Eliciting: Teach It Without Telling It
July 26, 2026 · Sourov · 1 min read
⏱ 5 Minutes · Teacher Training
📖 From Experience
The best moment in any class I taught was when a learner produced the language I was trying to teach — before I had written it on the board. That is eliciting: drawing language from learners rather than presenting it to them. It is harder than telling, but it makes the language stick.
📚 Why Elicit?
- Activates what learners already know.
- Builds confidence — they discover, not just receive.
- Increases student talking time.
- Helps you diagnose what they don’t know yet.
📚 Eliciting Techniques
| Technique | Example |
|---|---|
| Visuals | Show a picture of someone running. ‘What is she doing?’ → present continuous |
| Context + pause | ‘She jogs every morning. She is very ___.’ [pause for ‘fit’] |
| Mime or gesture | Act out ‘exhausted’ — sagging shoulders, drooping eyes |
| Synonym prompt | ‘We say ‘big’ in informal English. What’s a more formal word?’ → ‘substantial’ |
| Half-word | ‘She was exh___.’ [wait] → exhausted |
✏️ Your Turn
Plan an eliciting sequence:
- You want learners to produce the word ‘nervous’. Write TWO eliciting prompts.
- You want learners to produce ‘I have been waiting for an hour.’ Plan how you’d elicit this with a picture.
💡 Check Answers
- 1. Show a picture of someone at a job interview — palms sweaty, eyes wide. ‘How does she feel? Can you describe it?’ 2. ‘Tomorrow is my driving test. I feel really ___ about it.’
- Show a picture of a man at a bus stop, watching his watch, rain falling, several empty buses. ‘It’s now 4pm. He arrived at 3pm. What can we say about how long he’s been waiting?’
Independent project — not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification.
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