49 ESL Conversation Games & Activities - Jackie Bolen 2020

1: Student-centered vs. teacher-centered
Top 10 tips for teaching english conversation

Here are some general tips for teaching English conversation classes that I've learned over the years. I hope that they'll be helpful for you too!

#1: Student-centered vs. teacher-centered

When many teachers first start off their time in the classroom, they talk a lot (this is known as a teacher-centered classroom) and way more than they actually should. I did this for years without even realizing it was a problem!

However, if students are to get better at speaking in English, they need to be speaking in English for most of the class, ideally at least 90% of it (this is known as a student-centered classroom) if they are at intermediate to high levels of proficiency. The best way to make this happen is to put students in pairs or groups of three, set up an activity or give them a set of conversation questions and let them get to it. Monitor for errors and offer assistance if required, but don't interfere. With lower level students, the teacher talking time will need to be increased from 10% to 30% or more but still try to reduce this percentage as much as possible.

A related note to add about making classes more student-centered is the need for students to have “processing time.” When teaching new vocabulary or a grammar concept that they're seeing for only the first or second time, they'll need time to organize and understand that material before they're expected to actively use it. It can be helpful to use some very controlled spoken or written exercises before doing more open-ended activities or games.

Most textbooks are designed in this way—the grammar point or vocabulary is introduced through a reading or listening, students “notice” the language, the teacher “presents” the language (or students do a guided discovery instead), there's a controlled practice with a written exercise, and finally students “produce” the language in a freer activity, either written or spoken. When just getting started with teaching, following along with lessons in textbooks like 4 Corners, World Link or Touchstone (there are other good ones) is a foolproof way to have very decent classes!