Making The Most Of EFL Outings

Teaching English as a Foreign Language doesn’t only need to take place in the classroom. Taking your students out into the real world can be a great opportunity for them to be exposed to natural language and practise their language. However, teachers need to be careful that efl outings don’t turn into free-for-alls with little or no educational value.

To avoid this, all you need to do is make sure your students are well prepared for the outing. Taking them out of the class is all well and good but the lesson should actually start before you’ve even left the classroom. So here are a few ways you can prepare your students to make the most out of EFL outings.

Tips for making the most of EFL Outings

EFL Outings – Questionnaires

Students can work in groups and brainstorm questions they would like answered about wherever you are going. So if you are going to an art gallery, they might like to ask questions about the period or genre of art on display or about the artist. During the outing they must find the answers to their questions by asking or doing research. After the outing, the students can give presentations about what they learned, based on their questions.

EFL Outings – A model activity

It can be a good idea to deal with an identical topic before going on the outing. In other words, if you are going on a walking tour of a town to look at the architecture, a lesson can be done on the architecture of another town. Students can do a virtual tour by looking at pictures of the town in question. Or they could do research and give presentations on different towns. This will introduce them to vocabulary and language which they are likely to encounter on the outing. It will also give them a foundation of knowledge on the topic.

EFL Outings – Bingo

Before leaving for the outing, have the students create their own Bingo board. For each square the students must write a vocabulary item which they predict they will see on the outing. For example, if you are going to a restaurant, the students might choose table, waiter, and cutlery. While on the outing the students can tick off their words as they see them. After the outing in groups they must describe where they saw their vocabulary items or write a paragraph describing the outing, using their chosen words.

EFL Outings – Video

Wherever you are going, you are sure to be able to find a video relating to some aspect of the outing. Watching a video before the outing will introduce your students to relevant vocabulary and arouse their interest. It can be used as a catalyst for discussion on the topic or it can lead the students to ask more questions which can be answered on the outing.

EFL outings are a great tool for teaching English. Students enjoy leaving the classroom and getting out in the real world while the outing itself is an excellent source of language. Don’t be afraid of taking your students on EFL outings, but just be sure they are adequately prepared for them.