Make it Fun and Lifelong! Best Practices for Beginner ESL Speaking Classes

About This Session

Description

Beginner ESL classes speaking and listening classes play a crucial role in paving the right path for adult learners to begin their lifelong English language learning journey well. However, beginner ESL learners are particularly more likely to lose interest in practicing speaking and actively participating in a classroom when instructional methods and activities feel overwhelming or difficult to follow.

This session aims to equip ESL instructors with effective strategies and tools to guide the learners to build the appropriate level of confidence, mindset, and skills necessary to continue developing their fluency in English inside and beyond the classroom walls. Using real-life examples, this session outlines best practices for creating dynamic and communicative beginner adult ESL speaking classes that support lifelong learning goals.

What we'll cover:

Through an interactive presentation, this session will examine possible teaching challenges in beginner ESL speaking classes from both instructor and learners’ perspectives. What does a low engagement speaking class look like, and how can instructors foster a more communicative and dynamic learning environment?

Drawing from over eleven years of experience in adult ESL/EFL instruction, the presenter will share real-life examples and best practices to make beginner ESL speaking classes more engaging and effective. The session will emphasize how these strategies align with lifelong learning goals, empowering learners to build confidence and fluency over time. We will discuss how to use humor and memes, build a communicative classroom culture, design communicative activities and assignments, leverage learners’ diverse cultures for engagement, and foster strong instructor-learner rapport.

By the end of the session, participants will gain practical strategies to support adult learners in developing the confidence, mindset, and skills necessary to enhance their English fluency both inside and beyond the classroom. The session will conclude with a reflective discussion on how attendees can implement these practices in their own teaching contexts.