Engaging every student in an EFL classroom is a challenge, no matter how experienced you are. It’s easy to mistake a few enthused learners for class-wide involvement. True success comes when every single student is actively “in the act.”
Your own enthusiasm is contagious. Choose reading and listening materials that:
- Spark genuine interest. Select topics that resonate with both you and your learners.
- Showcase quality writing or performance. In reading passages, look for a distinctive authorial voice. In listening tasks, opt for recordings where speakers perform their roles with clear, engaging delivery—think of them as actors bringing language to life.
When you care deeply about the content, your energy will naturally motivate students.
Routines—checking homework, reviewing drills, flipping to the next course-book unit—are useful but can become monotonous if overused. Inject occasional surprises that still serve learning goals:
- Unorthodox yet meaningful activities. Aim for novelty with purpose.
- Keep lessons unpredictable. When students can’t guess exactly what’s next, they stay alert and ready to participate.
Activity: Collaborative Story Building
Level: B2+
- Present an opening sentence (e.g., “John knew it was going to be a challenging day”).
- Explain that students—not you—will discover the rest of the story by asking yes/no questions.
- Facilitate the Q&A:
- Student: “Is John a schoolboy?”
- Teacher: “No.”
- Student: “Is John a policeman?”
- Teacher: “Yes.”
- Reverse roles: ask students questions based on their answers to flesh out the plot.
- Once the class collaborates on the ending, assign the complete narrative as written homework.
This spontaneous approach involves everyone and sharpens both speaking and inferencing skills.
Activity: “Liar”
Level: Intermediate+
- Writing phase: Each student pens a brief account of an unusual personal experience they’ve never shared in class.
- Selection: Filter submissions for appropriateness, then choose three students—including the original writer—to present.
- Presentation: Read one selected passage aloud. Students take turns claiming authorship, attempting to convince their peers.
- Question phase: The class asks each presenter follow-up questions to uncover inconsistencies and identify the real storyteller.
Use this game to practice question forms, persuasive speaking, and active listening in a fun, competitive format.
Getting every student “into the act” means combining your own passion with creative lesson design. By choosing compelling content, breaking predictable routines, and using collaborative activities, you’ll transform passivity into full-class participation—making learning memorable for everyone.
