No matter how rewarding learning the English language is, there are parts that are undeniably less exciting than others – it’s a fact! Many students will enjoy learning the English names of their favourite hobbies, but when it comes to taking on passive progressive verb forms, things don’t seem so fun.
So, to help you to inject some life into those boring teaching topics, we’ve come up with 4 things to spice up your lesson plans. Check out our 4 ways to make boring TEFL Topics fun…
1. Use a video
It’s simple; if you have the resources to do so, visuals can brighten up any topic, helping your students to stay focused, as well as entertained. No matter what topic you’re covering, there’s a video to help you do it. So, every now and again, take a step back and let a video do the work.
2. Make it personal
We all love to talk about ourselves and this is no different when it comes to the classroom. So, when teaching the vocab for different hobbies, instead of working through the words on the syllabus, ask your students about their own interests. By personalising a topic, your class can find out more about their peers, as well as covering words that are relevant to their own lives.
3. Make it relevant
Teachers can be cool too. So, when learning new vocabulary, why not surprise your class by making references to popular culture? Find photos of famous faces and ask your class to name the occupation of each person – whether it’s a singer, actor or footballer they’ll be sure learn quickly.
By tackling a topic from a new angle your students are unlikely to get bored – plus if they think you know who Kanye West is, you’ll earn tonnes of favourite teacher points!
4. Change things round
Sometimes, all you need to do is to break out of your normal routine. So, to ensure your classroom is a place of excitement, try assigning your students the ‘boring’ tasks as homework. That way as they enter your classroom, they’ll be enthusiastic and eager to learn.
An important premise to take from these ideas is to vary your teaching style. By incorporating different delivery methods into your lessons, whether it’s using videos or consulting pop culture, you’ll be able to easily liven up those boring topics.
Good luck and happy TEFLing!
