Teaching Large ESL Classes – How to Keep 30+ Students Engaged

🎯 Introduction

Not all TEFL teachers get a cozy class of 10 students. Sometimes you’ll walk into a room of 30–40 learners — all looking at you. With the right strategies, large classes can be just as fun and effective.

✅ Strategies for Large Groups

• Divide and Conquer: Use teams for games and competitions

• Pair Work: Rotate partners so everyone gets speaking practice

• Student Leaders: Assign “helpers” to hand out materials or check answers

• Use the Board Effectively: Write clear instructions once instead of repeating

  
  

🎮 Activities That Work Best

• Team quizzes

• Relay races with vocabulary

• Group storytelling (each team adds one sentence)

  
  

💡 Pro Tip

Plan transitions carefully — movement in big classes can cause chaos if not structured.

📌 Next Step

GoTEFL’s training prepares you for all class sizes, and TEIK connects you with schools that provide real classroom support.