Idea — Decision-making tasks — ‘agree on X’ — have a natural endpoint, require genuine exchange of views, and generate negotiation language without a script. Example — ‘Agree on which three items you would take…
Idea — For an information-gap pair task, each partner needs a different information card. The setup takes 90 seconds: distribute cards, check they do not show each other, demonstrate, set the outcome. Example — Partner…
Idea — Roleplay works when the scenario is specific and plausible. Vague roles produce vague language. Specific roles with real stakes generate genuine negotiation. Example — Compare: ‘Roleplay a complaint’ vs ‘You ordered a birthday…
Idea — Discussion without a clear outcome trails off. Give learners a decision to reach, a list to rank, or a recommendation to make — something that requires the discussion to produce something. Example —…
Idea — In task-based learning, learners do a communicative task first, then focus on language that arose from it. The task generates a real need; the language focus answers it. Example — Learners plan a…
Idea — Drilling establishes pronunciation and form. Choral drilling — whole class together — lowers anxiety and lets learners rehearse without exposure. Individual drilling checks and consolidates. Example — Teacher: ‘I haven’t seen him.’ (gesture)…
Idea — Reformulation means restating what a learner said, correctly, without flagging an error. It models the right form while keeping the conversation moving. Example — Learner: ‘I goed to Paris.’ Teacher: ‘Oh, you went…
Idea — During fluency tasks, correct errors after the task, not during. Immediate correction interrupts communication, raises anxiety, and trains learners to speak in short, safe sentences. Example — A learner is mid-story about her…
Idea — During speaking tasks, the teacher circulates without intervening. Note language use — good and problematic — for delayed feedback. Sitting at the desk kills momentum. Example — During a five-minute roleplay, you move…
Idea — Free practice sets a communicative task where learners choose their own language. The teacher monitors but does not intervene. The aim is fluency and consolidation. Example — After a lesson on giving advice,…