Understand the differences between English and the native language of the students in your class. This will influence the topics you need to focus on. Native Russian speakers, for example, may need additional practice with the English alphabet as the letters used to write Russian are not the same as in English. Native German speakers, on the other hand, will not need to practice this as German uses substantially the same alphabet as English.
Speak English as much as possible in class. This gives your students the opportunity to practice their listening comprehension skills and helps to build their confidence. If your meaning is not immediately clear, use flashcards, drawings and hand signals to help the students guess what you are trying to convey.
Use multimedia in your lessons. Show excerpts from English-language films and television programs or play English-language pop music. This will help to gain the students' interest and inspire them to progress with their English. While they enjoy watching the excerpts they will subconsciously absorb new vocabulary and develop a better feel for how English sounds when spoken by native speakers.
Tailor your lessons to the ability and interests of the students. If you are teaching children, focus on relevant vocabulary relating to school lessons, hobbies and family.If you are teaching adults, concentrate on vocabulary relating to careers and the world of work. Teach contemporary modern vocabulary that will be of use to students in the real world rather than potentially outdated vocabulary from textbooks.
Encourage students to practice speaking English by playing games in the classroom. The irregular pronunciation rules of English means that beginners may lack confidence when speaking English and fear making mistakes. Card games that require learners to pronounce difficult words or form complex sentences independently are a good way to overcome this barrier to learning and get students to speak aloud in a fun and informal environment.