• Main
    • About our Curriculum
    • About Us
    • Contact
    • Copyright Notice
    • Charities we Support
    • License our ESL Curriculum
  • Curriculum
    • Beginners
    • High Beginners
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    • Children’s ESL Textbooks
    • Children’s Storybooks
    • Children’s ESL Graphic Novels
    • Children’s Curriculum FAQ
    • Listening and Speaking English
    • Textbooks and Curriculum FAQ
    • Try a Free Sample of Our ESL Curriculum
  • Activities
    • Free Activities
    • Beginners
      • Beginners Games
      • Beginners Special
      • How Many Some
      • Weekend Conversation
    • Intermediate
      • Seeing the World
      • The Windfall
      • A Trip to Canada
    • Advanced
      • Life Stories
      • The Lady who Knew too Much
      • The Caribbean Cruise
      • Body in the Study
      • A Moral Dilemma Discussion
      • Stolen Funds Discussion
    • Activity Books
  • Listening and Speaking
    • Learning English
    • English Practice Questions
  • ESL Tests
    • IELTS
    • MELAB
    • TOEIC
    • TOEFL
  • 中国
    • 像应对托福TOEFL, 托业TOEIC or 雅思IELTS考试一样应对ESL考试?
    • 想提高你的词汇量吗?
    • 雅思
    • 托业
    • 托福
    • 阅读理解 练习题
    • 选择题的秘诀
  • Online Courses
    • Listening Comprehension (Intermediate to Advanced)
    • Reading Comprehension (Intermediate to Advanced)
Learning English with LaughterLearning English with Laughter
  • Main
    • About our Curriculum
    • About Us
    • Contact
    • Copyright Notice
    • Charities we Support
    • License our ESL Curriculum
  • Curriculum
    • Beginners
    • High Beginners
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced
    • Children’s ESL Textbooks
    • Children’s Storybooks
    • Children’s ESL Graphic Novels
    • Children’s Curriculum FAQ
    • Listening and Speaking English
    • Textbooks and Curriculum FAQ
    • Try a Free Sample of Our ESL Curriculum
  • Activities
    • Free Activities
    • Beginners
      • Beginners Games
      • Beginners Special
      • How Many Some
      • Weekend Conversation
    • Intermediate
      • Seeing the World
      • The Windfall
      • A Trip to Canada
    • Advanced
      • Life Stories
      • The Lady who Knew too Much
      • The Caribbean Cruise
      • Body in the Study
      • A Moral Dilemma Discussion
      • Stolen Funds Discussion
    • Activity Books
  • Listening and Speaking
    • Learning English
    • English Practice Questions
  • ESL Tests
    • IELTS
    • MELAB
    • TOEIC
    • TOEFL
  • 中国
    • 像应对托福TOEFL, 托业TOEIC or 雅思IELTS考试一样应对ESL考试?
    • 想提高你的词汇量吗?
    • 雅思
    • 托业
    • 托福
    • 阅读理解 练习题
    • 选择题的秘诀
  • Online Courses
    • Listening Comprehension (Intermediate to Advanced)
    • Reading Comprehension (Intermediate to Advanced)

Blog

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Maintaining Students Interest in the EFL ESL Classroom

Maintaining Students Interest in the EFL ESL Classroom

  • Posted by Brian
  • Categories Blog, Teaching Activities
  • Date July 24, 2018

Maintaining Interest is Critical

When we at Successful ESL first started teaching ESL classes, one of the very first things that we learned was the alarming student drop out rate, even when you have a good curriculum. There are always those that think it would be real cool to speak English, but lose interest when they find that there is a certain amount of hard work involved. These people often quit after just a few lessons. The challenge for the teacher is: “How am I going to motivate my students so they will keep coming to class?”

Measuring Achievement

The most important answer to that question is achievement. Students must feel that they are making progress, or they will become discouraged. Your ESLcurriculum should have frequent tests. Rather than dreading these tests, students soon learn that they can be used as a learning tool. If a student can make a mark in the 90’s, they will feel confident, and then study their test to see where they made their mistakes.

Variety

There are always times when a class becomes restless, and doesn’t seem to be responding well to what is said. This is the time to be flexible. We often prepared some fun activities and put them in a file folder which we took to class. When the class seems out of sorts, stop what you are doing and do a fun activity. It is surprising how quickly the tone of the class will change. You will find that students who were discouraged and restless are suddenly having fun, (and learning lots of English in the process.)

Advertisement

Small Group Work

An ESL curriculum should include lots of small group work. Students always enjoy working in a small group with their friends. There are many activities available for sale, and many free ones that are to be found in blogs.

Role-plays

Some students really enjoy role-plays. We had a class once that asked if they could delay presenting their role plays till the next class, so that they could bring some props and costumes with them next time. While the students are preparing their role-plays, it is a good idea for the teacher to get around and do some corrections on their scripts, so that the class will be hearing correct English during the “production”.  Introducing Role Play    Suggested Verb Tense Role Play

Bingo Games

Bingo games are a perennial favorite, and at the same time a very good learning tool. If your ESL curriculum does not include these, they can be purchased separately.

Picture Activities

Cut unusual pictures from magazines, and stick funny captions on them with computer labels. Divide the class into groups of three or four, and give each group one of the pictures. Ask them to make a short story, based upon the picture and the caption. After a set period of time ask that a spokesperson for each group read out their story. These are always fun, and it is surprising the vocabulary that the students will find in their dictionaries.

Written by, Brian Stocker MA., Complete Test Preparation Inc. Date Published: 2018-07-24 Date Modified: 2019-02-28
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
0 Shares
  • Share:
author avatar
Brian

Previous post

Get Kids Interested and Excited About Learning English
July 24, 2018

Next post

How to Improve your Teaching
September 13, 2018

You may also like

Classroom_at_a_seconday_school_in_Pendembu_Sierra_Leone-300×196
How to Improve your Teaching
13 September, 2018
Nepal2
Developing Listening Comprehension in Children
28 May, 2018
haiti
Spending Less on Curriculum
14 May, 2018

Leave A Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search

Menu

  • Home
  • Curriculum
  • Blog
  • ESL Activities
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Activities
  • Listening and Speaking English
  • Practice Questions

Advertisement

Contact Us

Company

  • Contact
  • About Us
  • About our Products
  • Charities we Support
  • License our ESL Curriculum
  • Teaching Philosophy

Links

  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Teen Adult Textbooks Curriculum FAQ
  • ESL Activities FAQ
  • Children’s Curriculum FAQ

  • Privacy
  • Copyright Notice