
small groups and will chat about any-
thing and frequently about nothing, their
speech filled with like and you know,
devoid of any apparent meaning. But
give them a legitimate course-related
topic to discuss, such as the national
election, and they clam up.
When asked why, they claim either they
dont want to talk about it or they dont
know what to sayand they probably
are telling the truth in that, not just avoid-
ing the task. So how do you address this,
your class who has nothing to say or a
way to say it?
BEGIN BY EXAMINING
THE TWO CLAIMS:
1 STUDENTS DONT WANT TO
TALK ABOUT IT
Why would students not want to talk
about the assigned topic when they
spend all day, it seems, talking to their
peers anyway? It may simply be because
it is an assigned topic, and as such it
takes away student motivation to begin
with. Or the topic itself might be too dif-
ficult, too boring, or too abstract for the
students to address. All these factors can
and should be addressed in designing
discussion topics.
2 STUDENTS DONT KNOW
WHAT TO SAY
Another problem is students dont know
what to say on the topic. The reasons
for this may be that the students dont
understand the topic, dont have the
knowledge base to discuss the topic
even if they understand it, or dont have
the language to discuss the topicper-
haps a little of all three. For example, I
generally understand the idea of stem
cell research, enough to hold a position
on it, but I really lack the knowledge or
vocabulary base to get into an extended
conversation on the topic without some
prior preparation. It is the same for most
of our students.
METHODS TO ADDRESS
THE RELUCTANT
DISCUSSION
PARTICIPANT
1 SELLING STUDENTS ON
THE IMPORTANCE
OF EXPRESSING ONESELF
Besides the students who are just un-
sure of their ability to discuss ideasand
these include native speakers of Eng-
lishare those students who just dont
see the value of it: they view talk and
discussion as a waste of time or some-
how uncool. Therefore teachers should
demonstrate the value of being articu-
latethat if you present your ideas in
just the right way, you can open doors:
convince others to fund your business,
marry you, be your friend, allow you into
a prestigious college, and so forth. Its re-
ally the articulate people who are actually
cool and get rewards, not the silent and
superficially cool.
2 STUDENT
GENERATED TOPICS
One way to really raise student enthusi-
asm for discussion is to allow students
to generate their own topics, with some
parameters. So if your recent class read-
ing has been on the topic of the ethics of
scientific research, for example, let stu-
dents design their own discussion ques-
tions on the topic: for example, the ethics
of spending resources on space explora-
tion when there are so many immediate
problems to address on this planet might
be a question that comes up. Teachers
may offer guidance in design of the ques-
tions, but generally students are happy to
design their own.
3 STUDENT GENERATED
GROUPS
One main reason that students dont want
to work in groups is that they get stuck
working with people they dont like or get
along with. True, a good argument here
is that part of adult life is learning to work
with people we dont particularly like.
However, student enthusiasm for discus-
sion is raised by occasionally allowing
students some input into choosing their
groupsonce a week, for example. And
if theyre trained to choose groups quickly
and respectfully, then a lot of the difficulty
in the logistics of groups is reduced. Fi-
nally a lot of the poor dynamics that can
sometimes develop with groups is elimi-
nated because students have chosen the
peers they want to work with.
4 TOOLS FOR DISCUSSION:
ADVANCING AN OPINION,
LISTENING TO OTHERS, POLITELY
DISAGREEING
Another reason students dont like dis-
cussion is they dont have the tools for it:
they dont know how to advance an opin-
ion, for example, so they never really get
a chance to speak, or they experience
rudeness such as other students not
listening or disagreeing in a belligerent
manner. If students are taught in advance
some of the skills of active listening, how
to politely break into a conversation and
give an opinion as well as how to dis-
agree with anothers viewpoint and still
remain courteous, then a lot of the anxi-
ety of group discussion is removed.
5 PREPARATION
FOR ACADEMIC DISCUSSION
Once students have some mastery in
discussing the topics they have gener-
ated, its time to move on to academic
discussion, a little different in the topics
are not student generated, at least at
the beginning, and they are not on ev-
eryday topics, such as how to manage
a busy schedule and get enough sleep,
but rather about academic topics such as
capital punishment, stem cell research,
gun control, and the like. These topics
require a certain knowledge base as well
as specific vocabulary. Therefore some
preparation is needed beforehand, such
as lecture and reading, before students
will be able to discuss the topic. As their
knowledge of the topic grows and they
develop an opinion on it, students be-
come more enthused about discussing it.
As the semester progresses, students
become more aware of other issues to
discuss and will suggest these topics to
their groups.
MOTIVATING STUDENTS TO HAVE A
REASONABLY INTELLIGENT DISCUS-
SION, ESPECIALLY IN OUR ERA OF
LIKE AND YOU KNOW, CAN BE DIF-
FICULT. However, through strategies such
as studentgenerated topics and groups
and teaching students the tools of aca-
demic discussion, teachers can turn our
cool silent types into articulate speakers.
17
8 Tips to Encourage Participation
During Group Discussions
GETTING ESL STUDENTS TO PARTIC-
IPATE DURING GROUP DISCUSSIONS
CAN BE ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT
THINGS AN ENGLISH TEACHER HAS TO
DO.
For some students, nothing will give
them the push they need to share in a
group. For most others, though, small
changes in your leadership style and
your expectations can be just what they
need to open up and contribute to the
conversation. Here are just a few ideas
to help you get those silent students
starting to share in your next group dis-
cussion.
HOW TO ENCOURAGE
STUDENT
PARTICIPATION
1 Sometimes during discussions,
students may not understand what type
of answer you are looking for. A sim-
ple way to encourage these students
to speak is by giving a model answer.
Answer your own question and show
your students what type of answer they
should give you. This gives them a gram-
matical structure on which to base their
own ideas and removes some of the in-
timidation that they might otherwise feel.
2 Make sure you are not falling vic-
tim to a common mistake among teach-
ers, especially inexperienced ones. Do
not be afraid of silence. The next time
you lead a class discussion and no one
seems to have an answer to the ques-
tion, time yourself and wait a full sixty
seconds before breaking the silence.
Sometimes an uncomfortable silence will
be just what a hesitant student needs to
speak up. For other students, that small
amount of time can be enough for them
to gather their thoughts and formulate
what they would like to say before they
open their mouths. If the teacher is fill-
ing in all the conversation spaces, your
students are not likely to interrupt and
it may appear that they do not want to
participate in the discussion.
3 Be careful what and how much
you are correcting. If you are correcting
18
pronunciation and grammar and content
all at the same time, it is not surprising
that your students may feel too intimi-
dated to open up! Focus your correc-
tions on one issue so your students feel
as though they can speak without being
overwhelmed with their mistakes. Also,
encourage your students that their opin-
ions are welcome even if they are not
in agreement with yours or their fellow
students.
4
Dont put students on the spot.
Calling on a student who is not ready to
speak will only increase his or her anxi-
ety and will often cause that person to
retreat even further into his or her shell.
By refraining from putting pressure on
unready students, you take away that
fear factor. Though this alone may not
get a quiet student talking, it will help
create an atmosphere conducive to
speaking.
5
Make sure your students know
they have freedom to fail during group
discussions. This does not mean that
you want your students to underperform.
What it does mean is that you are not
going to criticize your students for mak-
ing a mistake. When students know that
there is freedom to be imperfect, the in-
timidation level of group discussion will
decrease and that in turn will free your
not so perfect students to speak.
6
Let your students work togeth-
er. Sometimes intimidation and a fear
of speaking in front of ones peers is
enough to shut down students who
are unsure of their speaking abilities.
For those who might be more willing to
talk when only one person is listening,
designate one speaker for each group
to share with the class and ask the re-
maining students to share with the des-
ignated speaker. Because you eliminate
the fear of sharing in front of the entire
class, your students may be more willing
to participate in their discussion group.
7
Think about how you are grouping
your students together during discus-
sions. If you have some students who
are more talkative than others and who
also have a tendency to dominate a dis-
cussion, put them in a group together.
Put all of your quietest students in a
group of their own as well. By doing this,
you force your more quiet students to
engage in the discussion as no one else
will be steering it for them.
8
Something as simple as where
your students are sitting in a group can
contribute to how much they share dur-
ing discussions as well. If you are lead-
ing, make sure your most talkative stu-
dents are sitting directly to your left and
right if you are in a circle. Likewise, seat
your quietest student directly in front of
you. If you are not leading the discus-
sion, designate a facilitator for each
group and arrange your students seats
in the same manner. The amount of eye
contact that each person receives from
you or the facilitator can have an influ-
ence on how much that person speaks
during the discussion.
THESE IDEAS ARE NOT GOING TO
SOLVE EVERY STUDENTS HESITANCY
TO SHARE IN GROUPS, BUT THEY WILL
GET YOU STARTED MOVING IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION IF YOU HAVE STU-
DENTS WHO STRUGGLE TO PARTICI-
PATE IN DISCUSSIONS.
The first step toward open discussion
is to give your students the model they
need and the time to formulate their own
ideas for sharing. Then by creating an
atmosphere that encourages discussion
and not perfection, your students will be
less intimidated to share in class. Final-
ly, by strategically grouping and seating
your students in their groups, you will
create a physical environment in which
your students will be willing to share. I
hope these tips will help improve partici-
pation in your class discussions and en-
courage your students feel more com-
fortable when they do speak in class.
Ultimately, each persons participation
comes down to him or her, and you can-
not force an unwilling student to partici-
pate in class. Do what you can to make
your class more open to discussion and
then challenge your students to step up
to the plate and use the language they
are trying to hard to acquire!
The 10 Best Ways to Increase
Teenage Student Motivation
Ah, the joys of teaching! Young
learners are so full of energy that
most activities you propose are
met with loads of enthusiasm.
Adult learners are focused on
meeting their language goals and
have a wealth of skills and knowl-
edge to contribute to the class.
However, things are not as simple
with teens. Most are very clever and
insightful kids, but this is not exactly
the most talkative age group. Have
you ever faced a class full of blank
stares where most of the replies
you hear are Yes, No, or It de-
pends? Have you ever felt frustrated
by their lack of interest?
Here are some strategies that should
get your teens a bit more motivated.
HOW TO MOTIVATE
ESL STUDENTS
1
USE AS MANY REFERENC-
ES TO POP CULTURE
AS YOU CAN
Consider your teens interests. Imag-
ine you want to discuss last weeks
events to practice the past simple
tense. Will they be more interested in
what President Obama did last week,
or which outrageous outfit Lady Gaga
wore to an awards show? If youre
not willing to discuss Eminems latest
album, or any of the Twilight books
or films, then you wont connect with
your teen students.
2 GIVE THEM A LITTLE
FRIENDLY COMPETITION
Little kids like to compete, and teens
are no different. Whether they play
sports or games on the Wii, they al-
ways try to out best each other. Why
not introduce some friendly competi-
tion into the ESL classroom? Games
are easy ways to do this, but you can
also have them compete in any activ-
ity.
Give them 60 seconds to write
down as many words as they can
related to a topic, like clothes or
foods.
Tell them that whoever finishes
a written exercise first or has the
most correct answers, gets to
choose a video to watch or a song
to listen to in class.
3
CATER TO THEIR SKILLS
AND EXPLOIT
THEIR TALENTS
Most teens are talented at one thing
or another. Take your time to get to
know them and discover what these
talents are.
Students who are artistically-in-
clined may draw pictures, sketch-
es or cartoons of a story you read
out loud to the class.
Do you have a student who plays
the guitar? Ask him or her to bring
it to class and play a song while
the class sings the lyrics in Eng-
lish.
4
USE PEN PALS
TO MOTIVATE WRITING
If your students are not enthused
about writing assignments, give them
pen pals to write to. At ESL Teachers
Board, or any other message board
for ESL teachers, you can post a re-
quest for pen pals for your students,
and find another teacher with whom
you can trade email addresses. Writ-
ing to pen pals is a great introduction
to what they may have to master later
in life: business emails.
5
MAKE READING
AGE APPROPRIATE
To get students excited about a
reading assignment, make sure you
choose material that will pique their
interest. Naturally, books or stories
about teens are sure to work, but you
can also include celebrity biographies,
anything sports-related, or any topic
that may interest them, but is also up
to their reading level.
6 PLAY SONGS
TO IMPROVE LISTENING
COMPREHENSION
If you play any of the audio that typi-
cally comes with course materials,
your teens will most likely tune out
and not hear a word. The best way to
motivate them to listen is by playing
songs. But you should also choose
songs they like, or can relate to.
A worksheet for Photograph by
Nickelback can provide a great
warm up exercise and a post-lis-
tening activity.
Or, listen to So Sick by Ne-Yo
and ask your students to com-
plete the tasks set forth in the
worksheet.
7 HAVE VIDEO LESSONS
Videos have great potential in
the ESL class. Thanks to recent ad-
vances in technology, we no longer
need to have a TV and DVD player in
the classroom to teach a video lesson.
A laptop will do for a small class, and
a speedy Internet connection is great,
but not entirely necessary, as you can
have video files already downloaded
to your computer. To keep teens fo-
cused on the task, choose short inter-
views, movie trailers, music videos, or
how to videos on YouTube.
8
INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY
INTO THE CLASSROOM
In the previous point, we mention how
easy it is to show videos on a laptop,
but you can integrate technology in so
many other ways. Most teens have
excellent Web surfing skills, so
why not assign them a WebQuest?
A WebQuest is an online, inquiry-
based activity where students are
required to search for specific infor-
mation within links provided by the
teacher, and then produce a report or
a PowerPoint presentation. Here are
some great examples of WebQuests
for teens: http://www.nelliemuller.
19
 com/task2.htm, but you can also de- the Internet, understand their favor-
sign your own to suit your students ite bands songs, or chat with foreign
level. friends. And talking about the things
that interest teens is a great way to

9 PLAY GAMES
ESL games motivate any learn-
establish rapport.

ONCE YOU CONNECT WITH THEM,

er whether they are 5 or 50 years old.
But with teens, its important to choose
YOU WONT FIND ANY MORE BLANK
games that will challenge them, give
STARES. YOULL SEE A ROOM FULL
them the right competitive feel, and
OF EAGER, SMILING FACES!
help them effectively practice an
ESL item. A guessing game or any
type of quiz show game should get
them motivated.

Try this Passive Voice Quiz Game

(http://busyteacher.org/1638-pas-
sives.html), or design your own
with similar categories.

The 6 Clues Guessing Game

(http://busyteacher.org/1953-6-
clues.html) will have your stu-
dents competing to see who
guesses right with the least
amount of clues.

Need another example of a great

game to practice grammar? Down-
load the Wh- Questions Game
at http://busyteacher.org/2752-
grammar-game-wh-questions.
html.

10 USE REALIA
IN THE CLASSROOM
The use of real life objects is also a
great way to motivate students of all
ages. But it is particularly effective
with teens who are already lacking in
enthusiasm.

Giving directions: Choose plac-

es that teens frequently visit like
malls, concert venues, or sports
stadiums. Use anything from real
city maps to brochures of these
locations to practice giving direc-
tions.

Tell me about yourself: Instead

of just telling the class about
themselves, ask your teens to
bring photos, as well as some of
their favorite things, like books,
CDs, a skateboard, or anything
that represents them.

Make sure that at the beginning of the

course you discuss what their learning
goals are. They may not have thought
of this earlier, but they may come to
realize that they need English to surf

20
7 Individual Projects
to Tap into Learner Motivation
Its sad, but by secondary school stu-
dents are often already burned out on
the educational process: they dont see
its value, see it as disconnected from the
real world of their everyday lives and in-
terests, filled with meaningless and trivial
tasks that will not help them in mastering
what they need to maneuver in the world
beyond school. In some cases, they
are largely correct: school has become
a place more about satisfying bureau-
cratic than student need: endless tests
and boxes to check. But does it have
to be this way? Absolutely not. There
are numerous methods to connect the
classroom to the outside world and in the
process awaken passion for the learning
process in students.
HOW TO TAP INTO
LEARNER MOTIVATION
1
BOTTOM-UP CURRICULUM
By tradition and in most cases by
necessity, curriculum is top-down: gener-
ated by administrators who pass it down
to teachers, who also might tinker with it
but have less control that administrators,
and finally down to students, who have
least control of all, despite being most af-
fected by the curriculum. Although teach-
ers and students have little control over
this process, they may, within the con-
fines of the class, reorder it somewhat,
designing the curriculum process to orig-
inate with students and their needs and
interests. This may be done through a
short period of assessing students to find
their level as well as learning about their
needs and interests.
2
STUDENT GENERATED
TOPICS
One place to start in reordering the cur-
riculum is finding out student passions
and let that drive the curriculum. Through
class discussions, interviews, and writ-
ings, find out what students are truly in-
terested in: twentieth century art? Clas-
sic cars? Karate? The topics are bound
to be diverse, of course, but theres also
likely to be a lot of overlap more than
one student will be interested in art or
cars, for example. It is around these top-
ics then a curriculum of discussion, read-
ing, research, and writing can be built.
3 LAY THE GROUND WORK
Often students are discouraged
and have been sent messages, either
overtly or covertly, that their interests
as irrelevant, so they refuse to discuss
them. Therefore, the teacher must spend
some time getting to know her students,
and letting the students get to know
each other, to learn what students are
passionate about. Taking students seri-
ously and asking questions is important:
So youre interested in hip-hop! What
about it excites you? After I spent some
initial time with a student talking about
this particular passion and assuring him
that it was legitimate and appropriate for
school, he went on to form a team of like-
minded students who did some research
on the hip-hop field there is a body of
literature and experts and did a pre-
sentation including some hip-hop music.
4
GIVE STUDENTS DIRECTION
Often students have a particular in-
terest, such as women in the military, but
beyond Googling the term, dont know
where to go with it. The only research
they may know about is the internet or
the library. Pointing out other avenues of
legitimate and helpful research, such as
interviewing a family member or friend in
the military, will give students some di-
rection. In addition, students often think
they wont be taken seriously in their ef-
forts to find out more about their inter-
ests. One young man, hesitant to contact
a leading hip-hop figure, said to me I to-
tally dont expect him to get back to me.
When I reassured him on this, pointing
out that people passionate about a topic
are usually eager to talk about it to oth-
ers also passionate, he went ahead and
contacted the hip-hop leader and was
totally surprised when the gentleman
returned his email and gave him some
important leads. So guide students to
avenues they might take to explore their
passions.
5
CONNECTIONS
TO THE REAL WORLD
Once student interest has been ignited,
it will further catch by making connec-
tions to the real world outside of school.
Students often are alienated from school
for just that reason it seems separate
from and unimportant to their real lives
outside. If teachers can make that con-
nection to the real world by demon-
strating, for example, that what a student
read on pet care in class has direct ap-
plication to working as a veterinarian as-
sistant, then they can begin to see the
value of school.
6 LEARNING COMMUNITY,
STUDENT INTERACTION
Along the way of sharing ideas from their
readings and discussing and writing to-
gether, students will look around and re-
alize that theyve become a community
a learning community. The teacher
is a part of this community and in some
ways equal to the students because she
is another learner in this community, not
possessing all of the knowledge of the
different areas of study that the students
have, in addition to still being a teacher
as all the students are as well of their
areas of interest.
7
STUDENT PROJECTS
When the learning community has
formed, and students have spent some
time reading, writing, and discussing
their topics, students are ready to work
together on projects. Again, as much
students control over the process should
be allowed: students should form groups
based on their interest and decide what
their project will be: if their interest is
cars, for example, their project may be a
design for a car and presentation about
it. They should also assign roles within
their groups: team leader, researcher, re-
porter, resource manager, and so forth.
This is the culmination of the terms study
and usually gives students a deep sense
of control and value for the material in
that they are able to produce something
that would be valued in the real world.
A MAJOR PROBLEM IS THAT STU-
DENTS OFTEN SEE THE EDUCATIONAL
PROCESS AS DIVORCED FROM THEIR
REAL WORLD, THEIR PASSIONS.
However, through some methods such
as student-generated topics and projects,
instructors can help make those connec-
tions to the real world while igniting a
passion for learning.
21
6 Methods to Ignite Enthusiasm
in Your Students
Your class is a quiet class. Your stu-
dents file in at the beginning of a ses-
sion, quietly take their seats, obediently
take notes, and then get up and leave
at the end, also quietly. Sure, sometimes
a student falls asleep, and there is the
occasional flash of hostility between stu-
dents, but thats all okay in the balance,
right, of such a quiet and obedient class?
Well, no, actually this class has a num-
ber of limitations, from the lack of inter-
action (quiet and order arent always
good attributes) to the student boredom
(evidenced in falling asleep). What the
class needs, what would solve many of
its problems, is some student enthusi-
asm for their work, some investment in
it, which would lead almost inevitably to
more interaction and discussion of the
work between students and students
and teacher. This interaction in turn
leads to more motivation and enthusi-
asm to engage in the work, creating a
kind of positive feedback loop, in which
success feeds on success. The problem
is how to start, how to get students fired
up in the first place about their course-
work?
TRY THESE 6
METHODS TO IGNITE
ENTHUSIASM IN YOUR
STUDENTS
1 SHOW YOUR ENTHUSIASM
FOR THE WORK
Of foremost importance is for the instruc-
tor to communicate her own enthusiasm.
This does not necessarily mean, as
many seem to think, jumping around like
a cheerleader and saying Isnt this fun?
Its my experience that such enthusi-
asm often is meant to serve as a cover
for lack of skill, a fact students quickly
pick up on. Rather, what is meant by
enthusiasm here is real passion from
deeply connecting with ones work: Ive
watched students eyes light up, for ex-
ample, when I discuss the satisfaction of
having readers immediately get what
I had meant in a story. They had either
experienced this themselves, or wanted
to, and this created a desire to learn the
course content.
22
2 DEMONSTRATE THE VALUE
OF LEARNING THE MATERIAL
Why do I need to learn this? and How
is this going to help me? These are two
often-heard phrases, even at the college
level, especially in basic or fundamental
courses, such as writing or mathemat-
ics. They are legitimate questions: if
students are going to invest a significant
amount of their time learning something,
they need to know its value. The teach-
er should be prepared with an answer,
perhaps some examples and real-life in-
stances that called upon the skill, such
as the police officer who caused a case
to be lost and a suspect go free because
he did not clearly detail in his report what
had happened at the crime scene. Anec-
dotes like this clearly demonstrate that
a wide spectrum of professions require
fundamental skills like writing.
3
ALLOW FOR STUDENT IN-
TERACTION: WITH THE
TEACHER, OTHER STUDENTS,
MATERIAL
People in general, and students in par-
ticular, long for some kind of connection.
Historically and even today, education in
the U.S. is often a solitary pursuit, taking
place alone in libraries, coffee shops, or
at ones seat in a classroom. However,
learning really should be a social en-
deavor. More ideas are generated and
processed more deeply with a peer or
peers. Therefore, setting up some kind
of group or partner work each class ses-
sion helps students learn better. If the
groups are changed each session, stu-
dents will get to know each other better
as well.
4 ALLOW FOR STUDENT-
CHOSEN PROJECTS
Little seems to contribute to student en-
thusiasm more than the students ability
to choose their own topics or projects.
When I tell students they are encouraged
to choose their own topics for their re-
search papers, there are responses from
sighs of relief to broad grins. I tell them
I do, however, have one requirement: it
must be a topic they are truly interested
in, preferably have a passion for. Stu-
dents rise to the occasion by turning in
very credible papers on topics like the
history of hip-hop, cited with interviews
with leaders in hip-hop entirely legiti-
mate or even impressive papers that stu-
dents would not have considered writing
before because they thought topic was
not appropriate for school.
5 CONNECT TO THE REAL
WORLD: GUEST SPEAKERS,
FIELD TRIPS
Another way to generate enthusiasm in
the class is to make those connections
to the real world that students are long-
ing for. One way to do this is through
guest speakers with expertise in course
topics: a community leader discussing
the rights of gay people, for example, if
that has been a course topic.
Visits to important local sites that are
related to the curriculum also generate
student enthusiasm. Even in your city is
not located near famous landmarks, field
trips can still be of value by visiting areas
of local importance, such as canneries
or factories. This trip can be connected
to the works of John Steinbeck, for ex-
ample, contextualizing the reading and
allowing discussion on the differences
and similarities between the novel and
real world.
6 PERMIT STUDENTS
TO USE THEIR EXPERTISE
Finally, allowing students to use their
growing competence helps. Allowing
them to take the lead on a final project
like a debate or a presentation feeds this
enthusiasm as they have been develop-
ing their competence all semester long.
Allow students to set up groups, choose
topics, assign roles, and so forth, with
little intervention.
CREATING MOTIVATION IN STUDENTS
AND MOTIVATING STUDENTS SEEMS
ALMOST A CONTRADICTION IN TERMS
AS ULTIMATELY PEOPLE MOTIVATE
THEMSELVES. However, although it
goes beyond applying a few simple
catch phrases like Great job! teachers
can help create enthusiasm in students
through communicating their own passion
in the subject matter, allowing students to
explore their own passions, connecting to
the real world, and permitting students
to exercise their growing competence in
the subject matter.
20+ Simple Tips for Meeting
Your Students Learning Styles
HOW CAN WE MEET THE LEARNING
STYLES OF OUR STUDENTS?
What difference does it make when
we teach to the different learning
styles? How can we determine what
learning styles our students have?
Teachers have been asking them-
selves these questions for years, and
the best teachers will continue to ask
them looking for better and better an-
swers. These are valid questions and
ones worth looking into, but some-
times their answers might be simpler
than you might think. Here are some
quick tips you can use to make sure
you teach to your students learning
styles whatever they are!
TRY THESE 20+
SIMPLE TIPS FOR
MEETING YOUR
STUDENTS LEARNING
STYLES
1 VISUAL/SPATIAL
LEARNERS
Visual learners often do well in school
because most teachers know how
important it is to write things on the
board. These learners see things
and absorb the information into their
minds. For these learners, what they
see is key. Here are some ways to
meet the needs of these students.
Dont shy away from the text book.
Assign reading and book work,
which will give these students a
chance to see the information
they need on the printed page.
Use the white board. You probably
do already, but even in beginning
level classes, write vocabulary
and grammatical structures on the
board for these students to see.
Provide visual keys when you
can. These may include picture
dictionaries, physical items and
object lessons.
2
BODILY/KINESTHETIC
LEARNERS
Bodily or kinesthetic learners can be
easily overlooked in the classroom.
Traditional classrooms dont neces-
sarily encourage students to get up
and move in the middle of class. How-
ever, kinesthetic learners can really
flourish in the ESL classroom if you
take the time to plan the right activi-
ties.
Try total physical response, a
proven effective teaching method.
I have found this style of teaching
particularly effective at the begin-
ning level.
Play games with dice, cards, pop-
sicle sticks or any other manipu-
latives. I have found that teaching
vocabulary can be fun and engag-
ing when I make ways for students
to handle the words.
Have your students take notes in
class. Though they will need to
process the information they hear,
the motion of writing words on the
page will help them absorb the in-
formation that they are hearing.
Similar to note taking, encour-
age students to mark up their text
books (if you wont need to reuse
them with your next class). High-
lighting and making notes in the
margin will help your students re-
tain the information they are read-
ing.
3 AURAL LEARNERS (AUDI-
TORY, MUSIC, RHYTHMIC)
Im not one to advocate heavy lecture
in English classes, but that doesnt
mean you cant explain new concepts
from the front of the class. Your aural
learners will absorb information best
when they hear you explain a new
concept and will also benefit from
hearing a native speaker use English.
Allow and encourage your stu-
dents to read aloud. Out loud
reading is particularly helpful with
directions for test taking. Remind
your students to be respectful of
the rest of the class, but allowing
them to hear the directions and
not just read them may make or
break their test scores.
Most ESL classes already include
speaking activities, and these will
surely benefit your aural learners,
but dont limit them to speaking
class. Including opportunities for
your students to talk and work to-
gether will benefit students of ev-
erything from grammar to writing.
Feel free to get jiggy with your
class and include songs that
model grammar or teach a con-
cept. (Think School House Rock)
Hundreds of these types of songs
are available on line, and youll be
surprised at just how catchy some
of them are.
If you are teaching elementary
ESL, dont under estimate the
value of chants in the classroom.
Simply sitting your students in
a circle and having them keep a
rhythm by clapping on their legs
can be key to helping them re-
member that days lesson.
4
VERBAL/LINGUISTIC
LEARNERS
Verbal or linguistic learners will natu-
rally excel in language classes, and
your ESL class will be no exception.
You will probably have no problem
identifying these students who pick
up on language with little to no effort
and may sound the most like native
speakers. Linguistic learners will con-
nect through any language based ac-
tivities, which is what ESL class is all
about, so you wont need special ac-
commodations for them unless it is to
challenge them.
Including word puzzles, games
and tongue twisters in class will
appeal to your linguistic learners
and help add some excitement to
classroom activities for them.
5
LOGICAL/MATHEMATICAL
LEARNERS
Logical and mathematical learners are
just what they sound like. They learn
23
 best through logical and organized
methods or through mathematical and
abstract concepts. You can include
specific activities in your ESL class to
reach these hard science lovers.
When teaching grammar, take
time to teach sentence diagram-
ing and linguistic sentence trees.
Your logical learners will appreci-
ate the linguistic science behind
the grammar.
Dont shy away from abstract dia-
grams or visuals in your classes.
These learners will love them.
Logical learners will also appre-
ciate word puzzles and the chal-
lenge of working out grammar on
their own before you give the ex-
planation to the class.
ers interact with native speak-
ers, they will pick up on language
points that come up in conversa-
tion.
Plan group activities for class
time. Having discussion groups
within your class will help meet
these students need to work with
others.
Challenge groups to solve prob-
lems together. Rather than giving
your class all the answers, see if
they can figure things out on their
own. Try using a jigsaw and other
similar activities.
Use interviews with native speak-
ers and people on the street. Any
time you can get these learners
interacting with native speakers,

6 SOLITARY/INTRAPERSON-
AL LEARNERS
especially with a clear directive in
mind, they will flourish.

Though the goal of every ESL class
is English fluency, some students will
need some independent work to get
there. These students who learn best
on their own may find a highly com-
municative class more challenging
than other students. Here are some
ways to reach these members of your
class and decrease their potential
stress.
Use learning centers in your
classroom. By setting up a few
stations and allowing students
work on their own for a few min-
utes each day, you will be sure to
give these independent learners
what they need.
ULTIMATELY, ESL TEACHERS, JUST
LIKE OTHER EDUCATORS, MUST
REMEMBER THAT EVERYONE
LEARNS THROUGH A COMBINATION
OF LEARNING STYLES.
For some people, one style is clearly
dominant. For others, they will learn
equally well through two or three
styles. Regardless, teachers who in-
clude activities geared toward every
learning style will find their students
become successful language learn-
ers and, eventually, fluent speakers of
English.

Plan independent activities in

class from time to time. You can
assign exercises from a text book
or give students worksheets.
Though keeping these activities
to a minimum is best, dont ex-
clude them all together.

7 SOCIAL/INTERPERSONAL
LEARNERS
Social or interpersonal learners learn
best when they interact with other
people. This may be the easiest type
of learner to target in the ESL class-
room since most teachers use group
activities on a regular basis anyway.
Here are some ways you can be sure
to reach these learners.

Invite conversation partners from

another class. When these learn-

24
ESL Activities to Teach to
the Seven Different Learning Styles
AN ESSENTIAL PART OF BEING A GREAT
TEACHER IS FIRST UNDERSTANDING
THAT STUDENTS LEARN IN DIFFER-
ENT WAYS AND THEN VARYING OUR
TEACHING STYLE TO MEET EACH OF
THOSE OF LEARNERS NEEDS.
Any classroom will include learners of
every persuasion. As teachers, we must
try to reach each of the seven learning
styles in our instruction: visual, verbal,
physical, aural, logical, social and soli-
tary. Though it is challenging to meet all
of these styles, it can be done. Here are
some practical ways to teach to these
styles in your ESL classroom.
HOW TO TEACH TO ALL
LEARNING STYLES
1
VISUAL
Visual learners learn best through
what they SEE and are probably the
easiest to connect with through typical
classroom instruction. By writing words
on the board or having your students
read information in their textbooks or
on the internet, they receive visual input
and are able to absorb the material you
present. In addition to these traditional
learning tools, using pictures in class
will help meet the needs of the visual
learners among your students. As it hap-
pens, these methods all work well with
language instruction, and your visual
learners may be some of your strongest
students as a result.
2
VERBAL
Verbal students learn through
WORDS, both spoken and written, and
probably learn languages more easily
than other types of learners. Since ver-
bal learners will be naturally drawn to
language learning, you may find many of
them in your ESL classes. Incorporating
both speaking and writing activities into
your classroom, something that almost
every ESL teacher must do, will give
these students the types of input that
will help them become not just second
language learners but also second lan-
guage acquirers. Since ESL classes are
verbally focused and purposed, these
may be the students who learn most
easily in your class, no matter what types
of activities you do.
3 PHYSICAL
Also known as kinesthetic learners,
physical learners benefit from using their
bodies and sense of TOUCH as they
learn. By using techniques like total phys-
ical response, you will help your physical
students make body connections with
linguistic information. In addition, some-
thing as simple as having students write
their answers to questions, which en-
gages the hands as they hold the writing
instruments, will help your students ce-
ment the knowledge they seek into their
minds. Keeping this student in mind,
give students opportunities to write the
language they are learning, both in class
and for homework, on paper and on the
board, and get their bodies involved in
learning whenever possible.
4 AURAL
Aural learners acquire information
best through SOUND. Sometimes these
learners are classified as auditory or mu-
sical. For these students, listening to lec-
tures, videos and themselves talk all help
them learn. Giving listening activities in
class where students listen for a specific
structure may be beneficial to your au-
ral learners. In addition, music can be
a great resource for these students. Try
putting grammar lesson to song or using
songs (with printed lyrics) to teach gram-
mar structures, vocabulary or phonetics.
(Think School House Rock.) Include as
many types of listening in class as you
can, and invite guest speakers and give
practice lectures on a frequent basis all
with your students proficiency level in
mind.
5 LOGICAL
Do you have any mathematical
geniuses in your classroom? They are
probably logical learners who are us-
ing reasoning, systems and LOGIC to
absorb information. For these students,
language learning will come most easily
from a linguistic approach. Linguistics,
known as the science of language, de-
fines rules and patterns that languages
follow in their grammar, syntax and pho-
nology. If you are not familiar with basic
linguistics, becoming familiar with Eng-
lish linguistics will be beneficial to both
your teaching and your students learn-
ing. If you are already familiar with the
linguistics of English, try teaching your
students syntactic or phonological rules.
Diagramming sentences will also help
them understand the grammar that is
beneath the surface structure of English
sentences.
6 SOCIAL
Social learners enjoy and benefit
from WORKING IN GROUPS as they
learn. Since so much of language learn-
ing is communicative in nature, your
social learners will probably have many
opportunities for quality learning through
discussion groups and learning activi-
ties such as jigsaws. Try to encourage
talking in class rather than squelching it,
and these students will benefit the most.
Also give group work a chance in every
area of the curriculum. Your social learn-
ers will appreciate it and your more ad-
vanced students may be able to support
and encourage their classmates who
might be struggling!
7 SOLITARY
Students whose strongest learn-
ing style is solitary function best in self-
learning environments and working ON
THEIR OWN. Because the goal of lan-
guage instruction is communication,
these students may struggle with group
activities or discussions in class. If you
intentionally keep a balance in your
classroom, including some individual
learning periods and creating learning
stations throughout your classroom,
these students will have their specific
learning needs met. Homework is an-
other way these students will be able to
learn independently, so encourage inde-
pendent study when you can but do not
sacrifice communicative language use to
do it.
THE HUMAN BRAIN IS AN AMAZING
CREATION. THAT PEOPLE WHO SHARE
A COMMON SYSTEM OF BIOLOGY CAN
HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENCES WHEN
IT COMES TO LEARNING IS HUMBLING.
Keeping these learning styles in mind
and intentionally planning for each of
them as you develop your curriculum
will make you a better teacher and give
your students the right tools they need
to learn, no matter what learning style is
theirs.
25
Language Learning Styles & How
to Know Students Have Them?
ber what he or she has learned. titudes related to language learning.
SOMETIMES ENGLISH AS A SECOND Through these behaviors, students

LANGUAGE TEACHERS CAN GET
OVERWHELMED BY ALL THE ACRO-
NYMS THROWN OUR WAY: ESL, EFL,
TESL, TOEFL, L2, ETC.
While these may not be that tough to
decipher, LLS is a less common yet
still important set of letters for you to
know. It stands for Language learning
2
COGNITIVE STRATEGIES
Language learners use cogni-
tive strategies to understand and cre-
ate messages in the target language.
These include identifying words that
they hear as well as retrieving words
from their memory when needed.
lower anxiety and stress and encour-
age themselves. As a teacher, you
can help your students remember that
learning a language can be uncomfort-
able, and you can help crate positive
connections with English and their lan-
guage learning.

styles. Language learning styles are
related to but not the same as learning
styles, and they are essential for effec-
tive language learning.
These actions help speakers identify
what is being said and then find the
information they need to respond ap-
propriately.
6
SOCIAL STRATEGIES
Social strategies help students
interact with others, often in conver-
sational settings. Students should ask

WHAT THEY ARE
Many studies have been done on lan-
guage learning styles. Researchers
have determined that unlike learning
styles, language learning styles are
not ingrained in people but are gen-
erated or developed by the learners
themselves. They contribute to lan-
guage fluency and the ability for a per-
son to communicate in a second lan-
guage. They are behaviors, external
actions anyone can observe, and they
are also internal actions or thought
processes.
WHAT THEY ARE NOT
They are not communication strate-
gies. Communication strategies are
important for language learners put-
3
COMPENSATION
STRATEGIES
Compensation strategies help stu-
dents overcome any gaps in their
language knowledge. These are the
creative uses of language that help
second language students communi-
cate even though they may not be at
a perfect level of fluency. They include
intelligent guessing and overcoming
limitations. Compensation strategies
help students work with what they
know and creatively use language,
gestures, paraphrase. When students
use compensation strategies, they
keep communication flowing despite
struggles with the target language.
questions for clarification, comprehen-
sion and correction. They also coop-
erate with peers and those proficient
in the language with social strategies.
These behaviors also help students
connect with and understand the cul-
ture connected with their language
learning.
ULTIMATELY, ALL OF THESE LAN-
GUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES ARE
INTERRELATED.
By teaching your students what lan-
guage learning strategies are and then
giving them examples they can use in
the classroom and on their own, your
students will become successful learn-
ers and speakers of English.

4
ting their knowledge to practical use,
but language learning styles are more
METACOGNITIVE
than that. Language learning styles STRATEGIES
include everything a student does to
Metacognitive strategies help stu-
learn a target language, and this in-
dents take control of their own learn-
cludes communication strategies.
ing. These behaviors enable students
to take an outside look at how they are
Language learning styles can be clas-
learning and make and needed ad-
sified into six general groups, each im-
justments. With metacognitive strate-
portant for your ESL students.
gies, students evaluate their learning

1
and plan for further learning. Your role
MEMORY STRATEGIES as a teacher is as the advisor to the
student. It is the students job to make
Memory strategies are perhaps
a commitment, set reasonable goals,
the most obvious actions language
select resources, monitor progress
learners take in class and out of class.
and evaluate achievements when it
They are the actions that help students
comes to their own language learning.
retain information and then access it

5
later when they are trying to communi-
cate. They include repetition, transla- AFFECTIVE STRATEGIES
tion, note taking, deduction, contextu-
Affective strategies help stu-
alization and elaboration. They are the
dents control their emotions and at-
measures a student takes to remem-

26
Let Them Talk: 5 Student
Advantages to a Noisy Classroom
WHAT TEACHER FINDS HIMSELF
SMILING WHEN HIS STUDENTS ARE
CONSTANTLY TALKING OVER HIM?
AN ESL TEACHER, OF COURSE.
students talk in class, the more they
will find that they can get their mes-
sage across even if they are missing
specific knowledge in grammar and
vocabulary. Students get creative with
do more talking, they put more value
on your words and know that what you
say must be important when you stop
them to give information in class.

Language classrooms are the perfect
environment for teachers to encourage
talking in class. Keeping lectures to a
minimum and challenging students to
speak up and use the language they
are learning are keys for a success-
ful English instructor. Its not because
English teachers dont have a lot to
say. Quite the contrary. What is more
important, though, are the advantages
that students in communicative and
language. Anyone with this skill has
an advantage in real world talk. Sec-
ond language learners are bound to
struggle when communicating with na-
tive speakers from time to time, and
students who can be creative with the
language that they do know will have
an easier time getting their message
across even if the grammar is imper-
fect when they do.
5
EVERYONE PARTICIPATES
Finally, getting your students talk-
ing rather than listening to long lec-
tures enables them to engage in class
to the fullest extent. When students are
doing group work and talking in pairs
regularly, even shy students wont be
able to sit on the sidelines for long. Ev-
eryone participates in class and makes
communication happen. No one simply

student centered classrooms have
over those in more traditional, and qui-
eter, classrooms. When you get your
students talking more than you do in
class, here are some things you both
can expect.
5 STUDENT
ADVANTAGES TO A
NOISY CLASSROOM
3
STUDENTS HELP
EACH OTHER
OVER LANGUAGE BARRIERS
Sometimes, students wont be able to
depend on their own creativity to get
their message across, but that doesnt
mean that you, their teacher, have to
run to the rescue. When your students
are talking more than you are in class,
observes communication that is hap-
pening around them and withdraws,
and that is, after all, what all teachers
should strive towards.
THESE ADVANTAGES ARE JUST A
GLIMPSE OF HOW YOUR STUDENTS
WILL BENEFIT FROM A STUDENT
CENTERED CLASSROOM.
The more they speak, the more con-

1
STUDENTS PUT THEIR
LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE
TO PRACTICAL USE
Whether your students are taking Eng-
lish classes for business reasons, to
increase educational opportunities or
for personal reasons, their ultimate
goal is communication. When you, the
teacher, talk less and your students
talk more, your students are putting
their language knowledge to practical
use. The more you can get your stu-
dents speaking in class, the better off
they will be. They will have more expe-
rience speaking and more confidence
communication struggles for specific
students often become group chal-
lenges. You will find that your students
help each other over language barri-
ers. Students correcting students have
many advantages. Students with the
answers build their own confidence.
Students getting help are willing to
listen to their peers and feel that they
can achieve the language proficiency
that their classmates have reached.
Helping students also remember infor-
mation better because they are now
teaching it. The students themselves
become the authorities on correct lan-
guage usage.
fident they will be when they have to
communicate in real life situations.
Dont be discouraged, however, if your
students are reluctant to speak up in
class at first. In some cultures, the ex-
pectation is that only the teacher will
speak and that the students only job is
to listen attentively. Just take time out
to explain your classroom expectations
for your students as well as the cultural
expectations for ESL students, and
even those who want to show respect
through silence will find better ways to
let you know they value what you have
to say.

4
in their ability to communicate outside
STUDENTS
the classroom because they have al-
ready done it inside the classroom. PAY MORE ATTENTION

2
STUDENTS GET CREATIVE
WITH LANGUAGE
When students are talking frequently
in class, they will inevitably find times
they do not know a specific vocabulary
or grammar construction they need.
But that doesnt have to be the end of
what they have to say. The more your
Noisy classrooms can be a challenge
to manage, but there is an advan-
tage to the teacher when students do
the majority of the talking. Students
pay more attention when the teacher
speaks. It is difficult for anyone to pay
close attention during a lecture, and a
lecture in your second language can be
an even tougher pill to swallow. When
you do less talking and your students

27
7 Techniques that Will Increase
Student Talking Time
LOTS OF ESL TEACHERS COMPLAIN
THAT STUDENTS DONT TALK ENOUGH.
THEYRE TOO QUIET. THEY JUST SIT
THERE AND DONT SAY ANYTHING.
There are several reasons why students
are quiet, but guess what? One of them
is you!
Dont take this the wrong way. You do a
splendid job. But the more you speak,
the less they speak. And you dont want
your students to come to class simply to
listen to you, right? So here are 7 tech-
niques that will help you speak less and
increase student talking time like you
never imagined you could.
TRY THESE 7
TECHNIQUES TO
INCREASE STUDENT
TALKING TIME
1
GIVE THEM TIME TO ANSWER
Is it realistic to expect every stu-
dent to reply promptly and accurately? Of
course not. Some students may be able
to fire off a rapid response, but this is not
always the case. Some students need
time to understand and process what
youve said/asked. Then, they need time
to come up with the right response. So
if you want to speak less and get them
to speak more, youll have to give them
those precious seconds they need. If its
hard for you to wait, count. Five seconds.
Or more if you can. It may be hard at first
for you and the other students to take
those few seconds of silence, but itll be
worth it.
2
DONT ANSWER EVERY SIN-
GLE QUESTION YOURSELF
Have you ever stopped to think that
when one student asks you a question,
another student may know the answer?
Try this technique:
S1: Why is this answer wrong?
T: Mmmm... (looks around the classroom
or even directly at another student)
S2: Because beautiful is a long adjec-
tive and so the comparative is more
beautiful.
And isnt it beautiful when your students
can help each other, and you dont have
to say a single word?
28
3 USE PAIR OR GROUPWORK
Quite often we act out role plays
with another student. But if you get stu-
dents into pairs for the role plays and
simply walk around to assist, you will
speak less, and they will speak more.
The same goes for groupwork, whether
you have them do a writing task, like
write a story together, or a speaking task,
like a discussion.
4
HAVE THEM READ/EXPLAIN
INSTRUCTIONS
If the instructions are in the coursebook
or the worksheet, why must you read
them out loud and explain them to the
class? If they are pretty straightforward,
have a student read them to the class
and another explain/rephrase if some-
one hasnt understood. This is also a
great way to keep eager beavers happy:
they get to explain something that is very
clear to them, and those who need a lit-
tle extra help still get the assistance they
need.
5
ASK OPEN-ENDED INSTEAD
OF YES/NO QUESTIONS
If you ask students yes/no questions,
thats basically what youll get a yes or
a no (and the occasional maybe). The
more questions you ask with where,
why, how often, when, etc. the more
theyll have to speak. But just dont stop
at one question:
T: What kind of music do you listen to?
S1: I listen to rock music.
T: Why?
S1: Because I like it.
T: Where do you listen to it?
S1: I listen to it everywhere: at home, on
the bus, on my way to school...
T: (asks S2) How about you, Tommy?
And Tommy should have a pretty good
idea of what he can say about his music
preferences.
6
SAY ONLY
WHAT IS NECESSARY
Dont echo back what students say. Dont
blabber on and on about your weekend.
Dont fill the silence with useless chatter.
Of course, you can have relaxed conver-
sations with students, but save those for
either the very beginning or the end of
class, or whats even better, the break.
During class time, try to focus your ef-
forts on getting them to speak.
7
DONT TELL, ELICIT
When we tell students the answer,
they passively receive it. They ask,
Whats this?, and you say, Its a sta-
pler. Its too easy for everyone, including
you. If students dont remember a word,
for example, try to elicit it from them and
feel free to give them clues.
S1: Whats this?
T: Oh! You mean this device we use
to staple papers together? Whats this
called?
S1: Its a stapler.
Much too often we tell: Remember when
we talked about the different types of
weather? We have cloudy, sunny, etc.
Dont tell them what they are if youve al-
ready seen it in class! Get them to say it!
ACHIEVING THE RIGHT
BALANCE
A special mention must be made regard-
ing how much a student is expected to
speak. I subscribe to the theory that in
the case of beginners, the ratio of TTT
vs. STT should be 50-50, and this per-
centage should progressively change till
you achieve a 30% TTT vs. 70% STT.
In very advanced learners, it could even
reach a 10-90. You need to figure out
what works for each class, but in most
cases you should not be talking more
than your students.
The one, simple way to get students to
speak more is for us to resist the urge
to speak. Why dont teachers shut up?
Sometimes its because we feel uncom-
fortable in the silence. Sometimes its
because we quite simply like to talk, and
we enjoy the chatter. But leave the chat-
ter for the teachers room.
7 Sure-fire Tips To Get Your
Students Speaking So Easily
When it comes to speaking, confi-
dence is the key, password, login and
biometric security that students need
in order to succeed at speaking with
ease. Once a student builds the confi-
dence to speak, their abilities begin to
improve at breakneck pace. Students
who lack confidence are the ones who
stumble and resort to their L1, and
develop a fear of making mistakes
that manifests itself if not ironed out
quickly.
As a teacher, you cannot magically
click a button and provide the students
with the confidence to speak, but you
can be there to encourage them to
build their confidence by trying a few
new little tricks, or even something
as simple as nodding your head and
smiling a little bit more.
No matter what lengths are taken, the
country, telling a tall tale about teach-
ing a government minister or even
the introduction class where we get
the students to ask us questions. The
most familiar topic anyone can talk
about is oneself. We do it, they can
too.
3 PROVIDE THE CUES,
GIVE THEM THE IDEAS
One of the things that I like to do is
draw a diagram that outlines me. In
the middle of the board is a little stick
figure of me, leading out to all of the
influences in my life. The best way
to describe it is like a mind-map, but
I prefer to call this a life map. The
life map allows students to see influ-
ences, likes, dislikes in their life and
then give them the necessary cues to
speak about themselves.
6 LISTEN TO THE REAL DEAL
Sure enough, students who
have been away from the English
language for a while, only need to
listen to a dialogue before they begin
to grab their confidence by the horns
and take it for a ride. A good dialogue
that clearly outlines the language can
be used as a starting point, while
providing students with a chance to
mimic the accent and the style. The
more brave students will quickly
take to the task and instantly pick up
on some of the key vocabulary, while
adding their own personality into repli-
cating the dialogue.
7 SMILE, BE PATIENT,
AND SMILE AGAIN!
No matter how many different ac-
tivities that you try with your student,

foundations of succinct, accurate and
fluent speech are through a high level
of confidence. This article will take a
look at some of the methods to help
students speak by opening the door to
some of the untapped confidence that
lies within. Heres a few of the best
that we could think of.
HOW TO PROCEED
4
IF THE CUES FAIL, GIVE
EM THE OUTLINE
If the visual cues fail, give the students
a virtual template to work off. The
teacher can simply write the language
and the structures on the whiteboard
for the students to fill in with the ap-
propriate words.
nothing beats a smile when it comes
to unlocking the confidence. A smile
provides the students with positive re-
assurance to keep at it and give them
a positive outlook on what they can
perceive as being the impossible task
of speaking a foreign language.
If you follow these steps, were sure
that you will succeed in providing your

1 FORGET THE ERRORS;

JUST BE HAPPY
THAT THEYRE SPEAKING
Yeah! See how well theyre speaking?
Yes it may not be accurate or fluent,
but hell, sure enough they are using
English! Sure, they may be speaking
in purely the present simple, but hey,
keep sitting back smiling and nodding,
and you will do wonders with helping
the student cross the first hurdle of
building their confidence with speak-
ing.
5 TAKE THEM FOR A WALK
ON THE WILD SIDE, OUT-
SIDE THEIR COMFORT ZONE
students with the key to unlocking
their inner confidence, which is one of
the major factors in speaking English
with confidence.
If the potential is there or the students
skill is just lying underneath the sur-
face, one of the ways I like to deal with
that is to push the students a little bit
harder and chip away at whats un-
derneath the service. I love pushing
students to the best of their abilities,
and if there is a mere inkling of the
confidence, I will be there to prod and
poke it as much as I can. I love to give
little challenges to my students such
as talking for 30 seconds or a minute

2
non-stop on a topic. This seemingly
GIVE THEM EASY TOPICS difficult activity will make life so much
THAT THEY KNOW A LOT easier when it comes to speaking
ABOUT... about the simple things.

We all love to do it, recalling an amus-

ing story about our lives in our home

29
 15 Tricks to Get
Your Adult Learners Talking
At the very base of it, the whole point
of knowing a language is to speak
it, read it and be able to write it. But
speaking is the most important form.
When language first evolved, people
originally spoke. The written word is,
in historical terms, only a very recent
invention and there have been thou-
sands of languages before which
were never written down. Knowing
the correct grammar forms, how to
read it and theoretically how to form
sentences is all well and good, but the
English language is no use to some-
one if they are unable to speak it. It
is important, therefore, to get ones
students talking in every possible
situation. Some teaching methods
have two things which are known as
Teacher Talking Time and Student
Talking Time (TTT and STT). When
one sets out to teach a class, the
ultimate goal is to help them speak
English better than they have before.
Theoretically it should work out thus:
the teacher does most of the talking in
the beginning, but this quickly ceases
to the point of where the students are
speaking at the end. One knows that
the class is a definite success when
students are chatting amongst them-
selves in English. Below is a list of in-
teresting tips and tricks which will help
one to encourage their adult learners
to speak more during class.
HOW TO GET YOUR
ADULT LEARNERS
TALKING: 15 TRICKS
YOU SHOULD TRY
1 DISTRIBUTE QUESTIONS
This is a very simple method.
After a reading exercise, one will gen-
erally ask students about the text at
hand. Sometimes it can be tempting
to ask everyone generally, but a great
way to get specific people to speak
(particularly those who are quite shy)
is to single them out and ask the
question. This might seem simple, but
it is something many teachers forget.
30
2 ROLE PLAYS
It cannot be stated enough how
important a role play is within the
world of language teaching. Practical
language use is practised within these
exercises, and therefore it will allow
the students to use what they know
in a more creative manner. These can
generally be quite a lot of fun.
3 FIND
AN INTERESTING TOPIC
Getting a topic which is somewhat
controversial might do well to stimu-
late debate in the classroom. An ex-
ample would be if one were speaking
about, say, immigration, some people
might be interested in speaking their
mind about this particular topic. Be
careful, however, as sometimes one
might touch on a sore or sensitive
point to monitor what kind of materi-
als are used in class.
4
ASK THEM
ABOUT THEMSELVES
Everybody enjoys speaking about
themselves. If one is teaching a busi-
ness class, then this will undoubtedly
be a great opportunity to inquire as to
what job everybody does. Maybe you
could go around the room and ques-
tion everybody in turn about their role
and responsibilities. Since people
enjoy speaking about themselves in
general, you will get a lot more con-
versation from them this way.
5 ENCOURAGE THEM
TO ASK QUESTIONS
Try and encourage students to ask
questions about various topics them-
selves. For example, one might say,
And why do you think Sonia did
this..? Usually directing it at a person
will help. Ask them why they think a
particular verb form is correct, and in-
stil in the students that asking ques-
tions will lead to better proficiency
within the language.
6 TEACHING
PRONUNCIATION
Sometimes, depending on where you
are teaching, students may not be
pronouncing certain words in a correct
manner. Different languages have dif-
ferent phonetics, therefore one needs
to be sure that the students can speak
in a way that is as close as possible
to that of a native speaker. Pronuncia-
tion classes can also be a lot of fun.
7
DEBATES
Holding a debate in class is a
great way of getting the students to
talk a bit more. Sometimes the topics
can become somewhat heated, and
this will encourage them to use their
newly acquired skills more creatively.
8
NEWS STORY
Similar in the way to a debate,
discussion over a particular topic of
current news will allow students to ex-
press their views. This may not work
for all students, of course, so it is im-
portant to ask them.
9
TURN
TO YOUR NEIGHBOUR
Probably one of the oldest methods.
Students who split up into pairs find
that they are obliged to talk. In order
to ensure this, keep walking around
the class until the end of the exer-
cise and make sure that everyone is
speaking.
10 TAKE A CLASS POLL
Ask a question about a
particular topic and take a poll. An ex-
ample could be, Should the govern-
ment fund student tuition? Students
can then air their views and discuss
them.
11 EYE CONTACT
If a student is particular-
ly stubborn, a good idea would be
to keep eye contact until they say
something. This usually makes them
feel uncomfortable and that they are
obliged to speak. It works wonders for
most students.

12 NAME SAYING
When asking questions,
for example about a text, be sure to
say the name of a particular student.
This way they will know that you are
addressing them and will have to re-
ply accordingly. Do this on students
who happen to be shy and dont
speak much in class. It will give them
an opportunity to speak which they
cant refuse.

13 WHAT
DO YOU THINK..?
Similar to the previous one, every now
and then stop when reading an article
if an important issue is raised and ask
the students opinions on it.

14 EXPLAIN TO ME
Trying to get the student to
explain a particular topic you have just
explained will set the wheels in their
head in motion. Of course, one can
help them along, but it is important to
make sure that the student does most
of the talk.

15 SUMMARISE.
Finally, a really good way
is to get the students to summarise
a particular topic in their own words.
This may be a challenge for begin-
ners, but overall is can help in their
practise of speaking.

THERE ARE OF COURSE MANY MORE

TIPS AND TRICKS WHICH ARE GOING
TO HELP STUDENTS TO OVERCOME
THEIR SHYNESS. SOMETIMES THEY
NEED TO BE BROUGHT OUT IN
FRONT OF THE CLASS IN ORDER TO
BOOST THEIR CONFIDENCE.
Always remember to correct, and instil
in them that correction does not mean
they failed. Mistakes are important, as
they help us learn and move on.

31
 10 Keys To Promoting
Class Discussion
There are many benefits to the stu-
dent-centered class discussion al-
though its sometimes a challenge to
develop. There are a number of poten-
tial pitfalls, including students talking
off-topic, not talking at all, or one or
two students dominating the discus-
sion.
However, when it can be developed,
benefits of class discussion include in-
creased engagement with the course
content, classmates, increased use of
critical thinking skills, and practice in
students second language.
A few methods have been found help-
ful for increasing student participation
in class. Addressed first are some of
the basics of setting up a class discus-
sion and then following are more ad-
vanced methods.
KEYS FOR CLASS
DISCUSSION:
THE BASICS
1 PREPARATION
Give students time to develop
their ideas before discussion. Per-
haps have them do a quick write on
the topic first to gather their thoughts,
this is particularly effective with more
introverted students, who, it has been
found, usually need more time to re-
flect before speaking.
2 NOT ALONE
Put students in pairs or small
groups. Research has shown that
when working in small groups of peers,
students feel safer and more motivated
to explore content than when speaking
In front of the whole class.
3 PROVIDE
A STEPPING STONE
Provide a list of interesting discussion
topics or methods to develop them.
We all know that good discussion top-
ics are the ones moving toward uni-
versal in focus (rather than dwelling
on the specifics of the text), arguable,
32
perceptive, and significant.
4 SET THE RULES
Teach students the rules of class
discussion, such as making eye con-
tact, listening actively, and disagreeing
respectfully. Some teachers might ex-
pect students to just know the rules,
however, these standards need to be
actively communicated and modeled.
5 ASSIGN ROLES OR TASKS
Give students a definite task, or
topic, of conversation so that focus is
provided to the group. Each student
should also have a role within the dis-
cussion group, such as taking notes or
referring to the reading as necessary,
again to keep everyone focused and
make sure that the group is not car-
ried by a few hard-working students
while others slack off.
6 TICK-TOCK
Give students a time limit. This
is a final element to keep students fo-
cused on the discussion rather than
drifting off.
7
WHATS IN IT FOR THEM
Students should receive credit
for participating. You will notice how
some quiet students become more
and more engaged when given some
course credit to do so.
BEYOND THE BASICS
Once students have mastered the ba-
sics of holding a discussion, more ad-
vanced skills can be taught.
8 OPINIONS, OPINIONS,
OPINIONS
Research suggests that students
should be taught different levels of
questioning for discussion, moving
beyond the literal to more inferential
interpretation of a text. For example,
What city does the narrator live in?
is a literal question, focused on the
surface features of the text, more in-
ferential is, Why do you think the nar-
rator moved there? If this is not stated
directly in the text, students will have
to reflect on the text and the narrators
character to arrive at an answer.
9 RUBRICS HELP
Develop a grading rubric that
describes different levels of participa-
tion and the corresponding grade, for
example:
A: Actively Engaged Discussion Part-
ner
* often asks inferential questions
* listens actively
* volunteers answers and feedback
B: Engaged Discussion Partner
* asks inferential questions
* sometimes listens actively
* sometimes volunteers complex an-
swers and feedback
C: Passive Discussion Partner
* rarely asks questions, and if so, lit-
eral ones
* does not listen actively
* rarely volunteers answers or feed-
back.
10
FREEDOM
Give your students more
opportunities for practice and feed-
back. Students will not learn this skills
overnight, of course, so they should be
given regular chances to practice, per-
haps as much a class session, if only
for fifteen minutes. Regular, short peri-
ods of practice are more effective than
long bouts. For more efficient set-up,
students could have a standing list of
topics posted and regular groups.
BY IMPLEMENTING SOME BASIC
PRINCIPLES AND CAREFUL PLAN-
NING, AND THEN MOVING BEYOND
THE BASICS TO A MORE ADVANCED
LEVEL, THE DREADED DISCUS-
SION CAN BE IMPROVED AND
MAKE A SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBU-
TION TO THE CLASS AND STUDENTS
EDUCATION.
How to Get Everyone Speaking
in a Multilevel Class
HOW TO GET EVERYONE SPEAKING IN
A MULTILEVEL CLASS IS A QUESTION
THAT PLAGUES ESL TEACHERS.
You can try role plays, and that works
to some degree, but shy students and
those with less fluency wont participate
at the level teachers would like. Group
discussions can be hit or miss. One so-
lution for the multilevel class is the Stra-
tegic Interaction Method. This method
combines group discussion with role
play and class discussion to encourage
stress free participation from students
at all levels.
HOW TO GET
EVERYONE INVOLVED
1 THE SCENARIO
Strategic Interaction begins with
a scenario. This scenario is a real life
situation in which your students will be
required to use language to solve a
problem. Though a group of students
will receive each scenarios informa-
tion, only one person will perform the
assigned role during the performance
stage. Each groups information about
the scenario is different. They do have
shared information about the situation,
but each group also receives informa-
tion specific to the role assigned to that
group, that is the personal agenda of
the role that group will be fulfilling. This
situation and conflicting agendas will
create tension between the roles and a
conflict which needs to be resolved.
2 REHEARSAL
Students are given time in group
discussion to determine the strategies
they will use in the performance stage.
Though only one student will actually be
performing the interaction, all students
can participate in the rehearsal phase
and give advice to the performer. By
discussing strategies in groups, stu-
dents who are not confident enough to
perform a role play in front of the class
can participate in a less intimidating en-
vironment offering valuable input to the
group and learning from others the lan-
guage needed to accomplish their goal.
3 PERFORMANCE
One student from each group will
participate in the performance stage.
Remember that at this point neither
group knows the agenda of the other,
and each participant has his own agen-
da to accomplish. Students must use
language in strategic ways to try and
achieve their goals. The goal of the dif-
ferent roles will be at odds with each
other, so students must decide if and
when to compromise on their goals.
At any point during the interaction, the
person playing the role can pause the
interaction and consult with his or her
group for advice and input. This gives
strategic interaction an advantage over
the simple role play. Students playing
the roles are freed from the need to
know all the answers and students at all
fluency levels can participate in giving
advice. Still, all students are using real-
istic language to resolve a conflict.
4
DEBRIEFING
After the performance, conduct a
debriefing. Debriefing is the only part
of the activity that happens with the
entire class. In the debriefing stage,
the teacher should lead a discussion
about the interaction. You can encour-
age students to offer opinions about
successful communication strategies or
unsuccessful ones, and provide an op-
portunity for students to ask questions
about any part of the interaction. In ad-
dition, during debriefing students can
share alternative resolutions to the situ-
ations and share how they could have
been achieved. Students find the free-
dom to express their personal opinions
in this stage even though they may not
have been able to perform the role play.
5
POSSIBLE SCENARIOS
In any scenario you use, each role
should have an agenda in conflict with
the agenda of the other role. Here are
two possible scenarios you can use with
your students. You can also easily write
your own as long as each the two agen-
das create tension in the situation.
Scenario One: This scenario between
two friends puts the participants in a
tense situation, each reticent to tell
the other the full truth of what has hap-
pened.
Role A: You borrowed your friends car
to pick your significant other from the
airport. Because you parked the car il-
legally, it was towed. You do not have
money to get the car back from the tow-
ing agency. You are about to meet with
the friend who leant you the car.
Role B: Although you know your friend
can be irresponsible at times, his/her
significant other was flying into town
and you were unavailable to pick that
person up. Instead you loaned your car
to your friend. Thankfully, your friend did
not have any accidents. Because you
have some unpaid parking tickets, the
police would impound your car if any-
thing had happened. You do not have
money to get your car back if something
like that happens. You are about to meet
your friend and get your car back.
Scenario Two: In this situation, each of
the participants has pressure to achieve
an outcome in opposition to the other
participant.
Role A: You are a teacher who has got-
ten much criticism for giving too many
students As. You are on a program this
semester to only give As to the top five
students in your class. If you fail to be
more restrictive in giving high grades,
you may lose your job.
Role B: You are a senior in college and
have achieved a 4.0 up until this se-
mester. Every other semester when you
have failed to get an A, your professor
has allowed you to do makeup work or
retake tests to improve your grade to an
A. You are about to graduate and do not
want your perfect record spoiled. You
are about to meet with the only teacher
who did not give you an A this semes-
ter. Try and get him/her to change your
grade.
AS YOU CAN SEE, STRATEGIC INTER-
ACTION IS ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS
TO GET EVERYONE IN YOUR MULTI-
LEVEL CLASS SPEAKING. BY TAKING
AWAY PRESSURE AND EMBARRASS-
MENT AND GIVING STUDENTS THE
SUPPORT OF THEIR GROUP, YOU
CAN GET EVERYONE IN YOUR CLASS
SPEAKING TODAY.
33
How to Make Students Excited
about Writing
Writing can be difficult to learn, and
even more difficult to teach. For many,
the rules of grammar and spelling can
be complex and overwhelming.
Learning how to organize thoughts and
create a cohesive argument can be just
as confusing. This difficulty can cause
students to feel frustrated and to avoid
or dislike writing, making it even harder
for them to learn to write better. Fortu-
nately, there are many ways that you
can help these students become more
excited about writing to motivate them
to learn and to improve their skills. Here
are a few ideas for your classroom:
HOW TO MAKE
WRITING FUN FOR
STUDENTS WHO DONT
LIKE TO WRITE
1 PRESENT DIFFERENT TYPES
OF WRITING
Academic essays and reports are impor-
tant to learn how to write, but they can be
the most uninteresting and difficult writ-
ing for many students to master. Present
other types of writing to students to help
them find their voice. Try out forms like
poems, short stories, personal essays,
songs, plays, blogs, or even television
shows or commercials. Students can
work on their own creations, or they can
be assigned a portion of a larger class
project, such as a movie, television
show, or play. Not all of these forms will
be popular with all students, but present-
ing these different forms will increase
the likelihood that your students will find
a type of writing that they do enjoy.
2 BRING WRITING TO LIFE
After students have explored dif-
ferent types of writing such as TV shows
or plays, you can offer them additional
motivation by producing some or all of
those works. You can put on a class
play that the students worked on to-
gether, or you can bring a video camera
and let students film short commercials,
mini movies, or even news broadcasts.
Students will take pride in their writing
and will get excited to show off their cre-
ations to fellow students and their par-
ents. Such projects can also help shy
students become more active in class.
Other ideas for bringing students work
34
to life include performing songs, host-
ing a poetry reading, or putting on an art
show illustrating their story characters.
3
CREATE FUN CONTESTS
Encourage students to do their
best work by hosting a variety of contests
throughout the year. Make the catego-
ries broad to allow more opportunities
for different students to win, regardless
of their skill level. For example, besides
best story or poem, categories could
include most unique characters, best (through the collaborative ideas of other
idea, teachers favorite, or even most students), there is less pressure to think
improved. The more interesting the
categories, the more excited students
will be about entering. Contests can be
paired well with productions of student
work, like a play or poetry reading. Make
sure the prizes are interesting enough to
motivate students to enter and do their
best work. A package of pencils isnt
likely to arouse as much excitement as
a pizza party or ice cream social.
4
ENCOURAGE
EXPLORATION
Structured writing prompts have their
place in the classroom, but some stu-
dents will do their best work when they
are left to their own devices. Encourage
students to explore ideas by allowing
activities like freewriting, mind mapping,
or even collage. Journaling or creating
visual mind maps are great ways for stu-
dents to explore their ideas and later or-
ganize their writing.
5 ALLOW THEM TO PUBLISH
Much like seeing their work pro-
duced in the form of a play or video, pub-
lication can motivate students to create
their best work. There are many ways
that you can provide students opportuni-
ties for publication. A blog or class Web
site is an easy way to publish all student
work throughout the year and to make it
easily accessible to other students and
to parents. Blogs also allow for reader
interaction, giving students a chance to
see how others respond to their writing.
Other options can include creating a
class newsletter, a small anthology, or a
public bulletin board (in the school lobby
or hallway, for example).
6 ENCOURAGE
GROUP WORK
Some students need a little encourage-
ment from their peers in order to find
their voice. Help struggling students by
assigning group work. When a student
has a part in a larger project such as a
story, a series of poems, or a play, he
can find inspiration in fellow students
ideas. While it may be intimidating to
write a piece of work from start to fin-
ish, writing only a portion of a larger
piece is much more accessible. When
the parameters for the project are set
of compelling ideas, making it easier to
focus on and strengthen the small part
for which the student is responsible.
7
MAKE STUDENTS
THE AUTHORITIES
Peer editing offers a number of benefits.
Student writers learn to identify weak-
nesses in their writing and how they can
improve their ideas. Student editors can
learn how to strengthen their own writing
by identifying what qualities constitute
good writing. When they are assigned
as editors, students take on a sense of
ownership. They become self-motivated
to learn the rules of good writing -- from
spelling and grammar to proper con-
struction and cohesive structure.
LEARNING HOW TO WRITE WELL IS
A LIFE-LONG PROCESS. EVERY SKILL
LEADS TO ANOTHER, AND EVEN THE
BEST WRITERS CAN IMPROVE UPON
THEIR ABILITIES WITH EXPERIENCE.
If students are not properly inspired to
write, they wont have the motivation
to keep learning and to keep improv-
ing their writing. Finding ways to make
writing fun and interesting can keep stu-
dents motivated in the classroom and
beyond. Presenting different types of
writing, encouraging exploration, and
finding ways to bring student work to life
or offer opportunities for publication are
just some of the ways that teachers can
make writing fun for students who dont
like to write. Every student is different,
and what excites and inspires one stu-
dent will be boring and tedious for an-
other. Keep trying new tactics and adapt
your strategy as needed for your individ-
ual students. You will help your students
learn a skill that will stay with them their
whole lives.
How to Make Your Grammar
Lessons a Little More Interesting
UNLESS LINGUISTICS AND LAN-
GUAGE IS A PASSION, MOST PEOPLE
DESPISE GRAMMAR AND HATE
LEARNING IT.
Indeed, there are many different
teaching methods which people to-
day purport which do not focus on
solely teaching grammar. It is impor-
tant to realize, however, that students
have different learning needs. Some
will take a more logical approach,
grammatical points are in the actual
text. Make this short and quick, and
once they get the hang of it have them
sing the song again. After this, try and
make a game out of it. Select individu-
als to say or sing a verse or phrase
from the song, but change the tense.
This way they will be able to practise
with using the different tenses and
verb forms, but in a much more light-
hearted way.
knowing grammar structures may be
the key to passing it. If the learners
have been doing grammar all along
but still dont understand the mechan-
ics, then it is important to make sure
that they receive a crash course in
it. English grammar can be relatively
simple when it is all laid out. Start
from the beginning, give them a few
practice exercises and let them work
their way up. It is also a good idea to
create a grammar book whereby the

whereas others will be more inclined
to simply use the language as they re-
ceive it. An effective teaching method
is learning how to blend these two
together. Some schools will focus en-
tirely on language acquisition. They
will forgo the use of teaching grammar
techniques. However, when it comes
to teaching in schools and other insti-
tutions this might be required. Some-
times the examinations which stu-
dents are preparing will focus solely
on grammar and therefore it is essen-
tial to know how to get these points
across to the students. There are
many different ways of making gram-
mar a little more interesting. A variety
2
MAKE IT INTO A GAME
There is no doubt that playing
games will make learning a lot easier.
Both adults and children love these.
Perhaps even make it into a compe-
tition. This will often get the students
motivated to get the answers right
and therefore allow them to learn
much faster. Amongst teenagers this
can be particularly effective, whether
the class is divided into two or more
groups. By turning it into a competi-
tion, everyone will become a lot more
active and a lot of fun can be had by
everyone.
students can write down the various
sentence structures and tenses, class
by class, so that they will always have
a reference.
In fact, having a comprehensive ref-
erence for grammar is probably one
of the best things to do. At the begin-
ning of the course, it is a good idea to
start simple and help the students to
work their way up to the more com-
plex forms. A reference will allow them
to be more solidly grounded and can
be good for doing exam revision with.

of different games can be designed in
order to help with this. The Internet is
a brilliant resource when it comes to
this, and is indeed a blessing to many
teachers. Another important thing to
remember is repetition. Repetition will
often allow the words to sink into the
students minds easier.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR
GRAMMAR LESSONS
MORE FUN
3
TELL A STORY
Another way to make grammar
a little easier to digest is to teach it
in the form of storytelling. Perhaps
get the students to form a story
stick whereby everyone contributes
a line to the overall story. If there are
any grammar mistakes in this, then
leave it until the end. When the en-
tire story is finished and written out
on the board, get a student to come
up to it and make the appropriate cor-

1 USING SONGS
Music is often a great way of
getting students to learn. By singing
phrases, this will become embedded
into the mind a lot faster. This is par-
ticularly true if one is teaching children
or even teenagers. In order to do this,
find a song that uses several tenses
or differing grammar points. Get the
rections. With participation from the
class, have the entire text corrected.
Ask the students questions as to why
certain tenses are the way they are.
Having something to focus on like this
will keep the students attention and
therefore allow for the understanding
of grammatical structures to sink in a
lot easier.

students to sing along, and then write
up the lyrics on the board. Get them
then to sing it together, getting the
tune into their head. After this, one
can then quiz them on what tenses or
4
START SIMPLE
If you are preparing students
for a college entrance examination
or any other kind of test, then simply

35
 10 Simple Ways to Make Reading
Class Fun
WHETHER THE KIDS IN YOUR ESL
CLASS ENJOY READING OR IT IS THE
CLASS THEY MOST DREAD, YOU CAN
INSPIRE THEM AND GIVE THEM A
LOVE FOR READING, AND IT IS
EASIER THAN YOU THINK.
These few simple tips can create an
environment in your classroom that
encourages and rewards reading, and
your class will find that reading can be
a blast. Be careful, though. You may
not be able to pull them away from
their books if you do!
HOW TO MAKE YOUR
READING CLASS FUN:
10 SIMPLE WAYS
1 CREATE A STAR STUDDED
BULLETIN BOARD
What you use to motivate your stu-
dents to read can also double as a
permanent classroom decoration this
school year. Create a star-studded
bulletin board that awards kids for
reading books on their own. Start by
taking a photograph of each child in
your class and posting it on the bulle-
tin board. Title the bulletin board Star
Readers and be sure each childs
picture is posted. Then, show your
students how to keep a reading log.
In the log, they should keep a list of
the books that they read and the days
they read them along with any other
information you want them to provide.
Each week, review the reading logs
and give each student one star sticker
for every book he or she has read.
Kids can then put the stars up near
their picture on the bulletin board.
The more they read, the more stick-
ers they get. As the year progresses,
the bulletin board will be covered with
stars and your class will have a physi-
cal representation of all that they read!
2 HOST A BOOK EXCHANGE
Working with another class in the
school, host a class book exchange.
Have your students work together to
choose the books that they most like
to trade with another class. The other
class does the same with their own
36
set of books. Bring the two classes to-
gether, and have each group say what
they like about the books that they
chose. Take the books back to your
own classroom, and you can then
let children borrow the books or read
them together as a class. After a set
amount of time, come together again
to return the books and allow pairs of
students to discuss what they thought
of the books that they read.
3
FILL A WAGON
A reading wagon can be fun and
functional for your reading class. Ac-
quire a wagon to keep in your class-
room (you can use any pull vehicle if
a wagon is not available) and allow
your class to decorate it. Then, ask
students to fill the wagon with books
that they like most. Even better, gath-
er a collection of books that fit with a
theme you are studying in class (your
childrens librarian can be a big help
with this). During independent read-
ing time, select a student to pull the
wagon around the classroom and de-
liver books to his classmates. As the
wagon stops at each child, he or she
can choose a book to read from the
wagon. When reading time is over,
send the wagon around again so kids
can return their books.
4 SERIAL STORIES
Some children will never forget
the books that their reading teacher
shared with the class. Choose a win-
ning chapter book that your class is
sure to love, and read a short selec-
tion to the class every day. Make sure
you stop reading at an exciting part
in the book so your class is eager for
story time tomorrow! Once the book
is finished, make it available to your
students to read independently. Your
students will enjoy hearing a good
story as a group, and reading to your
students will increase their interest in
further reading.
5 SOUND OFF
Adding sound effects to your
read aloud stories is fun and engaging
for students. Assign several students
in your class a sound to make when
a particular word appears in a read
aloud text. For example, if you were
reading the three little pigs, you might
have one student sound like the wind
when you read huff and puff and have
another student oink when you read
the word pig. Then, as you read allow
your students to add the effects to the
story. It will keep them engaged and
entertained and also aid in compre-
hension of lower level students.
6 DESIGNATE A PLACE
Providing your students a com-
fortable and fun place to read in class
will motivate them to grab a book
for some independent reading time.
Many styles of play tents are available
for purchase, but even something as
simple as an appliance box can be
transformed into a reading nook. Cut
windows and a door out of the box
and let your students decorate it to
look like a clubhouse. Put a comfort-
able chair inside and hang a sign on
the door that says, Shhh! Someone
is Reading. When you give your stu-
dents independent reading time, al-
low one student at a time to go in the
reading clubhouse to enjoy his book.
7 A PLACE TO SHARE
Keep your eyes opened for a
large, stuffed chair that you can put
into a corner of your classroom. You
may find one at a flea market, a ga-
rage sale or even on the curb waiting
to be taken away. A large chair that
will fit two children in your class is
best, and then designate it the read-
ing pair chair. Two at a time, students
can sit in this chair while they read a
book to one another. This will not only
encourage reading, it will give your
students practice in reading aloud and
give them a chance to work on pro-
nunciation and fluency.
8 GET IT COVERED
Bring your students creativ-
ity into your classroom with a bulletin
board titled Reading, We Have it Cov-
ered. Whenever one of your students
completes a book, allow him or her to
design an original cover for the book.
You can supply various art materials
or simply allow your students to draw
a cover. Then post the book cover on
the bulletin board. Kids will love cre-
ating their own covers, and they will
serve double as advertisements for
the books to your other students.

9 ENGAGE THE LISTENERS

The next time you have inde-
pendent reading period, play some
classical or smooth jazz music in the
background. The music will keep au-
ditory learners more engaged in the
activity without distracting them with
lyrics. Playing music also creates a
different mood in the classroom that
your class is sure to enjoy.

10 THE MAGIC CARPET

Kids love imaginary stories
that include magic, mythical creatures
and fantastical stories, and those tales
can have a permanent place on the
magic carpet in your classroom. Gath-
er a collection of fairytale stories and
put them on an area rug in the corner
of your classroom. Tell your students
that this magic carpet will take them to
far off places and lands where magic
flourishes. Kids will enjoy sitting or
laying on the rug and reading stories
about the far away fantastical places!

THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO

MAKE READING CLASS FUN FOR
YOUR ESL STUDENTS.
With a little imagination and some
preparation, your reading time can be
engaging and inviting, but be warned.
Your class may want reading to last
all day long.

37