Pathways: Teaching English to primary learners

If you want to find ideas, advice and techniques for teaching English to primary learners, this is the perfect place to start.

The free tools and resources below have been specially selected to help you:

• build confidence in managing the primary classroom effectively, from establishing routines, giving clear instructions and setting boundaries to maintaining a positive, focused learning atmosphere
• develop your ability to plan and deliver engaging lessons that motivate primary learners through stories, games and other age-appropriate activities
• explore strategies for adapting your teaching to your learners' needs and different contexts, including lower-resource classrooms and big classes, using inclusive and context-sensitive approaches to learning. 

There is no set order for the resources below. Choose what to do according to the time you have and the topics that are most interesting for you.

Video: Primary success stories – Getting primary students interested in learning English (3 minutes)

In this video, Indumati explains how she gets a class of 200 primary learners interested in English, using just a small blackboard. She exploits a short, simple text in a fun, engaging and interactive way. 

Watch 'Primary success stories – Getting primary students interested in learning English'

Video: How to tell a story to primary learners (15 minutes)

In this series of videos, you can watch a primary teacher using storytelling techniques with her class. You will see how she raises interest, tells the story with feeling, gets learners to guess what happens next, discusses the story and praises the learners. 

Watch 'How to tell a story to primary learners'

Article: Starting primary (10 minutes)

Find out how to start teaching English to primary learners. This article by Gail Ellis gives advice on understanding your learners, classroom practicalities and classroom management. 

Read 'Starting primary'

Article: Setting up in the young learner classroom (10 minutes)

This article by Sea Steele suggests techniques for setting up tasks in the young learner classroom, including introducing materials, giving instructions, engaging learners, setting boundaries, defining aims and allowing time. 

Read 'Setting up in the young learner classroom'

Article: Stirrers and settlers for the primary classroom (10 minutes)

Learn how to channel energy in the primary classroom, to prevent learners becoming overexcited or bored. Sue Clarke suggests activities that 'stir' or 'settle' children, to help you achieve balanced lessons.

Read 'Stirrers and settlers for the primary classroom'

Publication: Widening Participation: English as a subject in primary school – Lessons from Bangladesh, Malawi, Mexico and Uzbekistan (60 minutes)

This study explores effective strategies for teaching English in primary schools with limited resources, large class sizes and varying levels of teacher language proficiency. Research focuses on pedagogy (adjusting lessons to fit local contexts), gender and translanguaging. 

Read 'Widening Participation: English as a subject in primary school'

Podcast: How can we use play to teach English? (30 minutes)

Listen to this podcast to find out how a playful approach can engage and motivate learners, especially young children starting to learn English as a second language. It gives practical tips on how to incorporate play into your teaching. 

Listen to 'How can we use play to teach English?'

Webinar: How storytelling transforms learning (60 minutes)

In this webinar, Claudia Tumba breaks down the storytelling process into three practical steps. She shares ideas for building excitement, keeping learners involved, creative writing, role playing and personalised projects that encourage learners to create their own stories.  

As you watch the webinar, make notes: which of these ideas could you use in your classes, and why?

After watching the webinar, share your answer to the discussion question in the comments section below.

If you watch the recording and comment on it, we'll be happy to send you the link to an attendance certificate for the session.

Webinar: Building a course around picture books (60 minutes)

Learn about a tried-and-tested approach to planning courses around stories in this webinar by Fiona Hunter. She explains the benefits of the experience for children and goes step by step through the process of planning a story-based course.  

As you watch the webinar, make notes: which of these ideas could you use in your classes, and why?

After watching the webinar, share your answer to the discussion question in the comments section below.

If you watch the recording and comment on it, we'll be happy to send you the link to an attendance certificate for the session.

Lesson plans (60 minutes)

Food I like/don't like (Level 1) 

This lesson plan can be used for beginners or as revision. It starts with a review of food vocabulary that can be adapted to your local context. Then, learners ask their classmates about food they like or don't like. 

Food I like/don't like

My English classroom (Level 2)

Use this lesson plan, for A2-level primary learners, to focus on classroom instructions, establish discipline and rules at the beginning of a course and help learners practise vocabulary related to classroom materials. 

My English classroom

International Literacy Day (Level 2)

This lesson plan, for 9- to 12-year-old B1 learners, includes a comprehension activity based on a UN special day and a collaborative story-writing task. It suggests how to differentiate a reading and writing task for learners with different strengths.  

International Literacy Day