English is the global business language of the day. Many schools, colleges, and universities offer English tuition for students and business professionals. With the increasing demand for English, many ESL teachers are also trained to meet the global demand for ESL training needs.

For example, in many Asian and African countries, the English language is taught as a second or third language. Also, there are many varieties of English given the influences of the mother tongue in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, India, Brunei, Australia, and Canada. As an ESL teacher, he will find that this ESL teaching guide gives him a quick checklist of tips to help make his ESL classes fun and easy for foreign students.

1) Understand your ESL students:

Basically, you will have two types of students: school students and corporate clients. ESL school students are those who do not have English as their first language. They need help with basic English grammar as well as advanced English conversation for daily life. Corporate business clients are those managers and employees who need to brush up on their English in an ESL class for effective global business communication. By understanding your ESL students, you will be able to design teaching strategies that address their specific needs.

2) Break the ice:

Breaking the silence in the first 10 minutes of each ESL class is essential for success. Most ESL students are very shy to speak and write anything in English. With a positive and supportive learning environment, you can encourage them to try speaking and writing English every day. To break the ice, you will need to make the first 10 minutes the most fun and relaxing so that your students open up and speak English freely through mini-games and exercises. Make up fun games for them to introduce themselves, tell funny stories, or explain something in English.

3) Create interactive activities:

Learning English shouldn’t be boring. Make your classes fun and interactive for all your ESL students. So they will be interested in learning and engaged throughout the lessons. Organize learning activities that keep your ESL students engaged and allow them to learn from each other. Ask for their opinions and suggestions on new topics. Discuss the problems and challenges they encounter when speaking and writing in English. Integrate seasonal events (for example, New Years, Thanksgiving, and Christmas) as part of your teaching curriculum.

4) Focus on communication skills:

If there’s one thing you can teach ESL students, it’s to focus on your communication skills. This means helping them improve daily conversations with others, polishing their phone manners, and polishing their writing style. With phone conversations, ESL students won’t have visual cues, so it’s important to speak clearly and slowly. When in doubt, they should always ask a question to clarify and confirm what they mean. With written communication, ESL students just need to practice writing something or anything every day, from a simple note, letter, invitation, or email to a full essay or report assignment. Teach them the correct choice of words and phrases to minimize confusion for others. Practice speaking in front of a mirror every morning and night.

5) Work on vocabulary:

Very often ESL students are unable to communicate well due to their lack of proper vocabulary. Then, without the right words, they face social and cultural barriers to communicate effectively in different situations. Help your students to develop their vocabulary using different teaching aids. Create flash cards. Create digital folders. Use some of the latest games and apps on mobile devices. Focus on what kind of vocabulary will help them communicate well in school or business settings. In some cases, English words have different meanings for different cultures and situations, so it is your job as an ESL teacher to clarify and explain how to use those words in detail.

6) Practice with role plays:

The best way to learn is through real life situations. In your classroom, you can always use role-play exercises to create situations that mimic how ESL students should speak and respond to others. For example, you might have different scenarios, from ordering fast food and dining at a fancy restaurant to having a job interview and talking to a client. In this way, your ESL students will learn to observe, listen and respond in various situations.

7) Teach social and business etiquette:

Helping your ESL students to be effective communicators also means teaching them social and business etiquette. This means teaching them manners, courtesy, social norms, business customs, and cultural patterns. ESL students will need to learn to communicate with appropriate words and manners from informal to formal settings. More importantly, it can teach ESL students verbal and non-verbal communication skills and techniques. For example, how to make good eye contact, shake hands, greet people, and express yourself through facial expression and body gestures.

8) Provide Constructive Feedback:

Anyone can give an opinion or feedback, but you as an ESL teacher should provide the most positive and constructive feedback to your ESL students. They need to feel encouraged and supported to continue learning and improving their English. Learning a new language like English is difficult for some because your own native language can have a very different linguistic structure and sound. Your positive attitude will translate into your positive mindset for learning English. Provide specific examples and tips to help them understand what is right and wrong to speak and write every day.

With these eight ESL teaching strategies and techniques above, you will become a very efficient and effective ESL teacher who will be liked by all your ESL students. Even if there is a quiz, test, or grade on paper, your ESL students will only remember what they have experienced and how they felt in each ESL class. You are there to provide a positive, supportive, and constructive learning environment without judgment, but only opportunities to learn and grow as individuals. Be Proud of yourself.