Of course there are lots of things that should be avoided in the classroom environment. However below is a less obvious list of the 10 things not to do in your TESOL classroom:

1. Don’t have the desks in lines like soldiers on parade. Have the desks arranged in pairs or small groups scattered around the room. It makes the room look far more interesting and encourages student interaction.

2. Don’t let the students sit in exactly the same place every lesson. Encourage them to sit in a different chair every lesson. This helps the students to get to know all of the other students. It also enables them to practise with every student in the room.

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4. Don’t ask the students to read aloud in chorus. This is noisy and dull and does absolutely nothing for their language skills. It encourages a slow, monotonous pace and the students will focus more on their pronunciation than the meaning of the text. The teacher can’t hear what individuals are saying so what is the point? Adults hate it as it makes them feel that they are back at school again, and nobody likes being treated like a child.

5. When introducing new grammar don’t concentrate on the form and the rules but instead focus on the meaning of the new language. It is the meaning which is key so place the new language in a context which is easy for the students to understand so that that the meaning of the new language becomes clear. The form will quickly slip into place once the meaning is understood. Some teachers introduce new language by listing rules but this is the worst approach possible. It’s tedious and dull for the learners and the rules are difficult to remember. Instead embed the new language in a context that helps them to understand the meaning.

6. Don’t always give the students writing practice using short unrelated sentences. Instead, give them a short passage or simple dialogue as this provides the learners with a much better context and this helps them to understand and remember.

7. Don’t focus too much on reading and writing. Students, particularly adults, invariably want to understand and speak in the new language so provide the students with plenty of listening and speaking practice every lesson. This is best done in pairs or small groups. Once they have had plenty of listening and speaking then give them some reading and writing practice.

8. When using recorded material, don’t just play it once or twice. Play it about four times with a clear purpose on each occasion. It’s not a good idea simply to say now listen again. What are they listening for? Give them a reason for listening and, ideally, a different reason each time. Remember that the more they listen the more they will remember and learn.

9. Provide listening practice at an appropriate level but don’t limit yourself to recordings that come with the textbook. Once students get to pre-intermediate level, give them short snippets of selected material from radio and TV programmes such as ‘soaps’, news reports, children’s programmes, current affairs (with more advanced students) and so on. Keep the excerpts short (though lengthen them with more proficient students of course) and be prepared to play them a number of times to ensure that the students benefit fully and really improve their listening skills.

10. Don’t just follow the textbook but draw on other resources; there are plenty around. Find resource books which focus on one of the language skills and use them in class to provide interesting variety. There are plenty of additional materials available focusing on one or more of the language skills and they can make lessons far more lively and effective.

11. Don’t only use commercial material but also prepare your own. When you use your own material in class you will suddenly find teaching a lot more rewarding. You can pinpoint areas that are of interest to your students and also integrate their names into the material to make it more personal for them. The material shouldn’t embarrass them of course! Students love using good material which uses them as the key players.

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