Guide to Teaching ESL for New Teachers

Have you ever landed an ESL teaching job? but had no idea how or where to start? When I first began teaching ESL at a private hagwon (a private academy in Korea), I was completely lost, to add to my challenges, I hadn’t graduated with an English or Education major.

Thankfully, with the support of my mom, a teacher, and the guidance of my senior co-workers, I was able to figure things out and manage the students. As I learned different teaching methods, I am inspired to share with you a guide to teaching ESL for new teachers like you.

Lesson Planning

A well-prepared lesson plan is the backbone of a smooth class. It outlines the subject you’ll be teaching, your objectives, and your goals. As a new ESL teacher, I used this plan since it was easy and direct. Your subject depends upon the lesson outline or the textbook you will be using.

Goals provide direction, while objectives lay out the steps to achieve them. Make sure your goals match your students’ developmental stages.

Preparation

After drafting your lesson plan, the next thing to do is to prepare yourself how to implement your lesson plan and effective classroom management. All you need is these three things: Consistency, Patience, and Creativity.

Consistency

Consistency is key for students. It helps create a sense of stability, familiarity, and organization. You can break down the time if the school gives you 30 minutes. It can be like this:

• 3:00-3:05 – Song Time
• 3:05-3:10 – Prayer Time
• 3:10-3:20 – Lesson Time
• 3:20-3:30 – Quiz Time

When this schedule is followed consistently, your students can easily predict what will happen in your class.

During lesson time, give them consistent activities such as spaced repetition with flashcards of PowerPoint slides to reinforce learning. With speaking you can use interactive activities like role-playing. Quiz time also refers to evaluation time. You can offer them fun and engaging activities to asses whether your goals are met at the end of the class. I often use interactive sites such as Baamboozle https://www.baamboozle.com/ and https://jeopardylabs.com/

At the start of the class, establish a clear set of rules and stick to them. Always show them that a “no” means no and “yes” means yes. You need to be both gentle and firm. This will create a sense of organization, helping students feel more settled and secure, leading to a happier more focused classroom and you can win their trust and respect.

Patience

Teaching ESL requires a lot of patience. English is not their first language and some might acquire skills quickly some slowly. You have to remember that students come in different personalities, with different backgrounds. As a general rule, the students who give you the most headaches often need the most attention and care. The slower a student is in their learning, the more focus and support they require.

Along with patience, always incorporate praise and positive reinforcement. A small snack, a high-five, or even simple words of encouragement for their efforts—despite the mistakes they may have made—can go a long way. The reward for showing patience is that your students will grow to love, respect, and be more cooperative in your class. And trust me, they will never forget you.

Creativity

Learning a language should be fun and simple. Think outside the box! You can use YouTube videos to introduce fun, dynamic ways of learning phonics or songs that align with your speaking lessons. For example, I often used videos with catchy tunes and engaging visuals to teach phonics, as they captured my students’ attention and made learning enjoyable.

I used this YouTube video when reviewing their phonics:

Just remember, be consistent.

At the end of your class, you will find both your students engaged and satisfied and your goals being met.

Summary

In summary, teaching ESL isn’t just about delivering lessons—it’s about management, rapport, communication, and creativity. While the lessons are important, the essentials in the classroom are discipline, shaping students’ character, and teaching them how to be kind and respectful to their teacher, classmates, and society.

The lessons will always be there, but the interactions they have with you will leave a lasting impact. This makes your teaching experience both worthwhile and meaningful.