"Why Aren’t They SAYING anything?!" 😟 A How-To Guide on Increasing Student Talk-Time in Class

Picture this: you’ve spent all weekend prepping your lesson, fine-tuning your discussion questions, and mentally preparing to lead an engaging, conversation-filled class. You walk in, flash your best enthusiastic teacher smile, pose an open-ended question to your students, and get… crickets. 🦗

I’ve been there. We’ve all been there. While my teen students were the worst offenders (seriously, what is it with teenagers?!), even my adult classes have gone eerily silent from time to time.

As ESL teachers, we all know the golden rule: Limit Teacher Talk Time, Maximize Student Talk Time. But what do you do when your students won’t engage, no matter how hard you try? I’ve picked up a few tricks over the years that have helped me turn quiet, awkward lessons into talkative, interactive ones. Try these out the next time you’re met with radio silence!

1. Make Participation Their Grade for the Day

Want a foolproof method of getting even your quietest students to talk? Make their participation their grade.

Here’s how:

Step 1 - Walk into your classroom with a notebook and pen in your hand.
Step 2 - Announce: “Hey guys! 😇 Today your grade will be based on ✨participation.✨”
Step 3 - Put your discussion questions on the board, pair them off into small groups, and start walking around the room.

And like magic, they will suddenly find their voices.

I like to start each student off with zero points, and every time they contribute to the discussion (in a meaningful way), I add 20 points (or whatever system works for you). This way, they control their own grade—the more they talk, the better they do. The key here is you have to follow through—if someone didn’t participate all class, don’t cave in with a passing grade. After a few classes of low grades, they’ll catch on fast.

2. Ease Into It: Small Steps First

If your students aren’t speaking up, tossing a question to the whole class and waiting for a response will only lead to awkward silence. Instead of waiting for someone to take mercy on you, build up their confidence step by step:

• Put your questions on the board, then have them write their thoughts first so they don’t panic on the spot.

• Let them discuss in pairs so they get comfortable speaking.

• Move to small group discussions where they can talk without pressure.

• Finally, bring it to the whole class once they’ve warmed up.

Bonus tip: Walk around and monitor their conversations while they’re in pairs or small groups. Some students will take any chance to veer off-topic—so stay alert, and nudge them back to the topic at hand if needed.

3. Ask Questions That Encourage Them to Say More

If you’re asking a question like “Do you like pizza?” you’re going to get a “yes” or “no” and nothing else. Instead, ask “WH” questions that require a longer response.

• Instead of “Do you like pizza?” → “What’s your favorite kind of pizza and why?”

• Instead of “Is your city big?” → “Where do you live, and what’s something interesting about it?”

• Instead of “Are you guys busy this weekend?” → “What are your plans for the weekend?”

The more you force them to explain, describe, and elaborate, the better!

4. Spin the Wheel of Doom (I Mean, Participation)

When all else fails, I pull out my secret weapon: this handy spin-the-wheel app.

Here’s how to use it:

• Add all your students’ names to the wheel.

• Spin it to pick a student at random.

• Once they answer, remove their name from the wheel.

• If they stay quiet, leave their name in and spin again until they participate.

This trick has saved me on many occasions, and once students know they might get called on at any moment, they’re way more likely to stay engaged.

At the end of the day, getting students to talk more takes a little strategy and a lot of patience. But we’d love to know - what are YOUR best tips for getting students to talk more in class? Drop them in the comments—we’d love to hear what works for you!

P.S. The ESL Grammar Gallery is officially launching next month! 🎉 If you’d like a heads-up via email when we go live, sign up at: www.eslgrammargallery.com.