The ESL Classroom of the Future

A lot of educators believe the English as a Second Language classroom of the future is still 10 or 20 or even 30 years away. We disagree. The ESL classroom of the future is available now.  

There are 4 key points that most educators believe the classroom of the future must contain:

1. The Teacher as the Facilitator -The key to success is giving teachers materials that are adaptable to each student. To give teachers the opportunity to flip the classroom. Teachers are "guides on the side". The help to engage and motivate students to speak and use English in many different ways. 
2. Remove the classroom walls - The world is the classroom. A classroom is a meeting place to explore. The iPad is the tool that students can use to travel and explore in English. Schools must embrace the technological tools that are available to breakdown the walls of communication. 
3. Curriculum based on Project-Based Learning - simply sitting behind a desk and filling in a blank worksheet printed from the Internet is no longer acceptable. Students have the ability to create podcasts, short films, radio shows, comic books and so much more. A curriculum based around projects bring the ESL classroom alive. 
4. Invest in Technology - Invest in mobile devices like the iPad, digital textbooks and numerous apps is absolutely necessary. An ESL school must make the investments that are best for the students, staff and teachers. Using paper textbooks, CD players and photocopies are unacceptable for the modern learner. 

The ESL classroom is not 20 years away. The ESL classroom is ready...now. 

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