Crafting Effective Lesson Plans for Young ESL Learners.
Author: Amy Holland
Date: 10/10/2024
Creating engaging and educational lesson plans for young ESL (English as a Second Language) learners is an art, and as a parent, you need to be informed of the strategies and approaches your child’s teacher will be using. These strategies need to ensure that young minds are not only engaged but also thriving in their acquisition of the English language.
We have asked ourselves, “How can we develop an effective English lesson plan for young children, aged 5 to 13, that is both highly educational and captures their attention?” The key lies in a thoughtful blend of components which we will explore in depth in this article.
Keep reading to find out how we ensure young learners get the most out of every lesson!
Our Approach to ESL Teaching
Teaching English as a Second Language to young children is not only about getting them to learn grammar and punctuation, but also creating a highly communicative environment.
It is simply not enough for teachers to lead while students passively follow, this is particularly true for young children learning English as a second language. The strong focus placed on active engagement in online ESL classrooms can help young learners feel comfortable and become confident with using the English language.
What Are The 5 Parts of An Effective ESL Lesson Plan?
What makes a successful ESL lesson? Here is a 5-step breakdown of how we approach creating online English lesson plans for young ESL learners using world-leading materials from Oxford University Press.
Step 1 – Every effective ESL lesson plan needs a goal.
Effectively tackling the first step means planning out our objectives before the lessons even begin. The first step would be to ask what it is that our young learners need to take away from this lesson, and how we would gauge their progress.
The goal is for young ESL learners to leave the lesson having either expanded their vocabulary, learnt a new English skill, or to have gained confidence in their existing English skills. Once the intention for the lesson has been set, we can then focus on how to inject a sense of fun into the activities.
Step 2 – Young children benefit from a fun warm-up.
With young ESL learners, starting every lesson with a fun warm-up helps to encourage engagement amongst the learners. An activity that is short and approachable is best, this should be a fun task that lowers the affective filters of young learners.
What does it mean when the affective filter is low? Think of the affective filter as a metaphor for measuring how comfortable a learner is with acquiring a second language. When the affective filter is low, it means that your child feels at ease with acquiring a new language.
This is why a warm-up that eases them into the start of a lesson is essential to breaking the ice and ensuring young learners absorb as much of the content being taught as possible.
Step 3 – Inspiring young ESL learners to absorb content knowledge and skills.
This is the main content-filled part of the lesson, and the goal in this part of the process is to ensure that the intended content gets taught. We also want to foster collaboration, so it is vital that young learners feel comfortable speaking English with the teacher and with each other.
A crucial part of this process is determining the time it will take for young children to grasp the information being taught, considering that their attention spans may be much shorter than that of older students. Short breaks may be needed for the information to be adequately absorbed.
Step 4 – Checking for comprehension.
Checking for comprehension is key when gauging the effectiveness of an ESL lesson plan for children. Once the main part of the lesson is complete, it is important to check that each learner understands what they have been taught. This is the shortest part of the lesson, and the goal is to find out how much of the information in the lesson has been retained.
Step 5 – Taking the time to reflect.
After a lesson is completed, each teacher is responsible for taking time for reflection and evaluating how effective it was. They need to measure what went well, what did not, and what may need to change so the lesson plan can adapt to the needs of young learners. Doing this ensures that every online English lesson is as productive, fun, and successful as possible.
Final Thoughts on Creating Lesson Plans for Young ESL Learners
Young ESL learners benefit the most from an online environment full of fun and educational interactions with their teachers and peers. When crafting effective ESL lesson plans for children, a strong focus needs to be placed on creating an environment that is comfortable and encourages communication.
At Meridian School of English, we aim to create an online learning environment that allows young ESL learners to thrive in their acquisition of the English language. Our online English courses are effectively planned so learners grow and improve with every lesson, producing confident young English enthusiasts.
