Creating an ESL Lesson Plan

Having a lesson plan ready to go for your ESL tutoring session or class will make the time you spend with your student(s) more productive and engaging. Students will know what to expect from their time with you, and you will be more prepared to manage your class. Here are some tips on creating a good ESL lesson plan.

1.) Know what you want to teach.-Are you going to teach about the present perfect continuous or are you going to teach some different vocabulary and phrases related to making a decision about buying a car in English? If you stick to one point during your lesson, your students will be able to focus on one aspect of the language, and they will be able to spend time practicing and developing their ability to use that point.

2.) Gear your lesson toward age/level appropriate activities.-If you teach pre-literate students, you're not going to hand them a newspaper article to read and have them write an essay about it and present it to the class. Some pre-literate students may not understand how to perform some written worksheet activities like circling the correct answer in a multiple-choice situation. Focusing on oral exercises to increase communication may be of value. Also, be aware of the cultural/temperamental characteristics of your students. Some in your class may not respond to playing games as well as others. Vary your activities to meet the needs and expectations of all students in your class.

3.) Students should spend a lot of time correcting themselves and their peers.-Lecture-style lessons are no longer thought to be the best way for students to learn a new language. They need as much practice listening to native speakers and producing the new language (English, in this case) as possible. Pair and group work are good ways for students to practice their English skills, and more advanced students can help others who are not as fluent. Students should be encouraged to correct themselves in speaking and writing as much as possible, too.

4.) Leave time for feedback and questions.-Allow for a few minutes of general discussion and talking in your lesson plan. This can be split up between the first and last few minutes of class. The last few minutes can be used to focus on any questions or difficulties students may have had as they went through the lesson. Doing this can increase communication between student and teacher, help the teacher to know where students stand on understanding a language point, and also allow the opportunity for other students to correct or help out students with questions.