Teaching engaging exam classes for teenagers

Billie Jago
Billie Jago
Students sat ina library studying with laptops in front of them chatting to eachother
Reading time: 4 minutes

Teachers all over the world know just how challenging it can be to catch their students’ interest and keep them engaged - and it’s true whether you’re teaching online or in a real-world classroom.

Students have different learning motivations; some may be working towards their exam because they want to, and some because they have to, and the repetitiveness of going over exam tasks can often lead to boredom and a lack of interest in the lesson.Ìý

So, what can we do to increase students’ motivation and add variation to our classes to maintain interest?Ìý

Engage students by adding differentiation to task types

We first need to consider the four main skills and consider how to differentiate how we deliver exam tasks and how we have students complete them.Ìý

Speaking - A communicative, freer practice activity to encourage peer feedback.

Put students into pairs and assign them as A and B. Set up the classroom so pairs of chairs are facing each other - if you’re teaching online, put students in individual breakaway rooms.Ìý

Hand out (or digitally distribute) the first part of a speaking exam, which is often about ‘getting to know you’. Have student A’s act as the examiner and B’s as the candidate.Ìý

Set a visible timer according to the exam timings and have students work their way through the questions, simulating a real-life exam. Have ‘the examiners’ think of something their partner does well and something they think they could improve. You can even distribute the marking scheme and allow them to use this as a basis for their peer feedback. Once time is up, ask student B’s to move to the next ‘examiner’ for the next part of the speaking test. Continue this way, then ask students to switch roles.Ìý

Note: If you teach online and your teaching platforms allow it, you can record the conversations and have students review their own performances. However, for privacy reasons, do not save these videos.

Listening – A student-centered, online activity to practice listening for detail or summarising.

Ask pairs of students to set up individual online conference call accounts on a platform like Teams or Zoom.Ìý

Have pairs call each other without the video on and tell each other a story or a description of something that has happened for their partner to listen to. This could be a show they’ve watched, an album they’ve listened to, or a holiday they’ve been on, for example. Ask students to write a summary of what their partner has said, or get them to write specific information (numbers, or correctly spelt words) such as character or song names or stats, for example. Begin the next class by sharing what students heard. Students can also record the conversations without video for further review and reflection afterwards.

Writing –ÌýA story-writing group activity to encourage peer learning.

Give each student a piece of paper and have them draw a face at the top of the page. Ask them to give a name to the face, then write five adjectives about their appearance and five about their personality. You could also have them write five adjectives to describe where the story is set (place).Ìý

Give the story’s opening sentence to the class, e.g. It was a cold, dark night and… then ask students to write their character’s name + was, and then have them finish the sentence. Pass the stories around the class so that each student can add a sentence each time, using the vocabulary at the top of the page to help them.Ìý

Reading –ÌýA timed, keyword-based activity to help students with gist.

Distribute a copy of a text to students. Ask them to scan the text to find specific words that you give them, related to the topic. For example, if the text is about the world of work, ask students to find as many jobs or workplace words as they can in the set amount of time. Have students raise their hands or stand up when they have their answers, award points, and have a whole class discussion on where the words are and how they relate to the comprehension questions or the understanding of the text as a whole.Ìý

All 4 skills –ÌýA dynamic activity to get students moving.

Set up a circuit-style activity with different ‘stations’ around the classroom, for example:Ìý

  • ListeningÌý
  • ReadingÌý
  • Writing (1 paragraph)Ìý
  • Use of English (or grammar/vocabulary).Ìý

Set a timer for students to attempt one part from this exam paper, then have them move round to the next station. This activity can be used to introduce students to certain exam tasks, or a way to challenge students once they’ve built their confidence in certain areas.Ìý

Teaching engaging exam classes with Gold Experience

Courses such as Gold ExperienceÌýalso provide ways to promote interactivity in your lessons and allow students to be engaged by teaching real-world skills and topics that are transferable to situations outside of the classroom.Ìý

Each unit starts with the learning objectives of each lesson, which allow students to monitor their own progress. Exam tasks are introduced in a graded way, eventually leading up to full exam tasks when students have grown in confidence.Ìý

Model answers are provided for both speaking and writing, so both teachers and students can see what is expected of them at their level, and the portalÌýoffers ample resources such as audio, video and a full assessment package, including two full speaking exam videos.Ìý

The presentation tool allows you to provide something visual for students, whether projected at the front of the class, or as a shared screen online. There is also a timer and a point counter which can be displayed from the Portal’s teaching tools to add dynamism and help add competitive, timed activities to the lesson.Ìý

Gold Experience also provides opportunities for teachers to encourage students to work independently, which allows them to develop their creativity and intellectual curiosity, as well as increasing motivation and building their confidence in using and producing language.Ìý

By using a variety of resources and offering different ways of doing often repetitive exam tasks, we can increase our students’ interest in the lesson and help them work more independently and passionately towards their end goal of passing their exam.Ìý

If you’d like to know more, you might like to read our posts 'Tips to enjoy teaching an exam course' Ìýor 'Which exam is right for my students?'

Download a sample of Gold Experience

More blogs from ÃÛÌÒapp

  • teenage boy studying with headphones on and with a laptop

    Why should I learn English?

    By

    English is the second most widely spoken language – it is estimated that nearly two billion people worldwide can speak English at a useful level. That means they can hold a conversation with other English-speaking people.

    A report by the attests the importance of the English language to the world, and says thatÌýsecond-language English speakers far outnumber fluent English speakers. It also recognizes how being able to speak English can give individuals a competitive edge over others. If you're asking the question, "Why should I learn English?", read on to find out more...

  • A child sat on a bed reading a book

    Motivating children to read English books with fun activities

    By Nicola Schofield

    Why is reading important?Ìý

    Apart from being aÌýgreat hobbyÌýand funÌýactivity, it can help children improve in many areas of their lives through developingÌýkey transferrable skills. Reading in their native language and English can bring a whole range of benefits. To engage everyone, they mustÌýunderstand the benefits themselves.Ìý Ìý

    Ask your students why it's important and create a mind map of ideas. You may alsoÌýwish to use some of the points below to start the conversation. Having a common idea that everyone agrees on can help build motivation and engagement in the classroom.Ìý

    ImprovesÌýlanguage skillsÌý

    Regular reading develops children’s linguistic skills – it helps them learn goodÌýsentence structure, grammar, vocabulary andÌýimprovesÌýspelling in their own language and in the English language too. Reading aloudÌýalso strengthensÌýknowledge of phonics and improvesÌýpronunciationÌýand articulation.ÌýÌý

    Improves memoryÌý

    It can help to develop knowledge of phonics and vocabularyÌýrecall and improve focus and concentrationÌý– all necessary skills when learning a language.Ìý

    Cultivates curiosityÌý

    Books help kids’ imaginations to growÌýandÌýencourage them to beÌýmore open-minded. TheyÌýhelp us to learn about other cultures and encourage us to think more creatively. Through subtle messages,ÌýreadingÌýbuildsÌýanÌýawareness of the world in which we live andÌýenablesÌýchildren to formÌýtheir ownÌýopinionsÌýand ask questions.Ìý

    Creates empathyÌý

    Stories help to develop children’s emotional intelligenceÌýandÌýempathy towardsÌýothers. ExploringÌýtopics and characters allows them to learn aboutÌýreal-world situationsÌýand think about how they would feelÌýinÌýsomebody else’s shoes. It encouragesÌýrespect for others’ feelingsÌýas well asÌýotherÌýcultures.ÌýÌý

    Reduces stressÌý

    It is a great way toÌýcalm the mind and help us relax and destress. Children can learn to use it as a helpful tool in their day-to-day lives.ÌýÌýÌý

    Develops key life skillsÌý

    Children develop their confidence, communication, resilience, patience, social skills and connectÌýwith the wider world, cultureÌýand communities.Ìý

    So how do we motivate our young learnersÌý(even our most reluctant readers)Ìýto develop a passion for reading?Ìý

    ItÌýmustÌýbe fun,Ìýpurposeful and relevantÌý

    Well-known adaptationsÌýcan remove barriers, support and encourage students’ imagination,ÌýandÌýsparkÌýa genuine interest. TheyÌýgive purpose and relevance to the students as most students have watched a movieÌýat some point in their lives and most students have aÌýfavorite movieÌýor character.ÌýÌý

    Let your young learners chooseÌý

    There are plenty of English Readers to choose fromÌý– if the students can choose their own readers, they will likely be more motivated and focused. Choice gives the students power and makes it more relevant to them. Ask your students to choose theirÌýfavorite movieÌýandÌýhave a vote as a class. Get to know your students, find out what interests them, and base yourÌýbook choice around this.Ìý

    RewardsÌýÌý

    To motivate students, theyÌýmust know that they areÌýmaking progress. Reward students for their achievements – for example,ÌýcreateÌýa vocabulary wall orÌýa class book chart and give rewardsÌýlikeÌýaÌýstickerÌýorÌýa postcardÌýto takeÌýhome.Ìý

  • children holding hands in a line with a parent outside

    11 Offline English learning ideas

    By ÃÛÌÒapp Languages

    In today's fast-paced digital era, online resources and language learning apps have become the popular means for mastering English. However, offline language learning has its own unique charm and benefits. Engaging our senses and connecting with the physical world around us can enhance our language skills in ways that no app can match. In today's language learning blog, we discuss offline language learning activities that can help you towards becoming a confident English speaker, even without an internet connection.

    Ìý