11 Strategies to Increase Student Engagement in ESL Class
As teachers, we want to create an environment that encourages student learning and keeps our students motivated and engaged. Middle school and high school are such important times in a student’s academic journey, so it’s important to maintain their enthusiasm for learning. Of course, you’ll want to build strong and positive relationships with your students before any of these other strategies will work. Either way, here are 11 proven strategies that not only help increase student engagement but also provide opportunities for critical thinking and therefore academic success.
1. Active Participation Experiences
Letting students become leaders in their own learning, takes engagement to a deeper level. Students’ attention spans are at an all-time low with video games and social media taking over our lives. To help with this, introduce interactive activities such as group discussions, debates, role-plays, and educational games. These engaging methods make the learning process fun and exciting for every student. When you bring in activities where students can have group discussions such as in Socratic Seminars, it builds a sense of community that lends to student engagement.
2. Diverse Teaching Approaches
Using a variety of teaching methods, including visual aids, hands-on activities, videos, and real-life examples to reach students with different learning styles is a must in all grade levels and all subject areas. This is especially true if you have students who come from different cultural backgrounds and those learning English as their second language. Small changes like showing a video of the concept before reading the text can make a big difference in student success. Different ways to do this are listed below.
3. Project-Based Learning
This type of engagement is by far my favorite because it’s active learning at its best! Give students opportunities to explore their interests and apply what they’ve learned to real-world situations. This helps them feel more autonomous and engaged in their own learning. You as the teacher get to decide whether to teach using repetitive academic tasks where you check for correct answers or a learning experience full of active participation and academic engagement.
When assigning projects like the All About My Country Research project or using Socratic Seminars during a novel study, students take an active role in their learning and they start thinking and applying their perspectives to the material. This, in turn, causes students to be proud of their hard work and are excited for the next assignment. It’s so satisfying to see those leadership skills blossom in just one year!
4. Setting and Tracking Goals to Increase Student Achievement
Encourage students to set achievable goals and regularly check in with them to track progress. Celebrating milestones helps them stay focused and intrinsically motivated. This can be in the form of a spreadsheet or even a poster in the classroom where you put a checkmark or a sticker to track their progress and academic achievements. This is especially helpful for tracking progress in learning management systems. As they complete levels they log it in. This may also open up options for friendly competitions!
5. Positive Reinforcement
Recognize and reward students' efforts and academic achievements. Whether through verbal praise, certificates, or small incentives, positive reinforcement boosts confidence and student motivation. From young children to high school students, they all like to know they’re doing well. A simple high-five or a fist bump will do as well.
6. Peer Collaboration for Motivation
Create an environment where students can collaborate on assignments or projects in small groups. Teamwork encourages communication skills and shared learning experiences. You can even let them choose their student groups. There’s nothing like learning with friends. My current sixth graders love collaborating on projects via Canva or Google Slides. With the technology we have now, it’s so much easier! Every student is engaged because they set their own high expectations. When you assign projects such as this Holiday Research Project, you’ll see student participation skyrocket!
7. Embrace Technology
Bring educational apps, online platforms, or multimedia tools into your lessons. Technology can make learning more interactive and engaging for students. Have students research real-time topics they're interested in and create presentations to teach the class about what they've learned. This encourages creative expression in assignments and projects. All of a sudden the required course material takes on a whole new level of educational experience. Providing opportunities for creativity and technology allows students to share their unique perspectives and talents.
8. Offer Choice and Autonomy
Provide opportunities for students to make choices within assignments or topics. Allowing autonomy can increase student engagement. If you’re working on research, give them choices. If you’re reading a required text, give them choices as to how to read it. If you’re writing, ask them if they’d rather type or write. The learning context is directly related to the academic outcomes. Reading, writing, and speaking choice boards are sure to keep your students engaged!
9. Relate Lessons to Real Life
Connect classroom lessons to real-world scenarios or current events. This approach highlights the practical applications of what students are learning. This is super important. If students can’t relate to the material, they’ll tune it out. Make it relevant to them. Choose novels they can identify with. Analyze the material in a way that they have to apply it to their own lives. When you engage the student’s feelings, you’ll activate a sense of belonging. Students tend to do more when they are understood and that it’s okay to voice their opinions.
10. Personalized Learning
Differentiate instruction to accommodate varying skill levels and interests. Tailoring challenges and support can meet individual needs effectively. This is especially true for English Language Learners. Check out some of these differentiated activities specially designed for your English learners.
11. Timely Feedback
Provide constructive feedback on students' work promptly. Focusing on both strengths and areas for improvement helps them track progress and stay motivated. Students like to know that what they’re doing has a purpose. When they hear back about their progress, they are more likely to complete their assignments on time and therefore, better academic performance.
In a Nutshell
These strategies are the best ways to increase student engagement in the classroom. You as the teacher can establish an environment that encourages academic growth and develops a genuine love of learning in middle school and high school students. It’s important to remember that customizing these methods to meet the unique needs and preferences of your students can make a significant difference in student engagement and motivation levels throughout the school year. Besides, they’re good educational practices that make a huge impact on academic performance.
