Why don’t my students speak English in class?

Silvia Minardi
Silvia Minardi
Students sat at a table with a teacher stood with them interacting with them
Reading time: 3 minutes

Last year, I contributed to a national research project with an article titled “My Students Don’t Speak English in Class: Why?”. The title originated from a concern expressed by a language teacher involved in the project, highlighting a common challenge faced by numerous language teachers. The difficulty of developing learners’ production and interaction skills is a well-known issue in language education.

Large and increasingly diverse classes, limited time, and learners’ reluctance to speak in class are significant hurdles. During pair and group work, students often revert to their first language (L1), they lack confidence in speaking activities and end up avoiding all interaction in English. These observations are consistent with recent Global Scale of English (GSE) research findings, which indicate that 52% of English learners leave formal education without confidence in their speaking skills.

Factors contributing to learners’ reluctance

Several factors contribute to students’ reluctance to speak English in class. Psychological barriers such as lack of motivation, shyness, low self-confidence, fear of making mistakes, anxiety and concerns about negative evaluation play a crucial role. Linguistic challenges, including limited vocabulary, poor pronunciation, and insufficient grammatical skills, further exacerbate the problem.

Task-related issues can also hinder speaking, especially when tasks are not well-matched to the learner’s proficiency level or focus more on accuracy than communication. Additionally, the classroom environment may not always be conducive to speaking, particularly for learners who need more time to formulate their thoughts before speaking.

Positive teacher impact

Fortunately, teachers can positively influence these intertwined factors. By creating a supportive classroom atmosphere and implementing well-designed tasks that prioritize communication over perfection, teachers can encourage reluctant students to participate more actively in speaking activities.

Leveraging technology: Mondly by Pearson

One effective tool that can help address these challenges is Mondly by Pearson. This learning companion is especially beneficial for learners who are hesitant to speak in class. Mondly by Pearson offers over 500 minutes of speaking practice, encouraging learners to use English in real-life situations and tasks that prioritize action and communication over accuracy. This approach allows for mistakes - they are part of the game - thus fostering a positive mindset, which is essential if we want to enhance our learners’ speaking skills.

AI-powered conversations

A standout feature of Mondly by Pearson is its AI-powered conversation capability, thanks to advanced speech recognition software. This flexibility helps build self-confidence and allows students to experiment with various production and interaction strategies. 

Comprehensive skill development

Mondly by Pearson is designed not only for speaking but also to develop all four language skills—listening, reading, writing and speaking—and is aligned with the Global Scale of English. The vocabulary for each topic is selected from the GSE vocabulary database, ensuring that learners are exposed to level-appropriate words and phrases.

Integration into classroom teaching

To facilitate the integration of Mondly by Pearson into classroom teaching, three GSE mapping booklets have recently been published. These booklets cater to different proficiency levels:

  • Beginner (GSE range: 10-42 / CEFR level: A1-A2+)
  • Intermediate (GSE range: 43-58 / CEFR level: B1-B1+)
  • Advanced (GSE range: 59-75 / CEFR level: B2-B2+)

These resources provide practical guidance on how to incorporate Mondly by Pearson into lesson plans effectively, ensuring that the tool complements classroom activities and enhances overall language learning.

Conclusion

Encouraging students to speak English in class is a multifaceted challenge, but it is not insurmountable. By understanding the various factors that contribute to learners’ reluctance and leveraging innovative tools like Mondly by Pearson, teachers can create a more engaging and supportive learning environment. This approach not only boosts students’ confidence in their speaking abilities but also fosters a more inclusive and interactive classroom atmosphere.

Embracing technology and aligning teaching practices with modern educational standards, such as the Global Scale of English, can lead to significant improvements in language proficiency and student engagement.

Learn more about Mondly by Pearson

About the author

Silvia Minardi holds a PhD in linguistics from the University for Foreigners - International University - of Siena. She is currently teaching English as a Foreign Language at Liceo Statale “S.Quasimodo” in Magenta and at Università dell’Insubria (Varese).

She is the President of the Italian association Lingua e Nuova Didattica and vice-president of Amerigo, the Italian association of US international exchange alumni. For three years (2011-2013) she chaired REAL, a European network of foreign language teachers’ associations which grouped up to 128 associations all around Europe. Since 2019 she has been an associate member of the LCT Centre for Knowledge-Building, a research centre at the University of Sydney.

Since 2000 she has been working on various professional development initiatives and projects both at national and international levels. She was also very active in pre-service teaching training of future EFL teachers at different universities (Turin, Vercelli and Milan) and in university courses for CLIL teachers (Università Statale - Milan). She has worked extensively as a teacher educator in pre-and in-service courses in ELT (ProgettoLingue 2000, SSIS, TFA, PAS), CLIL (methodology university courses), educational linguistics, assessment and evaluation; she has designed blended training courses.

In 2015. she took part in the preparatory session for the Intergovernmental conference about the "Handbook on the Language Dimension in all Subjects," the latest publication of the Language Policy Unity at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. She has been involved in various projects of the ECML (European Centre of Modern Languages) in Graz where she is currently involved in the project “Plurilitearcies for Global Citizenship”. She is a member of the Language Policy Experts Group at the Council of Europe. 

More blogs from Pearson

  • A child in a classroom working on a laptop smiling
    AI and safeguarding in the classroom: What teachers need to know
    提交者 Charlotte Guest
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more common in education. Teachers and students may use AI tools to create ideas, support learning, translate text or find information. But as AI becomes part of everyday classroom life, safeguarding needs to remain a priority.

    Safeguarding is about protecting children and young people from harm. When using AI, this means thinking carefully about privacy, online safety, inappropriate content and how students interact with technology.

    Protect students' personal information

    One of the most important safeguarding issues is privacy. Students may be tempted to enter personal information into an AI tool without understanding where that information goes or how it may be used. Personal information could include a student's full name, address, school details, photographs, contact information or information about their family. It could also include sensitive information about their health, behavior or personal circumstances.

    Teachers can help by setting clear rules about what students should and should not share with AI tools. If students are using AI in class, use activities that do not require them to enter personal or sensitive information.

  • A woman working in a office concentrating on her laptop
    Is AI scoring unreliable?
    提交者 Alice Bazzi
    Reading time: 2 minutes

    Artificial intelligence has transformed many industries, but in education, one question persists: can you truly trust AI to assess language skills?

    The short answer is yes, and in many cases, AI scoring is more reliable than traditional methods. PTE Express uses advanced machine-learning models trained on hundreds of thousands of real responses to evaluate language proficiency consistently at scale. 

    Unlike human examiners, AI does not experience fatigue, bias, or inconsistency. Every test is assessed using the same criteria, ensuring fairness for all candidates regardless of location or volume. Additionally, AI scoring is not developed in isolation. It is built and continuously refined using input from linguistic experts and large datasets, ensuring that scoring reflects real-world language use and academic expectations. 

  • Woman listening to music with headphones on while lying on sofa
    How to improve your listening skills quickly
    提交者 Charlotte Guest
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    Listening is an important part of learning a language. It helps you understand conversations, follow instructions and communicate with confidence. But listening can also feel difficult, especially when people speak quickly or use words you do not know.

    The good news is that you do not need to spend hours listening every day to improve. With the right practice, you can make progress in just a few minutes. Here are some ways to improve your listening skills quickly.

    1. Listen to something you understand

    Choose audio or video that is close to your current language level. If you understand almost nothing, it can be difficult to learn from it. If you understand every word, you may not be learning much.

    Start with short conversations, learner podcasts or videos with clear speech. You can also use social media content, including memes, short videos and posts in the language you are learning. These can be a fun way to see and hear everyday language without feeling like you are doing a formal lesson.

    For example, you could look at a meme in your target language and try to understand the joke before using a translation tool. Short videos can also help you hear common expressions and the way people speak naturally.

    Try to understand the main idea before worrying about every word. If you are learning English, you could listen to a short conversation about shopping, travel or daily routines. These topics are useful because you are likely to hear similar language in real life.