Strategies for teaching English to teenage learners

© Language Training Institute
Last updated:  6th August 2024

There are SO many important aspects to consider when teaching English to teenagers. It requires understanding of their unique developmental needs, interests, and social contexts. In this post we'll narrow it down to a few effective strategies for engaging teenage learners in TESOL, focusing on their needs, the characteristics of a good teacher, and specific teaching techniques. 

What Teens Want in a Teacher
Teenagers are in a transitional phase, moving from childhood towards adulthood. They crave independence but still need a bit of guidance and support. Your goal? Boost their confidence and guide them towards becoming self-directed learners. Effective ESL teaching for teenagers involves fostering self-confidence and encouraging independent learning while maintaining a structured program. 

Teenagers appreciate teachers who:

• Care about their teaching.
• Maintain firm class control.
• Treat students with fairness and respect.
• Know and use students' names.
• Plan interesting and active lessons.
• Take time to help students outside class.

Teaching Tips
One thing that ESL teachers can agree on is that motivation is built through learning goals that are relevant, topics that are intrinsically interesting and activities that provide challenge.

Be prepared for the varying degree to which teenage learners will be willing to discuss and converse with their peers in English. They may need some extra encouragement and direction. Particularly where tasks are interesting and challenging (which is the goal right??), the temptation to resort to their first language to express ideas is strong. Teachers will need to be mindful to provide sufficient motivation for speaking English and ensure that students can be self-disciplined or easily redirected to use English.
​
When teaching teens be sure to: 

1. Highlight Key Vocabulary: Point out important words and give glossaries for them to refer to
2. Use Visuals: Pictures, models, diagrams, videos – anything visual!
3. Group Work: Appeal to their social motivations and get them working in pairs or groups with clear roles.
4. Smart Resources: Choose materials that are culturally relevant, tech savvy or handout friendly.
5. Summarise: Remember to repeat and repeat to remember. Always recap the main points at the end of the lesson.

Engaging Activities for Teens
Communicative tasks are perfect for getting teens to use English effectively. The following list is a small sample of activities that could be adjusted for use with different topics relevant to your group of teenagers:

1. Find Someone Who…: A fun icebreaker where students find classmates who match interesting criteria (like “can say the alphabet backwards”).
2. Get in Order: Give students parts of a text to arrange in the correct order.
3. Conversation Circles: Rotate pairs and discuss different topics for continuous speaking practice.
4. Half a Crossword: Partners share clues to complete a crossword puzzle together.
5. Info Gap Tasks: Students share missing information to complete tasks.
6. Songs & Interviews: Use popular songs for vocab lessons, and interview guest speakers for listening and speaking practice.
7. Scavenger Hunts: Plan field trips with prompts to collect items or information.
8. Writing Activities: Get them to write scripts, fan letters, or posts on current issues.

Always be ready to adapt your approach to meet the unique needs of your teenage learners. They’re growing, changing, and figuring out their place in the world. Your role is to guide them through this exciting time!
​

Want to learn more about the world of TESOL for free?
Subscribe to our blog or follow us on Instagram @tesolmadepractical