How to Teach Intermediate Level English to Adults
Created: Nov 30, 2024
Last Updated: Nov 30, 2024
If you’re wondering how to teach English to adults in ways that will make the most impact, you’re in the right place. We’ve broken down the key differences in how adults learn compared to children so you can be adaptive with your teaching style.
Plus, we’ll also give you some handy practical tips on how to teach English to intermediate level learners aka. ILR level 2-3, or Advanced-Low ACTFL level. With any luck, these activities will give you some inspiration on how to use engaging methods to push your learners further during your class.
These tips include some brilliant easy ways to build learning English with movies and TV shows into your class planning. After all, at Flurret we’re big proponents of making learning as fun as possible by using video content.
Without further ado - let’s begin!
The difference between teaching adults vs. children
Want to understand how to teach English to adults instead of children? You’re right to think about adapting your teaching style. Adults approach language learning very differently from children which means you need to adjust your teaching methods in order to keep adult learners motivated.
Here are the key differences to absorb.
Limited time
Unlike children, adults who choose to study English as a second language usually do so in their spare time between family and career commitments. Therefore the time they have to study outside of class is limited.
How to address this:
Ensure the tasks you give are focused and achievable. Instead of just “watch something in English”, try "watch this 10-minute TED talk and note down three new words you hear.”
Rich life experience
While children are still learning about the world, adults bring years of knowledge and lived experience to their English classes. For instance, a marketing professional already understands business concepts - they just need the English vocabulary to express them.
How to address this:
Build classes around their expertise. A chef may enjoy translating recipe videos whereas an IT professional might prefer to do a roleplay in which they answer a query from a customer about their computer.
Need to understand the 'why?'
Children often accept language rules without question. Adults on the other hand want to understand the reasoning behind what they're learning, from grammar structures to common expressions.
How to address this:
Always explain the context and show the practical value of each lesson. When students see why they're learning something, they're more motivated to master it.
For instance, if you were teaching conditionals you could demonstrate how they're used in business negotiations. E.g. “If you purchase 500 units of stock, I can give you a discount”.
More self-conscious
Adults worry more about making mistakes than children do, especially if they're successful professionals in their native language.
How to address this:
Create an accepting and supportive environment with lots of encouragement. Start with small group discussions where students can practice with peers at the same level.
Let their own goals pave the way
When you teach English to adults at intermediate level, they've already mastered the basics. Now they can focus on building vocabulary while reinforcing grammar along the way. But which vocabulary should you prioritize? This is where understanding their specific goals becomes crucial.
Unlike teaching children, who often learn English as part of their required education, adult learners choose to sacrifice their leisure time to study. Each has their own motivation, and understanding this is key to keeping them engaged.
Here's how different goals shape your teaching approach:
A learner who needs to use English for their corporate job will likely want to:
- Lead team meetings
- Write professional emails
- Handle client calls
Their lessons should focus on business vocabulary, formal email structures as well as any sector-specific language.
Compare this to a learner who wants to communicate better with their English-speaking family members when they visit them. They likely want to:
- Join family conversations
- Understand cultural references
- Share stories about their life
Their lessons need more casual vocabulary, real-world scenarios, and family-related terms.
Our top tips for how to teach English to adults
Now that we’ve covered the differences between children and adult learners extensively, you should have a better idea about what makes your students tick. Now we’ll take you through practical tips on how to teach English to adults at intermediate level.
These tips go beyond the basic lesson plans like simply introducing each other and aim to help you build interactive activities around key study targets.
Encourage recognising words in context
Reinforce new learnings by encouraging students to listen out to hear them used in context. Prepare a handful of audio or video clips in which your English for intermediate level learners are listening out for a specific type of language.
For instance, if you have been teaching your students about dates and times, you could include clips which all have someone saying a date, which your learners have to listen out for.
Expand context-specific business vocabulary
This is a great method to use if you’re tailoring your lessons to learners with business backgrounds.
After teaching key negotiation phrases like "That's a fair point" or "I see where you're coming from, however..." provide students with three short clips from business-focused TV shows like Dragons' Den. Ask your intermediate level learners to count how many times they hear concession language.
This works particularly well with shows that feature deal-making where students can hear these phrases used naturally in high-stakes situations. Have them note down any variations they hear, like "I take your point" or "I understand what you're saying, but..."
Easy role-play set-up
If you teach English as a second language, you’ll likely already know that role plays are an excellent way to get students using the language set you’re studying. However, they often take time to think of and set up.
Use TV shows or movies to introduce a character and their situation. Then pause the movie and pair up students. Either assign them two characters or assign one as an interviewer role asking the other questions about the situation they are in.
Example: Many people learn English with Harry Potter - including our own learners on Flurret - so it’s familiar ground for most students. The clip of Harry finding out he is a wizard from Hagrid is a great starting point for encouraging conversational language around surprise, apprehension and excitement.
Play 21 Questions
In the same vein, movies can help establish characters with recognisable personality traits and appearance. If you assign a section from one of the best movies to learn English to your students as homework, not only will they be more incentivised to complete it than written work but it also gives a great basis for class.
For instance, assign the first 30 minutes of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as homework viewing. In your next class, you can play an engaging game of 21 questions to practice forming and answering questions in English.
Give each student a secret character from the opening sequence (Harry, Dudley, Aunt Petunia, Ron Weasley or Hagrid, for example). Students must take turns asking yes/no questions to identify each other's characters, for example:
- “Does your character wear glasses?”
- “Does your character attend Hogwarts?”
- “Does your character live at number 4 Privet Drive?”
- “Is your character magical or a muggle?”
This activity naturally encourages students to:
- Form questions correctly (particularly yes/no questions)
- Use present simple tense
- Discuss personality traits
- Use descriptive adjectives
- Learn vocabulary about relationships like aunt, uncle, friend and professor
The beauty of using familiar characters is that students already know enough information to ask meaningful questions, letting them focus on grammar and pronunciation rather than struggling to think of what to ask.
Encourage learning through teaching
Learning by teaching is a brilliant way to encourage active learning. This form of learning engages the brain more fully by actively engaging with course material.
Check out this video on how and why it works, or keep reading for the details on this lesson tip.
Lesson tip: Have each student prepare a 10-minute lesson about their profession or special interest and a quiz after it ends. For instance, a graphic designer might teach logo creation principles, while a chef may demonstrate knife techniques.
A software developer might demonstrate basic coding concepts, naturally using imperative forms like "open your browser" or "click this button". This hands-on approach keeps everyone engaged, whether they're teaching or participating.
Use Flurret to engage your learners
While these methods for teaching English to adult learners work well on their own, they become even more powerful when combined with Flurret's innovative learning technology.
By preparing students with essential vocabulary before they watch, you'll find they engage more confidently in activities like 21 questions and role-plays. Plus, Flurret's ability to assess how much of a movie or show's vocabulary a student already knows helps you choose content that is at just the right level for your intermediate learners.
Want to enhance your English lesson planning? Learn more about how Flurret works and try it with your students today.
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Are your learners ready for the next level? Learn more about how to learn advanced English with more hints and tips.