So you have some work lined up.
Maybe you are building a small roster of students.
This is great!
But preparing for your Online English classes is just as important as teaching them.
Preparation is everything.
A well-structured class will keep your students engaged and happy.
This will aid them in meeting their learning goals, and then they will keep coming back to you for more lessons.
Plus they will recommend you to their friends!
You have to start with a solid teaching plan. Then your lessons will be as smooth as silk…
In Part Five of my Ultimate Guide To Teaching English Online, I want to walk you though the essential steps for preparing an effective and engaging English lesson.
You have access to tons of free — and paid — teaching resources which you can adapt for your own needs.
There are lesson plans that you can use for ALL your students at ALL levels.
Lots of interactive activities to use too.
All of this can help you create engaging and successful online English classes.
So, let’s dive right in and take a look…
Free Resources
There are many free resources available to you that you can use in your Online English Classes.
Teaching English (British Council)
This site offers free lesson plans, printable worksheets and other teaching resources.
All of this covers a wide range of topics and levels.
I don’t have too much experience of using this site. So if anyone has any direct experience of using it, please let me know what you think.
One Stop English
Also provides free lesson plans and activities for all levels.
This site also has material for Business English, grammar exercises and vocabulary practice.
I have used many of One Stop’s lessons and exercises in the past to great effect.
Me personally, I think they have some great things for teachers to use.
ESL Printables
Another useful site full of fantastic content.
The only catch — you have to share content of your own to the site for other teachers to use. Then you can also download other teachers’ worksheets.
But some really excellent things to use in class here. Well worth a look.
Busy Teacher
Another free resource with thousands of lesson plans, worksheets and other classroom activities.
I have also used this site so many times. Some really cool things to use here!
ISL Collective
This is another fantastic resource for Online English Teachers.
Lots of really great worksheets that you can use in your class immediately.
I have used this site many times and found some real gems here.
Breaking News English
I have to give Breaking News a mention…
These lessons are just fantastic. All news-based and with a complete lesson plan attached.
This is an absolute goldmine in my opinion. Must check it out!
Talking Points
My very own series of lesson plans for reading, speaking, vocabulary and writing.
ALL FREE!
Fantastic Tales
My own series of short story lesson plans, ideal for reading, speaking, vocabulary and writing.
ALL FREE!
Paid Resources
Teachers Pay Teachers
This is a marketplace-style site where teachers can purchase high-quality, ready-made lesson plans and materials for all age groups and levels.
I have used this site in the past and found some great exercises here. But I have been told that now there seems to be a lot of AI-generated content added.
Not sure how true this is, but if anyone can say whether it is so or not, please let me know!
EnglishClass101
Offers subscription-based access to a wide array of lesson plans and video lessons tailored to different English proficiency levels.
Ellii
I have not used this site for any lessons, but I have been told it is good.
If anyone has any experience using this site, please let me know and I will add more details.
Canva
I love Canva!
You should really think about learning the ropes with Canva as it is great for designing lesson plans, materials and slides for your own Online English Classes.
It is very user-friendly and intuitive, which can help you make really cool presentations for your students.
I use the paid version and I think it’s one of those rare apps where I am very happy to pay for it.
Adapting Your Lessons for Different Student Levels and Goals
You need to tailor your lessons to match each of your students’ English levels.
Levels can loosely be defined as beginner, intermediate or advanced. But that is just a very basic definition of the levels.
Beginner
At this level, the student needs to learn basic vocabulary and build on that.
They also need to learn sentence structure and pronunciation.
Visual aids and interactive activities often work well at this level, such as flashcards.
Intermediate
At this level, you need to help your students build on existing vocabulary, introduce more complex grammar ideas and practice conversation.
You could use real-life scenarios, like role plays, and include more error correction during speaking activities.
Advanced
Now you need to focus on refining language skills, aim for higher fluency in English, accent reduction and writing styles.
You could use more challenging materials such as news articles, stories, podcasts or complex conversations.
The above ideas are very basic.
If you are doing or plan to do a TEFL or TESOL course, you will go into much greater detail on planning lessons for different English levels.
Goal Oriented Planning
Your student could be preparing for a test such as IELTS or TOEFL.
If so, you need to create a focused curriculum that targets practice tests, reading comprehension, writing tasks and speaking skills.
If the goal is to improve English conversation, then plan practical dialogues at their level or role play exercises to build their fluency.
Interactive Activities
I think using interactive activities in any English class is a great idea.
It keeps the students engaged, it makes learning fun, and it encourages participation.
I have used these kinds of activities with ALL levels of English learners to great effect.
Let’s look at some of the kinds of interactive activities you can use in your own classes.
Games
I have encountered teachers who refuse to use games in their classes because they think they belittle or demean the students.
In my opinion, this is nonsense.
ALL people love to play games. And this can be a very valuable asset in your classes.
For vocabulary, you can use the following games:
- Hangman
- Word Search
- Pictionary
You can find tons of FREE worksheets based on all of these games online.
Check the links below for starters:
Quizzes
Quizzes are also another fun way to reinforce what students have learnt in your classes.
There are quiz tools, such as
These can help you create your own custom quizzes that you can run in real time.
The above platforms make it easy to add pictures, audio, and video to make the learning process more dynamic.
Role Plays
I love using role plays in class…
I find this to be a great way for students to practice speaking in class and to use new vocabulary.
In an Online English Class, the role play would most likely be between you and the student. But still possible.
Some of the best role play activities include:
- Job Interviews
- Ordering Food in a Restaurant
- In a Hotel
- Asking for Directions
- Shopping
- In the Bank
Role plays can help students gain more confidence in using English in practical situations.
There are MANY games you can play in your own Online English Class.
I have only outlined some of the games that you can use.
I will add more as this entire guide is a work in progress and I hope to update it on occasion.
Assessment and Feedback
You need to assess your students and give them feedback.
Of course, this is an essential part of the student’s progress and development.
Ways to Track Student Progress
You need to track your students’ progress so you can help them well.
How to do it?
Progressive Tracking
Use a system to record key milestones or learning objectives.
This could be mastering a certain number of words in English vocabulary. Or completing several grammar exercises.
Keep a spreadsheet or some detailed information on the goals the student has achieved.
Regular Quizzes
You could run quizzes as an interactive game (as talked about above) or there could be oral assessments at the end of each lesson in the form of a quiz.
This can help you keep track of the student’s understanding of the material you are introducing to them.
Student Self-Assessment
If your students are older, you could encourage them to reflect on their own learning and keep track of their progress.
They can do this via journalling or completing self-assessment questionnaires.
I personally think journalling is great for this.
How To Teach Journaling In The ESL Class
Google Forms
Google is your friend…
Use Google Forms to create surveys or quizzes to gather feedback and assess students’ performance after each lesson.
Constructive Feedback Techniques
You have to provide constructive feedback to your students.
This is crucial to motivate them and guide them towards improvement.
Positive Reinforcement
You should always highlight what the student did well before addressing any areas of improvement.
This can soften the blow of any criticism.
So, for example, you could say:
Your English speaking is really improving, and your pronunciation is getting much better.
But pay close attention to this sound in English.
And then give them some detailed points that they can adhere to.
Specific Feedback
Instead of giving vague feedback like ‘Great job’ or ‘Well done’, be more specific in what they actually did that was a great job or well done.
For example;
Your pronunciation of the ‘Th’ sound in English is really improving.
Actionable Suggestions
You should always opt for more detailed and clear suggestions for improvement.
For example;
Next time, try to use the past perfect sense in this sentence instead of the simple past.
One Thing at a Time
And do not overload your students with too much feedback, as this can be too overwhelming!
Focus on one key aspect. That could be pronunciation, vocabulary or grammar.
Give them ONE piece of criticism per lesson. It is enough.
Encourage Self-Correction
And, when possible, try to prompt students to find their own mistakes and suggest corrections.
This can encourage them to be more independent and gain critical thinking.
Additional Tips for Preparing Classes
Here are some other tips I would like to offer you when preparing your classes.
Be Flexible
You have to be adaptable and flexible in your student’s pace of learning.
Creating a lesson plan is great in theory, but in practice, the student may learn at an entirely different speed.
They may need more time to learn some of the points you are teaching them.
Equally, they might speed through other parts.
You need to be flexible!
Stay Organised
And it is essential to make sure you have all of your lesson plans and student reports in a real folder or a digital version where you can keep everything you need.
Variety is Key
And don’t do the same tired old format of lesson plans every time.
Mix it up.
Give them a variety of activities and lesson plan ideas to keep the students on their toes.
But also to keep them engaged.
In one 55-minute class, you could have four or five different exercises or activities to go through.
This is ideal.
Conclusion
If you plan your lessons effectively, then you can deliver very high-quality online English classes that will ensure that your students are engaged, happy and motivated.
You can use a combination of free and paid resources, plus your own tailored lesson plans, to meet ALL student levels and goals.
Incorporate interactive activities and you can create a really dynamic and productive learning experience for your students.
You also need to track their progress and give them meaningful feedback.
All of these things combined will help your students stay on the right path and see clear and visible improvement in their English.
Above all, you have to be flexible, be extremely organised and have a variety in your English lesson plans to ensure YOU and YOUR STUDENTS get the most from each and every class.
By applying these strategies, you’ll not only improve your students’ learning outcomes but also build a strong reputation as an online English teacher.
If you apply all these strategies, you will not only improve your students’ overall English goals, but build a very strong reputation as an Online English Teacher.
In Part Six, we will look at Tips for Success as an Online English Teacher.
And leave a comment below to let me know your thoughts about this part of the guide…
Thanks for reading!
