Effective Methods of Teaching English as a Second Language in the Classroom

This paper is based on my experience of teaching English as a second language to the IGCSE students in an English medium school in Dubai, UAE. It was not difficult to realise that English served not only as a target language but also a medium of instruction in an English medium school. No matter whatever the age and the cultural background of the students, teaching methods become crucial to make the learning of the lesson fruitful. Teachers play an important role in designing teaching techniques through years of teaching experience and training. A language classroom is totally different from a typical lecture-style classroom where a teacher indulges in a one-way lecture and students take down notes. This paper aims at pointing out some effective teaching methodology focussing attention on the characteristic features, teacher-student role and example of a lesson in an ESL classroom.