CELTA. 9 tips on giving clear instructions in the classroom with examples

Summary

Presenter Tatiana explains how to give classroom instructions that students can follow. Her central advice is to keep instructions visible, simple, specific, and easy to check. She illustrates these tips with examples of unclear instructions and clearer alternatives.

Tips for Giving Clear Instructions

1. Stand where everyone can see you, and stay still. This helps students focus on what you are saying rather than on your movements.

2. Get the class’s attention first. Students who are talking may miss the instructions or distract others.

3. Use simple language. Choose wording students are likely to understand.

4. Plan and rehearse your instructions. Write them into your lesson plan, and practise them with colleagues beforehand if possible.

5. Don’t rely on “Do you understand?” Students may say yes even when they are unsure, or feel shy about admitting confusion. Instead, use instruction-checking questions (ICQs) to check specific details, such as:

   • “Do you work alone or in pairs?”
   • “How much time do you have?”
   • “Are you reading or writing?”
   • “Do you answer all the questions?”

6. Give and model the task before handing out materials. Show students what they are expected to do, then distribute the handouts or have them use their coursebook.

7. Make instructions specific. Instead of “Write some sentences about yourself,” say, “Write four sentences about your hobbies.” The specific version makes the task clearer.

8. Keep instructions concise and avoid distracting filler. Repeated words such as “okay” can distract students. Prefer short, direct instructions, such as: “Work in pairs. Ask and answer the questions.”

9. Break multi-step tasks into short stages. Avoid giving several steps at once, since students may not remember them. Give one step, let students complete it, then give the next. For a hobbies activity:

   • Ask students to write their three favourite hobbies.
   • Have them work in pairs and ask their partner about their hobbies.
   • Ask them to change partners and repeat the task.

Check each stage with ICQs where useful, and help students organize themselves into pairs or switch partners.

Speakers and Sources

• Tatiana — presenter and speaker.
• Other speakers or sources: None are explicitly identified in the subtitles.