Teaching English to beginners: essential tips and tricks

Have you ever found yourself in a completely new environment, trying to navigate without knowing the local language? It can be daunting and overwhelming, right?

Now, imagine your students feeling the same way as they step into your classroom for the first time, eager but nervous to learn English. It’s our job as teachers to guide them through this journey with patience, encouragement, and a well-thought-out plan!

In this blog, we’ll explore practical strategies to make your English lessons engaging and effective for beginners. From setting clear, achievable goals to incorporating fun activities that spark interest, we’ve got you covered. So, let’s dive in and start this exciting journey together!

1. Set a clear and achievable goal

Imagine starting a road trip without a destination in mind. You’d end up driving aimlessly, wasting time and energy. The same goes for teaching. Establishing clear, achievable goals for your lessons gives your students a sense of direction and purpose.

Know exactly what students should achieve by the end of the lesson. Clearly state the goals to students at the beginning of the lesson. For example, “Today, we will learn how to ask for directions and how to give simple directions.” Reinforce the goals throughout the lesson by repeating key phrases and practicing through various activities.

For instance, use role-playing exercises where one student asks for directions and another provides them. This ensures they practice the targeted questions and answers, solidifying their understanding and building confidence in using new language skills.

Here’s a more practical example:

Lesson goal: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to ask and answer questions about daily routines.

Target questions:

“What time do you wake up?”
“When do you have breakfast?”
“How do you go to work/school?”
“What do you do after work/school?”
“When do you go to bed?”

Activities:

A. Warm-up:

Introduction: Begin with a brief discussion on daily routines, using simple language and visuals (pictures of clocks, meals, modes of transportation, etc.).

Modeling: Teacher models asking and answering the target questions with another teacher or a student.

B. Pair Work:

Practice: Students pair up and practice asking and answering the target questions with each other.

Example Dialogue:

Student A: “What time do you wake up?”

Student B: “I wake up at 7:00 AM. What time do you wake up?”

C. Group Activity:

Role Play: Create a role-play activity where students must interview each other about their daily routines. Each student takes turns being the interviewer and the interviewee.

D. Interactive Game:

Game: Conduct a “Find Someone Who…” game. Each student has a worksheet with different questions (related to daily routines) and they must find classmates who match the answers. For example, “Find someone who wakes up at 6:00 AM.”

E. Class Discussion:

Share: Gather the class and ask a few students to share their partners’ answers with the group. This encourages listening and speaking in a larger group setting.

Example: “Maria wakes up at 7:00 AM and she has breakfast at 8:00 AM.”

F. Review and Feedback:

Review: Recap the lesson by reviewing the target questions and answers on the board.

Feedback: Provide feedback on common mistakes and correct them as a group.

Practice: Encourage students to use these questions in their daily conversations outside the classroom.

G. Homework:

Assignment: Ask students to write a short paragraph about their daily routines using the questions practiced in class. This reinforces what they’ve learned and provides written practice.

2. Assume they know nothing

When teaching beginner English, it’s crucial to approach your lessons as if your students have no prior knowledge. Pre-teach and elicit every word and phrase to ensure understanding. This means breaking down the language into its simplest components and explaining everything from the ground up.

For example, when teaching how to introduce oneself, don’t assume your students know basic greetings. Start with, “Hello, my name is…” and explain each part of the sentence. Use visuals, gestures, and repetition to reinforce these new words and phrases.

By treating students as if they are complete beginners, you create a strong foundation for their learning. This approach helps eliminate any gaps in knowledge and ensures that all students are on the same page, building their confidence step by step.

3. Minimize Teacher Talking Time (TTT)

Ever been in a meeting where one person just kept talking, and you felt like you never had a chance to contribute? That’s what it feels like for students when a teacher dominates the classroom talk!

When teaching beginner English, it’s essential to speak only when necessary and use simple, relevant language. Avoid confusing students with unnecessary vocabulary. The less you talk, the more opportunities your students have to practice speaking.

Instead of lengthy explanations, use modeling and demonstration. Show rather than tell! Use gestures, visuals, and examples to convey meaning without over-explaining. This approach makes it easier for students to grasp new concepts and encourages them to use the language themselves.

The goal is to maximize student talking time (STT). Create activities that require students to speak to each other, such as pair work, group discussions, and role plays. By stepping back and letting your students take the lead, you create a more dynamic and engaging learning environment. After all, the more they talk, the more they learn!

4. Slow down your speech

Ever tried following along with a fast-paced audiobook in a language you’re still learning? It’s frustrating and nearly impossible to keep up, right?

When teaching beginner English, it’s essential to slow down your speech. Speak at half speed to ensure comprehension while maintaining a natural tone. This way, you avoid sounding robotic or unnatural, and your students can better grasp each word and phrase.

Slowing down your speech gives students the time they need to process and understand what you’re saying. It also models clear pronunciation and proper sentence structure, which they can mimic in their own speech!

5. Teach language chunks

Language chunks are phrases or expressions that have high utility in everyday communication. Focus on phrases that students can use immediately in practical situations. For example, teach them to say, “How much does this cost?” or “Can you help me?”

Chunks serve as building blocks for more complex language use in the future. Start with simple chunks and gradually introduce variations or extensions. Teaching chunks in context helps students understand how and when to use them.

Introduce chunks through dialogues, stories, or situational role plays. This way, students can see these phrases in action and practice using them in real-life scenarios. By learning language chunks, students gain confidence and fluency, making their communication more natural and effective.

Here’s a more practical example:

Lesson goal: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to use common language chunks for making plans and expressing preferences.

Target Chunks:

“I would like to…”
“Do you want to…?”
“How about we…?”
“Let’s…”
“I prefer…”

Activities:

A. Warm-up:

Introduction: Introduce the concept of language chunks and explain their importance in everyday communication.

Modeling: Teacher uses each chunk in a sentence and provides examples.

Example: “I would like to go to the park.” “Do you want to watch a movie?”

B. Guided Practice:

Repetition: Teacher says a chunk, and students repeat.

Substitution drills: Teacher provides a base sentence, and students change the activity or preference.

Example:

Teacher: “I would like to eat pizza.”

Students: “I would like to eat sushi.”

C. Pair Work:

Conversation practice: Students work in pairs to make plans using the target chunks.

Example dialogue:

Student A: “Do you want to go to the mall?”

Student B: “Yes, I would like to go to the mall.”

D. Group Activity:

Role Play: Create scenarios where students must make plans or express preferences.

Scenario: Planning a weekend outing.

Example:

Student A: “How about we go hiking?”

Student B: “I prefer going to the beach. Let’s go to the beach instead.”

E. Class Discussion:

Sharing: Ask groups to share their plans with the class using the target chunks.

Example: “We decided to go to the beach because we all like swimming.”

F. Interactive Game:

Game: Conduct a “Find Someone Who…” activity where students find classmates who match specific preferences.

Worksheet: “Find someone who prefers pizza over burgers.”

G. Review and Feedback:

Review: Recap the target chunks by writing them on the board and asking students to provide additional examples.

Feedback: Correct any common mistakes and reinforce the correct usage of the chunks.

6. Correct mistakes immediately

Imagine trying to learn a new skill, like playing the piano, and not being corrected on your mistakes right away. You’d likely develop bad habits that are hard to break later on. The same principle applies when learning a new language.

Correcting errors frequently helps students learn the correct forms from the beginning. Address errors as they occur to prevent bad habits from forming. However, error correction should be done in a way that supports and encourages students rather than making them feel incapable.

Use positive reinforcement and gentle corrections. Correct errors immediately but subtly, so the flow of conversation is not interrupted. For instance, if a student says, “I enjoys reading,” you can repeats, “I enjoy reading. Good try, now say it with ‘enjoy’.”

Encourage self-correction to reinforce learning and boost confidence. Ask questions that prompt students to think about their errors and correct them on their own. For example, “Does that sound right?” or “Can you try that sentence again?”

By correcting errors immediately and encouraging self-correction, you help students build a strong foundation and confidence in their language skills.

7. Teach contractions from day one

Suppose you’re learning to speak a new language, only to find out later that everyone speaks in a completely different way than you were taught.

Frustrating, right?

To help your students sound more natural and improve their fluency, introduce contractions from day one. Teaching contractions like “I’m” instead of “I am” or “they’re” instead of “they are” immediately familiarizes students with how native speakers commonly speak.

When you introduce a new phrase or sentence, include the contraction. For example, teach “I’m happy” alongside “I am happy.” This helps students get used to hearing and using contractions, making their speech more fluid and natural.

Incorporate contractions into your lessons through listening exercises, dialogues, and role plays. Show them how contractions fit into everyday conversation and provide plenty of practice opportunities. By starting with contractions early, you set your students up for more authentic and fluent communication.

Summary

Remember, the key to successful teaching is patience, creativity, and consistency. Each student is unique, and adapting these strategies to fit their needs will help them build a strong foundation in English. Celebrate their progress, no matter how small, and encourage them every step of the way.

By implementing these tips, you’ll not only make your lessons more engaging and interactive but also empower your students to communicate confidently in English. Happy teaching!

At IELC, we teach English the right way

Our goal is to get you speaking in English with fluency and confidence as fast as possible. We want to give you the skills you need to fulfil your potential!

Our experienced teachers will guide you along every step of the learning process to ensure that you are not wasting your time, money, and energy on useless language exercises & wrong methods.