👩🏻‍💻QA Team Insights: Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Graded Language – In some lessons, teachers use grammatical structures and vocabulary that are too hard for the student’s age and proficiency level. This creates confusion, slows down the lesson flow, and significantly reduces student confidence and speaking time. In addition, heavy reliance on L1 and excessive verbalization deprive learners of valuable exposure to English and limit their ability to develop listening and speaking skills.

To improve this, teachers should consciously simplify their classroom language and use short, predictable sentence patterns that match the student’s level. Instructions should be broken into small, manageable steps and consistently supported with visuals, gestures, and modeling instead of translation. L1 should be minimized and used only when absolutely necessary, while English should remain the main classroom language. Reducing teacher talk and replacing explanations with demonstrations and guided practice will create more space for students to process, respond, and actively use the target language.

TPR / Props – Due to the habit of relying on L1, teachers often overlook one of the most effective and reliable tools for communication: instructional gestures and real-life props. As a result, students become dependent on translation instead of developing natural listening and comprehension skills in English.

Teachers are strongly encouraged to eliminate L1 and consistently use TPR, facial expressions, modeling, and concrete props to convey meaning. Demonstrating actions, showing objects, pointing, miming, and acting out instructions allow students to understand without translation, increase engagement, and create stronger memory connections. Regular use of TPR and props makes instructions clearer, supports different learning styles, and significantly boosts both comprehension and speaking confidence.

STT (Student Talking Time) – Many lessons are teacher-centered, with high TTT (Teacher Talking Time) and limited opportunities for students to speak (low STT). This is often reinforced by relying on general yes/no questions, which give students little chance to actively use English.

Teachers should focus on asking targeted, level-appropriate questions that require longer answers, such as “Wh-” questions (who, what, where, when, why, how) or personal prompts like “Tell me about your favorite…” rather than questions with only yes/no responses. Incorporating drills, repetition activities, and structured role-plays encourages active participation and reinforces language patterns.

Personalization – Lessons often feel too general, making it harder for students to see the relevance of English in their own lives. Without real-life context, language learning can feel abstract and harder to retain.

Teachers should focus on customizing lessons to the student’s age, level, and interests. Begin by exploring their hobbies, routines, and experiences, then integrate these into examples, questions, and activities. Using the student’s own stories, choices, or relevant props makes English meaningful, increases engagement, and encourages active participation. This approach helps students connect language to real-life situations, improving both comprehension and retention.

Summary Slides (Trial Lessons Only) – teachers often forget to use the summary slides at the end of trial lessons. These slides are important for informing the parent about the student’s level and their further steps.

Teachers must go through the slides with the parent, explain the student’s current level, highlight strengths and areas to improve, and recommend the right course from our program based on the lesson and the level guide. Using the summary slides properly ensures parents clearly understand their child’s level and the next steps in their learning at All Right.