Teaching Young Learners English— A List of Lessons to Use

In this blog post, I will introduce the Off2Class list of lessons that are suitable for teaching ESL to young learners. You will be given an outline of when to use these lessons, as well as several tips and tricks you can use when teaching younger learners English. Once you finish reading, make sure you download this list so it’s ready at a moment’s notice. 

Let’s face it, teaching English to young learners is not the same as teaching English to adults. I know firsthand that adult ESL students love to discuss personal and professional experiences during lessons. Often enough, adults are incredibly motivated to learn English. Additionally, they usually have a personal reason to learn it. Teaching English to young learners is different because they are usually not as motivated as adults are and sometimes lack focus. To help motivate your young learners, Off2Class has compiled a list of 63 existing lessons that are great for teaching young learners English. 

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When to use these lessons 

Many teachers that use Off2Class teach both young and adult learners. In fact, some teachers use Off2Class with students as young as six years old. In any case, all Off2Class lessons are great for teaching adults English. It is especially great for those who want to build upon existing skills or learn more professional English. Since most adults have more learning experience than young learners, they can better grasp concepts that are not as engaging. Still, Off2Class lessons can be used to motivate young learners. It’s just a matter of selecting the correct lessons, and this list is a great place to start.  

When teaching young learners English, it’s important to teach lessons on topics that appeal to their interests. The Off2Class list of lessons are great to use with young learners because they are designed to increase a student’s reading and speaking skills. They are also designed to improve functional language skills and increase vocabulary. 

That does not sound very fun, does it? Don’t worry, these lessons cover topics like NASA and pizza. Your young learners will be intrigued and entertained while studying. 

Off2Class has organized this list so that you can select lessons suitable for young learners of any age, level or topic, according to your students’ needs. You can select lessons based on title, category (reading, vocabulary, functional language) and level (Elementary to Upper-Intermediate). Teaching young learners English has never been easier!

Please note that you can even use these lessons as a “break” for your more advanced adult learners. They are sure to enjoy them too!

Tips for teaching ESL to young learners 

Teaching ESL to young learners is very rewarding and entertaining. It’s amazing to see how quickly kids retain new information and to hear what questions they have about a new language. But teaching kids English can be difficult for ESL teachers who have greater experience teaching adults. As more young learners take English classes, it is important for teachers to be prepared.

When teaching young learners English, it’s important to consider that children may not have any say in whether or not they attend the classes. Make sure you offer continuous encouragement to your students. Also, be flexible about your teaching style if your students are not engaged as this will help your younger students to stay motivated. Some young students love when you act extremely enthusiastic whereas others prefer a more subdued teaching style. You are usually able to tell what a student prefers early on in a lesson. Regardless, young learners will appreciate your encouragement and feedback. Just make sure to keep positive and constructive. 

As mentioned earlier, adults often have more focus than young learners. When teaching young learners, it’s important to manage the classroom and provide direction. When you use these lessons, pay attention to the teacher notes; use them to ask questions and guide learners. Make sure you try to incorporate different activities throughout the lesson that will allow students to practice new concepts. I know my young students love to participate using the drawing tool— don’t worry, you can turn it on and off. 

The Off2Class classroom

The Off2Class classroom includes tools that are great to guide students of all ages. These include annotation, magnification, image searching, dictionary, translation and text tools. The canvas tool allows teachers to include even more content, making lessons more personalized and engaging. With young learners, it’s especially important to encourage focus, elicit language and provide direction.  These tools certainly help you do that. 

There are many ways to motivate students of all ages, but choosing the correct content and utilizing tools are major components that help. Our aim at Off2Class is to assist you to do all of these things. Please comment below to let us know if this list of lessons helps you. Also be sure to let us know any teacher tips or tricks — we love hearing from teachers like you!