Teaching ideas
5 Practical ESL Teaching Methods to Get Students Talking
A student can finish a worksheet and still struggle to answer a simple question. When that happens, I’d look at what the lesson asks them to do: are they choosing answers, repeating yours, or actually sharing something?
These five approaches give students different ways to take part. You don’t need to fit all five into every class. You’re teaching a lesson, not competing in the ESL Olympics. Choose the ones that match your students and the language you want them to use.
1. Give students something real to communicate
Communicative teaching gives language a purpose. Asking a student to name a picture can be useful practice, but a conversation becomes more meaningful when the answer tells someone something they don’t already know.
Try it: choose a class snack
Give students three food pictures. Model “Do you like apples?” and “Yes, I do.” Students ask each other, record the answers, and choose a snack that most of the group likes. In a one-to-one lesson, the student can interview you.
Keep a sentence frame visible for beginners. As they become more comfortable, cover part of it and let them answer with less help. A natural short answer is fine when the goal is communication.
2. Set a small task with a clear result
A task gives students a reason to listen and respond. They might plan a picnic, agree on three things to pack, or work out which picture their partner has.
For beginners, model the language first and offer a small set of choices. For stronger students, add a constraint: they have a budget, limited space, or different preferences. Finish by asking them to explain their decision.
3. Let beginners show understanding through actions
Total Physical Response, or TPR, connects language with movement. Say “Put the pencil under the book,” demonstrate, and then let the student try with a different object.
Online, use objects students already have nearby. Offer pointing, eye gaze, or a verbal response when movement isn’t suitable. Once the student understands the routine, invite them to give you an instruction.
4. Use a speaking pattern, then change the situation
Repeated practice can help students get started. The next step is making sure they can use the pattern without simply copying you.
Model “Where is the bag?” with a picture. Practice together, then show a new picture and switch roles. The student asks; you answer. Finally, ask about something in the student’s own room or a different scene.
5. Connect reading practice with meaning
For beginning readers, teach sound–spelling links explicitly and provide reading practice that matches what they have learned. After a student reads a word, check that they understand it.
A student who reads “map” can point to a map, draw one, or explain what it is in a language they know. Reading the word and understanding the word are separate things to check.
Choose one change for your next lesson
Take an activity you already use and add one step: a real choice, a new partner, a different picture, or a chance for the student to ask the question. That gives you a clearer picture of what they can do independently.
Further reading: British Council guidance on communicative teaching, task-based learning, and TPR.