Do you want to teach abroad? Here are simple teaching tips that you can use in your ESL classroom when you go. Some of these tips might seem obvious, but I’m always surprised at the number of new teachers I meet who forget to include these simple tasks in each lesson.

If you like these tips, you might also like: 20 Great ESL Teaching Tips

1. Teach the answer to a question to the entire class and have them repeat it out loud before you ask the same question person to person. After the pattern is established, you can change your question a little to get the student to change their answer. Repetition is the best teacher.

2. Find your favorite buzz words that you like to use in everyday conversation , even slang or idioms, and use them over and over in every class. After awhile your students will understand the meaning and begin using the phrase. Two simple examples are: “How’s it going?” or “What’s up?”

3. Music, music, music. I often write the lyrics on the board if it’s a short song. I rarely use handouts with the lyrics written. Having the students write the lyrics reinforces their spelling and helps them with phonetics.

4. Have at least 2-3 new vocabulary words that aren’t part of your lesson and write them on the board. Use the new words throughout your class and see if the students can figure out the meaning. Make it into a game by having them guess the meaning or repeat the phrases you used the word in. This reinforces their listening skills.

5. Always be prepared for class. Students know when you are not prepared and will quickly lose interest.

6. Ask students in the first few advanced classes what subjects and topics they want to talk about or study. You will be surprised by their answers. You will always be safe with the following topics: pop culture, sports, music of all kinds, environment, solar system, travel, geography and western holidays.

7. Save your lesson plans. It’s good to repeat a lesson after a while. You can even update it or add new words and ideas.

8. After you teach a lesson, take a few minutes to jot down what worked and what didn’t work. This lets you know how to revise your lesson the next time you teach it.

9. Have fun in your classes. Make them light and interesting. Avoid answering political questions. Religious questions are always asked at some point. You can make your own decision about how to answer. It’s alright to state your faith but it’s not alright to try and convert or get your students to believe the same.

10. Remember to switch it up. It’s easy to get into a safe routine. Remember that your students are not growing if you are not growing as a teacher. Try to introduce a new game or teaching approach every once in a while. It can get awfully boring in the classroom for you and your students if you constantly use the same games and activities every class.

Remember that there are tons of resources on the Internet. If you want to learn how to teach english overseas, don’t be afraid to ask for help and suggestions.