Although English language learners speak and repeat English in the classroom, they often don't use what they learn at home. Authentic lessons based on everyday activities will encourage the students to practice what they learn in class. When students successfully speak the language at home and in their communities, they will be even more motivated to participate in activities to learn the language.

Use Drama
Create short plays and allow students to act out the parts. Beginners can learn how to introduce themselves and respond to a friend's introduction. More advanced students can practice asking directions, ordering food in a restaurant or having a phone conversation in English. Pass out the short plays. Assign parts, and ask students to repeat the parts together before studying their lines. After about 15 or 20 minutes of practice, ask the students to perform the plays to the class.

Show Pronunciation
Show students how to pronounce words. Discuss tongue placement, and show how to pronounce problematic sounds. English learners sometimes have trouble pronouncing the "R" sound. Continue to make the sound and ask students to repeat it. You can also use videos to demonstrate and explain sounds.

Use Games
Use games whenever possible. Teach vocabulary words using charades. Whisper the word to a volunteer, or give students who can read English an index card with the written word. Ask the student to act out the word, and the rest of the class may guess the correct answer based on the volunteer's actions. Pictionary also works well when teaching vocabulary words. Instead of performing the word, the volunteer draws a picture to represent the word, and the rest of the class guess the answer based on the picture.

Make Corrections
Gently correct students' speech after they have finished reading or speaking. Students will appreciate the corrections. Just be sure to give the students time to try to answer on their own. Tell students what they said incorrectly, and explain the correct response. Ask the student to repeat after you until you are confident that she is using the correct pronunciation.

Reflect
Allow time for reflection, advises "Language Learning Strategies: An Overview for L2 Teachers" by Michael Lessard-Clouston. Gather feedback from the students, and allow them to reflect at the end of the lesson by summarizing what they have learned in a short sentence. The students can also list topics they don't understand or areas that they wish to practice. This information will help you and the students better focus future lessons.