It is important for TEFL teachers to make their class as engaged as possible. When students are engaged in the classroom, they are more likely to become curious in the learning process, develop necessary English language skills and ask questions more freely. By creating a more engaging environment you could encourage your students to use English more authentically and confidently.

Here are some ideas you can use in your classroom to make teaching more fun and rewarding to your students.

Break the Ice

It is very important that students know each other well and do not feel like they are studying in a group of strangers. It is also crucial for the teacher to get to know their students better so they feel more comfortable and open. Encourage them to speak about their hobbies and interests. Studying a language is a form of self-expression and creating a safe environment for students will help them to speak up and learn how to express their individuality through language. Foster connections between students – organise group work and projects.

Incorporate games

No matter if you are teaching children or adults, fun games can be extremely beneficial. Games encourage students to actively participate, make decisions and think creatively and critically. You can incorporate different games into different areas – let it be reading, writing, listening or speaking. However, remember that games should never be forced and pay attention if a student does not want to engage. In this case, you can try repeating the instructions or changing the game. Here are some 5 minute games you can get inspiration from for your next lesson:

Celebrate every accomplishment

As a teacher, you have probably already noticed that each student learns differently and at their own pace. While one student may find debating a topic very easy, another student might struggle with expressing their opinions but be better at writing essays. This is why it is essential to highlight every achievement, even if it is small. The students will be more motivated to continue working hard on their next goal on the road to fluency. Knowing that they are not judged for their mistakes, students will be more comfortable and engaged in the classroom. Let your students know that every small step matters! For example, at the end of every lesson you can ask your students to share what they have learned on that day – they will realise that every day they are getting closer to their goal!

Be engaged and enthusiastic 

As silly as it sounds, if you want your students to be engaged, you as a teacher need to be engaged too! Enthusiasm is contagious and students will be more likely to be motivated to learn English if you are interested and excited about the language.

Keep their attention span in mind

Depending on the age of your students, they will be able to focus on interesting tasks only for a specific amount of time, starting from 10 minutes in kindergartens and 45 minutes on average in adults, according to the American Psychology Society. Make sure to not overload your students with difficult, mentally exhausting tasks and remember to take breaks. Incorporate ‘easier’ activities, for example, watching a fun video. This way students will not get overwhelmed by the amount of information and will be able to focus for longer periods of time.

If you’re interested in continuing your professional development and making all of your classes as engaging as possible, check out our short courses.