6 Simple Ways to Effectively Teach ESL Online

When I started teaching ESL online, I thought I would excel at it. After all, I already had my TEFL certification and a few years of experience of teaching in person. However, teaching ESL online is different than managing students in a classroom.

With the pandemic, we are often asked to switch to online whenever the number of cases increases in Guangzhou, China. And I thought I would share a few tips on teaching ESL that work for me.

If you’re particularly a new ESL teacher and want to learn how to teach ESL online effectively, you are in the correct place.

Learning to teach ESL online effectively may seem complex, but once you understand these tips, you can easily improve your skills:

1. Leverage technology

The most important aspect of teaching ESL online is how you make use of technology. This is why leveraging technology comes in handy. Your students will get discouraged and may lose interest if they have a blurry camera during class.

Some people may even terminate their contract with you because of poor technology, particularly when you are an online tutor. Utilizing good technology may increase your budget and initial investment, but it will go a long way in helping you secure more customers.

If you are short on budget, I encourage you to read this article about 7 Online Free Tools Teachers Often Underutilize.

2. Creating a comfortable environment for yourself matters

Good technology will help you make your students comfortable by eliminating various issues. However, you must also invest in things that will make you comfortable. 

Taking online classes may seem easy because you will be at home, but it also means you will have to sit on the same chair for several hours. I encourage you to invest in a comfortable chair to help you take classes smoothly. 

If your sitting space is discomforting, you may experience back pain after a few classes. Your posture may also be affected because of sitting for prolonged hours.

If your comfort level is high, you can easily focus on your students instead of on ways to make yourself at ease.

3. Get to know your students

You may take a strict approach to teaching ESL online by starting your class without social interaction with your students. However, that may discourage your students from taking an interest in your class. It is always best to encourage students to introduce themselves in the first session.

For instance, young kids tend to reveal their birthdays during class. Remembering the date and wishing on an actual day will help show the student you were paying attention.

You should also focus on the pronunciation of every student’s name. This is because you will likely get some international students or people of different backgrounds due to online classes. Pronouncing your students’ names correctly is another gesture to help your students feel valued.

4. Over-prepare for every class

I know a lot of teachers who freestyle their classes without any preparation beforehand. However, I don’t think this is the most effective approach. I suggest you prepare for the class by reviewing the topic ahead.

If you frequently pause during the class to read your own presentation, it will show your students that you don’t grasp the concept well. This can discourage them from learning with you. They may also doubt the knowledge you are providing them.

I highly recommend you over-prepare your lessons and anticipate your students’ questions.

Check out this article if you want ideas for creating an ESL lesson plan.

5. Repetition is the mother of all skills

As a student, you may have heard teachers encouraging students to ask questions because they wouldn’t mind repeating them. However, not every teacher follows through on their end. Some teachers get annoyed when asked to repeat and do not teach properly.

If you taught a difficult expression to your students, it is better to incorporate that term into your other lessons. This will allow the students to get familiar with the term and understand its meaning.

If you find concepts too challenging for your students, I encourage you to repeat them without them asking you. I discovered that many students with queries don’t ask their teacher because they fear annoying the teacher.

6. Encourage speaking

As an ESL teacher, remember to make your students comfortable with writing English and speaking the language by creating dialogue and encouraging classroom discussions.

Another way to encourage speaking is by asking questions. You may also ask students to volunteer to explain different things that you have taught already.

I know a few teachers who ask their students to write down their questions and ask them at the end. However, this can discourage the kid from speaking in class again, and they may forget the question.

One of the best approaches is to answer questions whenever a student asks instead of telling them to ask later.