7 ESL Lesson Planning Tips for Beginners

Are you one of those teachers looking to figure out the best lesson plan on ESL for beginners? If so, you may want to read the seven tips in this article to ensure you have the right lesson plan for your students.

What Is ESL for Beginners?

English as a Second Language (ESL) is the practice of teaching students who do not possess a sufficient understanding of the English language. With ESL, students are provided with English instruction appropriate to their level of skill to have the ability to communicate in English.

ESL for beginners is a program where people who don’t speak English as a primary language are taught English.

For example, someone in an ESL class may be learning how to read, write, and speak English. It also includes how to take notes effectively, how to assemble a written sentence, and other valuable educational skills.

7 Tips for Creating ESL Lesson Plan for Beginners

Needless to say, teaching English is a taught skill. This being said, it is great to plan ahead for any lesson so that it runs as smoothly as possible. Below are seven tips for creating an effective ESL lesson plan for beginners.

1. Know Your Students

Knowing who you have and who you have to teach or direct your lessons towards is vital in the planning process. Teenagers will struggle to learn nursery rhymes, but adults may need to study business English even if they are only beginning the language. For any ESL course, you will need to know who is in the class, how much experience they have, and their course level.

2. Develop a Clear Plan Beforehand

You should start by developing a clear plan. Why are you offering lessons? What do you want the students to learn by the end of the class? This could include what they can comprehend, say, read, or write. The asking of these questions will help you outline the scope of your lessons.

Remember that they’re beginners, so you’ll need to keep things in perspective for them. Also, consider what skills they require to achieve their linguistic objectives. Working backward from the answers allows you to break the entire lesson into key components.

3. Make Your Classes Interactive & Engaging

To keep students engaged and make the learning process more interactive, use a variety of active learning techniques. One of these techniques is to have students take turns with presentations.

Since the ESL students need to be more social, interactive activities will help them learn and understand the message while having a good time. Interacting with each other helps them develop a second language and helps establish trust, fostering a positive learning environment.

4. Include all Four Components of Language

This may seem obvious to you, but it may not be obvious to those who haven’t tried to teach their students English. As a general rule, include communication, comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. Each component should be assessed throughout the lesson.

Think in terms of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. All of these components are interrelated. If one component is in the lesson plan at all times, you can ensure that all the other components are also being focused on.

5. Make Lists to Develop a Vocabulary Book

On most occasions, ESL students aren’t going to have a vast vocabulary bank. The situation will determine how to develop vocabulary books. It’s a simple workout with one-on-one adult tutorials.

However, small children should do it as a class exercise so that everyone is on the same page. If you or your students can’t learn a new word, you will have to wait instead of creating immediate results.

Therefore, it is essential to develop a vocabulary book and make lists of vocabulary words you need your students to learn.

6. Speak in Short and Simple Sentences

Your students will be very used to speaking in complete sentences when learning in their native culture.

However, it is best to speak in short sentences to allow for more understanding when teaching ESL. This will pass a greater understanding of the language to your students.

Move on to speaking in simple words once beginning students have mastered the fundamentals. Memorizing words in isolation has no value if students can’t use them in sentences.

7. Start the Class Reviewing Previous Content

ESL lesson planning is an art and should be approached that way. At the beginning of each lesson, you should review the content of the last lesson.

Make sure to answer questions and plan for the upcoming lesson by focusing on the students’ needs and goals for the day. Create a detailed lesson plan and notes on the board or paper.

To Wrap Up

To build a successful ESL class, a teacher must first decide on their students’ age and their stage of language acquisition. Based on those choices, they will then devise a lesson plan on ESL for beginners. Without a lesson plan, teachers may struggle to introduce and conduct each activity necessary to the lesson. This article provides some helpful tips on creating ESL lessons for beginners in the most effective way.