To help shy ESL students speak up, find out why they hold back, let them work in pairs, start with easy questions, correct only a few mistakes, and keep them out of the spotlight. These 5 tips help them come out of their shells.
Participation plays a big part in the success of ESL students. Sadly, not all students like the idea of taking part in class or group activities. You keep encouraging your shy students, but they just won't budge. So how do you help them open up a bit?
Helping shy ESL students speak up more
Here are 5 simple tips to help shy ESL students break out of their shells and take a more active part in class. Try them out.
1. Identify the causes
Identifying the cause is the first step in helping shy students speak up more. A common reason is that they are very conscious of their accents. Let these students know that accents are all right: even native speakers have accents, and they differ from one region to the next.
Other students are afraid of making mistakes and becoming a laughingstock. As a teacher, make it a rule that nobody in the class ever laughs at anyone else. People make mistakes when they learn a new language, and that is perfectly normal.
Once in a while, make a small mistake on purpose to show that even experienced speakers stumble from time to time. When you make a genuine mistake, admit it to the class. Use your mistakes to encourage your students to take risks and not be afraid of making blunders. If tests make them nervous too, read how to overcome test anxiety in ESL students.
2. Use pairs
Public speaking is scary for many people. Even speaking from your seat in a class of 20 people can be intimidating. Ease the tension by letting your students work in pairs.
Of course, don't pair shy students with each other. That is a recipe for disaster.
Pair a shy student with someone a bit more talkative. Yes, you read that right: someone who is just a bit more talkative. A very talkative student can be intimidating, at least at first, and ends up carrying the whole conversation while the shy student hardly speaks.
3. Keep things simple
Asking hard questions right away only makes shy students anxious about getting the answer wrong. Start with easy questions that they are almost sure to answer correctly. Then make the questions harder step by step, so that you can gauge how much they understand.
When the lessons get more difficult, help shy students correct themselves. For example, when you give them written homework, they can check it with the Spell Checker before they hand it in. It marks spelling and grammar mistakes and explains each one, so they can correct the mistakes themselves and feel more confident when they turn in their work. Letting classmates correct each other works well too: see peer correction to improve students' writing skills.
4. Make only a few corrections
Having a teacher point out dozens of grammar mistakes in front of the class is a crushing experience for a shy ESL student. When you do that, you push them deeper into their shells. Instead, point out only a few of their most obvious mistakes and move on.
Watch your tone, too. Making corrections in a "have you been listening to me at all?" tone makes shy students feel inadequate and dejected. The next time you ask a question, they will play it safe, shake their heads, and avoid your eyes.
5. Keep them out of the spotlight
Shy people hate nothing more than being in the spotlight. When you ask the class a question, never call on the shy students first. Let them answer second, third, or later. Once they have answered, don't dwell on it. Make a short comment or correction and move on to the next person.