TEACHING LARGE CLASSES

Teaching Large Classes 

As a teacher, there are times when you have to teach large ESL/EFL classes, whether it is in a school or university. Many teachers think that because the class size is so big, they are limited in what they can do. By following this advice, you will find your large classes a lot more enjoyable and manageable. 



Advantages 
There are many advantages to teaching large ESL/EFL classes. For example, when you teach a large class time goes a lot quicker. Activities take a longer time to set up and run. Rarely will you find yourself using all the activities you have planned. This means you can use them in the next class, which saves on preparation time. In a big class, you will constantly have a variety of personalities. There will always be students keen to ask and respond to questions. There will be students who are funny and bring laughter to the class. So, large classes are never dull. 

Teams/Groups
A great way to manage a large class is to break the class down into small teams or groups. Putting students into small groups has many advantages. 
Make a list of the groups and the names of students in each group. Use a first name or nickname and group number when addressing a student. This way, you will remember your students' names a lot faster. 
Rather than just checking the register by calling out each name. Tell the students, you will check attendance and participation by asking each student a question or by getting them to speak English. Make sure you tell the students you will do this in a random order. So as you teach the class, the students are always paying attention, because they don't know whose name is going to be called next. It really keeps the students on their toes. 
By speaking to every student in the class, you will soon remember their names. Asking each student to contribute is easy, as within a lesson you have things like book exercises, activities, eliciting, comprehension checking, role-plays, etc. 
When a class is split up into teams or groups encouraging competition is easy. This makes the ESL/EFL class have a fun atmosphere. For younger students, you can assign team points throughout the lesson. You'll find that the student's motivation increases dramatically. 
Another important reason for having teams or groups in a large class is that ESL/EFL students can help each other learn. The students can build friendships and help each other understand what they are learning. 

General advice 

• Here is some more general teaching advice for teaching large ESL/EFL classes: 
• Make sure you have something to drink handy. You will find even with a microphone that you naturally speak louder, which takes a toll on your throat. 
• Always have a backup activity in case the class doesn't go as planned. 
•  Try to learn something about your students and get your students to know about you. Especially on the first day, so they feel relaxed with you and confident to communicate with you. 
• Think about how you will assess the students. Remember you don't want to mark pages of homework each week. If you do mark papers don't correct everything, just leave a comment or general feedback. You can do a lot of assessing in the classroom through activities and presentations. 
• Tell the students of a certain time when they can come and see you for any extra help or questions. Remember in big ESL/EFL classes students are often too shy to ask questions. If you don't have an office, give them a contact email address.
•  Stick to your rules! If you have rules about lateness or noise, enforce them. This is very important in the first few weeks of class. Show the students you are strict about your rules, and they will conform. Once the students know what they can and cannot get away with the class runs a lot smoother.