How I Turned a Bored ESL Group into Active (and Happy) Learners

What does it mean to go above and beyond as a corporate English language coach? Sometimes, it means being ready to pivot and throw out the lesson plan entirely.

A few years ago I was asked to take over lessons for another teacher at a local agency in Prague. What started as English training for one CEO quickly turned into a flurry of referrals and a tidal wave of requests from other companies. Before I knew it, I was teaching multiple corporate groups… one of which presented a unique challenge.

It was a group of IT professionals, all introverts, all Czech, all staring blankly at me, week after week. Their company required them to attend English lessons, but it was obvious that a conversation-based activity in a foreign language (that interrupted their workday and took time away from their busy schedule) was NOT appreciated - their engagement level was close to zero. 

No matter how many different angles I tried, the group remained uninterested and indifferent. Every week I showed up and tried again, and I told them at the end of every lesson: “If you don’t like this, let me know and we’ll do something different.” 

Still, no feedback and very little interaction. Finally, one day I looked at all of them and said “Something about this isn’t working and I need your help to understand why.” 

There was a long silence. I waited. 

Finally one of them spoke up and said “None of this is very useful for me.” 

“Ok,” I said, “Thank you. I need to know if it isn’t useful so I can figure out what WILL be useful to you at your job.”

The whole group seemed very surprised that I was not offended or hurt by the first guy’s comment - then the floodgates opened and they ALL started telling me what they didn’t like! 

I took notes on what everyone said, and told them I would create a customized lesson each week that responded to every comment / need. 

The following week, I showed up with a brand-new lesson plan tailored to everything they had told me. First, they were shocked. Then, they were excited.

From that day on, they showed up, participated, and even thanked me for taking the time to understand them. One student told me, “No other teacher has ever cared enough to find out what we actually need.” 

It took extra time, energy, and creativity to do a complete re-write and rebuild the course program, but that’s exactly why I love this work. 

Teaching a language isn’t about talking “at” students - it’s much more about LISTENING to them and then crafting programs that meet their needs and excite their interest.

When people feel heard, seen, and supported, they engage. 

And that’s when learning becomes second nature.