Teachers' Talk
I attended an English webinar organised by the British Council on 5th February, hosted by Soma Shrestha and Udani De Silva, on engaging the whole class through practical and effective teaching strategies. The session focused on setting up activities meaningfully, giving clear and structured instructions, using students’ own language as a learning resource, and checking learners’ understanding in purposeful ways.
What I found most insightful was the emphasis on using a multilingual strategy in the classroom to enrich learning and expand children’s vocabulary. Encouraging students to share words from their own languages helps them learn from one another, become more aware of different cultures, and build a more inclusive and respectful learning environment.
I also appreciated the idea of checking how learners process information by isolating tricky parts and asking meaningful questions rather than simply asking whether they have understood. The S.T.E.P. strategy for giving instructions—Short and Simple, Tell in order, Engage and Practise before playing—was equally practical and effective.
Overall, these strategies will help me make my classroom more engaging, interactive and communicative. The webinar was extremely helpful, and it was genuinely amazing to be a part of it. I look forward to attending more such webinars for many more valuable insights.
Written by – Nilanjan Ghosh (English Teacher, Junior School)
