Visual aids help students understand English-language concepts and improve their English skills. Visual aids present language and vocabulary in an easily understandable form, and relate similar words and phrases. Examples of classroom visual aids include maps detailing the etymology of vocabulary words, and diagrams grouping pictures of similar ideas with their corresponding words. These aids help students understand how multiple words and concepts are related, making them easier to learn as a collective unit.
Students working together often master concepts more quickly. Strategies of guided interaction enable teachers to adapt this key idea to English language learning. Asking students to interview each other with questions related to the vocabulary words, or assigning a poster presentation involving key concepts or phrases, allows natural student interaction to increase English language retention.
When English language learners can take events and cues from their everyday lives, what they learn becomes easier to remember. Processing information that is cultural- or lifestyle-specific helps memory retention. Students keeping journals in English, producing a video of an everyday activity, or translating a favorite movie or television show will tend to stay engaged in what they are learning.