How to keep your students motivated during summer intensive courses

Richard Cleeve
Two students sat on stairs smiling at a laptop

Summer is here and so are English language intensive courses. Adults and teens are lining up at your classroom doors, full of enthusiasm and ready to learn English. But soon they’re staring out the windows, looking up at the bright blue skies and wishing they were on the beach, or - frankly - doing anything but studying English for the next 100 hours.

So how can you turn it around and keep your learners on track and motivated this summer?

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How to keep your students motivated during summer intensive courses
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1. Start off on the right foot

You have a lot to do in this first class. It sets the tone for the entire English course and is your chance to show your students what you expect from them and what they can expect from you.

In teen classes, you’ll need to spend time outlining class rules and establishing your authority. You can do this by creating a class contract together and getting everyone to sign it. Although it’s summer and you want to have a good time, remember to stay firm and use an authoritative voice - at least for the first week or two.

With adults, it’s essential that they leave the first class feeling like they’ve learned something. By all means, start with some fun activities to break the ice, but make sure they go home feeling that their money was well spent. Ìý

2. Keep things personal

You’ll also need to spend some time getting to know your students in both adult and teen classes.

While learning about their interests, you should also find out about their personal and professional objectives, so you can tailor your classes to meet their needs. Do this by surveying the class early on and use their ideas to plan later classes and projects. Students always appreciate personalization - and it certainly helps keep them motivated.

3. Don’t go easy on them

Your first class should be interesting, fun and focused on breaking the ice. But perhaps more importantly, it should challenge them. No one wants to take an easy course - it feels like a waste of time (and money). If your activities feel too easy, they’ll switch off, their minds will wander, and it will be tough for you to recapture their attention.

It’s therefore a good idea to have a range of activities of various difficulties up your sleeve. If students find things too easy, you can increase the challenge.

In addition, you should always have extra work for fast finishers. Teens especially get distracted quickly, but adults will also lose interest if you’re not giving them enough to do. So make sure to mix fun, dynamic activities with level-appropriate materials.

4. Give them something to work towards

Set your objectives early on. This includes:

  • Short-term objectives: What we’re going to achieve this class
  • Mid-term objectives: What we’ll achieve by the end of the week
  • Long-term objectives: What you’ll be able to do by the end of the course and beyond

People like to know why they are doing things and how it will be useful for them. Objectives are a good reminder of this, and you can help students track their progress towards their goals by giving them daily or weekly can-do statements or by having them keep a learner journal.

5. Keep getting and giving feedback

It’s a great idea to start every class reviewing what happened in the previous class or the previous week. This helps students refocus and remember what they did, and sets the tone for the rest of the day. It also allows you to re-establish authority with teenagers if students were rowdy or distracted in the previous class. Go over the rules again, if necessary, and explain they’re starting over with a clean sheet.

You can also have students reflect at the end of each class, sharing what they found hard, what they learned, what they enjoyed most and what they want to do more of. This will help you continue to deliver classes that challenge and interest them during the course.

6. Mix things up

Routine is important but so is surprise. Once you’ve established how things work and the activities and projects are well underway, turn it upside down. Take students outside, play a game or start an inter-class competition.

It will refresh your students, re-energize them and give them a new kind of challenge. It will also keep them on their toes and excited about what you plan next - a great motivational tool.

7. Be original

Introduce challenging themes, topical content and allow students to bring their own articles, videos and photos. Using authentic materials alongside coursebooks is a great way to motivate students. If they see that they can understand and work with real-world content, they’ll increase confidence in their own abilities.

8. Follow a structure

Progress, progress, progress. Without it your students will lose all motivation, even if your classes are challenging. Use a course to support your curriculum. Not only will it help you develop themes during the language course, but it will scaffold language and give students a physical reminder of what they are learning and achieving.

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    Tips for keeping learners studying over the holiday season

    By Nicolas Chaparro
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    Nicolas Chaparro is a Colombian language teacher with a bachelor's degree in basic education, specializing in humanities and languages. After spending five years working as a systems technician, he discovered the potential of technology to enhance learning, which ignited his passion for dynamic, tech-driven education. He has the privilege of working at one of Colombia's most prestigious English institutions, where he currently leads a team focused on education, creativity and motivation.Ìý

    The holiday season is a magical time and the perfect moment to spark a teacher's creativity. I've always believed that learning a language isn't just about studying—it's about living it. As a learner, I loved the resources my teachers and institutions provided, but what truly captivated me was the opportunity to engage with the world using the language skills I had acquired.

    As a teacher, I strive to give my students that same experience. I didn't expect the holiday season to become the perfect setting to turn my teaching philosophy into reality. This blog post shares a personal story of how I used a creative activity to keep my students learning and practicing English during the holidays with the support of the Global Scale of English (GSE).

    The challenge I faced: Mixed levels and ages

    The activity I designed, Christmas Carols, presented two main challenges:

    1. Diverse proficiency levels: My group included students ranging from beginners to advanced learners, all participating in the same activity. I wanted to have them all working together; that's what language means to me.Ìý
    2. Varied age groups: The students also spanned different age ranges, which required an effective approach to engage everyone. It was a Christmas gathering meeting with all the institution's students.

    Basic students worked on identifying vocabulary that is similar to their native language and then used it in a short text. Intermediate students solved riddles to guess words that could be included in the lyrics. Advanced students completed questionnaires to build sentences and find synonyms to refine the text. The carol was divided into three sections: the first paragraph was for basic students, the second for intermediate students and the third for advanced students. I also included French students in the activity, which was designed for both languages.

    After the students completed their tasks in separate groups, I mixed them so they could explain the vocabulary they had learned to one another. To facilitate communication without relying on Spanish, I used pictures and Christmas props to help them express themselves visually.

    Finally, we all came together and sang the carol as one group.

    Turning challenges into opportunities with the GSE

    For me, a successful language activity needs three essential components: clear instructions, engaging resources and opportunities for interaction. With these principles in mind, I crafted an inclusive and dynamic activity, using the GSE to guide my planning.

    Step 1: Defining the goal

    I realized that most of my students didn't know specific Christmas-related vocabulary or any traditional English carols. This activity was also an opportunity to learn by myself and then share with them. This gap was my opportunity to introduce them to the holiday spirit in English.

    Step 2: Planning with the GSE

    I identified suitable goals for each proficiency level using the GSE Learning Objectives. These objectives helped me design tasks that targeted key skills—listening, speaking, reading and writing—while considering the ages and abilities of my students.

    Step 3: Preparing a scavenger hunt

    To make the activity interactive and fun, I organized a scavenger hunt. Students had to solve riddles and follow clues to find words essential for completing a Christmas song. The GSE objectives ensured that the tasks were appropriately challenging for each level.

    Step 4: Pairing students effectively

    Knowing my students well, I paired them strategically based on their proficiency and age. This pairing encouraged collaboration and allowed them to support each other throughout the activity.

    Making language visible and memorable

    One of my priorities was to make the language come alive. I brought visual aids like cards, games, and even a Christmas tree and a nativity scene—elements that most students recognized but had never explored in English. These visuals became valuable tools for teaching vocabulary in a tangible, engaging way.

    To add another layer of interaction, I used my guitar to sing along with the students. By the end of the activity, not only were we singing, but they also understood the meaning behind every word. Watching them take pride in their learning was incredibly rewarding and I knew this vocabulary wouldn't stop there; they would take it home and make it real for them, for the season, for their life.

    Reflections and an invitation

    This experience reminded me of the power of teaching through real-life experiences. Holidays provide a unique opportunity to teach without teaching and to help students study while living the language. Tools like the GSE make it easier for us as educators to plan meaningful and impactful activities.

    My invitation to fellow teachers is twofold:

    1. Explore the GSE resources to enrich your teaching strategies.
    2. Share your ideas and activities with the teaching community. Together, we can create opportunities for our students to use the language in real and virtual contexts that inspire learning and cooperation.

    Let's make 2025 the year we bring language to life in every classroom.