by Jacob Lasilas

Created on: January 02, 2010   Last Updated: January 03, 2010

There are many things that can make an ESL class successful.  Students and teachers contribute to the success or failure of a class.  An ESL class is successful if the students are learning the language well enough to get their needs met.  Here are three things the teacher can do that will ensure a successful class.

The most essential element for successful ESL classroom teaching is to acknowledge the students' culture.  Most students are in an ESL class because they need to learn the language of the country they are currently living in.  They need to be able to communicate with those around them to have their needs met.  They need to obtain employment, housing and medical services.  What they are not looking to do is to forget where they came from and disregard their home country. Incorporating things from their own culture and showing that you care about where they are coming from will go a long way in getting the students to open up and relate to you.  It gives everyone a chance to learn about different cultures and to compare and contrast the other cultures to their own.

A close second most essential element is finding out what the students' needs are.  If the students are having difficulty in the workplace because they do not know the vocabulary then your lessons should be tailored to meet these needs so the students can perform better in the workplace.  If the students feel uncomfortable going to a restaurant because they can’t order food then this is a problem that is affecting their quality of life and you can create lessons to help them feel more comfortable with this.  If your lessons are not helping the students meet their needs then they are less likely to use the concepts and vocabulary you are teaching them and will not remember the material as well as they would if they were to use it all the time.

If you are going to focus on only three elements the last should be the energy level of the class.  This can apply to all classrooms and not just to the ESL classroom.  For every concept you need to teach have a low-energy and a high-energy lesson plan.  If the students have a low level of energy coming in to your class then your lesson should reflect the general atmosphere and be low-key.  If you try to get a class out of their seats moving around and they just feel like sitting there your lesson will not be as successful as it would be with a high-energy class.  On the other hand if your plan for the class is to sit in their seats for the duration of the class and they can’t seem to sit still it’s best to harness their energy and direct it to learning by getting them up out of their seats for an activity.

Doing any of the above suggestions will contribute to the success of the class but combining all three will almost ensure the students in your class are happy and learning.

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