Vol. 4 Issue 45 – Article: 'How to Stimulate Conversation in the ESL Classroom' by Lenore Holditch

** This article is submitted by Lenore Holditch.

While some teachers complain about chatty and unruly students, ESL teachers often struggle with the opposite problem. Students can be despondent and unnaturally quiet during ESL classes, and even the most upbeat and energetic teachers can encounter daunting silences and weak discussions.

When learning a new language, many students are reluctant to participate in conversational exercises. However, doing well on paper – through reading and writing – is only half of the equation. We know that a successful ESL classroom promotes peer-to-peer discussion, but how do we create such an environment?

Become the “Guide on the Side”

Classroom models in all subjects are shifting to include more peer-to-peer interaction. One of the catch phrases of this new movement is to move away from being “the sage on the stage” to the “guide on the side”. In the ESL environment, this teaching model works extremely well.

Becoming the “guide on the side” means moving away from excessive teacher talk time (TTT) and devoting class time to more interactive, engaging and participatory activities that highlight student knowledge. This gives ESL students more time to practice listening and speaking skills, and it also gives teachers the opportunity to evaluate students. Simply by listening to the peer-to-peer conversations, teachers can tune into each student’s level of understanding.

Build Teams, Relationships and Rapport

Students are often reluctant to venture outside of their comfort zones, and social pressures and fears of imperfection can make certain students even more reluctant to speak in English. In day-to-day life, we attempt to avoid saying the “wrong” things, but students who are uncomfortable speaking in English lose this sensibility. Without perspective of right or wrong, students will resist speaking.

The ideal ESL environment is one in which each student is comfortable talking to every other student in the classroom. To achieve this, it is necessary for teachers to lead team building exercises and also be aware of individual student needs. As classroom leaders, teachers must foster an environment in which students become comfortable with their temporary imperfections and are excited about testing their English skills. This calls for strong rapport between teachers and students.

Set Clear Expectations

Planning each lesson with a clear objective in mind is a basic, yet crucial element to a successful classroom experience. Students are often exposed to classroom goals at the beginning of the semester, but these statements are often so overarching and generic that they fail to serve as a learning guide. Instead of highlighting subject matter that will be learned, classroom goals should establish the applicable skills that will be displayed during each lesson.

When teachers present students with quantifiable goals, both parties benefit. The student earns the satisfaction of reaching a milestone, while the teacher is able to monitor specific areas of focus within the perspective of an established benchmark. For example, “Expanding vocabulary” becomes “Students will incorporate 5 fruits and 5 vegetables into a conversation about grocery shopping.”

Introduce Relevant Topics

It is inevitable that some of the themes and conversations in ESL classrooms aren’t going to be celebrated by students. However, to promote conversation, teachers can dedicate class time to topics and current events that are of interest to students. Students will be more engaged in a conversation that discusses material that is interesting to them.

Another way to engage students is to allow the flexibility to personalize information. One example of this is to customize lesson plans or alter questions to accommodate the first-person point of view. Allowing students to share opinions or interesting tidbits is a great method to encourage confidence among ESL students. A common exercise is to discuss a current event and ask students what they would have done differently or what advice they would offer the local government.

Lenore Holditch is a regular contributor to www.toponlinecolleges.com welcomes your feedback and comments.