How To Motivate Esl Students 10 Sure Fire Ways To Inspire Bridge

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Oct 30, 2025, 6:02 AM

how to motivate esl students 10 sure fire ways to inspire bridge

Stay connected with industry news, resources for English teachers and job seekers, ELT events, and more. Teaching English as a foreign language comes with its own unique set of challenges, especially when it comes to keeping students motivated. Whether you’re teaching online or in person, figuring out how to motivate ESL students can be the difference between a classroom filled with energy and engagement or one where students are counting down the... Let’s explore 10 proven strategies to keep your students motivated and engaged. Goal setting is fundamental for keeping track of students’ progress, building students’ self-esteem and confidence, and keeping students motivated. Goals give students purpose, so establishing clear, achievable goals for your students is crucial.

At the beginning of a course, work with your students to set both short-term and long-term goals. These goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). For example, a short-term goal might be to learn 10 new vocabulary words related to a particular topic by the end of the week, while a long-term goal could be to improve speaking fluency... Setting goals helps students see their progress and gives them a sense of accomplishment, which is a great motivator. Read about eight engaging ESL vocabulary games for teaching in person or online. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Learning English opens doors to new opportunities, but the journey is not always smooth. As an English teacher, you must have noticed your student’s daily challenges. Most commonly, it is about the difficulty of mastering tricky pronunciations to understanding complex grammar rules. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Also, recent studies show that most ESL (English as a Second Language) students struggle to stay motivated beyond their first few months of learning. It is natural for your students to feel overwhelmed when learning a new language.

But here’s the good news: with the right approach and support system, you can help them succeed in their English learning journey. Whether you are a professional teacher carrying out classes on Online Teaching English in Malaysia or anywhere else in the world- you need to inspire your students. You must grasp the nitty-gritty of what drives successful language learning to make all the difference. Ah, the joys of teaching! Young learners are so full of energy that most activities you propose are met with loads of enthusiasm. Adult learners are focused on meeting their language goals and have a wealth of skills and knowledge to contribute to the class.

However, things are not as simple with teens. Most are very clever and insightful kids, but this is not exactly the most talkative age group. Have you ever faced a class full of blank stares where most of the replies you hear are “Yes”, “No”, or “It depends”? Have you ever felt frustrated by their lack of interest? Here are some strategies that should get your teens a bit more motivated. Consider your teens’ interests.

Imagine you want to discuss last week’s events to practice the past simple tense. Will they be more interested in what President Obama did last week, or which outrageous outfit Lady Gaga wore to an awards show? If you’re not willing to discuss Eminem’s latest album, or any of the Twilight books or films, then you won't connect with your teen students. Little kids like to compete, and teens are no different. Whether they play sports or games on the Wii, they always try to out best each other. Why not introduce some friendly competition into the ESL classroom?

Games are easy ways to do this, but you can also have them compete in any activity. When I think about how to motivate ESL students and get them to practice English beyond the classroom, one private student of mine from Brazil comes to mind. She’s 65, lives in Rio de Janeiro, and we meet online twice a week. She’s really lovely, she’s been having lessons with me for over 5 years – I know, the commitment! She’s really motivated but doesn’t get many chances to use English outside of our lessons. To help, I set up a simple routine for her with listening and speaking tasks using WhatsApp.

Each week, she records a quick summary of an article she’s read (which she chooses herself!), and we discuss it as a warm-up in the subsequent class. She also sends me voice messages ( around 1 minute long) about her day. Simple, right? This approach has boosted her confidence and language skills. Why not try something similar with your students? This example shows the importance of learner autonomy—something we’ve all heard of.

In short, it’s about students taking charge of their learning by setting goals, choosing activities, and reflecting on their progress. It helps them manage their learning even when they’re not in class. So how can we, as teachers, encourage this autonomy? How can we motivate our ESL students to practice English on their own? Don’t worry, we’ve got some strategies for you. Here are 8 ways how to motivate ESL students and encourage them to use English outside class by fostering learner autonomy.

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Here are powerful techniques to use both in the classroom and during school breaks to nurture their learning journey: School breaks are a prime opportunity to keep ESL learners engaged with the language in relaxed and fun ways: Remember: Motivated students are successful students. By creating a positive, encouraging environment focused on continuous learning–both within the classroom and out in the world– you’ll empower your ESL learners to reach their full potential. You’d attract bees with honey rather than vinegar—and the same idea applies to motivating the students in your ESL classroom. One of the toughest tasks a teacher can have on their plate is to motivate their students the right way.

This means motivating them from the inside rather than from the outside. Let me show you several classroom strategies that’ll bring out the best in your students and get them excited about learning English. Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download) Start at the beginning of the school year with clear rules.

Above all, you need to explain from day one that this is an English class, and English will be the medium of communication. Have realistic expectations too, depending on the language level of your students. Obviously, different age groups “ring the bell” concerning language or maturity levels. Your students also won’t develop their language at the same rate, face the same struggles, or excel in the same areas.

How To Motivate Esl Students 10 Sure Fire Ways To Inspire Bridge

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