Checklists can be a great tool in the field of education, and particularly important in keeping students on track and focused; however, when doing so for English as a Second Language (ESL) students there are particular considerations one must take into account. Teachers will likely want to reconsider traditional teaching techniques to incorporate more oral-based strategies. You will need to help ESL students understand what you say and what they read. Here is a step-by-step guide for creating an effective sample checklist.

Determine the course of direction you wish to take in making your assignments. It is helpful that course work have an emphasis in oral interaction, as students benefit from hearing the words and phrases spoken aloud.

Use the white board to write your targeted grammar rules while explaining the rules. Repetition is as big a key in this early stage of interaction, as it will be later.

Create a model for the assignment you give; be prepared to walk through the model so that students can understand your expectations.

For your students enhancing their study skills, point out the organization and structure, how to use the table of contents along with where to find and how to use the glossary.

Create study sheets for students to reinforce structure that they can follow. Study sheets should be clear and outline specific covered topics, with multiple opportunities for practice.

Use visual aides of photographs, pictures and video to help get your message across.

Tips:

Many instructional professionals recommend as much oral engagement with ESL students as possible.

During lesson reinforcement it is often recommended for students not to write during this time.

Practice is key in improving ESL students' comprehension; however, guided practice is often a better solution to practice, so that students are taking away what you want.

Be careful not to bore your students with repetition as this can lead to disinterest.

Your checklist will vary depending on the scope of your classroom.