How do you bring out reticent speakers? by Richard West

Yasuko Yukimoto

2018-08-30 03:46:50 UTC

I myself was a reticent speaker. I hated to speak in front of the whole class but I didn't have any difficulty speaking in a pair or small group. I think pair or small group work can make reticent speakers utter more.

Yasuko Yukimoto

2018-08-30 04:26:27 UTC

I think by choosing a theme which reticent speakers are interested in, we can elicit their autonomous utterances.
According to a Japanese myth, the Sun Goddess Amaterasu got angry and hid herself in a cave. So, the world became surrounded by darkness. All the gods and goddesses held a party in front of the cave. Amaterasu heard the gods’ laughter and became curious, then, she came out. This brought back the light to the world.

Yasuko Yukimoto

2018-08-30 04:47:10 UTC

When the students feel responsibility, they get autonomous and take serious effort. If a teacher gives a reticent speaker an important role to complete an activity, he/she will make a serious effort to fulfill his/her responsibility.

Yasuko Yukimoto

2018-08-30 05:20:29 UTC

Reticent speakers tend to be uncomfortable to receive attention. They might enjoy more activities which all students do together.

Yasuko Yukimoto

2018-08-30 05:37:04 UTC

It’s important to create a relaxing environment which not only reticent students but also all the students can feel safe to make mistakes. Relaxing environment could encourage reticent students to speak.

Gina Jones

ginaloujones66 — 2018-11-21 20:36:30 UTC

Many of my students are from China and feel that their role of the student is to listen and not too speak. They are in their 60s. I try to have a more conversational class sometimes sitting with them, instead of up in the front of them.
Also it can be that the culture promotes direct communication from men but not women. Having some agreed upon classroom rules can help to facilitate conversation and involvement.

Gina Jones

ginaloujones66 — 2018-11-21 20:59:17 UTC

I've noticed yes/no questions as well as questions that are looking for one correct answer are not helpful. Rather it seems open-ended "tell me more about that?' or "how do you know that?" can be more engaging. Also being too focused on accuracy instead of fluency will shut down those reticent speakers.

Gina Jones

ginaloujones66 — 2018-11-21 21:17:35 UTC

Pair work works well to draw out the reticent speaker. One thing to consider is how to pair students. Considering personality, culture and the L1 can help to make pair work most useful. You may not want to pair 2 learners with the same L1 if risk they may just speak in L1. Or you may not want to pair a reticent speaker with a very talkative student. Depends on the students.

Gina Jones

ginaloujones66 — 2018-11-21 22:05:21 UTC

Use topics and activities that are interesting and engaging for the age group. Using authentic materials can help as well. I used some store ads recently in class and the energy and engagement increased markedly. Found these topic ideas helpful.

Gina Jones

ginaloujones66 — 2018-11-21 22:23:19 UTC

Since reticent speakers are hesitant to speak, engaging the class in other activities such as charades or role-play can help to increase their confidence and make them feel that they are "not really themselves". I like the physical movement involved with the Total Physical Response. It makes all students feel engaged and "levels the playing field" a bit. I did this with my class of adults and then loved it.

Elaine Ji

PapayaSmile — 2018-11-22 17:43:44 UTC

Some students afraid of talking in front of people because they are afraid of making mistakes. I always tell my students that it is OK to make mistakes in my classes. Teachers also need to think about when to, and how to correct students' errors, so they won't be worried about making mistakes.

Elaine Ji

PapayaSmile — 2018-11-22 17:49:53 UTC

WAIT!
Be patient!
Give students more time!
Some students just need more time to look for the vocabulary they need to use, and to form the sentence in their mind before talking

Elaine Ji

PapayaSmile — 2018-11-22 17:53:22 UTC

I agree that reticent speakers might talk more in small group or peer working.

Elaine Ji

PapayaSmile — 2018-11-22 17:55:54 UTC

Get to know your students well!

Choose topics and theme that they are interested in!
I have a kindergartner who doesn't like to share their ideas during class time. But whenever we were talking about Lego or dinosaurs, he always raise his hand.

Elaine Ji

PapayaSmile — 2018-11-22 18:09:09 UTC

Fun activities!
Not only kids like to play games in the class time, adults also does!
When students are fully involved in the activity, there will be more chance they will talk spontaneously.

Use improvisation! Learning by playing One of the first things you learn at improv is to get in a playful state. What this means is that you let go of the need for perfection. Let go of the wish to affect the outcome – to always want to be successful and to avoid failure. Just play. Regardless of the outcome. When you are doing improv, you learn to do before you think too much. Act as soon as the thought appears. If you start to think about it, and imagining what can go wrong, you won’t express the creativity. Be willing to reveal that inner self that usually gets censored. When you play, you can be any character you want to be. “Just play. Regardless of the outcome.” Kerstin Rogers

2019-02-27 07:11:49 UTC

Create a relaxed atmosphere in your classroom. This will help to reduce students’ anxiety and open them to learning. Kerstin Rogers

2019-02-27 07:19:50 UTC

Use Information Gap activities to draw out reluctant speakers. They will be required to speak to complete their task, and will be focused more on their mission than their self-consciousness. Kerstin Rogers

2019-02-27 07:24:08 UTC

Allow reluctant students to escape into a character. Why use role-play? It is widely agreed that learning takes place when activities are engaging and memorable. Jeremy Harmer advocates the use of role-play for the following reasons: It's fun and motivating Quieter students get the chance to express themselves in a more forthright way *The world of the classroom is broadened to include the outside world - thus offering a much wider range of language opportunities

2019-02-27 07:25:48 UTC

Participate in speaking activities yourself! Join small groups of students that include reluctant speakers for communicative activities. Smile, draw them out, and ask interesting questions. Kerstin Rogers

2019-02-27 07:28:34 UTC

Switch up Activities!

2019-05-28 03:24:09 UTC

Not everyone enjoys or feels comfortable with role-play. Have back up tasks in mind if something doesn't seem to be working.

Karla Haile

H

2019-05-28 03:27:47 UTC

Have Quieter Students Take the Notes in Group Activities.

2019-05-28 03:27:48 UTC

They will be participating, writing and listening!

Karla Haile

Allow Time for Projects

2019-05-28 03:29:58 UTC

It is important not to create pressure to finish tasks in order to keep students motivated. Shyer students may need more time to feel comfortable and begin speaking in their groups.

Karla Haile

Technology Use for Homework

2019-05-28 03:33:31 UTC

Have reluctant speakers research something outside of class that they are passionate about. Building rapport is key in drawing the interests of students out. Ask them to bring their research or make a presentation about something they are most interested in.

Karla Haile

Recommendations Activity

2019-05-28 03:39:53 UTC

Everyone has an Opinion! If the topic is interesting to the class, then everyone will want to give their two cents. This can be a fun group activity.

Karla Haile

Total Physical Response

2019-08-25 06:26:07 UTC

“Students will begin to speak when they are ready” (Larsen-Freeman, 2011).

Larsen-Freeman, D., & Anderson, M. (2011). Techniques &Principles in Language Teaching. Oxford University Press.

Tu Lien

Calm, and persistence

2019-08-25 06:27:23 UTC

Rushing can lead to a total shut down. Since the goal is language acquisition, it takes time and persistence.
When both teacher and students are calm, they can "see" clearly.
One way to create a stress-free learning environment is to focus on using the language, distract students’ attention from linguistic forms.

Tu Lien

Patience

2019-08-25 06:39:48 UTC

“Students are expected to make errors when they first begin speaking. Teachers should be tolerant of them. Work on the fine details of the language should be postponed until students have become somewhat proficient” (Larsen-Freeman, 2011)

Larsen-Freeman, D., & Anderson, M. (2011). Techniques &Principles in Language Teaching. Oxford University Press.

Tu Lien

Get to know your students

2019-08-25 06:42:14 UTC

Knowing who they are as learners, how it is they learn, what motivates them, what their goals are, and what “clicks” with them.

“If they can’t learn the way we teach, we teach the way they learn” Ole Ivar Lovaas

Tu Lien

Extra credits

2019-08-25 06:44:06 UTC

I used to be a reticent speaker, but if there is a motivation, I will come out of my shell. I am also a perfectionist who always tries to get extra credits to better my grade. I found that giving extra credits as reward for speaking helps shy but overachieving students to speak up. Extra credits give them a purpose or excuse.

Tu Lien

Simulation and Role-Play

2019-08-25 06:57:24 UTC

Simulation and role-play can be used to encourage general oral fluency or to train students for specific situations, especially when they are studying English for specific purposes or business English (Harmer, 2007).

Harmer, J. (2007). The practice of English language teaching. Pearson Longman ELT: Essex, UK.

Tu Lien

Think-Write-Pair-Share

2019-08-27 07:55:38 UTC

Incorporating writing into the think-pair-share paradigm increases the time allotted to the processing, allows students to construct the words they will share with the class, and allows them to check with their partner to make sure it is how they want to express their thought.
- Jeniphr Grant

Education Univ of Hong Kong. (2017). ELE Saturday Seminar Series 2017-2018: Motivating your students to talk. Retrieved from https://www.eduhk.hk/ele/ss/17-18/Sem2_notes.pdf

Photo retrieved from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/RA-Readers-Apprenticeship-Think-Write-Pair-Share-828260

Get one idea from multiple people

2019-08-27 08:00:40 UTC

To collect ideas from more than just one partner, Ss write their own answer, then move around the classroom while T plays music -- students get as many other answers as possible during the song.
– Jeniphr Grant

Reid, R. (2019, April 25). 9 strategies for getting more students to talk. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/9-strategies-getting-more-students-talk

Photo retrieved from https://www.dreamstime.com/editorial-photography-multiple-pairs-shoes-blanket-image52265477

Focus on emotional support and promote positive attitudes

2019-08-27 08:03:24 UTC

Help Ss feel relaxed by setting a comfortable tone, and incorporate Ss needs, wants, desires as instructional input.
– Jeniphr Grant

Harmer, J. (2015). The practice of English language teaching with DVD (5th ed.), pp. 386-387. Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Longman ELT.

Photo retrieved from https://get.quickkeyapp.com/3-tips-calm-classroom/

Group work/collaborative work

2019-08-27 08:07:07 UTC

T designates groups, either randomly or with heterogeneous membership, and provides designated roles for each member. Roles rotate within groups by project/task. Each person has a responsibility to the group.

– Jeniphr Grant

Photo retrieved from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Small-Group-Roles-Jobs-2658144

Musical pairs

2019-08-27 08:10:31 UTC

Get Ss out of their seats during times of more intensive collaboration, allows sharing for longer time with musical cues. Ss wander/circle during music play and pair with person closest to them when music stops.
– Jeniphr Grant

Reid, R. (2019, April 25). 9 strategies for getting more students to talk. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/9-strategies-getting-more-students-talk

Photo retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/2928896/grease-fan-theory-suggests-danny-and-sandy-were-dead-all-along/

Cooperative building projects

2019-08-28 03:43:26 UTC

Give the students limited resources to build the highest tower using only a handful of straws. They need to communicate together to plan and build.
-Evan Wolfe

Photo retrieved from
http://thegeosphere.pbworks.com/w/page/22058914/EARTHQUAKE%20TOWER%20PROJECT

Photography scavenger hunt

2019-08-28 03:49:40 UTC

Group up the students, give them a list of things to find on campus and take pictures of. They can post it to an online blackboard or a dedicated social media. For a challenge, you can give them vague hints for varied options or a riddle to solve to find and take pictures of.
-Evan Wolfe

Photo retrieved from
https://www.nyip.edu/photo-articles/business/how-much-money-do-photographers-make

Social games

2019-08-28 03:55:54 UTC

Social games where students will have to communicate to pass along an item in a row the quickest can reduce stress and get the ice broken.
-Evan Wolfe

Photo retrieved from
https://previews.123rf.com/images/meteoropata/meteoropata1704/meteoropata170400232/78581954-children-playing-music-chair-game-vector-silhouette-illustration-happy-birthday-animation-kids-run-a.jpg

Game night

2019-08-28 03:58:35 UTC

Some card games are popular across many different cultures. In my experience, my students came from all over the world but they had one game that they all liked in common: Uno.
-Evan Wolfe

Photo Retrieved from
https://www.google.com/search?biw=1366&bih=625&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=G_tlXYrAOs2z0PEP9vefmAY&q=uno+card&oq=uno+card&gs_l=img.3..0i67j0j0i67j0l2j0i67j0l4.273022.273935..274033...0.0..0.75.515.8......0....1..gws-wiz-img.R3nfGaV9cNg&ved=0ahUKEwjKuf3W1aTkAhXNGTQIHfb7B2MQ4dUDCAY&uact=5#imgrc=IxxXA_Nj1QRTeM:

Movie clips and movie days

2019-08-28 04:02:24 UTC

Show the students movies or just clips of a movie. I had more success with showing students clips from movies and asking the them to infer what is going on, rather than getting them to show up at the classroom after school to watch the whole movie.
-Evan Wolfe

Photo retrieved from
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--m9daP_xN--/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/unsnbwg2cke5spzlpsuy.jpg

Role play

jrmwash — 2020-02-24 15:03:50 UTC

I have found that role play often brings reticent speakers out of their shell. Many people can temporarily step away from reluctance to speak when in the role of another person.

Jim McDonald

Read with the student

jrmwash — 2020-02-24 15:17:40 UTC

I work with several Level 1 students who don't read well, are self-conscious about this, and are reluctant to read out loud. If I say that the two of us will read this together it often makes a difference.

Jim McDonald

Creating Rapport

2020-02-24 15:17:55 UTC

I think that creating rapport through a welcoming and warm environment will help many students open up and feel more comfortable to speak out in class. If students feel like what they have to say is considered important, they will be more willing to share.

-Helen Bryant

Playing Games

2020-02-24 15:20:34 UTC

Playing interactive and fun games helps engage students. Even when teaching adults, I think that it can help many students come out of their shell and to be more willing to share their thoughts and ideas when it is a game. The focus is placed on the objective of the game rather than the accuracy of the language.

-Helen Bryant

Readers' Theater

jrmwash — 2020-02-24 15:29:45 UTC

"In readers' theatre, students rehearse and perform a play for peers or others. They read from scripts that have been derived from books that are rich in dialogue. Students play characters who speak lines or a narrator who shares necessary background information. Readers' theatre provides readers with a legitimate reason to reread text and to practice fluency. Readers' theatre also promotes cooperative interaction with peers and makes the reading task appealing."

-Jim McDonald

Excerpted from: Guidelines for Examining Phonics and Word Recognition Programs, Texas Reading Initiative, Texas Education Agency (2002). Downloaded from
https://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/readers_theater

Foster Friendships in Class

2020-02-24 15:30:02 UTC

Along with creating rapport between teacher and student, it could help some students to come out of their shell if we help foster friendships in the classroom. When students don't feel like they are alone on the language learning journey and they have an ally in the class, they may be more willing to open up and share what they have to say.

-Helen Bryant

Interesting Talk

2020-02-24 15:34:35 UTC

We had the honor of speaking to the author of our textbook, Keith Folse, during one of our classes. He made a point that some students are harder to engage and he has found that using a theme or topic that truly interests these students is what gets them to contribute and want to learn the language. Most of our lessons will be structured around a curriculum, but it doesn't hurt to include topics that interests the students to help the learning process. Students will be more willing to speak up about a topic that they know about or are interested in, instead of a topic they know nothing about or have no interest in.

-Helen Bryant

Speaking one-on-one with the student

jrmwash — 2020-02-24 15:39:16 UTC

Some students are anxious when speaking when there are other people present. I have found that if I speak with them one-on-one with no one else present, the anxiety falls away, possibly because there are no peers who might judge them.

-Jim McDonald

Use Cue Cards

2020-02-24 15:44:24 UTC

In a lesson demo we watched, a teacher used cue cards (or strips of paper with sentences written out) to help students feel more comfortable speaking. Especially for beginner students or students that are not willing to talk due to the fear of making grammatical mistakes, cue cards can help students start using the language out loud. Of course the eventual goal is to have students practice this until they get comfortable enough to produce their own language and to not have to rely on the cards. The cue cards could also just help spark the speech needed to help students have a full conversation.

-Helen Bryant

Pair work

jrmwash — 2020-02-24 16:03:43 UTC

Sometimes it's less threatening to just work with the student sitting next to you. And if it's just the two of you the student is more likely to try to speak a bit.

- Jim McDonald

Have a Debate!

2020-02-24 16:03:58 UTC

Having students have a debate about a controversial (but appropriate) topic that interests them could be a way for students to speak up. Also working in pairs or groups allows students to feel more comfortable talking because they won't feel "alone."

-Helen Bryant

http://www.teachingcove.com/esl/speak-up-in-english-class/

Collaboration

2020-02-24 16:08:19 UTC

Doing projects together as a collaboration between classmates can foster a great sense of belonging and can get students to open up. First of all working in smaller groups can make students feel more comfortable to speak up and contribute. If the project is interesting, people will be more likely to engage. Also the students must work together to complete the task/project, so they will have to speak to each other.

-Helen Bryant

Krashen's Natural Approach

jrmwash — 2020-02-24 16:13:04 UTC

"Creating a low affective filter is also a condition for acquisition that is met when the classroom atmosphere is one in which anxiety is reduced and student's self-confidence is boosted. The filter is kept low as well by the fact that students are not put on the spot to speak. They speak when they are ready to do so."

In other words, just relax and let students speak in their own time.

- Jim McDonald

Larsen-Freeman, D., & Anderson, M. (2011) Techniques & Principles in Language Teaching. (p. 104) Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.

Grade for Participation

2020-02-25 03:27:03 UTC

When students understand they are being graded on their speaking participation, they may be more apt to try.
- Yvonne Gibb

Roll the Dice

2020-02-25 03:31:05 UTC

Taking turns by assigning each student a number (for 12 or less students), roll the dice to select a student to answer.
- Yvonne Gibb

Icebreaker Games

2020-02-25 03:34:28 UTC

Use games to get to know personal information about each other, thus lowering the affective filter once trust has been built.
- Yvonne Gibb

Encouraging Teacher

2020-02-25 03:38:18 UTC

When the teacher uses positive, encouraging feedback, even when errors are made, students will be more willing to speak up and fail.
- Yvonne Gibb

Use Talking Stick

2020-02-25 03:43:46 UTC

Pass a "stick" from person to person, giving each a chance to talk out loud, building confidence.
- Yvonne Gibb

Using rewards

tarvinlourenco — 2020-02-25 21:15:08 UTC

Offering treats to students for their participation. The type of treat is of course gauged by the group of students.
-Ren Tarvin

Depiction of interests

tarvinlourenco — 2020-02-25 21:16:53 UTC

Finding the symbolism of a subject and helping tie it back to the lesson plan is always key. Taking the time to find an unknown subject not only piques interests it also opens channels of discussion.

Outside the box history

tarvinlourenco — 2020-02-25 21:20:47 UTC

Having an interesting history lesson as an ice breaker or discussion topic and asking about how it makes them feel. Ex. How would you feel if someone stuck their tongue out at you instead of saying hello?

Ask qualifying and surveying questions.

tarvinlourenco — 2020-02-25 21:24:42 UTC

I often pose questions directly to the student often coaxing them to answer with a statement that I just stated in my lecture. My students are aware of this because I often say the statement 3 times before I ask someone to answer.

Kahoot

tarvinlourenco — 2020-02-25 21:28:10 UTC

I use Kahoot often. I use it to aid students in showing their knowledge without speaking at first but have the ability to be proud of what they know. This encourages them to take part in the discussions more often because they feel more comfortable during discussion and lecture.

Choral Speaking

2020-08-25 02:07:44 UTC

It is easier to speak up if your voice is not the only one being heard. Reading aloud or singing as a group lowers the affective filter and can be a lot of fun.
- M.C. Trifa

The Student Becomes the Teacher

2020-08-25 02:21:54 UTC

Find out something a student excels at (singing, cooking, painting, etc.) and ask them to give a demo or lesson on that topic to their fellow students, in pairs or small groups.
- M.C. Trifa

Set Small Goals

2020-08-25 02:30:57 UTC

I found this technique to be successful with very low beginners: I ask them to pose one question to a fellow student, no matter how short or simple, and answer one question from a fellow student, no matter how short the answer is (it can be as simple as a yes or no). Done on a regular basis, this can really build confidence.
- M.C. Trifa

"Don’t make me speak first!"

2020-08-25 02:42:09 UTC

If a student is reluctant to speak in class, ask them a question only after you have asked the same question of another, more confident speaker. Brainstorming can be an excellent opportunity to draw out the reticent speaker because the student can answer briefly, then the attention moves quickly onto the next speaker.
-Patty

Paraphrased from https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator-english/esl-tips-teaching-shy-students/

Have Students Record Themselves

2020-08-25 02:44:35 UTC

If they are reluctant to speak in class, students can be given homework to record themselves on their cell phones reading a poem or a few paragraphs from a story, or talking about a topic of their choice or that the teacher has assigned (e.g., pets they had as children, favorite foods, activities they liked to do on the weekend). The focus should be on quantity/fluency (e.g., speaking for at least 1 minutes) not accuracy.
- M.C. Trifa

Go Ahead, Talk to Yourself!

2020-08-25 18:21:22 UTC

Encourage students to spend time outside of class silently using set phrases in an imagined scenario. For instance, if they are learning greetings, they might visualize themselves sharing a short conversation with someone. “Hello, how are you? I am fine, thank you. How are you.”

-Patty

Lead On!

2020-08-25 18:51:47 UTC

Ask the reluctant speaker to be a leader in a group with multiple, clearly articulated roles. Be sure to discuss this with the student beforehand so they have time to process it. Passing a discussion baton can help keep the discussion orderly and make sure everyone has a chance to speak. Giving the reticent student a leadership role can build confidence and help them take ownership of group goals.
-Patty

Make Mistakes

2020-08-25 19:12:42 UTC

From the very beginning, emphasize that making mistakes is absolutely normal and acceptable in this class. Post this on the classroom walls, the class page, the syllabus. Make up a corny class mantra like, “It’s fine to make mistakes!” and playfully have them repeat it regularly.

-Patty

Fun & Games

2020-08-25 19:24:53 UTC

Play games like Pictionary or charades in which students randomly call out ideas. The fun, fast-paced chaos with help self-conscious students lose themselves in the game. Additionally, students are free to make mistakes because it takes a lot of wrong guesses to get to the answer.

Broken Telephone

2020-08-25 23:56:08 UTC

This is a clever variation of the game Telephone, mentioned in The Practice of English Language Teaching, by J. Harmer (p. 396): students whisper a message to one another, taking turns translating from and into their L1 and English. Shy speakers are likely to feel more comfortable speaking softly to one person rather than in hearing of the whole class, and being able to use their L1 will build a sense of self-competence and trust in their ability to perform language successfully.
-M.C. Trifa

2020-08-26 00:08:41 UTC

The Silent Way Charts

2020-08-26 00:08:50 UTC

These can relieve the pressure to produce new, creative language and give students the opportunity to practice in a predictable and supported way.
- M.C. Trifa

The Teacher's Silence

2020-08-26 00:13:51 UTC

This is an underrated way to motivate students to speak. Speakers may be reticent not only because they are afraid of making mistakes but because they do not think their listeners are willing to give them enough time to articulate what they have to say.
- M.C. Trifa

Human Computer

2020-08-26 00:25:49 UTC

A Community Language Learning technique, Human Computer is a way to learn pronunciation that puts the student in control of learning, allowing her or him to repeat a word or phrase as many times as needed to master it. (Larsen-Freeman & Anderson, Techniques and Principles in Language Learning, p. 99).
- M.C. Trifa

2020-08-26 00:34:21 UTC

Here is a very short (one-minute) demonstration of Human Computer.
- M.C. Trifa

Be patient

2021-03-02 04:07:40 UTC

Many students may appear reticent, because they are slow to answer. But, they may just be trying to formulate a correct response. So, teachers must resist the urge to avoid silence by calling on someone else, or by providing the answer themselves. (I know, because I, personally, detest the sound of silence in a classroom. I am reminded of that scene from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," in which his boring teacher looks for a response to a question by asking, "Anyone?... Anyone?... Bueller?"
- Lydia Pozzato

Desk placement for collaborative learning

2021-03-02 04:17:07 UTC

Many students may be uncomfortable speaking in front of the entire class, but they may be willing to speak to a partner, or a small group. So, try arranging their desks into small groups (if possible), so they might be more willing to participate "when the pressure is off," a bit.
-Lydia Pozzato

Let students talk about what interests them the most

2021-03-02 04:23:22 UTC

A student may appear reticent, when asked to discuss their assignment. But if asked to talk about their favorite flavor of ice cream, or their opinion on an important topic, they would probably open up much more readily.
- Lydia Pozzato

Rotate leadership roles in group discussions

2021-03-02 04:27:33 UTC

By rotating the role of group leader (i.e., the person who leads the group discussion) among the group's members, it would ensure that everyone has a chance to speak, not just those with the loudest voices.
-Lydia Pozzato

Create an environment safe from humiliation

2021-03-02 04:32:36 UTC

Most teachers always try to be compassionate and patient with their students, but some may not be as gentle as they could be with their error correction. By being careful not to embarrass a student in front of their peers by pointing out their error, especially when they had volunteered an answer, they will greatly appreciate it. Instead of ever saying "Wrong," when they make mistake, consider, instead, saying something like, ""You've almost got it!. What else might we say there?" So, in short, remember to be kind!
- Lydia Pozzato

Reward volunteers

2021-03-02 04:44:16 UTC

Everyone likes to win prizes, even your most reticent students. So, consider giving out small, but desirable, rewards for participation.
I used to give out candy, but that may not be the best thing for your students. Perhaps you could give them a ticket, that, when added to the other tickets they have earned, can be redeemed for a prize at the end of class, or at the end of the week (or even the term...But if you wait that long, they'll expect a really big prize!). BTW, The actual prize doesn't matter as much as the winning of the ticket does!
-Lydia Pozzato

Singing/ Speaking in Rounds

2021-03-02 07:51:20 UTC

Songs are easy and fun for learners to practice speaking. There also tends to be a rhythm to the song/speech so it helps students practice intonation.
M.Tam

Speaking Game

2021-03-02 08:04:19 UTC

The teacher needs an object to pass between the students. THe teacher will take the 1st turn using the sentence, "I like to __. What do you like to do?" and passes the object a student. Each student will make a statement, then ask a peer of their favorite thing to do. All students use a given sentence frame such as " I like to ___. What do you like to do?"
M.Tam

Think-Pair-Partner Share

2021-03-02 08:27:19 UTC

This is similar to playing telephone. The pairs of students are given a prompt to discuss with each other. They must remember what their partner said. Then the class will come back together and the pairs share what their partners said. If they forget, their partners can whisper into their ear word for word what was said. This takes pressure off reticent speakers who are not yet comfortable sharing their personal ideas.
M.Tam

Support from peers

2021-03-02 08:34:23 UTC

It is always helpful when the students encourage each other to speak or when they positively complement the speaker. This increase motivation for the speaker and it lowers the speakers' anxiety.
M.Tam

Give them time

2021-03-02 08:39:29 UTC

There is a tendency for a silent phase for student learning a new language. Some students will immediately want to practice speaking while other take longer. It is important to give students time to have adequate language input before they are comfortable producing language. Each student moves through the language acquisition phases at different times.
M.Tam

Vocab prep

2021-03-03 01:27:56 UTC

With all the moving parts involved in speaking in an L2, having a list of keywords at hand can relieve us of the "I don't know the word" stress, allowing us to turn more energy toward grammar or other aspects of speaking.
D. T. McDonald

Gentle reminders

2021-03-03 01:33:09 UTC

It may be obvious to us as teachers, but students often don't realize that we aren't expecting perfection from them. We don't expect them to have every word and form memorized after seeing it once. It can be helpful to remind them of this explicitly sometimes.
D. T. McDonald

Automatic phrases

2021-03-03 01:36:23 UTC

Not all language is in the form of textbook-ready full sentences. Especially in spoken language, we toss off little phrases to interact or show attention without having to think too much. ("Really?" "I see!") Working them in when students are speaking might help to build the "automaticity" in students' minds, freeing up their attention to other parts of the conversation.
D. T. McDonald

Partners

2021-03-03 01:41:53 UTC

Paying attention to student dynamic can be very helpful; some students are more comfortable speaking with certain classmates more than others. As long as they're speaking together in the target language, I don't think it hurts to keep them together for seating and activities. Outside of class, they might even form good study groups.
D. T. McDonald

More carrot than stick

2021-03-03 01:44:18 UTC

Over time, we should be building a class culture, setting certain norms in our interactions with students. We should keep an eye on ourselves to make sure students never feel punished or criticized for at least trying. I'm not much of a behaviorist, but this might be one aspect of language learning where conditioning can be used to incentivize desired behaviors.
D. T. McDonald

Create a New Identity

kkhughes13 — 2021-03-03 04:12:04 UTC

I loved in Larsen-Freeman (2019) the idea that students take on an English language learner personality. For example, students pick an English name and they take on a new identity when speaking English. I think this is wonderful, because it reminds me of when I was in drama and would think something is silly, but I was able to disassociate myself because I was playing a character. It made being silly not as nerve wracking and made drama super fun. I think this could be applied in the classroom to make more students outgoing.

Have Students Talk About Themselves

kkhughes13 — 2021-03-03 04:12:36 UTC

People love to talk about themselves and things they love. My favorite activities in my Korean class were ones that allowed for me to explore my interests, particularly those regarding Korean music and movies. Letting students talk (or write or read) about the things that interest them or about their home lives, families, etc... will hopefully allow them to open up and discuss in class.

Show Yourself to be Human Too

kkhughes13 — 2021-03-03 04:13:00 UTC

I feel if you show that you are human, make mistakes, and relate to them, students will feel more comfortable making mistakes and opening up as well. One of the instructors I observed last quarter was presenting an article on procrastination and she admitted that she also procrastinated as a college professor. This made the students laugh and also admit they also procrastinate on homework!

Chorus Responses

kkhughes13 — 2021-03-03 04:13:23 UTC

By allowing students to respond as a group, it takes away the stress of being called on and makes students more willing to respond. My Korean professor did this a lot when we would practice the pronunciation of new words and I found it helpful.

Small Group Work With Reports

kkhughes13 — 2021-03-03 04:14:17 UTC

In any type of class, this is my favorite kind of discussion or group work. I always found myself more emboldened to share my ideas or opinions when it was just a few classmates rather than in front of the whole class. In this way, the group was also able to streamline certain ideas and at the end whoever wanted to speak could share what the group discussed. In this way, it takes the pressure off the students who don’t want to talk in front of the class, but still allow for them to participate in the discussion.

Jigsaw

2021-08-25 02:49:33 UTC

A jigsaw is a listening (or reading) information gap exercise. The students will hear different parts of the stories then exchange information with others to complete a task.
JC

Peer Support

2021-08-25 02:52:17 UTC

Allow students to check their work with their peers before speaking about the subject in class discussions. This may help reduce anxiety and build the student's confidence.
JC

Ice breaker - Pick a Topic Out of a Hat

2021-08-25 02:55:08 UTC

If there is silence in the class, you can have a student pick a topic. This could be done as a whole-class discussion, such as a Socratic circle or in cooperative groups to help reduce anxiety.
JC

Supportive Learning Environment - Cooperative Groups

2021-08-25 02:58:47 UTC

Try to group students with friends or shared interests by having them choose their partners. This may help reduce anxiety if the students feel comfortable.
JC

Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL)

2021-08-25 03:00:48 UTC

Similar to computer-assisted language learning (CALL). This will allow students to speak in the target language outside of the classroom. There are some applications, such as English Conversation, where the students can practice listening and speaking in English without another speaker.
JC

Ease them into it with a game

2021-08-25 22:49:07 UTC

Play a game like "twenty questions," but allow the reticent speaker to play the role of the subject first, with the other students asking questions. This way, the reticent speaker only has to answer with "yes" or "no" in the first round. With luck, this will build their enthusiasm and eagerness to participate in the next round where they will be in the group asking questions.

Madlib

2021-08-25 22:58:14 UTC

Pass out Madlib sheets and have the studdents pair up to fill them out, then each pair reads to the rest of the group, each speaking in turn. The class votes on the funniest and the winners get a prize. It may be a bit more like a reading exercise, but at least it gets the student speaking out loud in front of the group.
LF

Give them time to prepare

2021-08-25 23:02:39 UTC

Let the students know ahead of time that they will have to give an oral report on a topic, either or their choice or assigned by the instructor. As time goes by and the students advance and gain confidence, graduate them to presenting without notes.
LF

Get them out of the classroom

2021-08-25 23:05:20 UTC

This might be easier with a private student or with a small group, but sometimes a change of environment can help. Get the student(s) out of the classroom, go for a walk, visit a museum, talk about what you see. It might just be that the student is intimidated by the classroom environment.
LF

Just make them do it

2021-08-25 23:07:59 UTC

This might not be the best solution all the time, but every once in a while you might just have to make them speak or put them in a situation where they have no choice.
LF

PostIt notes

2021-08-26 02:31:07 UTC

Let students take a few minutes before the class shares their answers to write down their thoughts to avoid getting flustered. If a student feels too pressured while taking they can always look back at what they wrote to help them answer.
IOien

Small groups

2021-08-26 02:34:49 UTC

Have students work in small groups. In a smaller groups each individuals opinion still gets heard. The lack of pressure on one person might encourage a shy student to participate more.
IOien

Setting an individual goal

2021-08-26 02:43:27 UTC

Work on a good relationship with your student so you can have a one on one discussion on what their goals are. Encouraging students to achieve their own goals and congratulating them when they do can make them feel like their participation is valued.
IOien

Individual topic

2021-08-26 02:49:52 UTC

Create a prompt that asks question which let students talk about their own interests. A student will want to participate if they're excited about what they want to say to the class.
IOien

Popcorn

2021-08-26 02:52:13 UTC

Have everyone sit in a circle and toss a ball to someone in the class to answer an everyday conversation question, kind of like popcorn reading. Shy students will have to answer no matter what.
IOien

Speaking machine-Minh

2021-09-01 11:09:27 UTC

The teacher gives out the questions regarding specific topics and stands behind students when they are in their turn. Students answer the questions by sentence or phrase, and then the teacher repeats students' sentence in the correct way until students perform the sentence in English effectively and change to the next one, which allows students, especially reticent ones, to express themselves confidently without any judgements from the teacher or other students.
Minh

Role-Play-Minh

2021-09-01 11:18:25 UTC

The teacher creates a scene from students' favorite movies and allows them to act out the scene through different roles. They are given transcripts and allowed to rehearse with others before having performance. Reserved students have a chance to practice and immerse themselves in the stories, which eliminates the risk of losing their confidence when performing their role.
Minh

Personal story-Minh

2021-09-01 11:26:09 UTC

The teacher allows students to write a personal story in a piece of paper about their dreams and and the ways to achieve them. Then the teacher exchanges all pieces of paper to other students and allow them to read aloud each other's dreams. This facilitates the confidence of shy students through the medium of writing.
Minh.

Different hats-Minh

2021-09-01 11:33:18 UTC

The teacher gives students an emotional story and allows students to read it with different emotions. when one student reads a story, the others close their eyes and feel the story, then guess what kind of emotions involved in the story. This allows shy students to express themselves with different emotions through the story.
Minh

Shadowing-Minh

2021-09-01 12:47:23 UTC

The teacher reads aloud a story sentence by sentence, phrase by phrase with pauses, intonation, body language, among others, and students imitate the teacher's performance, which allows them to feel free to express themselves with good manners and techniques as the teacher's.
Minh

Small Group Icebreaker Activity

2022-02-28 22:34:41 UTC

Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a bowl or box full of About You questions or prompts written on small, folded pieces of paper. Everyone in the group will close their eyes, pick a question/prompt from the bowl, and share within their group.

S. Griffin

Total Physical Response Activities

mohamedmahmoud5 — 2022-03-01 20:27:54 UTC

As I was assigned the Total Physical Response Method for my demonstration last course, I realized that playfulness of the activities can really bring students out of their shells. I watched a youtube video that really helped me map out some activities that I feel are really good at lessening student anxieties and get them to participate in the fun.

Mahmoud Samy Mohamed

ESL Activities for shy students

mohamedmahmoud5 — 2022-03-01 20:30:10 UTC

This website is fantastic. It contains multiple examples of activities that ESL teachers can use that helps get students more engaged.

Mahmoud Samy Mohamed

Learning through pop culture

mohamedmahmoud5 — 2022-03-01 20:57:02 UTC

I'm a big fan of learning language through TV and music. I'm not a native English speaker, yet I was able to refine my English, both grammar and pronunciation, through watching American television and listening to American music. My favorite TV show was LOST and I used to watch it with the captions on and that really helped me a lot. I believe if students can find shows or music they like and try to learn through it, they would really enjoy the process and could come in handy when it comes to their speaking skills, which in turn helps with confidence.

Mahmoud Samy Mohamed

Positive Feedback

mohamedmahmoud5 — 2022-03-01 21:02:43 UTC

I believe that it is important that students do not feel judged or harshly critiqued, especially when trying to learn a new language. I know that I respond better to positive feedback than negative ones. Even if it is constructive criticism, it's important to know that some students can be very sensitive and reluctant to engage and putting them down over a mistake or an error will probably result in regression.

Mahmoud Samy Mohamed

Scavenger Hunt Games

mohamedmahmoud5 — 2022-03-01 21:08:21 UTC

Scavenger Hunt games can be really fun and engaging. The teacher can hide multiple items in different places and have students work together to find the missing items. This is a great way to get students moving and interacting with one another. I also believe that it's important for the goal of the game to be cooperation and not competition.

Mahmoud Samy Mohamed

Icebreakers

2022-03-01 21:19:34 UTC

Icebreakers can really help get conversation flowing at the beginning. A reticent speaker might not know what to talk about so giving them something specific may help them out.

Emily Turner

Small Groups or Pair Work

2022-03-01 21:21:35 UTC

Having students work in small groups or even more pair work can help bring them out of their shell more. Speaking in front of everyone might be too much, but speaking in front of a few people would be better for them.

Emily Turner

Jigsaw Work

2022-03-01 21:23:11 UTC

Doing an information gap activity where everyone does a piece of it and then shares it so at the end they have everything done without having to do it all by themselves.

Emily Turner

Giving Time to Think

2022-03-01 21:25:52 UTC

Giving the students time to kind of prepare what they want to say before actually having to engage in a conversation or activity can help them feel more prepared and comfortable speaking to others even if it's only a minute or two to prepare before.

Emily Turner

Pulling Names

2022-03-01 21:28:57 UTC

I've had teachers that have cards with everyone's names on them and then they use those to make sure that everyone gets a chance to answer during the class period.

Emily Turner

Create less intimidating small circles.

2022-03-01 23:47:11 UTC

Amber Matthews

Speak directly to them

2022-03-01 23:49:41 UTC

Asking question to the entire class gives shy people an out. They can sit back and let the more confident students speak. If you speak directly to each student, they have to answer you. However, you must be mindful to not push them too far.

Amber Matthews

This website has interesting tips on working with shy ESL students.

2022-03-01 23:53:09 UTC

Amber Matthews

Spark their interest

2022-03-01 23:55:33 UTC

Give reticent speakers something interesting to talk about. Even the most introverted people love talking about something. Ask them about their hobbies and other questions about themselves. It also serves as a great icebreaker.

Amber Matthews

Play games

2022-03-01 23:58:37 UTC

Dividing students into teams and having them play games can create a comfort zone for shy students. They will have more confident speakers leading them, but will also have to speak themselves since the teams will be small. Party games such a charades is a great example of a game that could be played.

Amber Matthews

Support--Lynn Hovde

lynnhovde — 2022-03-02 00:52:31 UTC

I interviewed a woman from Brazil. She came to the U.S. when she was 16. She said that she attended high school in Florida and did not speak for a year, because she did not want to make a mistake. After a year of listening to others, supportive peers and teachers and an aunt, and watching TV programs, she finally spoke. Now she teaches ESL. For her, it was the support and patience of those around her who helped her to speak and then become so fluent in English that she was able to teach it.

Speakers and Listeners

lynnhovde — 2022-03-02 01:07:52 UTC

One common situation is that there are speakers and listeners. Sometimes the speakers can dominate the conversation. Listeners listen to everyone else, and they have a lot to say, but they are polite or just can't find a way into the conversation. Thus, it is important for an instructor to make sure that every voice in a group has a chance to be heard, and that the listeners do not get left out. One thing I have done is go around the room and give every student the chance to add or share (regarding whatever we are doing). I do not make it a pressured thing. If a student doesn't have something, the student says pass. I also form pairs and groups, because a student might not want to speak in a larger group, but will in a smaller group. Also, students get to know one another when working together and this builds a positive sense of community, which can give quieter students more confidence.--Lynn Hovde

Note: I am a listener, so I understand this situation.

Storytelling

lynnhovde — 2022-03-02 02:10:40 UTC

Throughout time people throughout the world have shared their stories to entertain, to preserve history, to teach lessons, or share important messages. There are many stories within each person, and stories are a wonderful way for people to get to know one another. There are many story prompts. Put students into pairs and have them share one story from their life, or their first memory, or you could give the activity a catchy, slang-type title: What is your story? Give them time to reflect first--perhaps a ten-minute thinking, meditative time--and then pair them up and have them tell their story to their partner. --Lynn Hovde (photo by Lynn Hovde/her bookshelf)

Work and Fun

lynnhovde — 2022-03-02 02:54:19 UTC

It is important for learning to be work and fun. This is the way in which life in the real world is balanced: positive and negative, good and bad, right and wrong, happy and sad, clean or messy, bold or shy, and so on. This is an paired activity in which one speaker is positive and one is negative. Student A is given a list of positive words, and the Speaker B has to say the negative. Then the roles switch, and Speaker B is given a different set of positive words, and Student A must say the negative. Students are learning vocabulary while working on their speaking skills. Why will this help reticent speakers--because working in pairs in a good start for sharing ideas. Pairs can turn into groups, and groups can turn into whole classes. This is a developmental process.

However, we can follow this up with how work can be fun!--Lynn Hovde

Music

lynnhovde — 2022-03-02 03:29:21 UTC

This is an audio by Lynn Hovde

briankpete — 2022-03-02 05:18:52 UTC

Turn Off the Camera

2022-03-04 23:16:28 UTC

https://www.edutopia.org/article/engaging-students-virtual-instruction-camera?fbclid=IwAR0kbMSEBYKHw6wx6RxcG8aGrsynrZZhyOc1esrQlQipr129xA_Q8byRp-U

S. Griffin

Writing as a Guide to Speaking

2022-03-04 23:52:50 UTC

Sometimes it is easier to speak when we know exactly what to say.
S. Griffin

Comprehensible Input

2022-03-05 00:15:54 UTC

S. Griffin

Model the Language

2022-03-05 00:22:29 UTC

Show your students that it is possible!
S. Griffin

Distract them with humor

2022-08-22 03:22:52 UTC

Ideally relatable humor that will engage the reticent speakers and help them relax and participate.

Dawn

Assign roles

2022-08-22 03:29:28 UTC

Assign roles to students for a group task/project so that it can not be completed without everyone participating. The reticent speakers will know exactly what is expected of them, and will know that the group is counting on their participation to complete the task.

Dawn

Get to know them

2022-08-22 18:42:24 UTC

Reticent speakers are sometimes just shy and/or self-conscious. Spend some time (before or after class) casually talking to them alone and getting to know more about them. This may help them feel more comfortable in class. And it will give you topics to engage them with (i.e. Jose, how is your dog?)

Dawn

Using Gestures to Support Them

2022-08-23 02:57:34 UTC

Gestures are magical and can help speakers and listeners understand the messages. Teachers can learn some gestures to help shy students in class. They can first observe and understand the teacher first before saying anything.

Quick Writes

2022-08-23 03:02:53 UTC

"Often Perez will throw out a question and ask students to quickly brainstorm on paper as many answers as they can. Then she’ll do a “popcorn share” where students stand up whenever they want and throw out an idea. This could be an alternative to something like “round-robin reading,” which can put reluctant learners in the hot seat. In this case, Perez sets her students up for success by giving them time to brainstorm first -- the answers are right in front of them. This strategy has the added value of forcing students to listen closely to their peers, since they don’t know who will pop up next."

My own experiences

2022-08-23 03:13:30 UTC

There were some reticent students in my class, and they were always afraid to take part in any activities that seemed challenging, such as joining in a race, competing with their classmates, or presenting any ideas. I helped them to be more confident by grouping them with other active but caring students so they could feel safe. Whenever their groups needed to act or speak in front of the class, I suggested they be in charge of the acting while their active friends presented. I instructed them to switch tasks with their partners. With some other students, I made them a chart to show their emotions and whether they were ready to talk. If they had raised their voice, they could have had a sticker for accumulating. Gradually, my students' confidence increased. Teachers should always encourage them, and build the link between teacher and students, so everything will become easier a little bit.
Tram Nguyen

10 Tips for Dealing with QUIET learners

2022-08-23 03:17:35 UTC

Engaging Reticent Contributors in Whole-Class Discussions

2022-08-23 03:20:06 UTC

Getting shy students to participate - Phuc Tang

phuct3 — 2022-08-23 09:51:20 UTC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP4KKWBma2o&t=8s

Encouraging Students to Participate - Phuc

phuct3 — 2022-08-23 09:52:43 UTC

https://www.wgu.edu/heyteach/article/encouraging-students-participate-how-help-shy-students-speak1809.html

Engaging shy students - Phuc

phuct3 — 2022-08-23 09:56:05 UTC

1. Create a safe learning environment
2. Use polling tools
3. Ask for thumbs-up responses
4. Arrange students in small groups
5. Provide alternative ways to contribute
https://www.extendednotes.com/after-school-articles/5-ways-to-engage-your-shy-students

Helping them be well-prepared - Phuc

phuct3 — 2022-08-23 09:58:06 UTC

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-7-ways-to-help-quiet-students-find-their-voices-in-class/2015/01

What I did that worked - Phuc

phuct3 — 2022-08-23 10:37:21 UTC

After many years of teaching, I've realized that nothing is more important to shy students than encouragement and compliments. I have been using my "I know you can do it" spell in many cases, and it worked magically well most of the time. I've also learned that saying "Good job" isn't as effective as saying "Thank you for standing up, good pronunciation, good idea, beautiful sentence, good job connecting the sounds." By making my compliments specific, my students know what they (or their friends) are doing well, which urges them to open up and do the same. I also teach the class to applaud in order to validate the efforts of the shy students. A supportive community makes it much easier for students to blend in than a critical one.

https://www.kentwoodprepschool.com/news/encouragement-education/

Increase their confidence in conversation - Gretchen

2022-08-23 19:29:09 UTC

I have seen students that are shy in having conversations, because they are not confident in what they are saying and how to keep the conversation going. By practicing this skill, it will help them be more confident speaking in class and in all of their conversations. The video below gives some ideas for teaching this skill.

Video | EnglishCentral - Online English Learning

Get to know your student and gain their trust - Gretchen

2022-08-23 19:36:32 UTC

Mixed Confidence Pairs - Gretchen

2022-08-23 19:43:12 UTC

I had a student in one of my classes that did not speak in class. His English comprehension was not as strong as the rest of the class, so he was not always sure that he needed to do. I would put him in a pair with a stronger student which helped him to understand the assignment and work in a safe environment.

ChatterPix- Gretchen

2022-08-23 19:47:51 UTC

I have not used this app, but I can see how it would be beneficial and alot of fun for the students!

Supportive Environment - Gretchen

2022-08-23 19:51:04 UTC

Talking piece - Huntley

2022-08-23 22:21:05 UTC

For some small group discussions, we use a ball as a talking piece that students pass around—only the person holding the ball can speak. Every student gets the ball once before anyone gets it a second time.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/9-strategies-getting-more-students-talk

Greetings - Huntley

2022-08-23 22:31:25 UTC

Greeting every student when they first walk in is a great way to set the tone for speaking.

Sing your name - Huntley

2022-08-24 02:08:44 UTC

My piano teacher used to teach ESL in New York City and she brought her music into class. One thing she did was that everyone had to "sing their names" as she played a melody they would sing "My name is___" then she would build on that with "His name is.." "Her name is...." She would also change up the lyrics to songs to teach certain language. "Walkin to New Orleans" was "I'm walking to the store, I'm going to buy some ice cream." She said they always loved Sam Cooke's "Everybody does the Cha Cha Cha" an they would all dance together.

Rewards - Huntley

2022-08-24 02:13:09 UTC

A lot of people have posts like this, but how about giving out monopoly money every time someone speaks? They can hoard it or trade it in for items at the class store.

Tally - Huntley

2022-08-24 02:15:40 UTC

Have a list of all the students and make a mark by each student's name that speaks during a speaking exercise. Periodically give each student feedback on how many times they're speaking.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/9-strategies-getting-more-students-talk

Hobbies - Huntley

2022-08-24 02:19:04 UTC

Find out what interests students. Maybe in initial assessments, make it a point to find out each student's hobbies and interests and then identify content that can get them going on their favorite topics.

Remove external distractions

2022-08-24 17:52:27 UTC

Have students listen and then answer questions while wearing a blindfold.

Ken

Charades

2022-08-24 17:56:44 UTC

Use kinesthetic movement and team efforts to bring out reticent speakers

Ken

Introduce your pet to the class

2022-08-24 18:00:04 UTC

Have learners introduce their pet to the class with a photo or a story. It's easier for people to talk about something besides themselves, and most kids love animals.

Ken

Form a circle, choose a game to play that involves everyone

2022-08-24 18:04:23 UTC

Here's a link to a site with these type of games: https://togetherkit.com/games-to-play-sitting-in-a-circle.html My game for reticent speakers would be for the class to create a story with each person adding three words and then passing the story along. Ken

Storytime....

2022-08-24 18:13:40 UTC

Have the reticent speaker read a story dressed in a costume that fits the story....could be for classes with adults, teens, or children. Ken

Pick a popular song as a class and learn to sing it together - Dani

2022-08-24 23:20:23 UTC

Singing as a class allows for shy speakers' output to be masked by the rest of the group. Popular songs can be a helpful tool because they:
- Are culturally relevant and authentic
- Model stress and intonation
- Provide examples of casual speech
- Can be used to study a variety of functional language objectives

Most singers also naturally fall into a standard accent when singing so there is not as much confusion due to regional variation unless the singer makes the effort to retain their accent. (https://www.ajournalofmusicalthings.com/singers-lose-accents-sing/)

Back to back

2022-08-25 21:04:25 UTC

If students can't see each other it can be less intimidating to speak. Doing exercises where they face away from each other can help the reticent speakers.
Dawn

Embrace mistakes in the classroom

2022-08-25 21:07:28 UTC

Set an example early and often that mistakes are good, they are a learning opportunity, not something to fear. Make mistakes yourself and acknowledge them and model learning from them. If students are not afraid to make mistakes they will be less reticent to participate.

Dawn

Baamboozle Warm-up Activities

2022-08-28 07:35:16 UTC

If students are too shy to speak in class, I usually use this website and choose one game to play with the whole class. This activity can activate students' background knowledge and encourage them to speak more freely.
Quynh.

Guess the Zoom-in Pictures

2022-08-28 07:41:44 UTC

This is an activity that I enjoy doing with all of my classrooms. I will modify the level of activity based on the student population. For example, in kid's classrooms, students will simply have to guess the answer, whereas adults would have to strive to explain their thoughts. This works well because it is an enjoyable game, but it encourages students to think quickly and talk more frequently.
Quynh.

Speaking Board Game

2022-08-28 07:51:23 UTC

This is a good activity for getting students to speak out. Because they are placed in groups, they are more likely to speak out because their peers are experiencing similar difficulties. Board games might be time-consuming at times, but they are entertaining for everyone of any age. They can get more opportunities to practice grammar with their classmates when they play a grammar board game.
Quynh.

Write Pair Share

2022-08-28 07:57:09 UTC

It's common practice to have students work in pairs and then discuss what they've learned; however, some research suggests that having students write notes instead of just thinking out loud might increase participation and the quality of their discussions. I circulate among the students while they write, peering over their shoulders and making notes like, "That's nice." Write "Say that!" on the work of students who are shy or who lack self-assurance. When students are experiencing difficulty, I can tell exactly who and how many of them need extra help.
Reference: https://www.edutopia.org/article/9-strategies-getting-more-students-talk
Quynh.

Let the more confident student speak first

2022-08-28 08:03:57 UTC

First, ask some other students. Even if the teacher just wants to know what the students think about something, a shy student is always afraid of giving the "wrong answer." If they hear a fellow student say that they like something, they might also say that they like it.
At least they are speaking up, which makes them feel better about themselves.
Reference: https://manwrites.com/how-to-deal-with-shy-students-in-the-english-class/
Quynh.

PAIR WORK: MOUTH SHAPE (purpose: VOCABULARY - PRODUCE SHORT SENTENCES)- Nhu Nguyen

nhun8 — 2023-03-01 09:04:30 UTC

I come up with this activity in order to encourage students to practice the vocabulary and structures and also boost their self-confidence when working with their partners.

-After drilling words chorally and individually, T has the students work with pairs.
-Assume that their lesson is about "places in town", and some targeted vocabulary like "town center, swimming pool, library, street, supermarket, playground".

-Do "rock, paper, scissors" to decide who is going to perform first. If student A wins,
EXAMPLE:
-Student A: use his/her mouth shape (do not speak out) to say the word "town center".
-Student B: look at student A's mouth shape and guess the word. If B is correct: 3pts for the first guessing, 2 pts for the second-guessing, and 1 pt for the third-
guessing.

Then, exchange their role.

*Note: They are not allowed to say "I don't know", *shake their head*, or *be quiet*. They need to ask their partner to confirm (e.g. Is it a town center?)

After 10 minutes, T rings the bell to inform Ss to start counting the points. The winners will get 2 stickers, the loser gets 1 sticker.

I have conducted this activity several times in my ESL classes and have seen that the students are really keen on it. They can practice the vocab/structures, play games and decide their own points.

Speaking while Reading - let them think and speak out

nhun8 — 2023-03-02 03:23:12 UTC

T read some sentences from a reading text and replace key vocabulary/phrases that T expects Ss to practice with "Monkey".
Example:
"You're feeling hungry and you want a snack". -> replace "hungry" with "monkey"

Have the Ss recognize and correct T's sentence. It will be fun and more engaging for all reticent learners if the T establishes a competitive game for individuals.

Nhu Nguyen.

Pass around the flashcards and saying the words/phrases

nhun8 — 2023-03-02 03:29:14 UTC

-Have 2 teams pass around the flashcards and say the targeted vocabulary
-The team finishes before 10sc will win.
-The last person from each team will run to give the T the flashcard (don't forget to tell him/her say the word one more time)

This activity ensures all individuals involve and speak

The T can use classroomscreen.com to set the timer or from Youtube https://classroomscreen.com/app/screen/w/c2e616cc-c4f9-458e-b882-
e9c6b0dc2a17/g/4e0ef8a7-aa94-45db-a26b-e0a5ffb2938b/s/b8f0d2ac-0406-4594-a97e-7158f7ae1f52

Nhu Nguyen.

Roleplaying

2023-03-02 03:41:52 UTC

Sebastian Cushman

ESL Activities for Busy ESL Teachers

2023-03-02 03:43:28 UTC

- simple, adaptable activities for use with any theme that require little prep for easy use with lessons

Sebastian Cushman

Backgrounds

2023-03-02 03:49:27 UTC

Different students have different goals, we as teachers should remember to account for those differences to include all of our students

Sebastian Cushman

Board Game

2023-03-02 03:53:45 UTC

People like having fun, and games are a good way to teach language while keeping the classroom fun for students

Sebastian Cushman

Technology in the Classroom

2023-03-02 03:58:19 UTC

Easy access to technology gives us an advantage teachers before us didn't have, we ought to try incorporating it into our lessons

Sebastian Cushman

Time to shine!

2023-08-23 19:32:44 UTC

We all know how fear of public speaking can overwhelm us. It's time to take the bull by the horn, and face your fears head-on. Be mindful of your students by encouraging them to come out of their shell, and speak their mind. Celebrate their achievement!
Ali Mohamed

Pass the talking stick around

2023-08-23 19:39:25 UTC

This activity involves a Native American talking stick. You speak only if someone passes around the talking stick to you.You then have a chance to talk about your learning/teaching experience with your students/peers, and then pass the stick to the next person. It is a tradition that respects your time, input and sharing of ideas.

Ali Mohamed

Whiteboard Fun

2023-08-23 22:13:43 UTC

Recreating a cooperative learning activity on the whiteboard: "hangman". By using another image, like a smiley face, and naming it the smiley word game. Allowing the students to work together on using the alphabet to solve the missing blanks will give each student a chance to recite a letter and feel accomplished by participating in a group activity. You can use existing or new vocabulary and maybe give transferable knowledge clues like a picture of the word.
William Richardson

Show and Tell Vocabulary Exercise

2023-08-23 22:22:05 UTC

Students have a daily journal, which can be used as a tool throughout the course for at-home activities. Once a week, have your students discover a new word they learned while in or outside the classroom. Have them identify that they heard a new word and converse with someone to get the correct spelling. On the day of the presentation, each student will walk up to the front of the class and write their weekly word on the whiteboard; once completed, they will share how/where they heard this word and if they know what it means.
William Richardson

Keep Students Engaged and Interested

2023-08-23 22:26:43 UTC

A quick read from Cambridge
William richardson

Token Economy Boards or Charts

2023-08-24 03:11:01 UTC

The reluctant learner may sometimes need a chart to set an achievable short-term goal. Token economies can also include prizes or even more free time.
William Richardson

Peer Editing

2023-08-24 03:24:57 UTC

Breaking students into small groups or even pairs will reduce the intimidation some students may get when in an individual learning environment. Peer editing is a great way for your students to start analyzing and editing but it will also engage them in peer interaction.
William Richardson

Group Discussions/Activities

2024-02-26 14:36:05 UTC

Lexi Welch

CALM APP- Meditations and Calming Exercises

2024-02-26 14:37:42 UTC

Having a mediation or calming exercise before beginning class is a great way to calm anxiety and bring everyone to the present moment. Lexi Welch

How to open up your students

2024-02-26 14:39:33 UTC

Students need to feel comfortable, receive positive feedback, make tasks achievable, and be engaging, interesting, and fun! Lexi Welch

Role Play Activities

2024-02-26 14:43:32 UTC

Giving everyone a chance to role play in a group will make the environment fun and less fearful! Lexi Welch

Ice Breakers!

2024-02-26 14:45:32 UTC

Have students pass around a beach ball with pre-written questions on them. Have the students answer the question or pick a different one that they want to answer and then pass it to another person. Lexi Welch

Focus on Social and Emotional Learning Opportunities

2024-02-27 01:37:06 UTC

Resourceful website with educator strategies emphasizing teacher behavior adaptions and application of SEL concepts in the classroom. Carol Magee

Think-Pair-Share

2024-02-27 02:30:10 UTC

Great activity to help build social academic skills while students, including reluctant speaking students, are given an opportunity to think before they speak. Carol Magee

Match Student Goals with Activites

2024-02-27 02:39:25 UTC

It's important, early in class, to find out why students want to learn English. Creating activities that are aligned with students' goals may help reticient speakers realize their input and participation is important to achieving these goals. Carol Magee

Make Speaking English a Regular Classroom 'Thing'

2024-02-27 02:45:42 UTC

I observed level 1 ESL classes and both teachers prepared their students for once per week, 15 minutes to speak in English around what they did for the weekend, how was their job/family, etc. The students expected it and participated in small groups with volunteers to support fluency or answer questions. It was great! Carol Magee

Focused Speaking Activities

2024-02-27 03:00:27 UTC

Well done sharing of 10 activities that emphasize speaking in the ESL classroom with group focus but individual contributions that helps take the pressure off reluctant speakers. Carol Magee

Jeopardy Template

luebkekailee — 2024-02-27 21:54:17 UTC

I've had a great experience in the past playing Jeopardy in my classes. It allows for each student to participate individually since everyone has to take a turn, but they also have an opportunity to work as a team. This website is an excellent resource. You can use their jeoprady template and fill it out however you wish, for free!!

Kailee Luebke

Play Games

jessicaozar — 2024-02-27 21:56:39 UTC

Games take the focus off of perfection and assessment, and help turn down the volume on our inner monitor. Being just a little distracted by tossing a ball or trying to figure out a puzzle can lower inhibitions. Games make language the medium to complete a task, not the sole focus. (Jessica O.)

Rewards + Incentives

luebkekailee — 2024-02-27 21:59:43 UTC

In the past, I've used candy as an incentive for students to participate (maybe it works best for kids... and does that count as bribing? Haha). I make sure the candy is from the country of the target language, this way students can connect to the culture as well. It's not a perfect method... and it might not be a motivator for some students, but I still enjoy it.

Kailee Luebke

Find someone who...

luebkekailee — 2024-02-27 22:04:37 UTC

"Find Someone Who" Bingo is a great way to get the whole class to participate, as well as move around the classroom and get to know their classmates. There's plenty of pre-made templates online, or it's easy to make one yourself and relate it to the specific lesson content.

Kailee Luebke

Model making mistakes

jessicaozar — 2024-02-27 22:05:36 UTC

Create an atmosphere where mistakes are a part of learning. Let students know our brains are just processing new language by trying it out. It is easier for students to make attempts in front of an instructor who models acknowledging their own errors and demonstrates that they, too, are always learning. (Jessica O.)

Strength-Based Learning

luebkekailee — 2024-02-27 22:09:28 UTC

This is an approach that I'm finding myself fond of as I build my teaching philosophy. I believe it is important to establish relationships with students, and a key way to achieve this is to consistently speak to and build off of their strengths. I don't expect my students to take risks if their current environment feels unsafe, so I hope to create a comfortable classroom space.

Kailee Luebke

70/30 Rule

luebkekailee — 2024-02-27 22:13:06 UTC

As I create my lesson plans, I try to stay aware of the general "70/30" rule. While it's not going to be applicable in every scenario due to age, level, etc., it's at least a guideline that keeps me intentional during lesson design.

Kailee Luebke

Give the students a prewritten question to ask (or the Cyrano option)

jessicaozar — 2024-02-27 22:18:29 UTC

To give self-conscious students a way to participate without worrying about errors, the instructor can distribute written, common questions for students to ask aloud. That way the students get speaking practice, everyone hears the answer to the question, and no one has to announce they don't understand something if they don't want to. I lifted this tip from a lesson demonstration from module 1 by Zeynep. For added Oprah-style fun, This instructor tapes the questions under the tables as a surprise. (Jessica O.)

https://vimeo.com/301939508/b8384dc530

Jokes + Memes

luebkekailee — 2024-02-27 22:23:16 UTC

I'm a bit of a social media addict, so if I ever run across a funny meme or tiktok/Instagram reel that I think could be applicable in class, I share it. I hope that students can laugh and that it can make class feel more comfortable and less "boring." I've realized the more technical term for this is "lowering the affective filter." My reason behind incorporating jokes and humor is in hope that students feel more open to participate.

Kailee Luebke

Pairs & Squares

jessicaozar — 2024-02-27 22:28:26 UTC

Pair up students for practice so they get to know and feel comfortable around a teammate. It is often more comfortable to speak with a peer than in front of the whole class or to the instructor. Then match each pair with another pair (to make a square) so students get more input and opportunities for unexpected learning. Gently scaling speaking from one-on-one, to small groups, to large groups can make speaking less intimidating. (Jessica O.)

Poll the students

jessicaozar — 2024-02-27 23:29:33 UTC

As a former quiet student, it's easy to think I know what makes learners reticent to participate in class- but even shy students are shy in different ways and for different reasons. Ask students to share when/how they feel more confident speaking (in small groups? with practice time? when they like the subject? when no one's looking at them? when they are playing a role?). A teacher can't do all of them all the time, but it can help in planning for the specific group, picking up on cultural preferences, and noticing the teacher's own habits. (Jessica O.)

"Yes" and "No" Questions

2024-02-28 03:43:47 UTC

I think asking "Yes" and "No" questions could be a good start to people opening up and beginning to say at least something. Once they respond, you can ask them what they said "yes" or "no" and if they don't say anything or are hesitant, you can give them some options and prompt them to expand. I think once someone begins saying at least something, there is a chance that they will say something else and build up on.

Yelena Solop

Open-Ended Questions

2024-02-28 03:48:49 UTC

Ask open-ended questions where you are waiting for a response. They could be guided and specific questions, or broad where the student doesn't feel like they are being limited to what they should answer.

Yelena Solop

Play A Game

2024-02-28 03:52:55 UTC

You can play some kind of game where they have to interact with each other in order for the game to work. For example, speed-dating games are fun because you have a short amount of time and a few questions to ask or answer.

Yelena Solop

2024-02-28 03:55:24 UTC

Give some kind of small reward for answering questions. For example, if you asked a question and called on someone to answer it, they get a candy. You can decide if they only get it if the answer is correct, or regardless. This will be motivation to talk.

Yelena Solop

2024-02-28 03:58:42 UTC

I think sometimes you just have to be ok with some silence to make the students feel like you're waiting for an answer. A little bit of stress might push them to talk. I do think there is a fine line between demanding people to talk and giving an opportunity to talk. So, don't have students dread coming to your class because they feel put on the spot, but encourage them to talk by giving an opportunity, instead of filling up every empty second.

Yelena Solop

Begin with easy questions!

2024-02-28 04:43:59 UTC

Start simple. Ask questions that the students are accustomed to and can answer easily without feeling intimidated. This will help them to be comfortable and get to know their classmates at the same time. --Melita Bizette

Use music!

2024-02-28 05:05:00 UTC

Find a very popular song and have students discuss the topic. Can they relate to it? Have they ever felt this way? Do they understand the theme? What vocabulary did they learn from this song? (Melita Bizette)

Use pairwork

2024-02-28 05:13:40 UTC

Have students discuss topics in pairs. This increases speaking in a comfortable way and also helps the students to know if they are understood well or not. (Melita Bizette)

Ask students to describe pictures.

2024-02-28 05:17:53 UTC

Encourage students to describe the picture in the best way that they know how. They will most likely learn vocabulary from each other! And of course the teacher can ask questions about the picture to increase vocabulary and grammar skills. (Melita Bizette)

Games, such as Mad Libs, fill in the blanks.

2024-02-28 05:23:33 UTC

Games, such as Mad Libs, not only encourage students to speak, but also teach parts of speech and vocabulary! Teachers could ask one student to ask for the words, multiple students to answer (speaking), and the last few especially quiet students to read the completed Mad Lib out loud. I think the laughter generated by such an exercise would be very encouraging to the students who tend to hold back and not speak up very often. Humor is a great way to help students relax and go ahead and try to speak. (Melita Bizette)

Take a deep breath

2024-02-28 05:58:26 UTC

Take deep breaths with the class! Deep breathing allows oxygen to flow to the brain and improves blood circulation. As a result, your body and mind will relax. By relaxing the entire class, reticent speaker will be able to speak more easily. (Miya Iida)

Use online discussion board

2024-02-28 06:31:11 UTC

Create an online self-introduction and discussion board to increase opportunities to communicate with others in a way that he/she is comfortable to do. Classmates comment on each self-introduction. Although nervous to speak, it may be easier to have a conversation in writing. (Miya Iida)

Using realia

2024-02-28 18:30:06 UTC

Using real objects can make a lesson fun, engaging, and more relaxed. Having an object as the focus of discussion can take the pressure off of a shy student. (Maribeth)

Start small

2024-02-28 18:42:59 UTC

For shy students, starting with small, short specific questions will help get practice and build confidence. Start with yes or no questions, move on to questions using the 5 Ws. We want students to feel challenged but not pressured. Let them know that speaking is a regular part of English class, and they will get used to the expectation. (Maribeth)

Make it personal

2024-02-28 18:52:46 UTC

We all like to talk about ourselves, and it's a subject where we have expertise and comfort. Ask students questions about their life, family, daily routine, interests, hobbies. Ask to show a photo from their life and talk about it. It's also a great way for students to make connections, and that's a great way to build trust, openness, and confidence for the learner. (Maribeth)

Routine

2024-02-28 19:00:34 UTC

I think it helps for students to know what to expect, and establishing a routine is useful. For example, if every class starts with a small group warm up conversation or check-in, they will get used to it, be prepared, and even have time to think ahead about what they can share. This goes for any kind of participation - once they understand that several times in every class they will need to do partner work, or speak out loud, they will get used to the idea, and benefit from routine practice. (Maribeth)

Framework and strategy

2024-02-28 19:06:53 UTC

https://m.busyteacher.org/19125-how-to-teach-shy-private-student-esl-teachers-ask.html

"Give Them a Strategy"

"Say you’ve managed to get your shy student to provide solid complete answers to your questions…but they still can’t speak freely. Shy students don’t even know where to begin. Give them a three-step approach. Ask them a question. Tell them to:

Answer the question
Give some detail about the answer.
Expand.

For example, ask: What did you do last weekend?

I went to a friend’s house.
We played video games.
Later, we watched a movie.

Those three sentences will seem like a mouthful compared to their previous one-word answers! You can practice this three-step approach in writing until they feel confident enough to try it out loud." (Maribeth)

Speaking through Acting:

2024-02-29 04:51:09 UTC

Playing the role of a specific character creates a playful environment that builds enough confidence in the student to develop oral production skills. They become engaged in learning as, in these "role-playing" games, they need to immerse themselves in the character and communicate effectively with their peers. Moreover, viewing learning as a game always minimizes psychological barriers for the student, helping them overcome shyness. ( Monica Molano)

Create your Own podcast

2024-02-29 04:53:08 UTC

With a project like this, students feel comfortable discussing any topic they find interesting and entertaining. This fosters student creativity and allows them to explore various aspects of oral language production in the target language. (Monica Molano)

TPR With Adults (for beginners)

2024-02-29 04:55:11 UTC

Instructional follow-up through physical activities that generate action via movement benefits the student, especially in acquiring vocabulary that they will later use in real contexts when communicating orally. (Monica Molano)

Let's do Karaoke

2024-02-29 04:57:39 UTC

Music creates pleasant learning environments. Now, combine them with fun! Singing allows students to feel comfortable as everyone is on an equal footing regardless of their vocal level. Additionally, they reinforce their vocabulary and learn more natural phrases used by native speakers. (Monica Molano)

Cooking Play

2024-02-29 04:59:58 UTC

This activity allows students to practice new vocabulary. Through a task-based activity, it breaks their shyness because they need to share the recipes they are going to prepare. It is an everyday activity, so students are implicitly familiar with the context. (Monica Molano)

Participation puffs- Ruth

2024-08-20 17:16:00 UTC

Pass out three physical cues to students, they can be puff balls, popsicle sticks etc. You can vary the number of puff balls you pass out depending on your lesson. When students participate in class through speaking, they must remove one of their puff balls and put it in a jar at the front of the room. Students must use all three puff balls to participate on three occasions by the end of the class. This helps more anxious speakers prepare to speak at least three times, and opens up space for them as eager speakers are limited to three occasions. -Ruth

Back at It Party Game- Ruth

2024-08-20 17:19:23 UTC

Back at It Party Game- Ruth

Write various people’s names, occupations, or items on small slips of paper and then tape one to each students' back. Students must mingle and ask questions to try and determine who or what is written on their back. They can only ask yes/no questions of their classmates. When anyone figures out his own identity and you confirm that he or she is right, he can sit back at his desk. Though this game does require your shy students to talk to their classmates, it also challenges them to solve a puzzle. Even if your shy students don’t want to ask a lot of questions, they still must engage in language learning as they puzzle out what English word is written on their back based on the clues they have already found out.

Grow with Confidence-Ruth

2024-08-20 17:24:32 UTC

Vocabulary Building Teach key vocabulary related to gardening: soil, seeds, water, sun, grow, plant, pot, and vertical garden. Show real-life examples (e.g., seeds, soil) and ask students to label them.

Gardening Activity

Divide students into pairs or small groups. Shy students often feel more comfortable working with others. Have them plant their seeds in small pots, label them, and set them up on the vertical garden rack. Grow with Confidence," engages shy students in a hands-on vertical gardening project to help them develop language skills while building self-esteem. Students learn key gardening vocabulary and take responsibility for caring for their plants. Through daily garden maintenance and reflection, students practice speaking in a supportive environment ultimately boosting their confidence as they nurture their plants.

Family Journals- Ruth

2024-08-20 17:31:09 UTC

The "Creation of Family Journals" ESL activity encourages shy learners to practice language skills while reflecting on family memories. Students are guided to write simple, meaningful diary entries about family experiences, using vocabulary related to family life, emotions, and special moments. They can also add photos or drawings to personalize their journals. This activity promotes self-expression in a comfortable and familiar context, helping students build confidence in both writing and speaking. This activity allows students to process language at their own pace in a calm and comfortable environment, hopefully helping more shy students engage. Reticent speakers can then share their family stories in class to practice speaking with prepared writing. This will also foster a sense of connection, while improving language skills in a supportive environment.

Mystery Box- Ruth

2024-08-20 17:36:49 UTC

To set up this ESL activity, a week in advance, remind students to bring a secret object from home without revealing it to anyone. This will build anticipation and curiosity. On the day of the lesson, introduce a large mystery box with one hidden object inside. Begin by explaining that students will need to guess what is in the box by asking questions, which will encourage the use of "Wh-" questions. Write example questions on the board like "What shape is it?" and "How does it feel?" to give students a reference. Next, divide the class into teams based on their seating and explain that it's a competition to see which team can guess the object first. To keep the game engaging, appoint one student to write clues on the board as you answer their questions, while students jot down vocabulary in categories like shape, color, and texture. Once the mystery is solved, each student will take turns presenting their own secret object, answering classmates’ questions, and giving everyone a chance to practice speaking. This combination of curiosity, structure, and competition will ensure all students are engaged, including reticent speakers.

Role Play - Minh

anhminhdec — 2024-08-24 15:22:11 UTC

Role-playing is a great way to help reticent speakers feel more at ease because it allows them to step into a different character and let go of the pressure of “being themselves.” For example, if you’re practicing ordering food in a restaurant, one student can be the waiter, and the other can be the customer. Since they’re pretending, the stakes feel lower, which reduces the affective filter—Krashen’s theory that anxiety and self-doubt can block language acquisition. When students are focused on playing a role rather than worrying about mistakes, they’re more likely to speak up and engage in authentic communication.

Use of Humor - Minh

anhminhdec — 2024-08-24 15:28:16 UTC

Even though I'm not a funny teacher (only on limited occasions), I always believe that humor can create a positive classroom atmosphere that encourages reticent speakers to participate more freely. According to Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, learning happens through social interaction, and humor helps build a sense of community, reducing fear of judgment. For example, you can have students create goofy, exaggerated dialogue based on common situations, like a ridiculously formal introduction between two people meeting for the first time. By focusing on the playful aspect, students feel less pressure, and when learners feel comfortable experimenting with language, they’re more likely to produce meaningful output. I often include funny conversations between me and my exes in my lessons to create a tad of humor; it always works!

Personalized Feedback - Minh

anhminhdec — 2024-08-24 15:31:44 UTC

I’ve found that when feedback is tailored to each student’s level and needs, they’re more likely to take risks and participate more. Instead of just pointing out mistakes, focus on what they’re doing well and give specific suggestions they can easily apply. For example, if a student struggles with pronunciation, I might say, “You’re really improving on sentence structure! Let’s try softening the ‘th’ sound next time.” This aligns with Vygotsky’s concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)—guiding students with just the right amount of support helps them move forward without feeling discouraged.

Exit tickets - Minh

anhminhdec — 2024-08-24 15:33:28 UTC

Exit tickets are a simple and low-pressure way to get reticent speakers talking before they leave class. I like to ask students to share one thing they learned that day, either with the whole group or just with a partner. It’s quick and gives them a chance to practice speaking in a way that feels manageable. Plus, it taps into Bloom’s taxonomy by encouraging them to reflect and summarize what they’ve learned, which reinforces language use. Since it’s done at the end of class, students feel less nervous because they know it’s a brief moment to speak, and the stakes are low.

Music and Songs - Minh

anhminhdec — 2024-08-24 15:35:10 UTC

I’ 've always enjoyed seeing how singing or even just filling in lyrics helps students loosen up while practicing pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation. For example, you can have a class sing a popular song together or do a gap-fill activity where they listen to a song and guess the missing words. Plus, it creates a shared experience that makes everyone feel more connected and relaxed, which can encourage even the shyest students to join in.

Singing/Standing/Moving - Chad

2024-08-25 18:33:42 UTC

In my teaching experience, some textbooks have had songs, chants, and jingles at the beginning of each lesson. I connected to them because they presented a way for students to wake up while learning at the same time. I would usually play the song for students to listen to first. Next, I would encourage students to sing along after I had shown them any activities associated with a song like “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”. Doing this could be linked to the teaching of body parts. A song like “Old MacDonald” would incorporate the use of flashcards in naming animals. Singing a song in class allows reticent students to disappear within the group and at the same time not be alone with their nervousness.

Games - Chad

2024-08-25 18:35:16 UTC

I’ve had students in the past who were very shy and unwilling to participate. For them, I’ve used an activity that has them standing and moving their bodies while simultaneously checking for listening comprehension. The “Fly Swatter” game works well in this situation. In the game, we first review flashcards until I’m comfortable with the class's level of comprehension. Then, the flashcards would be placed in columns on the board; the class forms two lines, and two students would compete with fly swatters to hit the card they hear me say. I will give the students three tries, and the student who strikes the card first wins. Then those two students go to the back of the line, and it’s the next pairs’ turn.

Pair/Group Work - Chad

2024-08-25 18:36:30 UTC

When teaching new lessons, putting students in pairs can be very effective in combating reticence. Pair activities are more student-centered and tend to break up the formality of the teacher-student dynamic. Students tend to be more comfortable when talking to other students rather than the teacher. I have done this by initially introducing the new target language in the form of questions and providing my own answers to them. If we are practicing country names, for example, I would ask the questions “Where do you want to go?” and “Why?” and have the class repeat the questions. I would then answer, “I want to go to ____ because you can ____ and ____.” After checking for comprehension, I would put students into pairs and have them practice the activity, then present their partner’s responses to the rest of the class.

Popsicle Sticks/Names in a Hat - Chad

2024-08-25 18:37:25 UTC

A way I have used to avoid making any students feel singled-out is by placing their names on popsicle sticks or on a slip of paper in a hat. I would do this to randomly call on students to participate in an activity. This puts every student on equal footing because every student has to be ready to participate at a moment’s notice with no presumed favoritism.

Popcorn Game - Chad

2024-08-25 18:38:03 UTC

In the popcorn game I ask the class a question based on the topic of the lesson that day. I have the class repeat the question, then I give them my answer to the question as an example. Next, I would have them repeat the question. I would then ask for a volunteer to give their own answer to the question. After they answer, I tell them to ask the same question to another student. When they have given their own answer, they call on yet another student to give their answer. This continues until all students have participated.

New Online Application for reticent students Chayuda O.

coverby7 — 2025-02-25 20:54:08 UTC

This will be so much fun in the classroom, particularly for students who might be too shy to talk. For lower ELA classes, it might be worth it to try.

What is in the bag? And more games for quiet folks to start talking - Chayuda O.

coverby7 — 2025-02-25 21:02:41 UTC

Check this out. There are lots of games to help ESL students to become talkative.

Take a trip to the Moon game, and let's go - Chayuda O.

coverby7 — 2025-02-25 21:12:48 UTC

This game is not only to build comrades but also to help students to talk and use their creativity.

https://www.teach-this.com/images/games/trip-to-the-moon.pdf

Truth or Lie game, guess who will talk- Chayuda O.

coverby7 — 2025-02-25 21:18:18 UTC

https://www.teach-this.com/images/games/two-truths-and-a-lie.pdf

Don't you love drawing, guessing and speaking? Chayuda O.

coverby7 — 2025-02-25 21:23:36 UTC

Descriptive drawing activity: Pair up the students and give each student a picture, placing it face down so partners cannot see each other’s cards. They must describe the picture for their partner to draw.

Keep students drawing, guessing and ultimately to speak freely. Fluency vs. Accuracy. At this point we focus on Fluecy.

Favorite Snack?

2025-02-26 02:47:18 UTC

Adjectives - salty, sweet, sour

Students "chain drill".

Teacher has a list of student names on the board that are in class today - pulls a name from popsicle sticks ... first teacher models w/ assistant.

T: [Name] What do you like?

S: I like ________. What do you like?

T: I like sweet. [student name] ask [the next student] what they like.

S#1: [next student name] what do you like?

S#2: I like________.....

- Gabrielle W.

Describe & Draw Pairs

2025-02-26 02:52:08 UTC

Describe your friend to a pair partner in class so they can draw them. 5 minutes then swap. Now, they will describe and you will draw their friend. - Gabrielle W.

Emotion Ladder Game

2025-02-26 02:58:08 UTC

Do a ladder game of emotions -- students get into two teams. They get in order based on their birthdays e.g. 3, 17, 22, 25, 31. This is the order they'll go to the board and write an emotion. The person at the board must write what the emotion the next student tells them -- student at the board can ask for help 'how do you spell that?'...continue until everyone has a turn at the board, and saying emotions out loud.

First team to finish the ladder wins. This should get the students minds off of how they sound, and focused on winning! - Gabrielle W.

Lofi HipHop Study Music

2025-02-26 02:59:31 UTC

Play lofi chill music while students are doing reading and writing activities to help them relax and focus. - Gabrielle W.

Pair practice

2025-02-26 03:05:50 UTC

Have students work in pairs to practice reading aloud to one another. Students can work together to take mixed up sentences, put them in order, then read aloud. Take turns. - Gabrielle W.

Group Work

2025-02-26 03:29:08 UTC

Group work tasks may reduce students' stress by allowing them to concentrate on the subject, share thoughts, and generate all of the information they have learned. Socheata

Storytelling

2025-02-26 03:46:08 UTC

Give students a quick introduction that makes them feel relaxed and comfortable before asking them to share a personal story. Socheata

Game

2025-02-26 03:52:19 UTC

During class, develop an entertaining game that relates to the lesson and helps students actively interact with the content while repeating important ideas. In this manner, they can learn while having fun, making the process of learning both pleasurable and instructive. Socheata

Critical-Thinking

2025-02-26 04:31:40 UTC

As I think every student will see a picture differently, give them a picture to describe. The activity allows them to express their individual viewpoints, improving their writing and speaking abilities. Socheata

One-On-One conversation

2025-02-26 05:12:54 UTC

Speaking to students one-on-one can make them feel more secure and encourage them to express their opinions about their learning or anything else on their mind. Socheata

2025-02-26 05:24:58 UTC

Speaking in front of the entire class can be intimidating, but a one-on-one conversation with a peer is usually much less intimidating. This smaller setting helps reticent speakers feel more comfortable and less exposed.

2025-02-26 05:29:34 UTC

When learners are placed with peers who share similar language abilities, they may feel less intimidated and more willing to contribute. They can relate to each other's challenges and successes, creating a supportive atmosphere where everyone feels more at ease.

2025-02-26 05:34:25 UTC

When reticent speakers receive positive feedback for their efforts, it reinforces their belief in their abilities, making them more willing to take risks and speak up in the future.

2025-02-26 05:41:51 UTC

Sentence starters assist reticent speakers by offering a clear and structured beginning, which helps reduce their anxiety and makes it easier for them to overcome the initial burden of starting a response. This facilitation promotes practice and boosts their confidence in speaking.

2025-02-26 05:49:54 UTC

Addressing a reticent speaker directly demonstrates that their input is valued and that the teacher genuinely cares about their perspective. This personalized attention can enhance their confidence and make them feel more included.

Tell a group story - Debbie

2025-02-26 06:18:32 UTC

Start the group off with one sentence, perhaps as simple as "Ruth took a walk yesterday in the park." Ask what happened next? after each sentence and have each student contribute one sentence to the story. Write the story on the board (for small classes) or in the group as you go, and have the students take turns reading it aloud in pairs.

Play a "pictionary" style game - Debbie

2025-02-26 06:22:15 UTC

Working in pairs, one student tries to draw a picture of a secret word or phrase. The other student has to try to guess the word by making suggestions of what it might be.

Show and Tell with Technology - Debbie

2025-02-26 06:27:38 UTC

Ask the students to share something about themselves in a small group or a pair, related to the lesson. For example, who is their favorite musician or animal. If they have a music app, they can play a quick snippet of a song, or show a photo of the animal from the internet (or their pet). You could also ask them to share a photo on their phone of their best friend and say his or her name and how they met.

Roll the dice - Debbie

2025-02-26 06:36:04 UTC

To practice vocabulary words, have students roll a dice, and they have to say the same number of words as the dice roll. If you want to make it a harder game, they should not repeat words that have already been said. Have the vocabulary words available if students need a "cheat sheet" to help. Ask the more reticent student to go third or fourth, so they have time to think of words, and to see/watch others succeed. You can also do this as a partner activity where the partner can help if the primary person runs out of words/ideas.

Class Survey Activity - Debbie

2025-02-26 06:41:25 UTC

Give students an activity where they have to survey other students (or even people outside the classroom) to complete the activity. It can be very simple, such as a favorite color or food, or a more sophisticated opinion poll on a current event or other topic of the students' choice. It's a chance for students to ask the same question repeatedly, building their courage and fluency.

Talking Ball - Katherine

2025-09-01 03:52:50 UTC

Using a beach ball and permanent marker - write different prompts on the ball (what's your favorite food?). From there, have students catch the ball and respond to the prompt that is written. This can be a fun way for students to be physically engaged and challenge each other to answer different questions.

Creature Creation - Katherine

2025-09-01 03:56:14 UTC

To practice using nouns and adjectives, ask students prompting questions to create a "creature" of their own making. It will be up to the teacher to draw out this creation. Examples can be asking about colors, shape, and other "non-traditional" descriptors of a "creature."

"Literal" Recipes - Katherine

2025-09-01 04:00:09 UTC

For reticent speakers and those who are feeling less comfortable in the classroom, a good way to have them speak is by incorporating humor. An example that has circulated online has been teaching how to give directions by demonstrating how "literal" it can be taken. For example, when making a PB&J, you could say "put the peanut butter on the bread" and respond by putting the jar of peanut butter onto a bag of bread. This can encourage humor in the classroom, but also test student's ability to give more details in their descriptions.

Concentration - Katherine

2025-09-01 04:04:37 UTC

A fun way to encourage speaking in the classrom can be to introduce students to popular "playground" games. While this may not be received by adults as well as it may be children, it is a creative way to physically engage individuals in thinking about new vocabulary. An example is the game, "Concentration," where there is a themed category and students have to come up with words in a set cadance to continue the game.

Giving Directions (Pair Game) - Katherine

2025-09-01 04:08:34 UTC

Have students get into pairs and have one be blindfolded. The student who is not blindfolded will be required to give verbal commands to their partner in order to accomplish some form of goal - Whether that is finding something on the floor or drawing something. This will challenge the students to use verbal communication, versus relying on any physical communication.

Discussion w/ Lists on the Board

2026-03-03 11:06:52 UTC

Have a group discussion, and ask students for suggestions of things that fit in a category or answer a question. Once you have a few things already on the list, students who may not have initially understood the conversation, can read the list and have a better idea. Then, ask if they can add to the list.

Games: 20 Questions

2026-03-03 11:10:38 UTC

When reviewing question words and grammar, I like to begin with a game of 20 questions. While students mostly just ask "Is it ...?" questions, it's fun and lowers their affective filters. No one is thinking about whether or not their grammar or pronunciation is perfect, just about the game.

Discussion: Current Events / News

2026-03-03 11:14:51 UTC

Another way to lower the affective filter is to engage students in an interesting and relevant conversation. Current events or news stories that have an effect on their life or are pertinent to their culture, religion, or place of origin facilitate the desire for self-expression. Again, if they're thinking about what they want to say, then they're less worried about how they're saying it.

Let shy kids read

2026-03-03 11:18:51 UTC

Some students just don't have the confidence to try to create their own sentences. Some games allow students to give one-word answers, but it's not always possible to incorporate those into every lesson. If some students are unwilling to make their own sentences, allowing them to read a few of someone else's still gets them to practice pronunciation and exposes them to grammar rules and sentence structure.

Students' Choice Sing-A-Long

2026-03-03 11:24:13 UTC

I think someone already wrote this, but I sometimes will ask students if they listen to any songs with lyrics in English. They might pick a song that most of the class knows and likes. When a lot of others are singing along, I've witnessed very quiet students join in too.