Teaching conversation online is different from in-person. Your students are boxes on a screen. You need new strategies.

Core Principles

1. Student Talk Time = 70-80% — You should talk less, students should talk more.
2. Silence is OK — After asking a question, count to 10. Don't fill the silence immediately.
3. Mistakes Are Good — Don't interrupt to correct. Make notes. Come back later.
4. Use Technology — Breakout rooms, screen share, polls, chat—these help create interaction.
5. Be Real — Lesson didn't work? Screen froze? Laugh about it.

Activities That Work Online

Speed Chat (3 minutes): Breakout rooms with different partners each round.

Hot Seat Interview: One student gets interviewed for 5 minutes. Others ask questions.

Show-and-Tell: Students show something on their desk and explain why it matters.

Role-Play: "You're at a restaurant." Use virtual backgrounds. Make it fun.

Photo Prompts: Show an interesting photo. "What's happening? What happened before?"

Debate Lite: "Cats vs. dogs" or "Morning vs. night person." Casual argument.

Reading the Digital Room

• Camera off? Ask privately if voice-only works better.
• Silent student? Check chat—they might type first.
• Zoom fatigue? Switch activities every 15-20 minutes.
• One student dominates? Direct questions to quiet students.

What Matters Most

High Priority: Getting students to talk 70%+ of class time, variety of activities

Medium Priority: Polished lesson plans, perfect transitions

Lower Priority: Covering every grammar point, recording every class

Common Mistakes

❌ Talking too much ✅ Ask questions, then be quiet

❌ Correcting every error ✅ Note patterns, address 2-3 issues at end

❌ Rigid lesson plan ✅ Have 3-4 activity ideas, stay flexible

FAQs

Q: What if students don't talk? A: Use breakout rooms. Smaller groups feel safer.

Q: How do I handle bad internet? A: Say "I can hear you, video's fine without picture." Keep moving.

Q: Should I record classes? A: Ask students first. Some cultures have privacy concerns.